Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 29.14

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[1]

Although Africa had not been openly assigned as a province, while the senators kept the matter dark, I believe, for fear the Carthaginians might know in advance, nevertheless the people were aroused to hope that the war would be waged that year in Africa, and that the end of the Punic war was at hand.

[2] That situation had filled men's minds with superstitious fears and they were ¹ indined both to report and to believe portents.

[3] All the greater was the number of them in circulation: that two suns had been seen, and that at night there had been light for a time; ² and that at Setia a meteor ³ had been seen shooting from east to west; that at Tarracina a city-gate had been struck by lightning, at Anagnia a gate and also the wall at many points; that in the temple of Juno Sospita at Lanuvium a noise was heard with a dreadful crash.

[4] To expiate these there was a single day of prayer, and on account of the shower of stones nine days of rites ⁴ were observed.

[5] In addition they deliberated on the reception of the Idaean Mother, ⁵ in regard to whom not only had Marcus Valerius, one of the ambassadors, arriving in advance, reported that she would be in Italy very soon, but also there was recent news that she was already at Tarracina.

[6] It was no unimportant decision that occupied the senate — the question who was the best man in the state.

[7] At any rate every man would have preferred a real victory in that contest to any high commands or magistracies, whether conferred by vote of the senators or of the people.

[8] Publius Scipio, son of the Gnaeus who had fallen in Spain, was the young man not yet of an age to be quaestor, ⁶ whom they judged to be the best of good men among all the

[9] citizens. If writers who lived nearest in time to men who remembered those days had handed down by what ⁷ virtues the senate was led to make that judgment, I should indeed gladly hand it on to posterity. But I shall not interject my own opinions, reached by conjecture in a matter buried by the lapse of

[10] time. Publius Cornelius was ordered to go to Ostia with all the matrons to meet the goddess, and himself to receive her from the ship, and carrying her to land to turn her over to the matrons to

[11] carry. After the ship had reached the mouth of the river Tiber, in compliance with the order he sailed out into open water on a ship, received the goddess from her priests ⁸ and carried her to

[12] land. The foremost matrons in the state, among whom the name of one in particular, that of Claudia Quinta, ⁹ is conspicuous, received her. Claudia's repute, previously not unquestioned, as tradition reports it, has made her purity the more celebrated among posterity by a service so

[13] devout. The matrons passed the goddess from hand to hand in an unbroken succession to each other, while the entire city poured out to meet her. Censers had been placed before the doors along the route of the bearers, and kindling their incense, people prayed that gracious and benignant she might enter the city of Rome. It was to the Temple of Victory, which is on the Palatine, that they carried the goddess on the day before the Ides of April, and that was a holy

[14] day. The people thronged to the Palatine bearing gifts for the goddess, and there ¹⁰ was a banquet of the gods, and games also, called the Megalesia. ¹¹

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor). Medford, MA. .

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Sage, Evan T.; Schlesinger, Alfred C., translators. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959. (Loeb Classical Library))

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 29.14 focus

[1] quamquam nondum aperte Africa provincia decreta erat, occultantibus id, credo, patribus, ne praesciscerent Carthaginienses, tamen in eam spem erecta civitas erat, in Africa eo anno bellatum iri finemque bello Punico adesse.

[2] impleverat ea res superstitionum animos, pronique et ad nuntianda et ad credenda prodigia erant.

[3] eo plura vulgabantur: duos soles visos, et nocte interluxisse, et facem Setiae ab ortu solis ad occidentem porrigi visam; Tarracinae portam, Anagniae et portam et multis locis murum de caelo tactum; in aede Iunonis Sospitae Lanuvi cum horrendo fragore strepitum editum.

[4] eorum procurandorum causa diem unum supplicatio fuit; et novendiale sacrum, quod de caelo lapidatum esset, factum. eo accessit consultatio de matre Idaea accipienda,

[5] quam praeterquam quod M. Valerius, unus ex legatis, praegressus actutum in Italia fore nuntiaverat, recens nuntius aderat Tarracinae iam esse.

[6] haud parvae rei iudicium senatum tenebat, qui vir optimus in civitate esset;

[7] veram certe victoriam eius rei sibi quisque mallet quam ulla imperia honoresve suffragio seu patrum seu plebis delatos.

[8] P. Scipionem Cn. f. eius, qui in Hispania ceciderat, adulescentem nondum quaestorium, iudicaverunt in tota civitate virum bonorum optimum esse.

[9] id quibus virtutibus inducti ita iudicarint, sicut traditum a proximis memoriae temporum illorum scriptoribus libens posteris traderem, ita meas opinions opiniones coniectando rem vetustate obrutam non interponam.

[10] P. Cornelius cum omnibus matronis Ostiam obviam ire deae iussus, isque ear eam de nave accipere et in terram elatam tradere ferendam matronis.

[11] postquam navis ad ostium amnis Tiberini accessit, sicut erat iussus, in salum nave evectus ab sacerdotibus deam accepit extulitque in terram.

[12] matronae primores civitatis, inter quas unius Claudiae Quintae insigne est nomen, accepere; cui dubia, ut traditur, antea fama clariorem ad posteros tam religioso ministerio pudicitiam fecit.

[13] eae per manus succedentes deinde aliae aliis, omni obviam effusa civitate, turibulis ante ianuas positis, qua praeferebatur, atque accenso ture, precantes, ut volens propitiaque urbem Romanam iniret, in aedem Victoriae, quae est in Palatio, pertulere deam pr.

[14] non. Apr., isque dies festus fuit. populus frequens dona deae in Palatium tulit, lectisterniumque et ludi fuere, Megalensia appellata.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 29.14 focus

[1]

quamquam nondum aperte Africa prouincia decreta erat occultantibus id, credo, patribus ne praesciscerent Carthaginienses, tamen in eam spem erecta ciuitas erat in Africa eo anno bellatum iri finemque bello Punico adesse.

[2] impleuerat ea res superstitionum animos, pronique et ad nuntianda et ad credenda prodigia erant;

[3] eo plura uolgabantur: duos soles uisos, et nocte interluxisse, et facem Setiae ab ortu solis ad occidentem porrigi uisam: Tarracinae portam, Anagniae et portam et multis locis murum de caelo tactum: in aede Iunonis Sospitae Lanuui cum horrendo fragore strepitum editum.

[4] eorum procurandorum causa diem unum supplicatio fuit, et nouendiale sacrum quod de caelo lapidatum esset factum.

[5] eo accessit consultatio de matre Idaea accipienda, quam, praeterquam quod M. Ualerius unus ex legatis praegressus actutum in Italia fore nuntiauerat, recens nuntius aderat Tarracinae iam esse.

[6] haud paruae rei iudicium senatum tenebat qui uir optimus in ciuitate esset;

[7] ueram certe uictoriam eius rei sibi quisque mallet quam ulla imperia honoresue suffragio seu patrum seu plebis delatos.

[8] P. Scipionem Cn. filium eius qui in Hispania ceciderat, adulescentem nondum quaestorium, iudicauerunt in tota ciuitate uirum bonorum optimum esse.

[9] —id quibus uirtutibus inducti ita iudicarint, sicut traditum a proximis memoriae temporum illorum scriptoribus libens posteris traderem, ita meas opiniones coniectando rem uetustate obrutam non interponam.

[10] P. Cornelius cum omnibus matronis Ostiam obuiam ire deae iussus; isque eam de naue acciperet et in terram elatam traderet ferendam matronis.

[11] postquam nauis ad ostium amnis Tiberini accessit, sicut erat iussus, in salum naue euectus ab sacerdotibus deam accepit extulitque in terram.

[12] matronae primores ciuitatis, inter quas unius Claudiae Quintae insigne est nomen, accepere; cui dubia, ut traditur, antea fama clariorem ad posteros tam religioso ministerio pudicitiam fecit.

[13] eae per manus, succedentes deinde aliae aliis, omni obuiam effusa ciuitate, turibulis ante ianuas positis qua praeferebatur atque accenso ture precantibus ut uolens propitiaque urbem Romanam iniret, in aedem Uictoriae quae est in Palatio pertulere deam pridie idus Apriles;

[14] isque dies festus fuit. populus frequens dona deae in Palatium tulit, lectisterniumque et ludi fuere, Megalesia appellata.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Livy in Fourteen Volumes. Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Schlesinger, Alfred C., editors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959 (printing).) — 29.14 focus

[1]

quamquam nondum aperte Africa provincia decreta erat, occultantibus id, credo, patribus, ne praesciscerent Carthaginienses, tamen in eam ear spem erecta civitas erat in Africa eo anno bellatum iri finemque bello Punico adesse.

[2] impleverat ea res superstitionum ¹ animos, pronique et ad nuntianda et ² ad credenda prodigia erant.

[3] eo plura volgabantur: duos soles visos, et nocte interluxisse, et facem Setiae ab ortu solis ad ³ occidentem porrigi visam; Tarracinae portam, Anagniae et portam et multis locis murum de caelo tactum; in aede Iunonis Sospitae Lanuvi cum horrendo fragore strepitum editum.

[4] eorum procurandorum causa diem unum supplicatio fuit, et novendiale sacrum, quod de caelo lapidatum esset, factum.

[5] eo accessit consultatio de matre Idaea accipienda, quam, praeterquam quod M. Valerius, unus ex legatis, praegressus ⁴ actutum in Italia fore nuntiaverat, recens nuntius aderat Tarracinae iam esse.

[6] haud parvae rei iudicium senatum tenebat qui vir optimus in civitate esset;

[7] veram certe victoriam eius rei sibi quisque mallet quam ulla imperia honoresve suffragio seu patrum seu plebis delatos.

[8] P. Scipionem Cn. filium eius qui in Hispania ceciderat, adulescentem nondum quaestorium, iudicaverunt in tota civitate virum bonorum ⁵ optimum esse.

[9] id quibus virtutibus inducti ita iudicarint, sicut traditum a proximis memoriae temporum ⁶ illorum scriptoribus libens posteris traderem, ⁷ ita meas opiniones coniectando rem vetustate obrutam non interponam.

[10] P. Cornelius cum omnibus matronis Ostiam obviam ire deae iussus, isque eam ear de nave accipere ⁸ et in terram elatam tradere ⁹ ferendam ¹⁰ matronis.

[11] postquam navis ad ostium amnis Tiberini accessit, sicut erat iussus, in salum salumn nave evectus ab sacerdotibus deam accepit extulitque in terram. matronae primores civitatis,

[12] inter quas unius Claudiae Quintae insigne est nomen, accepere; cui dubia, ut traditur, antea fama clariorem ad posteros tam religioso ministerio pudicitiam fecit.

[13] eae per manus, succedentes deinde aliae aliis, omni obviam effusa civitate, turibulis ante ianuas positis qua praeferebatur atque accenso ture, precantibus ¹¹ ut volens propitiaque urbem Romanam iniret,

[14] in aedem Victoriae quae est in Palatio, pertulere deam pridie idus ¹² Apriles; isque dies festus fuit. populus frequens dona deae in Palatium tulit, lectisterniumque ¹³ et ludi fuere, Megalesia appellata.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 29.14 focus

[1]

Although Africa had not as yet been openly declared a province, the senate keeping it a secret, I suppose, lest the Carthaginians should get intelligence of it beforehand, nevertheless, the most sanguine hopes were entertained in the city, that the enemy would be vanquished that year in Africa, and that the termination of the Punic war was at hand.

[2] This circumstance had filled the minds of the people with superstitious notions, and they were strongly disposed to credit and propagate accounts of prodigies, and for that reason more were reported.

[3] It was said,

that two suns had been seen; that it had become light for a time during the night; that at Setia a meteor had been seen, extending from the east to the west; that at Tarracina a gate, at Anagnia a gate and the wall in many places, had been struck by lightning; that in the temple of Juno Sospita, at Lanuvium, a noise had been heard, accompanied with a tremendous crash.

[4] There was a supplication for one day for the purpose of expiating these, and the nine days' sacred rite was celebrated on account of a shower of stones.

[5] In addition to these cares, they had to deliberate about the reception of the Idaean Mother; for besides that Marcus Valerius, one of the ambassadors who had come before the rest, had brought word that she would be in Italy forthwith, a recent account had arrived that she was at Tarracina.

[6] The senate was occupied with the determination of a matter of no small importance, namely, who was the most virtuous man in the state.

[7] Every one doubtless would wish for himself the victory in this contest, rather than any office of command, or any honours, which could be conferred by the suffrages either of the senate or the people.

[8] Publius Scipio, son of Cneius who had fallen in Spain, a youth not yet of the age to be quaestor, they adjudged to be the best of the good men in the whole state.

[9] Though I would willingly record it for the information of posterity, had the writers who lived in the times nearest to those events mentioned by what virtues of his they were induced to come to this determination, yet I will not obtrude my own opinion, formed upon conjecture, relative to a matter buried in the obscurity of antiquity.

[10] Publius Cornelius was ordered to go to Ostia, attended by all the matrons, to meet the goddess; to receive her from the ship himself, and, when landed, place her in the hands of the matrons to convey her away.

[11] After the ship arrived at the mouth of the Tiber, Scipio, according to the directions given him, sailed out into the open sea, and, receiving the goddess from the priests, conveyed her to land.

[12] The chief matrons in the state received her, among whom the name of Claudia Quinta alone is worthy of remark. Her fame, which, as it is recorded, was before that time dubious, became, in consequence of her having assisted in so solemn a business, illustrious for chastity among posterity.

[13] The matrons, passing her from one to another in orderly succession, conveyed the goddess into the temple of Victory, in the Palatium, on the day before the ides of April, which was made a festival, while the whole city poured out to meet her; and, placing censers before their doors, on the way by which she was conveyed in procession, kindled frankincense, and prayed that she would enter the city of Rome willingly and propitiously.

[14] The people in crowds carried presents to the goddess in the Palatium; a lectisternium was celebrated, with games called the Megalesian.

History of Rome Perseus (Volumes 1-2. Roberts, Canon, Rev, translator. London, New York: J. M. Dent and Sons; E. P. Dutton and Co., 1912.) — 29.14 focus

[1]

Although Africa had not been officially placed among the provinces-the senators, I think, kept it secret to prevent the Carthaginians from getting information beforehand-the citizens fully expected that Africa would be the scene of hostilities this year, and that the end of the Punic War was not far off.

[2] In this state of excitement men's minds were filled with superstition and the ready credence given to announcement of portents increased their number.

[3] Two suns were said to have been seen; there were intervals of daylight during the night; a meteor was seen to shoot from east to west; a gate at Tarracina and at Anagnia a gate and several portions of the wall were struck by lightning; in the temple of Juno Sospita at Lanuvium a crash followed by a dreadful roar was heard. To expiate these portents special intercessions were offered for a whole day, and in consequence of a shower of stones a nine days' solemnity of prayer and sacrifice was observed.

[4] The reception of Mater Idaea was also being anxiously discussed. M. Valerius, the member of the deputation who had come in advance, had reported that she would be in Italy almost immediately and a fresh messenger had brought word that she was already at Tarracina.

[5] The attention of the senate was engrossed by a very difficult question; they had to decide who was the best and noblest man in the State.

[6] Every one felt that to gain this distinction would be for him a real victory, far outweighing any official position or honourable distinction which either patricians or plebeians could confer.

[7] Of all the great and good men in the State they adjudged the best and noblest to be P. Scipio, the son of the Cnaeus Scipio who had fallen in Spain; a young man not yet old enough to be quaestor.

[8] What special merits of his induced the senate to come to this conclusion I should have been glad to record for posterity had the writers who lived nearest to those days handed them down.

[9] As it is I will not obtrude my conjectures upon a matter hidden in the mists of antiquity.

P. Scipio was ordered to go to Ostia, accompanied by all the matrons, to meet the goddess.

[10] He was to receive her as she left the vessel, and when brought to land he was to place her in the hands of the matrons who were to bear her to her destination.

[11] As soon as the ship appeared off the mouth of the Tiber he put out to sea in accordance with his instructions, received the goddess from the hands of her priestesses, and brought her to land. Here she was received by the foremost matrons of the City, amongst whom the name of Claudia Quinta stands out pre-eminently.

[12] According to the traditional account her reputation had previously been doubtful, but this sacred function surrounded her with a halo of chastity in the eyes of posterity. The matrons, each taking their turn in bearing the sacred image, carried the goddess into the temple of Victory on the Palatine.

[13] All the citizens flocked out to meet them, censers in which incense was burning were placed before the doors in the streets through which she was borne, and from all lips arose the prayer that she would of her own free will and favour be pleased to enter Rome.

[14] The day on which this event took place was 12th April, and was observed as a festival; the people came in crowds to make their offerings to the deity; a lectisternium was held and Games were constituted which were known afterwards as the Megalesian.

Notes on the current edition

Ab Urbe Condita With An English Translation, books 1-10, 21-45, with periochae 11-20

1. B.C. 204

2. Again an aurora probably, as rare in Italy; cf. XXVIII. xi. 3, Fregellae; XXXII. xxix. 2, Frusino, 197 B.C. An earlier instance, 223 B.C. at Ariminum, Zonaras VIII. xx. 4; more in Iulius Obsequens, e.g. 44 and 70 (102 and 42 B.C. ), from lost books of Livy. Cf. Cicero de Div. I. 97 (Pease).

3. Meteors were often reported among the prodigies; XXX. ii. 11; XLI. xxi. 13; XLIII. xiii. 3; XLV. xvi. 5; Cicero de Div. (Pease) I. 18 and 97; II. 60; N.D. II. 14.

4. Cf. Vol. VII. p. 90, note.

5. Cf. p. 244, n. 1; George F. Moore, Hist. of Religions I. 556 f.

6. There was still no law fixing a minimum age —not until 24 years later. Cf. Vol. VI. p. 344, n. 3. In 191 B.C. this Scipio Nasica reached the consulship; XXXV. xxiv. 5; XXXVI. i. 1.

7. B.C. 204

8. A Phrygian man and woman, Dion. Hal. II. xix. 4 f. Romans were excluded by a decree of the senate, but the restriction was later removed (2nd century A.D.). Cf. XXXVII. ix. 9; XXXVIII. xviii. 9.

9. Her statue was later placed in the temple of the Magna Mater dedicated in 191 B.C. , the consulship of Nasica. Cf. XXXVI. xxxvi. 3 f.; Tacitus Ann. IV. 64; Val. Max. I. viii. 11. Between 204 B.C. and 191 the black stone remained in the Temple of Victory, § 14

10. B.C. 204

11. Later the festival was shifted to pridie nonas, the 4th of April in place of the 12th. Its name came from her Megalesion at Pergamum, the temple from which she was brought to Rome according to Varro L.L. VI. 15.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 29.14

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

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