Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator), 2.17

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[1] The consuls who succeeded, Opiter Verginius and Sp. Cassius, tried at first to take Pometia by storm, then they had recourse to regular siege-works.

[2] Actuated more by a spirit of mortal hatred than by any hope or chance of success, the Auruncans made a sortie. The greater number were armed with blazing torches, and they carried flames and death everywhere.

[3] The “ vineae ” ¹ were burnt, great numbers of the besiegers were killed and wounded, they nearly killed one of the consuls —the authorities do not give his name —after he had fallen from his horse severely

[4] wounded. After this disaster the Romans returned home, with a large number of wounded, amongst them the consul, whose condition was critical. After an interval, long enough for the recovery of the wounded and the filling up of the ranks, operations were resumed at Pometia in stronger force and in a more angry

[5] temper. The vineae were repaired and the other vast works were made good, and when everything was ready for the soldiers to mount the walls, the place

[6] surrendered. The Auruncans, however, were treated with no less rigour after they had surrendered the city than if it had been taken by assault; the principal men were beheaded, the rest of the townsfolk sold as slaves. The town was razed, the land put up for

[7] sale. The consuls celebrated a triumph more because of the terrible vengeance they had inflicted than on account of the importance of the war now terminated.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator). Medford, MA. 1997-10-28.

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 2.17 focus

[1] secuti consules Opiter Verginius Sp. Cassius Pometiam primo vi, deinde vineis aliisque operibus oppugnarunt.

[2] in quos Aurunci magis iam inexpiabili odio quam spe aliqua aut occasione coorti cum plures igni quam ferro armati excucurrissent, caede incendioque cuncta conplent.

[3] vineis incensis, multis hostium vulneratis et occisis consulum quoque alterum — sed utrum nomen, auctores non adiciunt — gravi vulnere ex equo deiectum prope interfecerunt.

[4] Romam inde male gesta re reditum. inter multos saucios consul spe incerta vitae relatus. interiecto deinde haud magno spatio, quod vulneribus curandis supplendoque exercitui satis esset, cum ira maiore bellum tum viribus etiam auctis Pometiae arma inlata.

[5] et cum vineis refectis aliaque mole belli iam in eo esset, ut in muros evaderet miles, deditio est facta.

[6] ceterum nihilo minus foeda dedita urbe, quam si capta foret, Auunci Aurunci passi: principes securi percussi, sub corona venierunt coloni alii;

[7] oppidum dirutum, ager veniit. consules magis ob iras graviter ultas quam ob magnitudinem perfecti belli triumpharunt.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 2.17 focus

[1]

secuti consules Opiter Uerginius Sp. Cassius Pometiam primo ui, deinde uineis aliisque operibus oppugnarunt.

[2] in quos Aurunci magis iam inexpiabili odio quam spe aliqua aut occasione coorti, cum plures igni quam ferro armati excucurrissent, caede incendioque cuncta complent.

[3] uineis incensis, multis hostium uolneratis et occisis, consulum quoque alterum—sed utrum auctores non adiciunt—graui uolnere ex equo deiectum prope interfecerunt.

[4] Romam inde male gesta re reditum; inter multos saucios consul spe incerta uitae relatus. interiecto deinde haud magno spatio, quod uolneribus curandis supplendoque exercitui satis esset, cum ira maiore, tum uiribus etiam auctis Pometiae arma inlata.

[5] et cum uineis refectis aliaque mole belli iam in eo esset ut in muros euaderet miles, deditio est facta.

[6] ceterum nihilo minus foeda, dedita urbe, quam si capta foret, Aurunci passi; principes securi percussi, sub corona uenierunt coloni alii, oppidum dirutum, ager ueniit.

[7] consules magis ob iras grauiter ultas quam ob magnitudinem perfecti belli triumpharunt.

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).) — 2.17 focus

[1]

secuti consules Opiter Verginius Sp. Cassius ¹ Pometiam primo vi, deinde vineis aliisque operibus oppugnarunt.

[2] in quos Aurunci, magis iam inexpiabili odio quam spe aliqua aut occasione coorti, cum plures igni quam ferro armati excucurrissent, caede incendioque cuncta complent.

[3] vineis incensis, multis hostium volneratis et occisis, consulum quoque alterum—sed utrum ² auctores non adiciunt—gravi volnere ex equo deiectum prope interfecerunt.

[4] Romam inde male gesta re reditum. inter multos saucios consul spe incerta vitae relatus. ³ interiecto deinde haud magno spatio quod volneribus curandis supplendoque exercitui satis esset, cum ira maiore ⁴ tum viribus etiam auctis Pometiae arma inlata.

[5] et cum vineis refectis aliaque mole belli iam in eo esset ut in muros evaderet miles, deditio est facta.

[6] ceterum⁵ nihilo minus foeda dedita urbe quam si capta foret Aurunci passi: ⁶ principes securi percussi, sub corona venierunt coloni alii; oppidum dirutum, ager veniit.

[7] consules magis ob iras graviter ultas quam ob magnitudinem perfecti belli triumpharunt.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (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)) — 2.17 focus

[1]

The consuls of the next year, Opiter ¹ Verginius and Spurius Cassius, attempted to capture Pometia, first by assault and then by the use of mantlets and other engines.

[2] Against their besiegers the Aurunci, rather of an implacable hatred than for any hope or opportunity offered, rushed out, armed with firebrands for the most part, instead of swords, and carried death and flames in all directions.

[3] The mantlets were burned, many of their enemies were wounded or slain, and one of the consuls —which one the historians do not add —was seriously wounded, thrown from his horse, and almost killed.

[4] The Romans then marched home, defeated. Amongst the many wounded they brought the consul, hovering betwixt life and death. When a short time had elapsed, long enough for healing wounds and recruiting the army, they returned, with heightened resentment and also with augmented forces, to the attack of Pometia.

[5] They had repaired their mantlets and the rest of their equipment, and they were already upon the point of sending their men against the walls when ² the town capitulated.

[6] But the fate of the Aurunci was no less awful from their having surrendered their city than if it had been stormed. Their chief men were beheaded, and the rest of the colonists were sold as slaves. ³ The town was razed; its land was sold.

[7] The consuls obtained a triumph, more because they had heavily avenged Rome's wrongs than because of the magnitude of the war which they had successfully concluded.

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 2.17 focus

[1]

The following consuls, Opiter Virginius and Sp. Cassius, first endeavoured to take Pometia by storm, and afterwards by raising vineae and other works.

[2] But the Auruncians, prompted more by an irreconcilable hatred against them, than induced by hopes of success, or by a favourable opportunity, sallied out of the town, and though more of them were armed with lighted torches than swords, filled all places with fire and slaughter.

[3] After they had burnt down the vineae, slain and wounded many of the enemy, they were near killing one of the consuls, who had been thrown from his horse and severely wounded (which of them authors do not mention). Upon this they returned to Rome, foiled in their object;

[4] the consul was left among many more who were wounded with very uncertain hopes of his recovery. After a short time, sufficient for curing their wounds and recruiting their army, they marched against Pometia with redoubled fury and augmented strength.

[5] When, the vineae having been repaired and the other apparatus of war, the soldiers were on the point of scaling the walls, the town surrendered.

[6] Yet though the town had surrendered, the leading men of the Auruncians, with no less cruelty than if it had been taken by assault, were beheaded indiscriminately; the others who were colonists were sold by auction, the town was razed, and the land sold.

[7] The consuls obtained a triumph more from having severely gratified their revenge, than in con- sequence of the importance of the war thus brought to a close.

Notes on the current edition

History of Rome, books 1-10, 21-45

1. “ vineae ” —these were movable shelters, open at both ends, pushed along on wheels, and made of stout wattling, covered with leather. As the name suggests, the earliest were probably constructed of interlaced vine stems. Under their protection battering-rams could be worked, mines commenced, and other siege operations conducted.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 2.17

Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator)

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