Monday, February 18, 2013

Livy I.4 (p. 5,7)


Forte quadam divinitus super ripas Tiberis effusus lenibus stagnis adiri usquam ad iusti amnis cursum non poterat, sed spem ferentibus dabat posse quamvis languida mergi aqua infantes.

By a certain divine chance the Tiber, having spread out over its banks into gentle pools, was not able to be approached anywhere to its normal course, but he (or: it – the river) gave hope to those carrying the children that they could be drowned even in sluggish water.

Ita velut defuncti regis imperio in proxima alluvie ubi nunc ficus Ruminalis est – Romularem vocatam ferunt – pueros exponunt. Vastae tum in his locis solitudines erant.

Thus as if having done the order of the king they exposed the boys in the nearest pool, where there is now the Ruminalis fig-tree – they say it had been called ‘the fig-tree of Romulus.’ At that time in these places there was a vast nothingness (there were vast desolate places). 


Tenet fama cum tenuis aqua fluitantem alveum, quo expositi erant pueri, in sicco destituisset, lupam sitientem ex montibus, qui circa sunt, ad puerilem vagitum cursum flexisse;

Rumor has it that when the delicate water set down in a dry place the basket, in which the boys had been exposed, a thirsty she-wolf (coming) from the mountains which were around directed her course towards the cries of the boys.

eam adeo mitem submissas mammas infantibus praebuisse ut lingua lambentem pueros magister regii pecoris invenerit – Faustulo fuisse nomen ferunt;

and that she let down her breasts and offered them to the boys so gently that the chief shepherd of the royal flock found (her) licking the boys with her tongue – they say that his name was Faustulus;

ab eo ad stabula Larentiae uxori educandos datos (esse). Sunt qui Larentiam vulgato corpore lupam inter pastores vocatam (esse) putent; inde locum fabulae ac miraculo datum.

from him they were given to Larentia, his wife, to be brought up at his dwelling (hut). There are those who believe that Larentia was called “she-wolf” among the shepherds because she presented her body (or: because she had been a prostitute); there from the origin of the tale and of the miracle (or: of a miraculous story) was given. 

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