Eutropius: BREVIARIVM HISTORIAE ROMANAE

Res Romanas ex voluntate mansuetudinis tuae ab urbe condita ad nostram memoriam, quae in negotiis vel bellicis vel civilibus eminebant, per ordinem temporum brevi narratione collegi, strictim additis etiam his, quae in principum vita egregia extiterunt, ut tranquillitatis tuae possit mens divina laetari prius se inlustrium virorum facta in administrando imperio secutam, quam cognosceret lectione.

By your will of clemency I have collected, in a brief narrative and in order of times, the Roman affairs from the city’s founding down to our memory which stood out in matters both military and civil, strictly adding also those things which proved remarkable in the lives of princes, so that your divine mind of tranquillity may be able to rejoice in having first followed the deeds of illustrious men in the administration of the empire, rather than to learn them by reading.

[1] Romanum imperium, quo neque ab exordio ullum fere minus neque incrementis toto orbe amplius humana potest memoria recordari, a Romulo exordium habet, qui Reae Silviae, Vestalis virginis, filius et, quantum putatus est, Martis cum Remo fratre uno partu editus est.Is cum inter pastores latrocinaretur, decem et octo annos natus urbem exiguam in Palatino monte constituit XI Kal. Maias, Olympiadis sextae anno tertio, post Troiae excidium, ut qui plurimum minimumque tradunt, anno trecentesimo nonagesimo quarto.

[1] The Roman empire, of which from the beginning scarcely any other is less and in its enlargements through the whole world none greater can be recalled by human memory, has its origin from Romulus, who was the son of Rhea Silvia, a Vestal virgin, and—so it was thought—of Mars, and was born in the same birth with his brother Remus.He, while he was ranging among shepherds as a brigand, at eighteen years of age founded a small city on the Palatine hill on 11 Kal. Maias, in the third year of the sixth Olympiad, after the destruction of Troy—according to those who give the largest and the smallest accounts—in the year 394.

[2] Condita civitate, quam ex nomine suo Romam vocavit, haec fere egit.Multitudinem finitimorum in civitatem recepit, centum ex senioribus legit, quorum consilio omnia ageret, quos senatores nominavit propter senectutem. Tum, cum uxores ipse et populus suus non haberent, invitavit ad spectaculum ludorum vicinas urbi Romae nationes atque earum virgines rapuit.

[2] With the city having been founded, which he called Rome from his own name, he did these things for the most part.He received a multitude of neighboring peoples into the city, chose one hundred from the elders, by whose counsel he would manage all things, and named them senators because of their senectitude. Then, since neither he himself nor his people had wives, he invited to the spectacle of the games the nations neighboring the city of Rome and seized their maidens.

Commotis bellis propter raptarum iniuriam Caeninenses vicit, Antemnates, Crustuminos, Sabinos, Fidenates, Veientes. Haec omnia oppida urbem cingunt. Et cum orta subito tempestate non comparuisset, anno regni tricesimo septimo ad deos transisse creditus est et consecratus.

With wars set in motion because of the injury to the abducted, he conquered the Caeninenses, Antemnates, Crustumini, Sabini, Fidenates, Veientes. All these towns surround the city. And when he did not appear because a sudden tempest had arisen, in the 37th year of his reign he was believed to have passed to the gods and was consecrated.

Deinde Romae per quinos dies senatores imperaverunt et his regnantibus annus unus completus est.

Then in Rome the senators commanded for five days, and with these ruling one year was completed.

[3] Postea Numa Pompilius rex creatus est, qui bellum quidem nullum gessit, sed non minus civitati quam Romulus profuit.Nam et leges Romanis moresque constituit, qui consuetudine proeliorum iam latrones ac semibarbari putabantur, et annum descripsit in decem menses prius sine aliqua supputatione confusum, et infinita Romae sacra ac templa constituit. Morbo decessit quadragesimo et tertio imperii anno.

[3] Afterwards Numa Pompilius was created king, who indeed conducted no war, but was no less beneficial to the state than Romulus. For he established laws and the mores of the Romans, who by a habit of raids were already thought robbers and semi‑barbarians, and he arranged the year into ten months, formerly confused without any reckoning, and he established countless sacred rites and temples at Rome. He died of disease in the 43rd year of his reign.

[4] Huic successit Tullus Hostilius.Hic bella reparavit, Albanos vicit, qui ab urbe Roma duodecimo miliario sunt, Veientes et Fidenates, quorum alii sexto miliario absunt ab urbe Roma, alii octavo decimo, bello superavit, urbem ampliavit, adiecto Caelio monte. Cum triginta et duos annos regnasset, fulmine ictus cum domo sua arsit.

[4] He was succeeded by Tullus Hostilius.He renewed wars, defeated the Albans (who are twelve miles from the city of Rome), the Veientes and the Fidenates — some of whom are six miles from Rome, others eighteen — he overcame them in war, enlarged the city, the Caelian Hill being added. After he had reigned thirty-two years, struck by lightning he burned together with his house.

[5] Post hunc Ancus Marcius, Numae ex filia nepos, suscepit imperium.Contra Latinos dimicavit, Aventinum montem civitati adiecit et Janiculum, apud ostium Tiberis civitatem supra mare sexto decimo miliario ab urbe Roma condidit. Vicesimo et quarto anno imperii morbo periit.

[5] After him Ancus Marcius, grandson of Numa by a daughter, assumed the power.He fought against the Latins, added the Aventine Hill to the city and the Janiculum, and founded a town at the mouth of the Tiber above the sea at the sixteenth mile from the city of Rome. In the twenty-fourth year of his reign he perished of disease.

[6] Deinde regnum Priscus Tarquinius accepit.Hic numerum senatorum duplicavit, circum Romae aedificavit, ludos Romanos instituit, qui ad nostram memoriam permanent. Vicit idem etiam Sabinos et non parum agrorum sublatum isdem urbis Romae territorio iunxit, primusque triumphans urbem intravit.

[6] Next Priscus Tarquinius received the kingship.He doubled the number of senators, built a circuit around Rome, instituted the Roman games, which remain to our memory. He likewise conquered the Sabines and joined to the territory of the same city of Rome a not small amount of land taken, and first, triumphing, entered the city.

Muros fecit et cloacas, Capitolium inchoavit. Tricesimo octavo imperii anno per Anci filios occisus est, regis eius, cui ipse successerat.

He built walls and cloacae, and began the Capitoline. In the 38th year of his reign he was slain by the sons of Ancus, that king whom he himself had succeeded.

[7] Post hunc Servius Tullius suscepit imperium, genitus ex nobili femina, captiva tamen et ancilla.Hic quoque Sabinos subegit, montes tres, Quirinalem, Viminalem, Esquilinum, urbi adiunxit, fossas circum murum duxit. Primus omnium censum ordinavit, qui adhuc per orbem terrarum incognitus erat.

[7] After him Servius Tullius assumed the imperium, born of a noble woman, yet a captive and ancilla.He likewise subdued the Sabines, added three mounts — the Quirinal, the Viminal, the Esquiline — to the city, and drew ditches around the wall. First of all he ordained the census, which until then was unknown throughout the orb of lands.

Sub eo Roma omnibus in censum delatis habuit capita LXXXIII milia civium Romanorum cum his, qui in agris erant. Occisus est scelere generi sui Tarquinii Superbi, filii eius regis, cui ipse successerat, et filiae, quam Tarquinius habebat uxorem.

Under him Rome, with all enrolled in the census, held 83,000 heads of Roman citizens, including those who were in the fields. He was slain by the crime of his son‑in‑law, Tarquinius Superbus — the son of that king to whom he himself had succeeded — and by his daughter, whom Tarquinius had as wife.

[8] L. Tarquinius Superbus, septimus atque ultimus regum, Volscos, quae gens ad Campaniam euntibus non longe ab urbe est, vicit, Gabios civitatem et Suessam Pometiam subegit, cum Tuscis pacem fecit et templum Jovis in Capitolio aedificavit.Postea Ardeam oppugnans, in octavo decimo miliario ab urbe Roma positam civitatem, imperium perdidit. Nam cum filius eius, et ipse Tarquinius iunior, nobilissimam feminam Lucretiam eandemque pudicissimam, Collatini uxorem, stuprasset eaque de iniuria marito et patri et amicis questa fuisset, in omnium conspectu se occidit.

[8] L. Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last of the kings, conquered the Volsci, a people not far from the city on the road to Campania, subdued the city of Gabii and Suessa Pometia, made peace with the Tuscans, and built a temple of Jove on the Capitoline.Later, while attacking Ardea, a city situated at the 18th mile from the city of Rome, he lost his rule. For when his son, Tarquinius the younger, had violated the most noble and likewise most chaste woman Lucretia, the wife of Collatinus, and she, having complained of the outrage to her husband and father and friends, killed herself in the sight of all,

Propter quam causam Brutus, parens et ipse Tarquinii, populum concitavit et Tarquinio ademit imperium. Mox exercitus quoque eum, qui civitatem Ardeam cum ipso rege oppugnabat, reliquit; veniensque ad urbem rex portis clausis exclusus est, cumque imperasset annos quattuor et viginti cum uxore et liberis suis fugit. Ita Romae regnatum est per septem reges annis ducentis quadraginta tribus, cum adhuc Roma, ubi plurimum, vix usque ad quintum decimum miliarium possideret.

Because of this cause Brutus, himself a kinsman of Tarquinius, roused the people and deprived Tarquinius of the imperium. Soon the army also abandoned him — he who was besieging the city Ardea with the king; and when he came to the city the king was shut out with the gates closed, and when he had reigned for 24 years he fled with his wife and his children. Thus Rome was ruled by seven kings for 243 years, when Rome still scarcely possessed, in most places, even up to the fifteenth mile.

[9] Hinc consules coepere, pro uno rege duo, hac causa creati, ut, si unus malus esse voluisset, alter eum, habens potestatem similem, coerceret.Et placuit, ne imperium longius quam annuum haberent, ne per diuturnitatem potestatis insolentiores redderentur, sed civiles semper essent, qui se post annum scirent futuros esse privatos. Fuerunt igitur anno primo ab expulsis regibus consules L. Iunius Brutus, qui maxime egerat, ut Tarquinius pelleretur, et Tarquinius Collatinus, maritus Lucretiae.

[9] Hence consuls began, two in place of one king, created for this reason, that if one wished to be wicked the other, having like power, might restrain him.And it was agreed that they should not hold imperium longer than one year, lest by the length of their power they become more insolent, but should always be civilians, knowing themselves after a year to be private persons. Therefore in the first year after the kings were expelled the consuls were L. Junius Brutus, who had most labored that Tarquin be driven out, and Tarquinius Collatinus, husband of Lucretia.

Sed Tarquinio Collatino statim sublata est dignitas. Placuerat enim, ne quisquam in urbe remaneret, qui Tarquinius vocaretur. Ergo accepto omni patrimonio suo ex urbe migravit, et loco ipsius factus est L. Valerius Publicola consul.

But the dignity was at once removed from Tarquinius Collatinus. For it had been agreed that no one should remain in the city who was called Tarquinius. Therefore, having taken up all his patrimony, he departed from the city, and in his place L. Valerius Publicola was made consul.

Commovit tamen bellum urbi Romae rex Tarquinius, qui fuerat expulsus, et collectis multis gentibus, ut in regnum posset restitui, dimicavit.

Nevertheless King Tarquinius, who had been expelled, stirred up war against the city of Rome, and, having gathered many peoples so that he might be restored to the kingdom, fought.

[10] In prima pugna Brutus consul et Arruns, Tarquinii filius, in vicem se occiderunt, Romani tamen ex ea pugna victores recesserunt.Brutum matronae Romanae, defensorem pudicitiae suae, quasi communem patrem per annum luxerunt. Valerius Publicola Sp. Lucretium Tricipitinum collegam sibi fecit, Lucretiae patrem, quo morbo mortuo iterum Horatium Pulvillum collegam sibi sumpsit.

[10] In the first battle Brutus the consul and Arruns, son of Tarquin, slew one another in turn, yet the Romans withdrew from that fight victorious. The Roman matrons bewailed Brutus, the defender of their pudicity, as if a common father for a year. Valerius Publicola made Sp. Lucretius Tricipitinus his colleague, the father of Lucretia; who, having died of that malady, he again took Horatius Pulvillus as his colleague.

Ita primus annus quinque consules habuit, cum Tarquinius Collatinus propter nomen urbe cessisset, Brutus in proelio perisset, Sp. Lucretius morbo mortuus esset.

Thus the first year had five consuls, since Tarquinius Collatinus, on account of his name, had withdrawn from the city, Brutus had perished in battle, and Sp. Lucretius had died of disease.

[11] Secundo quoque anno iterum Tarquinius ut reciperetur in regnum bellum Romanis intulit, auxilium ei ferente Porsenna, Tusciae rege, et Romam paene cepit.Verum tum quoque victus est. Tertio anno post reges exactos Tarquinius, cum suscipi non posset in regnum neque ei Porsenna, qui pacem cum Romanis fecerat, praestaret auxilium, Tusculum se contulit, quae civitas non longe ab urbe est, atque ibi per quattuordecim annos privatus cum uxore consenuit.

[11] In the second year likewise Tarquinius again brought war upon the Romans to be restored to the kingship, Porsenna, king of Tuscia, bearing aid to him, and he nearly took Rome.But even then he was defeated. In the third year after the kings were expelled, Tarquinius, since he could not be received into the kingship nor could Porsenna, who had made peace with the Romans, furnish him aid, withdrew to Tusculum, which city is not far from the city, and there, as a private man, he grew old with his wife for 14 years.

Quarto anno post reges exactos, cum Sabini Romanis bellum intulissent, victi sunt et de his triumphatum est. Quinto anno L. Valerius ille, Bruti collega et quater consul, fataliter mortuus est, adeo pauper, ut, collatis a populo nummis, sumptum habuerit sepulturae. Quem matronae sicuti Brutum annum luxerunt.

In the fourth year after the kings were expelled, when the Sabines had made war upon the Romans, they were defeated and a triumph was celebrated over them. In the fifth year Lucius Valerius, that colleague of Brutus and four‑time consul, died by fate, so poor that, when money was collected by the people, an expense for his burial was provided. Whom the matrons mourned for a year just as they had Brutus.

[12] Nono anno post reges exactos, cum gener Tarquini ad iniuriam soceri vindicandam ingentem collegisset exercitum, nova Romae dignitas est creata, quae dictatura appellatur, maior quam consulatus.Eodem anno etiam magister equitum factus est, qui dictatori obsequeretur. Neque quicquam similius potest dici quam dictatura antiqua huic imperii potestati, quam nunc tranquillitas vestra habet, maxime cum Augustus quoque Octavianus, de quo postea dicemus, et ante eum C. Caesar sub dictaturae nomine atque honore regnaverint.

[12] In the ninth year after the kings were expelled, when the son‑in‑law of Tarquin had gathered a huge army to avenge his father‑in‑law’s wrong, a new dignity at Rome was created, which is called the dictatorship, greater than the consulship.In the same year a magister equitum was also made, to obey the dictator. And nothing can be said more akin than the ancient dictatorship to this power of the empire which your tranquillity now holds, especially since Augustus also, Octavian — of whom we will speak later — and before him Gaius Caesar ruled under the name and honor of the dictatorship.

Dictator autem Romae primus fuit T. Larcius, magister equitum primus Sp. Cassius.

But the first dictator at Rome was T. Larcius, and the first magister equitum (master of the horse) Sp. Cassius.

[13] Sexto decimo anno post reges exactos seditionem populus Romae fecit, tamquam a senatu atque consulibus premeretur.Tum et ipse sibi tribunos plebis quasi proprios iudices et defensores creavit, per quos contra senatum et consules tutus esse posset.

[13] In the 16th year after the kings were expelled the people at Rome raised a sedition, as though they were being pressed by the senate and the consuls.Then he likewise created for himself tribunes of the plebs, as if they were his own judges and defenders, through whom he could be protected against the senate and the consuls.

[14] Sequenti anno Volsci contra Romanos bellum reparaverunt, et victi acie etiam Coriolos civitatem, quam habebant optimam, perdiderunt.

[14] In the following year the Volsci renewed war against the Romans, and, defeated in battle, they even lost Corioli, the city which they held as their best.

[15] Octavo decimo anno postquam reges eiecti erant expulsus ex urbe Q. Marcius, dux Romanus, qui Coriolos ceperat, Volscorum civitatem, ad ipsos Volscos contendit iratus et auxilia contra Romanos accepit.Romanos saepe vicit, usque ad quintum miliarium urbis accessit, oppugnaturus etiam patriam suam, legatis qui pacem petebant, repudiatis, nisi ad eum mater Veturia et uxor Volumnia ex urbe venissent, quarum fletu et deprecatione superatus removit exercitum. Atque hic secundus post Tarquinium fuit, qui dux contra patriam suam esset.

[15] In the 18th year after the kings had been driven out, expelled from the city Quintus Marcius, a Roman leader who had taken Corioli, went in anger to the Volscian town of the Volsci themselves and received auxiliaries against the Romans.He often defeated the Romans, advanced as far as the fifth milestone of the city, and, about to attack even his own fatherland, he rejected the envoys who sought peace, until his mother Veturia and his wife Volumnia came from the city; overcome by their weeping and supplication he withdrew his army. And he was the second, after Tarquinius, to be a commander against his own fatherland.

[16] C. Fabio et L. Virginio consulibus trecenti nobiles homines, qui ex Fabia familia erant, contra Veientes bellum soli susceperunt, promittentes senatui et populo per se omne certamen implendum.Itaque profecti, omnes nobiles et qui singuli magnorum exercituum duces esse deberent, in proelio conciderunt. Unus omnino superfuit ex tanta familia, qui propter aetatem puerilem duci non potuerat ad pugnam.

[16] In the consulship of C. Fabius and L. Virginius, 300 noble men, who were of the Fabian family, alone undertook war against the Veientes, promising the senate and people that by themselves they would fulfill the whole contest.Therefore, having set out, all the nobles—and those who individually ought to have been leaders of great armies—fell in the battle. Only one at all survived from so great a family, who because of a boyish age could not be led into the fight.

Post haec census in urbe habitus est et inventa sunt civium capita CXVII milia CCCXIX.

After these things a census was held in the city and the citizens' heads were found to be 117,319.

[17] Sequenti anno cum in Algido monte ab urbe duodecimo ferme miliario Romanus obsideretur exercitus, L. Quintius Cincinnatus dictator est factus, qui agrum quattuor iugerum possidens manibus suis colebat. Is cum in opere et arans esset inventus, sudore deterso togam praetextam accepit et caesis hostibus liberavit exercitum.

[17] In the following year, when a Roman army was being besieged about the twelfth mile from the city on Mount Algidus, L. Quintius Cincinnatus was made dictator; he, owning a field of four iugerum, was cultivating it with his own hands. He, having been found at work and plowing, wiped away his sweat, put on the toga praetexta, and, with the enemies cut down, liberated the army.

[18] Anno trecentesimo et altero ab urbe condita imperium consulare cessavit et pro duobus consulibus decem facti sunt, qui summam potestatem haberent, decemviri nominati.Sed cum primo anno bene egissent, secundo unus ex his, Ap. Claudius, Virginii cuiusdam, qui honestis iam stipendiis contra Latinos in monte Algido militarat, filiam virginem corrumpere voluit; quam pater occidit, ne stuprum a decemviro sustineret, et regressus ad milites movit tumultum. Sublata est decemviris potestas ipsique damnati sunt.

[18] In the 302nd year from the founding of the city the consular power ceased and, in place of two consuls, ten were made who held supreme authority, called decemviri.But when in the first year they had acted well, in the second year one of these, Ap. Claudius, wished to defile the virgin daughter of a certain Virginius, who had already served with honorable stipends against the Latins on Mount Algidus; whom the father killed, lest she suffer rape at the hands of the decemvir, and his return to the soldiers stirred a tumult. The power was removed from the decemviri and they themselves were condemned.

[19] Anno trecentesimo et quinto decimo ab urbe condita Fidenates contra Romanos rebellaverunt.Auxilium his praestabant Veientes et rex Veientium Tolumnius. Quae ambae civitates tam vicinae urbi sunt, ut Fidenae sexto, Vei octavo decimo miliario absint.

[19] In the year 315 from the founding of the city the Fidenates rebelled against the Romans.They were receiving aid from the Veientes and from Tolumnius, king of the Veientes. These two cities are so near the city that Fidenae are six miles away, and Veii eighteen miles distant.

Coniunxerunt se his et Volsci. Sed Mam. Aemilio dictatore et L. Quintio Cincinnato magistro equitum victi etiam regem perdiderunt.

To these the Volsci also joined themselves. But, having been defeated by Mam. Aemilius the dictator and L. Quintius Cincinnatus, master of horse, they even lost their king.

Fidenae captae et excisae.

Fidenae were captured and razed.

[20] Post viginti deinde annos Veientani rebellaverunt.Dictator contra ipsos missus est Furius Camillus, qui primum eos vicit acie, mox etiam civitatem diu obsidens cepit, antiquissimam Italiaeque ditissimam. Post eam cepit et Faliscos, non minus nobilem civitatem.

[20] After twenty years then the Veientes rebelled.Against them was sent the dictator Furius Camillus, who first defeated them in battle, and soon, after besieging the city for a long time, took it, most ancient and richest of Italy. After that he also took the Falisci, a city no less noble.

Sed commota est ei invidia, quasi praedam male divisisset, damnatusque ob eam causam et expulsus civitate. Statim Galli Senones ad urbem venerunt et victos Romanos undecimo miliario a Roma apud flumen Alliam secuti etiam urbem occupaverunt. Neque defendi quicquam nisi Capitolium potuit; quod cum diu obsedissent et iam Romani fame laborarent, accepto auro ne Capitolium obsiderent, recesserunt.

But envy was stirred up against him, as if he had ill‑divided the booty, and for that reason was condemned and expelled from the city. Immediately the Gallic Senones came to the city and, having followed the conquered Romans at the eleventh mile from Rome by the river Allia, also occupied the city. And nothing could be defended except the Capitol; which, since they had besieged it for a long time and the Romans were already suffering from hunger, upon receiving gold so that they would not besiege the Capitol, they withdrew.

Sed a Camillo, qui in vicina civitate exulabat, Gallis superventum est gravissimeque victi sunt. Postea tamen etiam secutus eos Camillus ita cecidit, ut et aurum, quod his datum fuerat, et omnia, quae ceperant, militaria signa revocaret. Ita tertio triumphans urbem ingressus est et appellatus secundus Romulus, quasi et ipse patriae conditor.

But while Camillus was exiled in a neighboring city, the Gauls came upon them and they were very grievously defeated. Afterwards, however, Camillus, having also followed them, so fell upon them that he reclaimed both the gold which had been given to them and all the military standards which they had captured. Thus, triumphing for the third time, he entered the city and was called the second Romulus, as if he himself were also a founder of the fatherland.