LXV.
Haud fuerit absurdum tradere montem eum antiquitus Querquetulanum cognomento fuisse, (haud fuerit absurdum tradere montem eum antiquitus Querquetulanum cognomento fuisse: lit. ‘it may not be inopportune to mention that anciently that hill had been Querquetulanus as to name.’ cognomento is abl. of respect or specification; haud fuerit: potential subjunctive to express cautious, modest opinion; both present and perfect are used for potential in present or future time, imperfect for potential of the past; cf. G. 257 – 259.) quod talis silvae frequens fecundusque erat, (quod talis silvae frequens fecundusque erat: ‘because [the hill] was densely abundant of such trees (talis sylvae)’, i.e. of oaks, quercus; frequens fecundusque is hendiadys; fecundus is often followed by genitive, but frequens is never found with it, thus the construction is applicable to fecundus only (zeugma). quod is normally always with indicative.) mox Caelium appellitatum a Caele Vibenna, (mox Caelium appellitatum a Caele Vibenna: in indirect discourse after tradere: ‘later [the hill] was frequently called Caelius from Caeles Vibenna.’ Vibenna is a somewhat mythical figure variously reported in different epochs and circumstances, all related to the Etruscan emigration and presence in Rome. The verb appellito was rarely used in Latin (only three entries in the Oxf. Lat. Dict.).) qui dux gentis Etruscae cum auxilium tulisset sedem eam acceperat a Tarquinio Prisco, seu quis alius regum dedit: (qui dux gentis Etruscae cum auxilium tulisset sedem eam acceperat a Tarquinio Prisco, seu quis alius regum dedit: ‘who, a leader of the Etruscan nation, when he had brought military assistance [to Rome], he had accepted [that hill] as his residence from either Tarquinius Priscus, or whoever else of the kings offered [it]’; cum …tulisset: subjunctive in temporal cum clause in indirect speech after tradere; Taquinius Priscus, himself of Etruscan origin, was the fifth king of Rome, approx. 615 – 579 B.C. seu quis alius regum: quis is for aliquis after the particles si, nisi, sin, ne, num, an, aut, seu, sive.) nam scriptores in eo dissentiunt. cetera non ambigua sunt, magnas eas copias per plana etiam ac foro propinqua habitavisse, unde Tuscum vicum (Tuscum vicum: a street in Rome, starting at the Forum from the east side of the Basilica Iulia and running south towards the Circus Maximus on ground originally swampy, then drained by the Cloaca Maxima.) e vocabulo advenarum dictum.