LXXI.
Vixdum regresso in Capitolium Martiale furens miles aderat, nullo duce, sibi quisque auctor. (sibi quisque auctor: ‘each an agent for himself’, ‘each acting on his own’) cito agmine forum et imminentia foro templa praetervecti (imminentia foro templa praetervecti: praetervecti: being deponent and transitive, the participle has both active sense and a direct object, templa, ‘having quickly passed the temples overlooking the Forum, …’ The temples are those of Saturn and of Concord among others; foro is dat. with imminentia.) erigunt aciem per adversum collem (erigunt aciem per adversum collem: ‘they move their line of attack up the side of the hill.’ adversum collem refers to the slope facing the attackers. erigunt: historical present of which other example are found in the rest of the chapter.) usque ad primas Capitolinae arcis fores. erant antiquitus porticus in latere clivi dextrae subeuntibus, (in latere clivi dextrae subeuntibus: ‘on the side of the slope to the right for one going up the hill’) in quarum (quarum: porticus is feminine.) tectum egressi saxis tegulisque Vitellianos obruebant. neque illis manus nisi gladiis armatae, (neque illis manus nisi gladiis armatae: pun on manus, which may designate both an armed force (of soldiers or other men) and the human hand: ‘they had no other force, except their own hands armed with swords.’ illis is dative of possessor with implied form of esse. nisi with a participle is rare in classical Latin. Cf. G. 667, N. ) et arcessere tormenta aut missilia tela longum videbatur: faces in prominentem porticum iecere et sequebantur ignem ambustasque Capitolii fores penetrassent, ni Sabinus revulsas undique statuas, decora maiorum, in ipso aditu vice muri obiecisset. (ambustasque Capitolii fores penetrassent, ni Sabinus revulsas undique statuas, …in ipso aditu vice muri obiecisset: typical conditional sentence of the unreal type, with plup. subjunctive in both protasis and apodosis for supposed action in the past. vice muri: ‘in place of a wall’) tum diversos Capitolii aditus invadunt iuxta lucum asyli et qua Tarpeia rupes centum gradibus aditur. (diversos Capitolii aditus invadunt iuxta lucum asyli et qua Tarpeia rupes centum gradibus aditur: at this point in the attack, Capitolium stands for the temple of Jupiter (see note in ch. 69, about center) which is being stormed from opposite directions, from the east and from the west: ‘they storm the gateways on either side of the Capitol, [one] near the grove of the Asylum and [the other] where the Tarpeian rock is reached by a hundred steps.’ lucum asyli: today Piazza del Campidoglio, north of Palazzo Senatorio, in the depression between the two summits of the Capitoline hill. The name refers to a tradition according to which Romulus had established there a shelter for fugitives. Tarpeia rupes: a cliff at the SW end of the Capitoline hill used as an execution site by the Romans. Named after Tarpeia, a vestal virgin who colluded with Rome’s enemies and paid for her treason with death.) improvisa utraque vis; propior atque acrior per asylum ingruebat. (improvisa utraque vis; propior atque acrior per asylum ingruebat: ‘both were surprise attacks, [but] the one at the Asylum posed a nearer and more savage threat.’) nec sisti poterant scandentes per coniuncta aedificia, quae ut in multa pace in altum edita solum Capitolii aequabant. (quae [aedificia] ut in multa pace in altum edita solum Capitolii aequabant: ‘these buildings, extended upwards as happens in times of assured peace, reached the ground level of the temple.’ multa pace: ‘in the depth of peace’ just as multa nocte is ‘in the dead of night’) hic ambigitur, ignem tectis obpugnatores iniecerint, an obsessi, quae crebrior fama, dum nitentis ac progressos depellunt. (ambigitur, ignem tectis obpugnatores iniecerint, an obsessi, quae crebrior fama, dum nitentis ac progressos depellunt: ‘it is uncertain whether the assailants threw the fire to the roofs or – which is the more frequent rumor – the besieged while fighting back the attackers trying, or having already been able, to clamber up.’ ambigitur …obpugnatores iniecerint, an …: alternate indirect question with the particle an introducing the second part of the question and the first part without introductory particle; iniecerint: perf. subjunctive for past action after a primary main verb (ambigitur).) inde lapsus ignis in porticus adpositas aedibus; (adpositas aedibus: the shrines devoted to Juno and Minerva on either side of the temple of Jupiter.) mox sustinentes fastigium aquilae vetere ligno (sustinentes fastigium aquilae vetere ligno: aquilae: in general, the uppermost parts of a building, having structural and decorative functions; ‘pediment’, ‘gable’ may be good equivalents, but ‘rafters’ fits better the role of supporting the roof. vetere ligno: abl. of material, in classical times with ex, later without.) traxerunt flammam alueruntque. sic Capitolium clausis foribus indefensum et indireptum conflagravit.