Livy Page 1

Inde P. Valerius iterum T. Lucretius consules facti.

From there Publius Valerius for a second time and Titus Lucretius were made consuls.

Iam Tarquinii ad Lartem Porsennam, Clusinum regem, perfugerant.

Now the Tarquinii fled for refuge to Lars Porsenna, the king of Clusium.

Ibi miscendo consilium precesque nunc orabant, ne se, oriundos ex Etruscis, eiusdem sanguis nominisque, egentes exsulare pateretur, nunc monebant etiam ne orientem morem pellendi reges inultum sineret.

There by mixing a plan and prayers they were now begging, that he not let them, descended from the Etruscans, of the same blood and name [as himself] suffer the neediness of excile, now they were also warning him not to allow the rising custom of expelling kings to be unpunished.

satis libertatem ipsam habere dulcedinis.

It is enough to have freedom itself of sweetness.

nisi quanta vi civitates eam expetant tanta regna reges defendant, aequari summa infimis;

Unless, by how much [strength] the citizens desired it, by so much the kings defended the kingdoms, the highest would be made equal to the lowest.

nihil excelsum, nihil quod supra cetera emineat, in civitatibus fore;

There would be nothing in the state having been raised nothing which stands out above the rest.

adesse finem regnis, rei inter deos hominesque pulcherrimae.

There would be the end of the monarchy, reckoned the most beautiful among gods and men.

Porsenna cum regem esse Romae tutum, tum Etruscae gentis regem, amplum Tuscis ratus, Romam infesto exercitu venit.

Porsenna, not only did he think it was safe for there to be a king of Rome from an Etruscan family, but also he thought it was magnificent to have an Etruscan king, he came to Rome with a hostile army.

Non unquam alias ante tantus terror senatum invasit;

Never before had another such terror invaded the senate;

adeo valida res tum Clusina erat magnumque Porsennae nomen.

so strong was the matter of the Clusinum then, and the great name of Porsenna.

nec hostes modo timebant sed suosmet ipsi cives, ne Romana plebs, metu perculsa, receptis in urbem regibus vel cum servitute pacem acciperet.

And they feared not only the enemy but also the citizens, lest the Roman plebs, having been ruined by fear, with the kings having been recovered in the city, should accept peace with servitude.