Note 1 — URBIS RŌMAE VIRĪ INLŪSTRĒS Complete text as printed
Reading edition
35.1 His full name was P. Decius Mus.
35.2 Valeriō . . . cōnsulibus: ‘in the consulship of,’ etc. For the abl. abs. consisting of two nouns, see H 489 (431, 4): M 639: A 255, a: G 409: B 227, 1. For another method of dating events, cf. XII, 1.
35.3 claudō.
35.4 Sc. collis.
35.5 īnsideō.
35.6 per . . . cūstōdiās: ‘through the midst of the enemy’s pickets.’ Cf. l. 17, in mediōs hostēs, ‘against the enemy’s center.’ Note the difference between the Latin and the English idioms. H 497, 4 (440, N. 1-2): M 565: A 193: G 291, R. 2: B 241, 1.
35.7 opprimō.
35.8 Cf. XIII, 41.
35.9 cum . . . obvēnisset: ‘when the two consuls had dreamed.’ How literally? The subject of obvēnisset is eōs . . . cecidisset. So the subject of convēnit is utī . . . dēvovēret.
35.10 See Vocab., Mānēs.
35.11 Decius’ act was called dēvōtiō, and proceeded from the idea that for the victim which the Manes seemed to be claiming another might be substituted. According to Livy, Decius used this formula: “As a substitute for the commonwealth, the army, the legions, and the allies of the Roman people I devote to the Manes myself and the legions and allies of the enemy.”