41. The Crossing of the Alps (primer)

postquam Ligures hoc modo superati sunt, After this Ligurian overcome

After the Ligurians in this way were overcome,

Hercules progressus est quam celerrime Her progress as quickly as possible

Hercules went forward as quickly as possible

et post paucos dies pervenit ad Alpes . and after a few days, he came to the Alps.

and after a few days he arrived to the Alps .

erat necesse transire has, must of necessity into traveling these,

It was necessary to go across these,

ut ageret boves in Italiam ; that He might execute herds that were in Italy;

in order that he might drive the oxen into Italy;

tamen res erat summae difficultatis . most difficult task, however, the matter was one of the highest.

however the thing was of highest difficulty .

enim hi montes, For these mountains,

For these mountains,

qui dividunt Ulteriorem a Citeriore Gallia, those who separate the country from the province of Nearer Gaul,

which divide Further from Nearer Gaul,

sunt tecti perenni nive ; as they are covered in perpetual snow;

are covered with year-long snow ; are covered with snow year-long;

ob quam causam As a result,

On account of which reason

neque frumentum neque pabulum potest inveniri in his regionibus. this can be found in these parts, nor corn, nor the food.

neither corn nor fodder is able to be found in these regions.

Hercules igitur antequam coepit ascendere, Hercules, before starting his journey;

Hercules therefore before he began to ascend ,

paravit magnam copiam frumenti et pabuli for he has prepared a great plenty of corn and fodder,

prepared a great supply of corn and fodder

et oneravit boves hoc commeatu . This will load his cattle supplies.

and loaded the oxen with this food supply .

postquam consumpserat tres dies in his rebus,

After he had spent three days in these things,

quarto die profectus est, the fourth set;

on the fourth day he set out,

et contra opinionem omnium And contrary to expectation

and against the expectation of all

traduxit boves incolumes in Italiam . he made a shew the oxen in safety to Italy for him.

he brought across the cattle safe into Italy.