Checking the sense of the ablative here from Orberg’s LLPSI Cap XLIV. Ancus Marcus rex novus est..
Inde et civibus otii cupidis et finitimis civitatibus spes facta est in avi mores atque instituta regem abiturum esse.
Subsequently out of both the desire amongst the citizens for spectacle/leisure and among citizens in the border areas hope was created in the old customs and and that the king would go back to the customs of the fathers…
I think you have to read more carefully the cases and number of nouns.
“out of both the desire” > cupidis is an adjective, goes with civibus
“citizens in the border areas” > civitatibus is not “citizens”
et civibus…et finitimis civitatibus spes facta est> dative, “both to the…and to the…hope was created”
in avi mores atque instituta regem abiturum esse > is an Accusative with infinitive construction, “hope is created that…”
avi > singular
in avi mores atque instituta > forms a unit
otii – not “spectacle/leisure” here. “Peace/tranquility” captures the idea.
Why don’t you take another stab at translating this with Shenoute’s assistance?
Thanks. I’ll do that…shortly
How about ..?
From this (point), both among the citizens hopeful of peace and [among] the bordering lands, hope was created that the king should return to the paternal customes and practices (instituta?).
Both civitas and institutum have multiple meanings. Does civitatibus here just refer to the polities / tribes of neighboring lands..?
Also I tend to have trouble with finitimus. Does it mean people in our state living near or on the border or does it mean people in a neighboring / foreign state living near our border?
While your translation could use some polishing, it’s basically right.
Does civitatibus here just refer to the polities / tribes of neighboring lands..?
Yes, “neighboring communities” might translate this. “Communities bordering on Rome.”
et civibus otii cupidis et finitimis civitatibus – these are datives, so “for” rather than “among” might be more literal.
avi – this means “grandfather” and specifically refers to Ancus Martius’ grandfather, Numa Pompilius. If it were plural, avum, it could be translated as “ancestral.”
mores might be better translated “behavior.” Maybe “his grandfather’s behavior and ways”. I’m not sure I have a good translation for instituta, but you get the picture.
Thanks Hylander