- Source
- Titi Livi ab urbe condita libri editionem priman, Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:10.13.1-10.13.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-22
Faced with rumors of massive military preparations by the Etruscans and Samnites, the Romans eagerly desire Quintus Fabius Maximus for the consulship. Despite his resistance due to his advanced age and the law against reelection, Fabius yields on the condition that Publius Decius be elected as his colleague.
eodem anno Carseolos colonia in agrum Aequiculorum deducta. Fulvius consul de Samnitibus triumphavit.
In the same year, the colony of Carseoli was led into the territory of the Aequiculi. The consul Fulvius triumphed over the Samnites.
cum comitia consularia instarent, fama exorta Etruscos Samnitesque ingentes conscribere exercitus:1
When the consular elections were at hand, a rumor arose that the Etruscans and Samnites were levying immense armies:
palam omnibus conciliis vexari principes Etruscorum, quod non Gallos quacumque condicione traxerint ad bellum; increpari magistratus Samnitium, quod exercitum adversus Lucanum hostem conparatum obiecerint Romanis;
that in all public councils the leading men of the Etruscans were openly harassed because they had not drawn the Gauls, on whatever terms, into the war; and that the magistrates of the Samnites were rebuked because they had exposed to the Romans an army prepared against the Lucanian enemy;
itaque suis sociorumque viribus consurgere hostes ad bellum, et haudquaquam pari defungendum esse certamine. hic terror, cum inlustres viri consulatum peterent, omnes in Q. Fabium Maximum primo non petentem, deinde, ut inclinata studia vidit, etiam recusantem convertit:
and that therefore the enemy was rising up for war with their own forces and those of their allies, and that they would have to contend in a contest by no means equal. This terror, when illustrious men were seeking the consulship, turned everyone toward Quintus Fabius Maximus, who at first was not seeking it, and then, as he saw the inclination of their enthusiasm, was even refusing it:
quid se iam senem ac perfunctum laboribus2 laborumque praemiis sollicitarent? nec corporis nec animi vigorem remanere eundem, et fortunam ipsam vereri, ne cui deorum nimia iam in se et constantior, quam velint humanae res, videatur.3
why did they trouble him, who was now an old man and had completed his labors and the rewards of his labors? Neither the vigor of his body nor of his mind remained the same, and he feared fortune itself, lest it should seem to some of the gods that her favor toward him was now too great and more constant than human affairs would wish.
et se gloriae seniorum subcrevisse et ad suam gloriam consurgentes alios laetum aspicere; nec honores magnos fortissimis viris Romae nec honoribus deesse fortes viros.
He had grown up under the glory of his elders, and he was glad to look upon others rising up to his own glory; neither were great honors lacking to the bravest men at Rome, nor were brave men lacking for honors.
acuebat hac moderatione tam iusta studia; quae verecundia legum restinguenda ratus,4 legem recitari iussit, qua intra decem annos eundem consulem refici non liceret.
By this moderation he sharpened their enthusiasm, which was already so justified; thinking that this should be extinguished by respect for the laws, he ordered the law to be read aloud, by which it was not permitted for the same man to be re-elected consul within ten years.
vix prae strepitu audita lex est, tribunique plebis nihil id inpedimenti futurum aiebant:
The law was scarcely heard because of the noise, and the tribunes of the plebs said that it would be no impediment:
se ad populum laturos, uti legibus solveretur. et ille quidem in recusando perstabat, quid ergo attineret leges ferri rogitans, quibus per eosdem, qui tulissent, fraus fieret. iam regi leges, non — regere.
they would propose to the people that he be exempted from the laws. And he indeed persisted in refusing, repeatedly asking what was the use of laws being passed if they were to be defrauded by the very men who had proposed them; laws were now ruled, not ruling.
populus nihilo minus suffragia inibat et, ut quaeque intro vocata erat centuria, consulem haud dubie Fabium dicebat.
The people, nevertheless, went to vote, and as each century was called in, they named Fabius consul without doubt.
tum demum consensu civitatis victus “dei adprobent” inquit, “quod agitis acturique estis, Quirites. ceterum, quoniam in me, quod vos vultis, facturi estis, in collega sit meae apud vos gratiae locus:5
Then at last, overcome by the consensus of the state, he said, “May the gods approve what you are doing and are about to do, Quirites. But, since you are going to do to me what you wish, let there be room for my favor with you in the choice of a colleague:
P. Decium, expertum mihi concordi collegio virum, dignum vobis, dignum parente suo, quaeso mecum consulem faciatis.” iusta suffragatio visa. omnes, quae supererant, centuriae Q. Fabium, P. Decium consules dixere.
I pray that you make Publius Decius, a man tested by me in a harmonious colleagueship, worthy of you, worthy of his father, consul with me.” The request seemed just. All the remaining centuries named Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius consuls.
eo anno plerisque dies dicta ab aedilibus, quia plus quam quod lege finitum erat agri possiderent; nec quisquam ferme est purgatus, vinculumque ingens immodicae cupiditati iniectum est.
In that year, a prosecution was brought against many by the aediles because they possessed more land than was limited by law; and scarcely anyone was acquitted, and a great restraint was imposed on immoderate greed.
- 10.13.2fama exorta Etruscos Samnitesque ingentes conscribere exercitus
The auxiliary verb est is omitted after fama exorta, which introduces the accusative with infinitive constructions (indirect discourse) continuing down to certamine in 10.13.4.
- 10.13.6quid se iam senem ac perfunctum laboribus
A rhetorical question in indirect discourse. The first-person pronoun me in direct speech becomes the reflexive pronoun se referring to the subject of the main clause (Fabius), and the verb is in the imperfect subjunctive sollicitarent in accordance with the historical sequence of tenses.
- 10.13.6ne cui deorum nimia iam in se et constantior, quam velint humanae res, videatur
A noun clause introduced by ne (fearing lest) serving as the object of vereri. cui deorum is a dative ('to any of the gods'), and the subject of nimia ... et constantior is contextually fortuna. velint is subjunctive in a potential/conditional sense ('than human affairs would wish/allow').
- 10.13.8quae verecundia legum restinguenda ratus
The relative pronoun quae is a connecting relative, referring to the preceding studia (neuter plural accusative) and serving as the subject of the infinitive restinguenda [esse]. ratus is the perfect participle of the deponent verb reri, agreeing with the subject (Fabius) and functioning as 'thinking that...'.
- 10.13.12in collega sit meae apud vos gratiae locus
The present subjunctive sit expresses a wish: 'Let there be room for my favor with you in [the choice of] a colleague.' This means Fabius is asking that the people's goodwill toward him be exercised in electing Decius as his colleague.