- 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
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:3.21.1-3.21.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
A decree of the senate declares that the continuation of magistracies is contrary to the state, yet the tribunes are re-elected and the patricians attempt to re-elect the consul Quinctius. Quinctius vehemently refuses the re-election as contrary to his principles, leading the consuls to issue a joint edict prohibiting his election.
senatus in Capitolio erat; eo tribuni cum perturbata plebe veniunt, multitudo clamore ingenti nunc consulum, nunc patrum fidem inplorant nec ante moverunt de sententia consulem, quam tribuni se in auctoritate patrum futuros esse polliciti sunt.
The senate was on the Capitol; thither the tribunes came with the agitated plebeians, and the multitude with a huge clamor implored now the protection of the consuls, now that of the patricians; nor did they move the consul from his opinion until the tribunes promised that they would submit to the authority of the patricians.
tunc referente consule de tribunorum et plebis postulatis senatus consulta fiunt, ut neque tribuni legem eo anno ferrent neque consules ab urbe exercitum educerent; in reliquum magistratus continuari et eosdem tribunos refici iudicare senatum contra rem publicam esse. consules fuere in patrum potestate;
Then, on the consul proposing a motion concerning the demands of the tribunes and the plebs, decrees of the senate were passed, that neither should the tribunes propose their law in that year, nor should the consuls lead the army out of the city; and that for the future, the continuation of magistracies and the re-election of the same tribunes was judged by the senate to be contrary to the interest of the republic. The consuls submitted to the authority of the patricians;
tribuni reclamantibus consulibus refecti. patres quoque, ne quid cederent plebi, et ipsi L. Quinctium consulem reficiebant. nulla toto anno vehementior actio consulis fuit. “mirer”1 inquit, “si vana vestra, patres conscripti, auctoritas ad plebem est? vos elevatis eam; quippe, quia plebs senatus consultum in continuandis magistratibus solvit, ipsi quoque solutum vultis, ne temeritati multitudinis cedatis.
the tribunes, despite the protests of the consuls, were re-elected. The patricians also, lest they should yield anything to the plebs, were themselves for re-electing Lucius Quinctius as consul. No action of the consul during the whole year was more vehement. “Should I wonder,” he said, “if your authority, conscript fathers, is of no weight with the plebs? You yourselves diminish it; because indeed, since the plebs has broken the decree of the senate regarding the continuation of magistracies, you also wish it to be broken, lest you should yield to the rashness of the multitude.
tamquam id sit plus posse in civitate plus levitatis ac licentiae habere. levius enim vaniusque profecto est sua decreta et consulta tollere quam aliorum.
As if to have more power in the state were to have more levity and license. For it is indeed lighter and more futile to abolish one’s own decrees and decisions than those of others.
imitamini, patres conscripti, turbam inconsultam et, qui exemplo aliis esse debetis, aliorum exemplo peccate potius, quam alii vestro recte faciant, dum ego ne imiter2 tribunos nec me contra senatus consultum consulem renuntiari patiar.
Imitate, conscript fathers, the thoughtless crowd, and you who ought to be an example to others, sin rather by the example of others than let others act rightly by yours, as long as I do not imitate the tribunes nor suffer myself to be declared consul contrary to the decree of the senate.
te vero, C. Claudi, adhortor, ut et ipse populum Romanum hac licentia arceas et de me hoc tibi persuadeas, me ita accepturum, ut3 non honorem meum a te impeditum, sed gloriam spreti honoris auctam invidiamque, quae ex continuato eo inpenderet, levatam putem.”
Indeed, I exhort you, Gaius Claudius, that you yourself also restrain the Roman people from this license, and persuade yourself of this concerning me, that I shall receive it in such a manner that I shall not think my honor has been hindered by you, but that the glory of having rejected honor has been increased, and the envy which would hang over me from its continuation has been lightened.”
communiter inde edicunt, ne quis L. Quinctium consulem faceret; si quis fecisset, se id suffragium non observaturos.
Thereupon they jointly issued an edict that no one should make Lucius Quinctius consul; and if anyone should do so, they would not recognize that vote.
- 3.21.3mirer
First-person singular present subjunctive, expressing doubt or deliberation ('Should I wonder?').
- 3.21.6dum ego ne imiter
dum with the subjunctive (ne imiter and patiar) introducing a proviso or restriction ('as long as I do not...').
- 3.21.7me ita accepturum, ut
The accusative and infinitive phrase me... accepturum [esse] is the object of the preceding verb persuadeas ('persuade yourself that I will receive it...'). The subsequent ut clause is a consecutive clause (correlated with ita), meaning 'in such a manner that...'.