- 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-lat2:3.36.1-3.36.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Appius reveals his true character and influences his colleagues; upon entering office, they intimidate the citizens with one hundred and twenty fasces, abolish the rights of appeal and veto, and establish a reign of terror.
ille finis Appio1 alienae personae ferendae2 fuit; suo iam inde vivere ingenio coepit novosque collegas, iam priusquam inirent magistratum, in suos mores formare.
That was the end for Appius of wearing another’s persona; from then on he began to live according to his own character, and to mold his new colleagues, even before they entered office, into his own habits.
cottidie coibant remotis arbitris; inde inpotentibus instructi consiliis, quae secreto ab aliis coquebant, iam haud dissimulando superbiam, rari aditus, conloquentibus difficiles, ad idus Maias rem perduxere.
Every day they met, removing witnesses; then, equipped with headstrong plans which they brewed secretly from others, no longer concealing their pride, difficult of access, and harsh to those speaking with them, they dragged the matter out until the Ides of May.
idus tum Maiae sollemnes ineundis magistratibus erant. inito igitur magistratu primum honoris diem denuntiatione ingentis terroris insignem fecere. nam cum ita priores decemviri servassent, ut unus fasces haberet et hoc insigne regium in orbem suam cuiusque vicem per omnes iret, subito omnes cum duodenis fascibus prodiere.
At that time, the Ides of May were the customary date for entering magistracies. Therefore, having entered office, they made the first day of their magistracy notable by the denunciation of a great terror. For whereas the former decemvirs had observed the practice that only one should have the fasces, and that this royal emblem should go through all in turn, according to each one’s place, they suddenly all appeared with twelve fasces each.
centum viginti lictores forum inpleverant et cum fascibus secures inligatas praeferebant; nec attinuisse demi securem, cum sine provocatione creati essent, interpretabantur.
One hundred and twenty lictors had filled the forum, and they carried axes bound up with the fasces; they interpreted that it was not necessary for the axe to be removed, since they had been elected without the right of appeal.
decem regum species erat multiplicatusque terror non infimis solum, sed primoribus patrum ratis3 caedis causam ac principium quaeri, ut, si quis memorem libertatis vocem aut in senatu aut in populo misisset, statim virgae securesque etiam ad ceterorum metum expedirentur.
There was the appearance of ten kings, and terror was multiplied not only for the lowest but also for the leading men of the patricians, who believed that a pretext and beginning of slaughter was being sought, so that if anyone let fall a word mindful of liberty, either in the senate or among the people, the rods and axes might immediately be readied, even for the fear of the rest.
nam praeterquam quod in populo nihil erat praesidii sublata provocatione, intercessionem quoque consensu sustulerant, cum priores decemviri appellatione collegae corrigi reddita ab se iura4 tulissent et quaedam, quae sui iudicii videri possent, ad populum reiecissent. aliquamdiu aequatus inter omnes terror fuit;
For besides the fact that there was no protection among the people because appeal had been abolished, they had also by mutual consent removed the right of veto, whereas the former decemvirs had allowed their judgments to be corrected by appeal to a colleague, and had referred certain matters, which might seem to belong to their own jurisdiction, back to the people. For a time, the terror was equal among all;
paulatim totus vertere in plebem coepit. abstinebatur a patribus; in humiliores lubidinose crudeliterque consulebatur. hominum, non causarum toti erant,5 ut apud quos gratia vim aequi haberet.
gradually it began to turn entirely upon the plebs. The patricians were spared; but the humbler classes were treated with caprice and cruelty. They were entirely devoted to persons, not to causes, as men with whom personal favor had the force of justice.
iudicia domi conflabant, pronuntiabant in foro. si quis collegam appellasset, ab eo, ad quem venerat, ita discedebat, ut paeniteret6 non prioris decreto stetisse.
They concocted judgments at home and pronounced them in the forum. If anyone appealed to a colleague, he departed from the one to whom he had come in such a state that he regretted not having abided by the decree of the first.
opinio etiam sine auctore exierat non in praesentis modo temporis eos iniuriam conspirasse, sed foedus clandestinum inter ipsos iure iurando ictum, ne comitia haberent perpetuoque decemviratu possessum semel obtinerent imperium.
A rumor had also gone out, even without an author, that they had conspired not only for the injustice of the present time, but that a secret league had been struck between them with an oath, that they should not hold elections, and that by a perpetual decemvirate they should keep the power once possessed.
- 3.36.1Appio
Dative of interest or possession, limiting the noun phrase 'ille finis ... fuit' to mean 'that was the end for Appius'.
- 3.36.1alienae personae ferendae
Gerundive construction in agreement with the noun 'persona', forming a genitive phrase modifying 'finis' to express 'of wearing another's persona'.
- 3.36.5ratis
Perfect participle (dative plural) of the deponent verb 'reor', agreeing with the preceding 'primoribus patrum'. Though perfect in form, it denotes a present state of mind and governs the following accusative and infinitive clause ('caedis causam ac principium quaeri').
- 3.36.6appellatione collegae corrigi reddita ab se iura
A complex accusative and infinitive structure where 'iura' (judgments, derived from 'ius reddere') is the subject of the passive infinitive 'corrigi' (to be corrected), modified by 'reddita ab se' (rendered by themselves), and mediated by the ablative 'appellatione collegae' (by appeal to a colleague), all dependent on 'tulissent' (had allowed).
- 3.36.7hominum, non causarum toti erant
The nominative plural adjective 'toti' predicates the subject, meaning 'entirely devoted to' or 'wholly on the side of'. 'Hominum' and 'causarum' are genitives of possession/association, indicating that the decemvirs judged based on personal relations rather than the merits of the legal cases.
- 3.36.8ut paeniteret
Subjunctive imperfect of the impersonal verb 'paenitet' in a result clause introduced by 'ita... ut', meaning 'so that it repented him' (i.e., 'he regretted').
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1