- 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-lat2:3.37.1-3.37.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
The plebeians look to the patricians for signs of liberty, while the decemvirs, hated by the leading senators, secure their position with a guard of young patricians and intensify their violent oppression of the plebs.
circumspectare tum patriciorum vultus plebei et inde libertatis captare auram, unde1 servitutem timendo in eum statum rem publicam adduxerant.
At that time, the plebeians began to watch the faces of the patricians and to try to catch the breeze of liberty from the very quarter whence, by fearing servitude, they had brought the state into its present condition.
primores patrum odisse decemviros, odisse plebem; nec probare, quae fierent, et credere haud indignis accidere; avide ruendo ad libertatem in servitutem elapsos iuvare nolle, cumulari quoque iniurias,2 ut taedio praesentium consules duo tandem et status pristinus rerum in desiderium veniant.
The leading men of the patricians hated the decemvirs and hated the plebs; they did not approve of what was being done, and believed that these things were happening to those who well deserved them. They had no wish to help those who, by rushing greedily after liberty, had fallen into servitude, and [wished] that injuries should even accumulate, so that through disgust with the present state of affairs, two consuls and the former condition of things might at last be longed for.
iam et processerat pars maior anni, et duae tabulae legum ad prioris anni decem tabulas erant adiectae, nec quicquam iam supererat, si eae quoque leges centuriatis comitiis perlatae essent,3 cur eo magistratu rei publicae opus esset.
The greater part of the year had already passed, and two tables of laws had been added to the ten tables of the previous year; nor did any reason now remain why the state should need that office, if those laws also should be passed in the centuriate assembly.
expectabant, quam mox consulibus creandis comitia edicerentur. id modo plebes agitabat, quonam modo tribuniciam potestatem, munimentum libertati, rem intermissam repararent, cum interim mentio comitiorum nulla fieri.4
They were waiting to see how soon the assembly for electing consuls would be announced. The plebs were only discussing how they might restore the tribunician power—the bulwark of their liberty—a thing that had been suspended; meanwhile, however, no mention of the assembly was made.
et decemviri, qui primo tribunicios homines, quia id populare habebatur, circum se ostentaverant plebei, patriciis iuvenibus saepserant latera. eorum catervae tribunalia obsederant.
And the decemvirs, who at first had displayed former tribunes around themselves to the plebs because that was considered popular, had surrounded their flanks with young patricians. Crowds of these occupied the tribunals.
hi ferre agere plebem plebisque res, cum fortuna, quidquid cupitum foret, potentioris esset.
These plundered the plebeians and their property, since whatever was coveted became the spoil of the stronger.
et iam ne tergo quidem abstinebatur: virgis caedi, alii securi subici, et, ne gratuita crudelitas esset, bonorum donatio sequi domini supplicium. hac mercede iuventus nobilis corrupta non modo non ire obviam iniuriae, sed propalam licentiam suam malle quam omnium libertatem.
And now they did not even spare their backs: some were beaten with rods, others subjected to the axe, and, so that cruelty might not be unpaid, the confiscation of property followed the execution of the owner. Corrupted by this reward, the noble youth not only did not oppose the wrongdoing, but openly preferred their own license to the liberty of all.
- 3.37.1inde ... unde
Correlation between the adverb inde (from there) and the relative adverb unde (from where). Both refer to the patricians (patriciorum). This presents an ironic contrast: the plebeians are now seeking signs of liberty from the very patricians whose power they had previously feared, leading them to surrender their freedom by allowing the establishment of the decemvirate.
- 3.37.2cumulari quoque iniurias
Interpretation of the passive infinitive cumulari. Following the historical infinitives (odisse, credere, nolle), it is best understood with an omitted verb of wishing (such as optare or velle)—'they wished that injuries should also accumulate'—which logically connects with the subsequent purpose/result clause ut ... veniant ('so that...'). Although it could be taken as a historical infinitive ('injuries also accumulated'), the former reading better fits the context of the patricians' calculated indifference toward the plebeians.
- 3.37.4si eae quoque leges centuriatis comitiis perlatae essent
The pluperfect subjunctive perlatae essent in the conditional clause represents a future perfect from a past point of view (if they should have been passed). It sets up a hypothetical completed action prior to the situation described by the imperfect main verb supererat.
- 3.37.5cum interim mentio comitiorum nulla fieri
The verb fieri is used as a historical infinitive after the temporal conjunction cum. Accompanied by interim ('meanwhile'), it vividly portrays the simultaneous occurrence of two contrasting situations: while the plebs were preoccupied with restoring the tribunician power, the authorities completely ignored the holding of assemblies.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)
- 2026-09-22 AI review — source 1