- 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-lat2:3.52.1-3.52.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
The plebeians move from the Aventine to the Sacred Mount, leaving Rome deserted, which prompts the senators to fiercely denounce the obstinacy of the decemvirs. Consequently, the decemvirs agree to submit to the authority of the senate, provided they are protected from the hostility of the plebs.
per M. Duillium, qui tribunus plebis fuerat, certior facta plebs contentionibus adsiduis nihil transigi, in Sacrum montem ex Aventino transit adfirmante Duillio non prius,1 quam deseri urbem videant, curam in animos patrum descensuram; admoniturum Sacrum montem constantiae2 plebis, sciturosque sine restituta potestate tribunicia redigi in concordiam resne queant. via Nomentana, cui tum Ficulensi nomen fuit, profecti castra in monte Sacro locavere modestiam patrum suorum nihil violando imitati. secuta exercitum plebs nullo, qui per aetatem ire posset, retractante.
Having been informed through Marcus Duillius, who had been a tribune of the plebs, that nothing was being settled because of the constant contentions, the plebeians moved from the Aventine to the Sacred Mount, Duillius asserting that not before they should see the city deserted would anxiety descend into the minds of the patricians; that the Sacred Mount would remind them of the constancy of the plebs, and they would know whether affairs could be restored to harmony without the restoration of the tribunician power. Setting out by the Nomentan Way, which was then called the Ficulensian Way, they pitched their camp on the Sacred Mount, imitating the moderation of their ancestors by doing no violence. The plebeians followed the army, with no one refusing who was able to go by reason of age.
prosecuntur coniuges liberique, cuinam se relinquerent in ea urbe, in qua nec pudicitia nec libertas sancta esset, miserabiliter rogitantes. cum vasta Romae omnia insueta solitudo fecisset, in foro praeter paucos seniorum nemo esset, vocatis utique in senatum patribus desertum apparuisset forum, plures iam quam Horatius ac Valerius vociferabantur: “quid exspectabitis, patres conscripti?
Wives and children followed, pitifully asking to whom they were leaving them in that city in which neither chastity nor liberty was sacred. When the unusual solitude had made everything desolate in Rome, and when there was no one in the forum except a few of the elders, and the forum appeared deserted when the patricians were summoned to the senate-house, more now than Horatius and Valerius began to cry out: “What will you wait for, conscript fathers?
si decemviri finem pertinaciae non faciunt, ruere ac deflagrare omnia passuri estis? quod autem istud imperium est, decemviri, quod amplexi tenetis?
If the decemvirs make no end to their obstinacy, will you allow everything to fall into ruin and be consumed by fire? What, moreover, is that power of yours, decemvirs, which you cling to and hold fast?
tectis ac parietibus iura dicturi estis? non pudet lictorum vestrorum maiorem prope numerum in foro conspici quam togatorum aliorum? quid, si hostes ad urbem veniant, facturi estis? quid, si plebs mox, ubi parum secessione moveamur, armata veniat?
Are you going to administer justice to roofs and walls? Are you not ashamed that a larger number of your lictors is seen in the forum than of other citizens in togas? What will you do if the enemy should come to the city? What if the plebs should soon come armed, when we are little moved by their secession?
occasune urbis vultis finire imperium? atqui aut plebs non est habenda, aut habendi sunt tribuni plebis. nos citius caruerimus patriciis magistratibus quam illi plebeis.
Do you wish to end your power with the fall of the city? And yet, either we must do without the plebs, or we must have the tribunes of the plebs. We shall sooner do without our patrician magistrates than they without theirs of the plebs.
novam inexpertamque eam potestatem eripuere patribus nostris; nedum hac dulcedine semel capti ferant desiderium, cum praesertim nec nos temperemus imperiis, quo minus3 illi auxilii egeant?”
They snatched away that power, then new and untried, from our fathers; much less, once captivated by its sweetness, will they bear the loss of it, especially since we do not moderate our rule, so as to make them stand less in need of help.”
cum haec ex omni parte iactarentur, victi consensu decemviri futuros se, quando ita videatur, in potestate patrum adfirmant.
When these complaints were being thrown out from all sides, the decemvirs, overcome by the consensus, declared that, since it seemed best, they would be subject to the authority of the patricians.
id modo simul orant ac monent, ut ipsis ab invidia caveatur4 nec suo sanguine ad supplicia patrum plebem adsuefaciant.
They only begged and warned at the same time that they themselves should be protected from unpopularity, and that they should not accustom the plebs to shedding the blood of the patricians in punishment.
- 3.52.1adfirmante Duillio non prius
The ablative absolute clause adfirmante Duillio introduces an indirect speech. The correlation non prius quam... connects the subjunctive videant in the temporal clause to the future infinitive descensuram [esse] (§3.52.2) in the main clause of the indirect speech: "not before they should see the city deserted would anxiety descend...".
- 3.52.2admoniturum Sacrum montem constantiae
admoniturum is a future active infinitive with esse omitted, continuing the indirect speech introduced by adfirmante Duillio. Its subject accusative is Sacrum montem. The verb admonere takes an accusative of the person reminded (here patres, omitted) and a genitive of the thing reminded of (constantiae).
- 3.52.9quo minus
The conjunction quo minus (or quominus, meaning "lest" or "so as to prevent") is used here following the verb temperare (temperemus, meaning "to moderate" or "restrain"). Literally, "nor do we moderate our rule so as to prevent them from needing help," meaning that because the patricians do not restrain their rule, the plebeians will never cease to need help.
- 3.52.11ipsis ab invidia caveatur
This is an impersonal passive construction (caveatur, "care should be taken" or "protection should be given"). The verb cavere takes a dative (ipsis, referring to the decemvirs) meaning "to guard/protect someone," and ab invidia indicates the source of danger ("from unpopularity/hostility").