- 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-lat2:30.17.1-30.17.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Laelius arrived in Rome with Syphax and reported the successes in Africa, which brought immense joy to the people and led to the decree of a four-day thanksgiving. Envoys of Masinissa then appeared before the senate to request confirmation of his kingship, which the senate approved, granting him lavish gifts and honors.
multis ante diebus Laelius cum Syphace primoribusque Numidarum captivis Romam venit, quaeque in Africa gesta essent, omnia ordine exposuit patribus, ingenti hominum et in praesens laetitia et in futurum spe.1
Many days before, Laelius arrived in Rome with Syphax and the leading captive Numidians, and set before the senators in order everything that had been done in Africa, to the great joy of the people for the present and their great hope for the future.
consulti inde patres regem in custodiam Albam mittendum censuerunt, Laelium retinendum, donec legati Carthaginienses venirent.
Thereupon, the senators, having been consulted, decreed that the king should be sent to Alba into custody, and that Laelius should be retained until the Carthaginian envoys should arrive.
supplicatio in quadriduum decreta est. P. Aelius praetor senatu misso et contione inde advocata cum C. Laelio in rostra escendit.
A thanksgiving for four days was decreed. The praetor Publius Aelius, having dismissed the senate and then summoned an assembly, ascended the rostra with Gaius Laelius.
ibi vero audientes2 fusos Carthaginiensium exercitus, devictum et captum ingentis nominis regem, Numidiam omnem egregia victoria peragratam, tacitum continere gaudium non poterant, quin clamoribus quibusque aliis multitudo solet laetitiam inmodicam significarent.
There indeed, hearing that the armies of the Carthaginians had been routed, that a king of great renown had been conquered and captured, and that all Numidia had been traversed by an illustrious victory, they could not contain their joy in silence, without expressing their immoderate gladness by shouts and all other means which the multitude is accustomed to use.
itaque praetor extemplo edixit, uti aeditui aedes sacras omnes tota urbe aperirent, circumeundi salutandique deos agendique grates per totum diem populo potestas fieret.
Therefore, the praetor immediately issued an edict that the temple keepers should open all the sacred buildings throughout the city, and that the people should have the opportunity throughout the entire day to go around, worship the gods, and render thanks.
postero die legatos Masinissae in senatum introduxit. gratulati primum senatui sunt, quod P. Scipio prospere res in Africa gessisset;
On the following day, he introduced the envoys of Masinissa into the senate. They first congratulated the senate because Publius Scipio had conducted affairs successfully in Africa;
deinde gratias egerunt, quod Masinissam non appellasset modo regem, sed fecisset restituendo in paternum regnum, in quo post Syphacem sublatum,3 si ita patribus visum esset, sine metu et certamine esset regnaturus, dein conlaudatum pro contione amplissimis decorasset donis, quibus ne indignus esset, et dedisse operam Masinissam et porro daturum esse.4
then they returned thanks because he had not only called Masinissa king, but had made him such by restoring him to his paternal kingdom, in which, after the removal of Syphax, if it should seem good to the senators, he was destined to reign without fear and conflict; and further because he had honored him, after praising him before the assembly, with most ample gifts, to be not unworthy of which Masinissa had both exerted himself and would continue to do so in the future.
petere, ut regium nomen ceteraque Scipionis beneficia et munera senatus decreto confirmaret;
They requested that the senate, by its decree, should confirm the royal title and the other benefits and gifts of Scipio;
et, nisi molestum esset, illud quoque petere Masinissam, ut Numidas captivos, qui Romae in custodia essent, remitterent; id sibi amplum apud populares futurum esse.
and, if it were not troublesome, Masinissa requested this also, that they would send back the captive Numidians who were in custody at Rome; this would be a source of high prestige for him among his countrymen.
ad ea responsum legatis: rerum gestarum prospere in Africa communem sibi cum rege gratulationem esse;5 Scipionem recte atque ordine videri fecisse, quod eum regem appellaverit, et quidquid aliud fecerit, quod cordi foret Masinissae, ea patres comprobare ac laudare.
To these things, it was answered to the envoys: that the congratulation for the affairs successfully conducted in Africa was shared by them with the king; that Scipio seemed to have acted rightly and in order in calling him king, and whatever else he had done that was pleasing to Masinissa, the senators approved and praised.
munera, quae legati ferrent regi, decreverunt sagula purpurea duo cum fibulis aureis singulis et lato clavo tunicis, equos duo phaleratos, bina equestria arma cum loricis, et tabernacula militaremque supellectilem, qualem praeberi consuli mos esset.
They decreed gifts which the envoys might carry to the king: two purple cloaks with single golden fibulae, and tunics with the broad stripe, two horses equipped with trappings, two sets of cavalry armor with breastplates, and tents and military furniture of such a kind as it was customary to be provided for a consul.
haec regi praetor mittere iussus. legatis in singulos dona ne minus quinum milium, comitibus eorum milium aeris, et vestimenta bina legatis, singula comitibus Numidisque, qui ex custodia emissi redderentur regi; ad hoc aedes liberae, loca, lautia legatis decreta.
The praetor was ordered to send these to the king. For the envoys, gifts of not less than five thousand asses each, for their attendants a thousand asses of bronze each, and two changes of clothing for the envoys, one each for the attendants and the Numidians who, being released from custody, were to be restored to the king; in addition to this, free lodgings, places, and hospitality were decreed for the envoys.
- 30.17.1ingenti hominum et in praesens laetitia et in futurum spe
An ablative phrase with the nouns laetitia and spe. In context, it expresses an attendant circumstance or cause, showing that Laelius's report brought 'great joy of the people for the present and great hope for the future.' The genitive hominum ('of the people') qualifies both laetitia and spe.
- 30.17.4ibi vero audientes
The word audientes is a present active participle in the nominative plural. Although the grammatical subject (such as cives or populus) is not explicitly stated, it functions as the subject and agrees with the subject of the main verb poterant in 30.17.5. The accusative-and-infinitive clauses (fusos [esse]..., devictum et captum [esse]..., peragratam [esse]...) function as the objects of audientes.
- 30.17.8post Syphacem sublatum
A noun-plus-perfect-passive-participle construction (the so-called 'ab urbe condita' type). Rather than 'behind the removed Syphax', it means 'after the removal of Syphax' (the event itself).
- 30.17.9et dedisse operam Masinissam et porro daturum esse
An accusative-and-infinitive construction in indirect discourse. While the first part of 30.17.9 (dein conlaudatum... decorasset) is a subjunctive clause of cause continuing the quod clause of 30.17.8, this et dedisse... shifts to indirect speech expressing the envoys' assertion. The subject of daturum esse is also Masinissam.
- 30.17.12rerum gestarum prospere in Africa communem sibi cum rege gratulationem esse
The genitive phrase rerum gestarum is an objective genitive modifying gratulationem ('congratulation for the successful deeds'). The dative sibi is used as a indirect reflexive referring back to the speaker, the senators (patribus).