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History of Rome

§31.49.1-31.49.12

Furius's Triumph and the Consular Elections

The praetor Lucius Furius is granted and celebrates his triumph, while the consul Aurelius, returning to Rome, strongly protests against the Senate's procedure, after which the next consuls and praetors are elected.

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§31.49.1

​huius generis orationibus ipsius amicorumque victa est praesentis gratia praetoris absentis consulis maiestas,1 triumphumque frequentes L. Furio decreverunt.

​By speeches of this kind of his own and of his friends, the majesty of the absent consul was overcome by the influence of the praetor who was present, and they in large numbers decreed a triumph for Lucius Furius.

§31.49.2

​triumphavit de Gallis in magistratu L. Furius praetor et in aerarium tulit trecenta viginti milia aeris, argenti centum milia mille quingentos.

​The praetor Lucius Furius triumphed over the Gauls during his magistracy and brought into the treasury three hundred and twenty thousand asses of bronze, and one hundred and one thousand five hundred of silver.

§31.49.3

​neque captivi ulli ante currum ducti neque spolia praelata neque milites secuti. omnia praeter victoriam penes consulem esse apparebat.

​Neither were any captives led before his chariot, nor spoils carried before him, nor soldiers following. It was clear that everything except the victory was in the hands of the consul.

§31.49.4

​ludi deinde a P. Cornelio Scipione, quos consul in Africa voverat, magno apparatu facti.

​Then the games, which the consul had vowed in Africa, were celebrated with great preparation by Publius Cornelius Scipio.

§31.49.5

​et de agris militum eius decretum, ut, quot quisque eorum annos in Hispania aut in Africa militasset, in singulos annos bina iugera agri acciperet; eum agrum decemviri adsignarent.

​And regarding the lands of his soldiers, it was decreed that, for as many years as each of them had served in Spain or in Africa, he should receive two iugera of land for each year; the decemviri were to assign that land.

§31.49.6

​triumviri item creati ad supplendum Venusinis colonorum numerum, quod bello Hannibalis attenuatae vires eius coloniae erant, C. Terentius Varro, T. Quinctius Flamininus, P. Cornelius Cn. f. Scipio. hi colonos Venusiam adscripserunt.

​Likewise, triumvirs were appointed to fill up the number of colonists for the Venusians, because the strength of that colony had been diminished by the Hannibalic war: Gaius Terentius Varro, Titus Quinctius Flamininus, and Publius Cornelius Scipio, son of Gnaeus. These enrolled colonists for Venusia.

§31.49.7

​eodem anno C. Cornelius Cethegus, qui proconsul Hispaniam obtinebat, magnum hostium exercitum in agro Sedetano fudit. quindecim milia Hispanorum eo proelio dicuntur caesa, signa militaria capta octo et septuaginta.

​In the same year, Gaius Cornelius Cethegus, who was governing Spain as proconsul, routed a large army of the enemy in the Sedetanian territory. Fifteen thousand Spaniards are said to have been slain in that battle, and seventy-eight military standards captured.

§31.49.8

​C. Aurelius consul, cum ex provincia Romam comitiorum causa venisset, non id, quod animis praeceperant, questus est, non expectatum se ab senatu,2 ​neque disceptandi cum praetore consuli potestatem factam, sed ita triumphum decresse senatum, ut nullius ​nisi eius, qui triumphaturus esset, et non eorum, qui bello interfuissent, verba audiret.

​When the consul Gaius Aurelius had come from his province to Rome for the sake of the elections, he did not complain of what they had anticipated in their minds, namely that he had not been awaited by the senate, ​nor that the power of debating with the praetor had not been granted to the consul, but that the senate had decreed the triumph in such a manner that ​it heard the words of no one except him who was about to triumph, and not of those who had been present at the war.

§31.49.11

​maiores ideo instituisse, ut legati, tribuni, centuriones, milites denique triumpho adessent, ut testes rerum gestarum eius, cui tantus honos haberetur, populus Romanus videret. ecquem ex eo exercitu, qui cum Gallis pugnaverit, si non militem, lixam saltem fuisse, quem percunctari posset senatus, quid veri praetor vanive adferret?

​He argued that the ancestors had established that legates, tribunes, centuriones, and finally the soldiers should be present at a triumph for this reason: so that the Roman people might see the witnesses of the achievements of him to whom such great honor was paid. Was there anyone from that army which had fought with the Gauls, if not a soldier, at least a camp follower, whom the senate could question as to what of truth or of falsehood the praetor brought?

§31.49.12

​comitiis deinde diem edixit, quibus creati sunt consules L. Cornelius Lentulus, P. Villius Tappulus. praetores inde facti L. Quinctius Flamininus, L. Valerius Flaccus, L. Villius Tappulus, Cn. Baebius Tamphilus.

​He then proclaimed the day for the elections, at which Lucius Cornelius Lentulus and Publius Villius Tappulus were elected consuls. Then Lucius Quinctius Flamininus, Lucius Valerius Flaccus, Lucius Villius Tappulus, and Gnaeus Baebius Tamphilus were made praetors.

Syntax notes2 items
  1. 31.49.1victa est praesentis gratia praetoris absentis consulis maiestas

    The nominative feminine singular noun 'maiestas' (the majesty of the absent consul) is the subject of the passive verb 'victa est', while the ablative 'gratia' (the influence of the present praetor) expresses means or cause. 'praesentis praetoris' limits 'gratia', and 'absentis consulis' limits 'maiestas', showing an interleaved word order.

  2. 31.49.8non id, quod animis praeceperant, questus est, non expectatum se ab senatu

    Note the structure of the object of the verb 'questus est' (complained). Having negated the relative clause containing the antecedent 'id, quod animis praeceperant' (what they had anticipated in their minds) with 'non', the actual contents of the complaint are introduced by the accusative with infinitive clauses 'non expectatum [esse] se ab senatu' (that he had not been awaited by the senate) and 'neque ... factam [esse]'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:31.49.1-31.49.12