- 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-lat2:37.51.1-37.51.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
A serious constitutional conflict breaks out between the pontifex maximus P. Licinius and the flamen Q. Fabius Pictor over his departure to his province, resulting in Fabius remaining in Rome as praetor peregrinus. Reliable news of the victory in Asia reaches Rome, but the senate preserves the planned forces due to the Galatian threat.
priusquam in provincias praetores irent, certamen inter P. Licinium pontificem maximum fuit et Q. Fabium Pictorem flaminem Quirinalem, quale patrum memoria inter L. Metellum et Postumium Albinum fuerat.
Before the praetors went to their provinces, a dispute arose between P. Licinius, the pontifex maximus, and Q. Fabius Pictor, the flamen of Quirinus, such as had occurred within the memory of their fathers between L. Metellus and Postumius Albinus.
consulem illum cum C. Lutatio collega in Siciliam ad classem proficiscentem ad sacra retinuerat Metellus, pontifex maximus;
In that former case, Metellus, the pontifex maximus, had detained the consul, who was setting out with his colleague C. Lutatius for the fleet in Sicily, for the sake of the sacred rites;
praetorem hunc1 ne in Sardiniam proficisceretur, P. Licinius tenuit. et in senatu et ad populum magnis contentionibus certatum, et imperia inhibita ultro citroque, et pignera capta, et multae dictae, et tribuni appellati, et provocatum ad populum est.
in this case, P. Licinius detained the praetor, preventing him from setting out for Sardinia. There was a struggle with great contention both in the senate and before the people; orders were mutually vetoed, pledges were seized, fines were imposed, the tribunes were appealed to, and an appeal was made to the people.
religio ad postremum vicit; ut dicto audiens esset flamen pontifici iussus; et multa iussu populi ei remissa.
At last, religious duty triumphed; the flamen was ordered to obey the pontifex; and by order of the people, the fines imposed on him were remitted.
ira provinciae ereptae2 praetorem magistratu abdicare se conantem patres auctoritate sua deterruerunt et, ut ius inter peregrinos diceret, decreverunt.
Out of anger at having his province snatched away, the praetor attempted to resign his office, but the senators by their authority deterred him and decreed that he should administer justice between foreigners.
dilectibus deinde intra paucos dies — neque enim multi milites legendi erant — perfectis consules praetoresque in provincias proficiscuntur.
Then, the levies having been completed within a few days—for there were not many soldiers to be enlisted—the consuls and praetors set out for their provinces.
fama dein de rebus in Asia gestis temere vulgata sine auctore, et post dies paucos nuntii certi litteraeque imperatoris Romam adlatae, quae non tantum gaudium ab recenti metu attulerunt — desierant enim victum in Aetolia regem metuere — quam a vetere fama,3 quod ineuntibus id bellum gravis hostis et suis viribus, et quod Hannibalem rectorem militiae haberet, visus fuerat.
Thereupon, a rumor of the achievements in Asia was idly spread without any authority, and a few days later, reliable messengers and letters from the commander were brought to Rome; these brought a joy that arose not so much from recent fear—for they had ceased to fear the king after his defeat in Aetolia—as from his ancient reputation, because at the beginning of that war he had seemed a formidable enemy both in his own resources and because he had Hannibal as a director of his military operations.
nihil tamen aut de consule mittendo in Asiam mutandum aut minuendas eius copias censuerunt metu, ne cum Gallis foret bellandum.4
Nevertheless, they decided that nothing should be changed concerning the consul to be sent to Asia, nor his forces diminished, through fear lest they should have to wage war with the Gauls.
- 37.51.2consulem illum ... praetorem hunc
Contrast of demonstrative pronouns. 'illum' refers to the historical predecessor (the consul Aulus Postumius Albinus in 242 BC), while 'hunc' refers to the contemporary figure in question, the praetor Q. Fabius Pictor. Livy structures the narration of two similar constitutional disputes through this spatial-temporal contrast.
- 37.51.6ira provinciae ereptae
The combination of the noun and the perfect passive participle ('provinciae ereptae') functions as a noun clause denoting the action or fact of the province being snatched away (the 'ab urbe condita' construction). 'ira' is an ablative of cause, and the genitive phrase acts as its objective genitive.
- 37.51.9quae non tantum gaudium ab recenti metu ... quam a vetere fama
The relative pronoun 'quae' (nominative) refers back to the 'nuntii certi litteraeque' in the preceding sentence. The phrase 'non tantum ... quam' is a variation of 'non tam ... quam' (not so much ... as). It highlights that the citizens' joy was derived not so much from recent anxiety as from the subversion of the king's long-standing formidable reputation and the threat of Hannibal.
- 37.51.10metu, ne cum Gallis foret bellandum
The clause introduced by 'ne' is a clause of fearing dependent on 'metu' (ablative of cause). 'foret bellandum' is equivalent to 'esset bellandum', utilizing the impersonal passive periphrastic conjugation of the intransitive verb 'bellare', meaning 'for fear that they would have to wage war with the Gauls (Galatians)'.