- 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-lat2:38.51.1-38.51.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The tribunes accuse Scipio Africanus of bribery by recalling past scandals, but Scipio refuses to plead and instead leads the entire assembly to the Capitol to give thanks to the gods on the anniversary of his victory.
tribuni vetera luxuriae crimina Syracusanorum hibernorum et Locris Pleminianum tumultum cum ad fidem praesentium criminum retulissent,1 suspicionibus magis quam argumentis pecuniae captae reum accusarunt:
After the tribunes, in order to secure belief for the present charges, had recalled the old accusations of luxury in the winter quarters at Syracuse and the disturbance caused by Pleminius at Locri, they accused the defendant on suspicions rather than on proofs of having accepted money:
filium captum sine pretio redditum, omnibusque aliis rebus Scipionem, tamquam in eius unius manu pax Romana bellumque esset, ab Antiocho cultum;
they alleged that his captured son had been restored without ransom, and that in all other matters Scipio had been courted by Antiochus, as if the peace and war of Rome were in the hands of him alone;
dictatorem eum consuli, non legatum in provincia fuisse;2 nec ad aliam rem eo profectum, quam ut, id quod Hispaniae Galliae Siciliae Africae iam pridem persuasum esset,3 hoc Graeciae Asiaeque et omnibus ad orientem versis regibus gentibusque appareret, unum hominem caput columenque imperii Romani esse, sub umbra Scipionis civitatem dominam orbis terrarum latere, nutum eius pro decretis patrum, pro populi iussis esse. infamia intactum invidia, qua possunt, urgent.
that he had been a dictator to the consul in his province, not a lieutenant, and had set out thither for no other purpose than that this fact, of which Spain, Gaul, Sicily, and Africa had long since been convinced, should become clear to Greece, Asia, and all the kings and nations turned toward the East, namely, that one man was the head and pillar of the Roman empire, that the state, the mistress of the world, lay hidden under the shadow of Scipio, and that his nod stood in place of the decrees of the senate and the orders of the people. Since he was untouched by disgrace, they pressed him with envy as much as they could.
orationibus in noctem perductis prodicta dies est.
The speeches having been prolonged into the night, the day of trial was adjourned.
ubi ea venit, tribuni in Rostris prima luce consederunt; citatus reus magno agmine amicorum clientiumque per mediam contionem ad Rostra subiit silentioque facto “hoc” inquit “die, tribuni plebis vosque, Quirites, cum Hannibale et Carthaginiensibus signis collatis in Africa bene ac feliciter pugnavi.
When that day came, the tribunes took their seats on the Rostra at daybreak; the accused, on being summoned, came up to the Rostra through the midst of the assembly with a great train of friends and clients, and when silence had been made, he said, “On this day, tribunes of the plebs and you, Quirites, I fought well and successfully in Africa against Hannibal and the Carthaginians in pitched battle.
itaque, cum hodie litibus et iurgiis supersederi aequum sit, ego hinc extemplo in Capitolium ad Iovem optimum maximum Iunonemque et Minervam ceterosque deos, qui Capitolio atque arci praesident, salutandos ibo, hisque gratias agam, quod mihi et hoc ipso die et saepe alias egregie gerendae rei publicae mentem facultatemque dederunt.
Therefore, since it is fitting that lawsuits and quarrels be suspended today, I shall go from here immediately to the Capitol to Jove, Best and Greatest, and Juno, Minerva, and the other gods who preside over the Capitol and the citadel, to pay them my respects, and I will render thanks to them, because both on this very day and often at other times they have given me the mind and the capacity to conduct the affairs of the state in an outstanding manner.
vestrum quoque quibus commodum est, Quirites, ite mecum, et orate deos, ut mei similes principes habeatis, ita, si4 ab annis septemdecim ad senectutem semper vos aetatem meam honoribus vestris anteistis, ego vestros honores rebus gerendis praecessi.” ab Rostris in Capitolium ascendit. simul se universa contio avertit et secuta Scipionem est, adeo ut postremo scribae viatoresque tribunos relinquerent, nec cum iis praeter servilem comitatum et praeconem, qui reum ex Rostris citabat, quisquam esset. Scipio non in Capitolio modo, sed per totam urbem omnia templa deum cum populo Romano circumiit.
Do you also, Quirites, as many as find it convenient, come with me, and pray to the gods that you may have leaders like me, even as, if you have always anticipated my age with your honors from my seventeenth year to my old age, I have anticipated your honors by my achievements.” He ascended from the Rostra to the Capitol. At the same time, the entire assembly turned away and followed Scipio, so that in the end even the scribes and messengers left the tribunes, nor was there anyone with them except a retinue of slaves and the herald who was summoning the accused from the Rostra. Scipio went around not only the Capitol but all the temples of the gods throughout the entire city with the Roman people.
celebratior is prope dies favore hominum et aestimatione vera magnitudinis eius fuit, quam quo triumphans de Syphace rege et Carthaginiensibus urbem est invectus.
This day was almost more celebrated by the favor of the people and the true estimation of his greatness than that on which he rode into the city in triumph over King Syphax and the Carthaginians.
- 38.51.1ad fidem praesentium criminum retulissent
The combination of the verb referre and the preposition ad means 'to connect or recall in order to enhance the credibility (fides) of something.' It indicates that the tribunes used the past events in Syracuse and Locri as circumstantial evidence to strengthen the credibility of the current bribery charges.
- 38.51.3dictatorem eum consuli, non legatum in provincia fuisse
The dative consuli depends on dictatorem, meaning 'a dictator to the consul' (his brother Lucius). It expresses the charge that although Scipio's official post was only a lieutenant (legatus), he acted as if he were a dictator, superior to the consul.
- 38.51.3id quod Hispaniae Galliae Siciliae Africae iam pridem persuasum esset
The passive voice of the dative-governing verb persuadere is used impersonally here, where the datives Hispaniae... represent those who 'had been convinced.' The antecedent id anticipates the content of the following accusative-with-infinitve clause, unum hominem ... esse (that one man was the head of the Roman empire).
- 38.51.11ita, si ...
The adverb ita modifies the preceding orate ... ut ... (pray that...) and is correlatively linked with the si clause. It means 'pray in such a way, if you have always anticipated my age with your honors, as I have anticipated your honors with my deeds,' indicating a reciprocal balance of honor between the citizens and Scipio.