- 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-lat2:4.42.1-4.42.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Through the persistent entreaties and solidarity of the newly elected tribunes, the tribune Hortensius withdraws his prosecution of the former consul Sempronius, while fortune turns away from the Aequi.
plebs tribunos plebi absentes Sex. Tempanium, M. Asellium, Ti. Antistium, Ti. Spurillium fecit, quos et pro centurionibus1 sibi praefecerant Tempanio auctore equites.
The plebeians elected Sextus Tempanius, Marcus Asellius, Tiberius Antistius, and Tiberius Spurillius, who were absent, as tribunes of the plebs, whom the cavalry, on the proposal of Tempanius, had also set over themselves as centurions.
senatus, cum odio Semproni consulare nomen offenderet, tribunos militum consulari potestate creari iussit. creati sunt L. Manlius Capitolinus, Q. Antonius Merenda, L. Papirius Mugillanus.
The senate, since the name of consul was offensive due to the hatred of Sempronius, ordered military tribunes with consular power to be created. Lucius Manlius Capitolinus, Quintus Antonius Merenda, and Lucius Papirius Mugillanus were elected.
principio statim anni L. Hortensius tribunus plebis C. Sempronio, consuli anni prioris, diem dixit. quem cum quattuor collegae inspectante populo Romano orarent, ne imperatorem suum innoxium, in quo nihil praeter fortunam reprehendi posset, vexaret, aegre Hortensius pati,2 temptationem eam credens esse perseverantiae suae nec precibus tribunorum, quae in speciem modo iactarentur, sed auxilio confidere3 reum. itaque modo ad eum conversus, ubi illi patricii spiritus, ubi subnixus et fidens innocentiae animus esset, quaerebat: sub tribunicia umbra consularem virum delituisse;
Immediately at the beginning of the year, Lucius Hortensius, tribune of the plebs, indicted Gaius Sempronius, the consul of the previous year. While the Roman people looked on, his four colleagues entreated him not to harass their guiltless commander, in whom nothing except fortune could be blamed. Hortensius bore this with impatience, believing that this was a trial of his perseverance and that the defendant was relying not on the prayers of the tribunes, which were put forward only for appearance, but on their assistance. And so, turning at one time to him, he asked where those patrician spirits were, where that mind, relying on and trusting in its innocence, was, and charged that a man of consular rank had hidden under the shadow of the tribunate;
modo ad collegas: “vos autem, si reum perago, quid acturi estis? an erepturi ius populo et eversuri tribuniciam potestatem?”
at another time to his colleagues: “But you, if I carry through the prosecution of the defendant, what are you going to do? Are you going to snatch away their right from the people and overthrow the tribunician power?”
cum illi et de Sempronio et de omnibus summam populi Romani potestatem esse dicerent nec se iudicium populi tollere aut velle aut posse, sed, si preces suae pro imperatore, qui sibi parentis esset loco, non valuissent, se vestem cum eo mutaturos,4 tum Hortensius “non videbit” inquit “plebs Romana sordidatos tribunos suos. C. Sempronium nihil moror, quando hoc est in imperio consecutus, ut tam carus esset militibus.” nec pietas quattuor tribunorum quam Hortensi tam placabile ad iustas preces ingenium5 pariter plebi patribusque gratius fuit.
When they said that the power of the Roman people was supreme both over Sempronius and over all others, and that they neither wished nor were able to do away with the judgment of the people, but that if their prayers for their commander, who was in the place of a parent to them, did not prevail, they would change their dress along with him, then Hortensius said, “The Roman plebs shall not see their tribunes in mourning. I care no further about Gaius Sempronius, since he has achieved this in his command, that he became so dear to his soldiers.” Nor was the devotion of the four tribunes, or the mind of Hortensius, so placable to just prayers, more pleasing to the plebs than to the patricians.
non diutius fortuna Aequis indulsit, qui ambiguam victoriam Volscorum pro sua amplexi fuerant.
No longer did fortune favor the Aequi, who had embraced the ambiguous victory of the Volscians as their own.
- 4.42.1pro centurionibus
"In place of centurions" or "as acting centurions." This indicates that they were not regularly appointed centurions, but provisional leaders chosen by the cavalry themselves in an emergency.
- 4.42.4pati
Historical infinitive, equivalent to the third-person singular imperfect (patiebatur). The subject is Hortensius.
- 4.42.4confidere
Infinitive of the accusative-and-infinitive construction introduced by the participle credens (the subject of which is Hortensius). Its accusative subject is reum (Sempronius). confidere is a semi-deponent verb taking its object (precibus, auxilio) in the dative (or ablative) case.
- 4.42.7se vestem cum eo mutaturos
"That they would change their dress along with him (i.e., put on mourning attire)." This refers to the Roman judicial and political custom where supporters of a defendant facing condemnation would wear mourning clothes (sordidata vestis) to demonstrate solidarity and evoke public sympathy.
- 4.42.9nec pietas quattuor tribunorum quam Hortensi tam placabile ad iustas preces ingenium
An expression using a negated comparative to convey superlative meaning (nec ... quam ... gratius fuit, literally "nor was anything more pleasing than..."). It means that the devotion (pietas) of the four tribunes and the placable character of Hortensius were both received with equally immense favor.