Imprisonment of Manlius and Plebeian Agitation — Livy, History of Rome Book 6 (6.16.1–6.16.8), Latin & English

§6.16.1

cum mittere ambages dictator iuberet et aut peragere verum indicium cogeret aut fateri facinus insimulati falso crimine senatus oblataeque vani furti invidiae,¹ negantem arbitrio inimicorum se locuturum in vincla duci iussit.

When the dictator ordered him to drop his evasions and forced him either to complete his true disclosure or to confess the crime of having falsely accused the senate with a groundless charge and of having cast upon them the odium of an empty theft, upon his denying that he would speak at the pleasure of his enemies, the dictator ordered him to be led into chains.

§6.16.2

arreptus a viatore “Iuppiter” inquit “optime maxime Iunoque regina ac Minerva ceterique di deaeque, qui Capitolium arcemque incolitis, sicine vestrum militem ac praesidem sinitis vexari ab inimicis? haec dextra, qua Gallos fudi a delubris vestris, iam in vinclis et catenis erit?” nullius nec oculi nec aures indignitatem ferebant;

Seized by the summoner, Manlius said: “O Jupiter, Best and Greatest, and Queen Juno, and Minerva, and the other gods and goddesses who inhabit the Capitol and the citadel, do you thus permit your soldier and defender to be harassed by his enemies? Shall this right hand, with which I routed the Gauls from your shrines, now be in bonds and chains?” Neither the eyes nor the ears of anyone could bear this indignity;

§6.16.3

sed invicta sibi quaedam patientissima iusti imperii civitas fecerat,² nec adversus dictatoriam vim aut tribuni plebis aut ipsa plebs attollere oculos aut hiscere audebant.

but the state, unconquered as it was, had created for itself a certain character of being most submissive to lawful authority, and against the dictatorial power, neither the tribunes of the plebs nor the plebs themselves dared to raise their eyes or open their mouths.

§6.16.4

coniecto in carcerem Manlio satis constat magnam partem plebis vestem mutasse, multos mortales capillum ac barbam promisisse obversatamque vestibulo carceris maestam turbam. dictator de Volscis triumphavit, invidiaeque magis triumphus quam gloriae fuit; quippe domi, non militiae partum eum actumque de cive, non de hoste fremebant; unum defuisse tantum superbiae, quod non M. Manlius ante currum sit ductus.³

Once Manlius was cast into prison, it is well established that a large part of the plebs changed their garments, many individuals let their hair and beard grow long, and a sorrowful crowd lingered before the entrance of the prison. The dictator celebrated a triumph over the Volscians, and the triumph was a source of envy rather than of glory; for they murmured that it had been won at home, not in war, and celebrated over a citizen, not an enemy; and that only one thing had been wanting to their pride: that M. Manlius had not been led before his chariot.

§6.16.6

iamque haud procul seditione res erat. cuius leniendae causa postulante nullo largitor voluntarius repente senatus factus Satricum coloniam duo milia civium Romanorum deduci iussit;

And now matters were not far from open rebellion. For the sake of mitigating this, with no one demanding it, the senate suddenly became a voluntary benefactor and ordered a colony of two thousand Roman citizens to be led to Satricum;

§6.16.7

bina iugera et semisses agri adsignati. quod cum et parvum et paucis datum et mercedem esse prodendi M. Manli interpretarentur, remedio inritatur seditio.⁴

two and a half iugera of land each were assigned. But since they interpreted this as both small in amount and given to few, and as a bribe for betraying M. Manlius, the sedition was inflamed by the very remedy.

§6.16.8

et iam magis insignis sordibus et facie reorum turba Manliana erat, amotusque post triumphum abdicatione dictaturae terror et linguam et animos liberaverat hominum.

And now the Manlian crowd was more conspicuous by their mourning clothes and the appearance of defendants, and the terror removed after the triumph by the abdication of the dictatorship had set free both the tongues and the minds of men.

Syntax notes4 items

6.16.1facinus insimulati falso crimine senatus oblataeque vani furti invidiae
The noun facinus (crime) is modified by two genitive phrases acting as genitives of definition (appositional genitive): the gerundive-like structure insimulati falso crimine senatus (the false accusation of the senate with a groundless charge) and oblatae vani furti invidiae (the casting upon them of the odium of an empty theft).
6.16.3sed invicta sibi quaedam patientissima iusti imperii civitas fecerat
The subject is civitas, with invicta and patientissima as feminine singular nominative adjectives agreeing with it. The phrase sibi fecerat means "had created for itself" (or "had fashioned itself into"), describing the double character of the Roman populace: unconquered (invicta) toward external enemies, yet highly submissive (patientissima) to lawful internal authority (iusti imperii).
6.16.5unum defuisse tantum superbiae, quod non M. Manlius ante currum sit ductus
An accusative and infinitive construction in indirect discourse dependent on fremebant. The pronoun unum is the subject of the infinitive defuisse, and its specific content is explained by the appositional noun clause introduced by quod (quod non... sit ductus). The dative superbiae means "for their pride."
6.16.7remedio inritatur seditio
The ablative remedio (by the remedy) modifies the verb inritatur (is provoked/inflamed). This is an oxymoronic and ironical expression, showing that the very measure intended as a "remedy" (remedio) served instead to "aggravate" (inritatur) the sedition.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:6.16.1-6.16.8