§10.9.1Vocare tribus extemplo populus iubebat, apparebatque accipi legem; ille tamen dies intercessione est sublatus;
The people were immediately ordering the tribes to be called, and it was clear that the law was being accepted; nevertheless, that day was put off by the veto.
§10.9.2postero die deterritis tribunis ingenti consensu accepta est.
On the following day, the tribunes having been deterred, it was accepted with immense consensus.
pontifices creantur suasor legis P. Decius Mus, P. Sempronius Sophus, C. Marcius Rutilus, M. Livius Denter; quinque augures item de plebe: C. Genucius, P. Aelius Paetus, M. Minucius Faesus, C. Marcius, T. Publilius.
As pontiffs there were elected Publius Decius Mus, the supporter of the law, Publius Sempronius Sophus, Gaius Marcius Rutilus, and Marcus Livius Denter; likewise, five augurs from the plebs: Gaius Genucius, Publius Aelius Paetus, Marcus Minucius Faesus, Gaius Marcius, and Titus Publilius.
ita octo pontificum, novem augurum numerus factus.
Thus the number became eight pontiffs and nine augurs.
§10.9.3eodem anno M. Valerius consul de provocatione legem tulit diligentius sanctam.
In the same year, Marcus Valerius the consul proposed a law on appeal, more carefully secured.
tertio ea tum post reges exactos lata est, semper a familia eadem.
It was then proposed for the third time since the expulsion of the kings, always by the same family.
causam renovandae saepius haud aliam fuisse reor, §10.9.4quam quod plus paucorum opes quam libertas plebis poterat.
I believe that there was no other reason for renewing it so often, than that the power of the few prevailed more than the liberty of the plebs.
Porcia tamen lex sola pro tergo civium lata videtur, quod gravi poena, si quis verberasset necassetve civem Romanum, sanxit; §10.9.5Valeria lex cum eum, qui provocasset, virgis caedi securique necari vetuisset, si quis adversus ea fecisset, nihil ultra quam “inprobe factum” adiecit. §10.9.6id, qui tum pudor hominum erat, visum, credo, vinculum satis validum legis; nunc vix serio ita minetur quisquam.
Yet only the Porcian law seems to have been proposed for the backs of the citizens, because it sanctioned a heavy penalty if anyone should scourge or kill a Roman citizen; whereas the Valerian law, although it had forbidden him who had appealed to be beaten with rods and beheaded with the axe, if anyone should act contrary to these things, added nothing more than that it was "an wicked act." That, such was the sense of shame among men at that time, was deemed, I believe, a sufficiently strong bond for a law; nowadays, scarcely anyone would threaten in such a way in earnest.
§10.9.7bellum ab eodem consule haudquaquam memorabile adversus rebellantes Aequos, cum praeter animos feroces nihil ex antiqua fortuna haberent, gestum est.
A war by no means memorable was waged by the same consul against the rebelling Aequi, though they had nothing of their ancient, fierce spirit.
§10.9.8alter consul Apuleius in Umbria Nequinum oppidum circumsedit.
The other consul, Apuleius, besieged the town of Nequinum in Umbria.
locus erat arduus atque in parte una praeceps, ubi nunc Narnia sita est, nec vi nec munimento capi poterat.
The place was steep and precipitous on one side, where Narnia is now situated, and could be taken neither by force nor by siege-works.
itaque eam infectam rem M. Fulvius Paetus, §10.9.9T. Manlius Torquatus novi consules acceperunt.
Therefore, that unfinished business Marcus Fulvius Paetus and Titus Manlius Torquatus, the new consuls, took over.
§10.9.10in eum annum cum Q. Fabium consulem non petentem omnes dicerent centuriae, ipsum auctorem fuisse Macer Licinius ac Tubero tradunt differendi sibi consulatus in bellicosiorem annum: §10.9.11eo anno maiori se usui rei publicae fore urbano gesto magistratu.
When all the centuries were naming Quintus Fabius as consul for that year, though he was not seeking it, Licinius Macer and Tubero relate that he himself was the author of postponing his consulship to a more warlike year, saying that in that year he would be of greater use to the commonwealth by holding a city magistracy.
ita nec dissimulantem, quid mallet, nec petentem tamen aedilem curulem cum L. Papirio Cursore factum.
Thus, neither concealing what he preferred, nor yet seeking it, he was made curule aedile along with Lucius Papirius Cursor.
§10.9.12id ne pro certo ponerem, vetustior annalium auctor Piso effecit, qui eo anno aediles curules fuisse tradit Cn. Domitium Cn. f. Calvinum et Sp. Carvilium Q. f. Maximum.
Piso, a more ancient writer of annals, prevented me from putting this down as certain, who relates that the curule aediles in that year were Gnaeus Domitium Calvinus, son of Gnaeus, and Spurius Carvilius Maximus, son of Quintus.
§10.9.13id credo cognomen errorem in aedilibus fecisse secutamque fabulam mixtam ex aediliciis et consularibus comitiis, convenientem errori.
I believe that that cognomen caused the error regarding the aediles, and that a story followed, mixed up from the aedilician and consular comitia, corresponding to the error.
§10.9.14et lustrum eo anno conditum a P. Sempronio Sopho et P. Sulpicio Saverrione censoribus, tribusque additae duae, Aniensis ac Terentina.
Also, the lustrum was performed in that year by the censors Publius Sempronius Sophus and Publius Sulpicius Saverrio, and two tribes were added, the Aniensis and the Terentina.
haec Romae gesta.
These things were done at Rome.