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Livy · History of Rome §25.2.1-25.2.10

Elections of Magistrates and Scipio's Aedileship

Passage 756 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

After recording the deaths and replacements of several public priests, a dictator is appointed to conduct elections, resulting in the creation of new consuls and praetors. Furthermore, Publius Cornelius Scipio is elected curule aedile despite being under the legal age due to overwhelming popular support, and various games are celebrated.

§25.2.1aliquot publici sacerdotes mortui eo anno sunt, L. Cornelius Lentulus pontufex maximus et C. Papirius C. F. Masso pontifex et P. Furius Philus augur et C. Papirius L. F. Masso decemvir sacrorum.
In that year several public priests died: Lucius Cornelius Lentulus, the pontifex maximus; Gaius Papirius Masso (son of Gaius), a pontifex; Publius Furius Philus, an augur; and Gaius Papirius Masso (son of Lucius), a decemvir for sacred rites.
§25.2.2in Lentuli locum M. Cornelius Cethegus, in Papiri Cn. Servilius Caepio pontifices suffecti sunt, augur creatus L. Quintius Flainiinus, decemvir sacrorum L. Cornelius Lentulus.
Marcus Cornelius Cethegus was substituted as pontifex in place of Lentulus, and Gnaeus Servilius Caepio in place of Papirius; Lucius Quinctius Flamininus was created augur, and Lucius Cornelius Lentulus a decemvir for sacred rites.
comitiorum consularium iam adpetebat tempus, §25.2.3sed quia consules bello intentos avocare non placebat, Ti. Sempronius consul comitiorum causa dictatorem dixit C. Claudium Centonem.
The time for the consular elections was now drawing near, but because it was not pleasing to recall the consuls, who were intent on the war, the consul Tiberius Sempronius, for the purpose of holding the elections, named Gaius Claudius Cento as dictator.
ab eo magister equitum est dictus Q. Fulvius Flaccus.
By him, Quintus Fulvius Flaccus was named master of the horse.
§25.2.4dictator primo comitiali die creavit consules Q. Fulvium Flaccum, magistrum equitum, et Ap. Claudium Pulchrum, cui Sicilia provincia in praetura fuerat.
On the first day of the assembly, the dictator created as consuls Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, the master of the horse, and Appius Claudius Pulcher, who had had Sicily as his province during his praetorship.
§25.2.5tum praetores creati Cn. Fulvius Flaccus, C. Claudius Nero, M. Iunius Silanus, P. Cornelius Sulla.
Then Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus, Gaius Claudius Nero, Marcus Junius Silanus, and Publius Cornelius Sulla were created praetors.
comitiis perfectis dictator magistratu abiit.
The elections being completed, the dictator resigned his office.
§25.2.6aedilis curulis fuit eo anno cum M. Cornelio Cethego P. Cornelius Scipio, cui post Africano fuit cognomen.
The curule aedile in that year, together with Marcus Cornelius Cethegus, was Publius Cornelius Scipio, who was afterwards surnamed Africanus.
huic petenti aedilitatem cum obsisterent tribuni plebis negantes rationem eius habendam esse, quod nondum ad petendum legitima aetas esset, §25.2.7“si me” inquit “omnes Quirites aedilem facere volunt, satis annorum habeo. ” tanto inde favore ad suffragium ferendum in tribus discursum est, ut tribuni repente incepto destiterint.
When he was seeking the aedileship, and the tribunes of the plebs opposed him, denying that any account should be taken of him because he did not yet have the legal age for candidacy, he said, "If all the Quirites wish to make me aedile, I have years enough." Thereupon, with such great enthusiasm did they rush to cast their votes in the tribes, that the tribunes suddenly desisted from their attempt.
§25.2.8aedilicia largitio haec fuit: ludi Romani pro temporis illius copiis magnifice facti et diem unum instaurati, et centeni congii olei in vicos singulos dati.
The aedilitian largess was as follows: the Roman Games were magnificently celebrated considering the resources of that time, and were repeated for one day; and a hundred congii of oil were given to each district.
§25.2.9L. Villius Tappulus et M. Fundanius Fundulus aediles plebei aliquot matronas apud populum probri accusarunt, quasdam ex eis damnatas in exilium egerunt.
Lucius Villius Tappulus and Marcus Fundanius Fundulus, the plebeian aediles, accused several matrons before the people of shameful conduct, and drove some of them, who were condemned, into exile.
§25.2.10ludi plebei per biduum instaurati et Iovis epulum fuit ludorum causa.
The Plebeian Games were repeated for two days, and there was a feast of Jupiter on account of the games.

Notes

  1. 25.2.6cui post Africano fuit cognomen — A construction of `fuit cognomen` with the dative of possession (`cui`), where the cognomen `Africano` is attracted into the dative case to agree with `cui`, rather than being in the nominative (`Africanus`). This dative attraction is a common classical idiom in naming expressions.
  2. 25.2.6negantes rationem eius habendam esse — An accusative and infinitive construction dependent on the participle `negantes` ('saying that... not'). The phrase `rationem habere` is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to take account of' or 'to consider the candidacy of someone'. The passive gerundive `habendam (esse)` expresses necessity or obligation ('that account of him ought to be taken').
  3. 25.2.6quod nondum ad petendum legitima aetas esset — The subjunctive `esset` is used in the `quod` clause to denote a reported reason (the reason as alleged by the tribunes, rather than an objective fact stated by the author). `ad petendum` is the gerund of `petere` (to seek office) in the accusative of purpose, meaning 'for seeking candidacy'.
  4. 25.2.7tanto inde favore ad suffragium ferendum in tribus discursum est — The phrase features `discursum est`, the impersonal passive of the intransitive verb `discurrere` (literally 'it was run about', meaning 'people rushed about'). `ad suffragium ferendum` is a gerundive construction with the preposition `ad` expressing purpose ('to cast votes' or 'for voting').

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §25.2.1-25.2.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:25.2.1-25.2.10

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