§28.9.1extremo aestatis eius, qua haec in Graecia gesta sunt, cum Q. Fabius Maximus legatus ab M. Livio consule Romam ad senatum missus nuntiasset consulem satis praesidii Galliae provinciae credere L. Porcium cum suis legionibus esse, decedere se inde ac deduci exercitum consularem posse, §28.9.2patres non M. Livium tantum redire ad urbem, sed conlegam quoque eius C. Claudium iusserunt.
At the end of that summer in which these things were done in Greece, when Quintus Fabius Maximus, sent as a lieutenant by the consul Marcus Livius to the senate at Rome, had reported that the consul believed Lucius Porcius with his legions to be a sufficient defense for the province of Gaul, and that he himself could withdraw and the consular army be led away thence, the senators ordered not only Marcus Livius to return to the city, but also his colleague Gaius Claudius.
§28.9.3id modo in decreto interfuit, quod M. Livi exercitum reduci, Neronis legiones Hannibali oppositas manere in provincia iusserunt.
There was only this difference in the decree, that they ordered Marcus Livius' army to be brought back, but Nero's legions, which were opposed to Hannibal, to remain in the province.
§28.9.4inter consules ita per litteras convenit ut quem ad modum uno animo rem publicam gessissent, ita, quamquam ex diversis regionibus convenirent, uno tempore ad urbem accederent; §28.9.5Praeneste qui prior venisset, collegam ibi opperiri iussus.
It was agreed between the consuls by letter that, just as they had conducted the state with one mind, so, although they came from different regions, they should approach the city at one and the same time; whichever of them arrived first at Praeneste was ordered to wait there for his colleague.
forte ita evenit, ut eodem die ambo Praeneste venirent.
By chance it so happened that both arrived at Praeneste on the same day.
inde praemisso edicto, ut triduo post frequens senatus ad aedem Bellonae adesset, omni multitudine obviam effusa ad urbem accessere.
Thence, having sent ahead an edict that a full senate should assemble at the temple of Bellona three days later, they approached the city while the entire multitude poured out to meet them.
§28.9.6non salutabant modo universi circumfusi, sed contingere pro se quisque victrices dextras consulum cupientes, alii gratulabantur, alii gratias agebant, quod eorum opera incolumis res publica esset.
Not only did everyone surrounding them greet them, but, each desiring for his own part to touch the victorious right hands of the consuls, some congratulated them, while others gave thanks that by their efforts the state was safe.
§28.9.7in senatu cum more omnium imperatorum expositis rebus ab se gestis postulassent, ut pro re publica fortiter feliciterque administrata et deis immortalibus haberetur honos et ipsis triumphantibus urbem inire liceret, se vero ea, §28.9.8quae postularent, decernere patres merito deorum primum, dein secundum deos consulum responderunt; §28.9.9et supplicatione amborum nomine et triumpho utrique decreto, inter ipsos, ne, cum bellum communi animo gessissent, triumphum separarent, ita convenit, ut, §28.9.10quoniam et in provincia M. Livii res gesta esset, et eo die, quo pugnatum foret, eius forte auspicium fuisset, et exercitus Livianus deductus Romam venisset, Neronis deduci de provincia non potuisset, ut M. Livium quadrigis urbem ineuntem milites sequerentur, C. Claudius equo sine militibus inveheretur.
In the senate, when, having set forth their achievements according to the custom of all generals, they had requested that, for the brave and successful administration of the state, both honor should be paid to the immortal gods and they themselves should be permitted to enter the city in triumph, the senators replied that they indeed decreed those things, which they requested, first and deservedly to the gods, and then, next to the gods, to the merits of the consuls; and when a thanksgiving in the name of both and a triumph for each had been decreed, they agreed among themselves, lest, since they had waged the war with a common mind, they should separate their triumph, that, since the achievement had been performed in the province of Marcus Livius, and on that day on which the battle had been fought, his auspices had by chance been in force, and the Livian army had been brought back and had come to Rome, whereas Nero's could not be brought back from the province, Marcus Livius should enter the city in a chariot drawn by four horses, followed by the soldiers, while Gaius Claudius should ride in on a horse without his soldiers.
§28.9.11ita consociatus triumphus cum utrique tum magis ei, qui, quantum merito anteibat, tantum honore conlegae cesserat, gloriam auxit.
Thus the joint triumph increased the glory of both, and especially of him who, as much as he excelled in merit, so much had yielded in honor to his colleague.
§28.9.12illum equitem aiebant sex dierum spatio transcurrisse longitudinem Italiae et eo die cum Hasdrubale in Gallia signis conlatis pugnasse, quo eum castra adversus sese in Apulia posita habere Hannibal credidisset: §28.9.13ita unum consulem pro utraque parte Italiae adversus duos duces, duos exercitus hinc consilium suum, hinc corpus opposuisse.
People said that that horseman had traversed the length of Italy in the space of six days, and had fought in battle with Hasdrubal in Gaul on the very day on which Hannibal had believed him to have his camp pitched opposite himself in Apulia; thus a single consul, on behalf of both sides of Italy, had opposed two generals and two armies, here with his counsel, there with his person.
§28.9.14nomen Neronis satis fuisse ad continendum castris Hannibalem; Hasdrubalem vero qua alia re quam adventu eius obrutum atque extinctum esse?
The name of Nero alone had been sufficient to hold Hannibal in his camp; as for Hasdrubal, by what other thing than Nero's arrival had he been overwhelmed and destroyed?
§28.9.15itaque iret alter consul sublimis curru multiiugis, si vellet, equis; uno equo per urbem verum triumphum vehi, Neronemque, etiam si pedes incedat, vel parta eo bello vel spreta eo triumpho gloria memorabilem fore. hi sermones spectantium Neronem usque in Capitolium prosecuti sunt.
"Therefore let the other consul go, exalted in a chariot with many yoked horses, if he wishes; on a single horse is the true triumph being carried through the city, and Nero, even if he should walk on foot, will be memorable either for the glory won in that war or for that which was disdained in this triumph." These conversations of the onlookers followed Nero all the way to the Capitol.
§28.9.16pecuniae in aerarium tulerunt sestertium triciens, octoginta milia aeris.
They brought into the treasury three million sesterces and eighty thousand asses.
§28.9.17militibus M. Livius quinquagenos senos asses divisit; tantundem C. Claudius absentibus militibus suis est pollicitus, cum ad exercitum redisset.
Marcus Livius distributed fifty-six asses to each of his soldiers; Gaius Claudius promised the same amount to his absent soldiers when he returned to the army.
§28.9.18notatum est eo die plura carmina militaribus iocis in C. Claudium quam in consulem suum iactata,
It was noted on that day that more songs with military jokes were directed at Gaius Claudius than at their own consul.
§28.9.19equites L. Veturium et Q. Caecilium legatos magnis tulisse laudibus hortatosque esse plebem, ut eos consules in proxumum annum crearent; §28.9.20adiecisse equitum praerogativae auctoritatem consules postero die in contione, quam forti fidelique duorum praecipue legatorum opera usi essent, commemorantes.
The cavalry praised the lieutenants Lucius Veturius and Quintus Caecilius with great praises, and exhorted the plebeians to elect them consuls for the next year; the consuls added the weight of their authority to the choice of the cavalry on the following day in the assembly, commemorating how brave and faithful assistance they had used, particularly from these two lieutenants.