§29.15.1cum de supplemento legionum, quae in provinciis erant, ageretur, tempus esse a quibusdam senatoribus subiectum est, quae dubiis in rebus utcumque tolerata essent, ea dempto iam tandem deum benignitate metu non ultra pati. §29.15.2erectis expectatione patribus subiecerunt colonias Latinas duodecim, quae Q. Fabio et Q. Fulvio consulibus abnuissent milites dare,
When the reinforcement of the legions that were in the provinces was being discussed, it was suggested by certain senators that the time had come no longer to tolerate those things which, in doubtful circumstances, had been endured in one way or another, now that fear had at last been removed by the favor of the gods. With the senators' expectations raised, they then specified the twelve Latin colonies which, in the consulship of Q. Fabius and Q.
§29.15.3eas annum iam ferme sextum vacationem militiae quasi honoris et beneficii causa habere, cum interim boni oboedientesque socii pro fide atque obsequio in populum Romanum continuis omnium annorum dilectibus exhausti essent. §29.15.4sub hanc vocem non memoria magis patribus renovata rei prope iam oblitteratae, quam ira irritata est. §29.15.5itaque nihil prius referre consules passi decreverunt, ut consules magistratus denosque principes Nepete, Sutrio, Ardea, Calibus, Alba, Carseolis, Sora, Suessa, Setia, Circeis, Narnia, Interamna — hae namque coloniae in ea causa erant — Romam excirent; §29.15.6iis imperarent, quantum quaeque earum coloniarum militum plurimum dedisset populo Romano, ex quo hostes in Italia essent, duplicatum eius summae numerum peditum daret et equites centenos vicenos; §29.15.7si qua eum numerum equitum explere non posset, pro equite uno tres pedites liceret dare; pedites equitesque quam locupletissimi legerentur mitterenturque, ubicumque extra Italiam supplemento opus esset; §29.15.8si qui ex iis recusarent, retineri eius coloniae magistratus legatosque placere, neque, si postularent, senatum dari, priusquam imperata fecissent; §29.15.9stipendium praeterea iis coloniis in milia aeris asses singulos imperari exigique quotannis, censumque in iis coloniis agi ex formula ab Romanis censoribus data — §29.15.10dari autem placere eandem quam populo Romano — deferrique Romam ab iuratis censoribus coloniarum, priusquam magistratu abirent. §29.15.11ex hoc senatus consulto accitis Romam magistratibus primoribusque earum coloniarum consules cum milites stipendiumque imperassent, alii aliis magis recusare ac reclamare; §29.15.12negare tantum militum effici posse; vix, si simplum ex formula imperetur, enisuros; orare atque obsecrare, ut sibi senatum adire ac deprecari liceret. §29.15.13nihil se, quare perire merito deberent, admisisse; sed si pereundum etiam foret, neque suum delictum neque iram populi Romani, ut plus militum darent, quam haberent, posse efficere. §29.15.14consules obstinati legatos manere Romae iubent, magistratus ire domos ad dilectus habendos: nisi summa militum, quae imperata esset, Romam adducta, neminem iis senatum daturum. §29.15.15ita praecisa spe senatum adeundi deprecandique dilectus in iis duodecim coloniis, per longam vacationem numero iuniorum aucto, haud difficulter est perfectus.
Fulvius, had refused to supply soldiers. They pointed out that these colonies had now for nearly six years enjoyed an exemption from military service as if for the sake of honor and favor, while in the meantime the good and obedient allies, in return for their loyalty and obedience to the Roman people, had been exhausted by continuous levies every single year. At these words, the memory of a matter almost forgotten was not so much renewed in the minds of the senators as their anger was provoked. Therefore, allowing the consuls to bring forward no other business first, they decreed that the consuls should summon to Rome the magistrates and ten leading men from Nepete, Sutrium, Ardea, Cales, Alba, Carseolis, Sora, Suessa, Setia, Circeii, Narnia, and Interamna—for these were the colonies involved in this matter; they were to command them that each of those colonies should provide double the maximum number of infantry it had ever supplied to the Roman people since the enemy had been in Italy, and one hundred and twenty cavalry each; if any colony could not make up that number of cavalry, it should be permitted to supply three infantrymen instead of one cavalryman; the infantry and cavalry were to be chosen from the wealthiest men and sent wherever outside Italy there was need of reinforcement; if any of them should refuse, it was resolved that the magistrates and envoys of that colony should be detained, and that no audience with the senate should be granted to them, even if they requested it, until they had executed the orders; furthermore, an annual tax of one as per thousand asses of property should be imposed and exacted from these colonies, and a census should be conducted in these colonies according to a formula provided by the Roman censors— and it was resolved that the same formula as for the Roman people should be given—and the results should be brought to Rome by the sworn censors of the colonies before they went out of office. When, in accordance with this decree of the senate, the magistrates and leading men of those colonies had been summoned to Rome, and the consuls had commanded the soldiers and the tax, they began to refuse and protest, some more vehemently than others; they declared that so great a number of soldiers could not be made up, and that they would scarcely succeed even if only the single quota according to the formula were commanded; they begged and implored that they might be allowed to approach the senate and plead for mercy. They had committed nothing, they said, for which they deserved to be destroyed; but even if they had to perish, neither their own fault nor the anger of the Roman people could make them supply more soldiers than they actually had. The consuls remained obstinate, ordering the envoys to stay in Rome and the magistrates to go home to hold the levies; they declared that no one would grant them an audience with the senate unless the full number of soldiers commanded had been brought to Rome. Thus, with the hope of approaching the senate and pleading for mercy cut off, the levy in those twelve colonies, where the number of younger men had increased during the long exemption, was completed without difficulty.