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Livy · History of Rome §31.4.1-31.4.7

Land Distribution to Veterans and Elections of Magistrates

Passage 1031 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

At the end of the year, a decemviral commission was appointed to distribute land to Scipio's African veterans. Furthermore, the consular and praetorian elections for the following year were held, and various public games were celebrated magnificently.

§31.4.1exitu huius anni cum de agris veterum militum relatum esset, qui ductu atque auspicio P. Scipionis in Africa bellum perfecissent, decreverunt patres, ut M. Iunius praetor urbanus, §31.4.2si ei videretur, decemviros agro Samniti Apuloque, quod eius publicum populi Romani esset, metiendo dividendoque crearet. — creati P. Servilius, Q. Caecilius Metellus, C. §31.4.3et M. Servilii — Geminis ambobus cognomen erat —, L. et A. Hostilii Catones, P. Villius Tappulus, M. Fulvius Flaccus, P. Aelius Paetus, T. Quinctius Flamininus.
At the close of this year, when a proposal was made concerning the lands of the veteran soldiers who under the leadership and auspices of Publius Scipio had finished the war in Africa, the senators decreed that Marcus Junius, the city praetor, if it should seem good to him, should appoint decemvirs for measuring and distributing the Samnite and Apulian land, such of it as was public property of the Roman people. — There were appointed Publius Servilius, Quintus Caecilius Metellus, Gaius and Marcus Servilius—both had the cognomen Geminus—, Lucius and Aulus Hostilius Cato, Publius Villius Tappulus, Marcus Fulvius Flaccus, Publius Aelius Paetus, Titus Quinctius Flamininus.
§31.4.4per eos dies P. Aelio consule comitia habente creati consules P. Sulpicius Galba, C. Aurelius Cotta.
During those days, while the consul Publius Aelius was holding the elections, Publius Sulpicius Galba and Gaius Aurelius Cotta were elected consuls.
praetores exinde facti Q. Minucius Rufus, L. Furius Purpurio, Q. Fulvius Gillo, C. Sergius Plautus.
Thereafter, Quintus Minucius Rufus, Lucius Furius Purpurio, Quintus Fulvius Gillo, and Gaius Sergius Plautus were made praetors.
§31.4.5ludi Romani scaenici eo anno magnifice apparateque facti ab aedilibus curulibus L. Valerio Flacco et L. Quinctio Flaminino; biduum instauratum est; §31.4.6frumentique vim ingentem, quod ex Africa P. Scipio miserat, quaternis aeris populo cum summa fide et gratia diviserunt
The Roman theatrical games in that year were celebrated with magnificence and elaborate preparation by the curule aediles Lucius Valerius Flaccus and Lucius Quinctius Flamininus; they were repeated for two days; and they distributed to the people with the utmost integrity and to general satisfaction a huge quantity of grain, which Publius Scipio had sent from Africa, at four asses per modius.
§31.4.7et plebeii ludi ter toti instaurati ab aedilibus plebi L. Apustio Fullone et Q. Minucio Rufo, qui ex aedilitate praetor creatus erat.
And the Plebeian Games were three times repeated in their entirety by the plebeian aediles Lucius Apustius Fullo and Quintus Minucius Rufus, who from his aedileship had been elected praetor.
et Iovis epulum fuit ludorum causa.
And there was a feast of Jupiter on account of the games.

Notes

  1. 31.4.2quod eius publicum populi Romani esset — eius is a partitive genitive referring back to the land (agro). quod is a relative pronoun in the nominative. It limits the distribution to 'that part of it [the land] which was public land of the Roman people.'
  2. 31.4.3Geminis ambobus cognomen erat — A parenthetical clause. Geminis is a dative of possession, referring to the plural cognomen Gemini. ambobus is also dative ('to both'). It explains that both Gaius and Marcus Servilius shared the same cognomen, Geminus.
  3. 31.4.4P. Aelio consule comitia habente — Ablative absolute construction consisting of P. Aelio consule and the present participle habente. It describes the circumstance under which the elections (comitia) were held, with the consul Publius Aelius presiding.
  4. 31.4.6quaternis aeris — Ablative of price, consisting of the distributive numeral quaternis (four each) and the ablative plural of aes (as, a copper coin). It signifies that the grain was distributed or sold 'at four asses each' (per modius).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §31.4.1-31.4.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:31.4.1-31.4.7

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