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Livy · History of Rome §31.6.1-31.6.6

Rejection of the War Motion and the Senate's Reaction

Passage 1033 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The provinces for the consuls and praetors are assigned, but the proposal for war against Macedonia is rejected at the first assembly. The senate, outraged by the tribune's opposition, urges the consul to call another assembly and persuade the people.

§31.6.1P. Sulpicio provincia Macedonia sorti evenit, isque rogationem promulgavit, vellent iuberent Philippo regi Macedonibusque, qui sub regno eius essent, ob iniurias armaque illata sociis populi Romani bellum indici.
The province of Macedonia fell by lot to P. Sulpicius, and he proposed a bill to ask whether they wished and ordered war to be declared against King Philip and the Macedonians who were under his rule, because of the injuries and hostilities inflicted upon the allies of the Roman people.
alteri consulum Aurelio Italia provincia obtigit.
To the other of the consuls, Aurelius, the province of Italy fell.
§31.6.2praetores exinde sortiti sunt C. Sergius Plautus urbanam, Q. Fulvius Gillo Siciliam,
Thereupon the praetors drew lots: C. Sergius Plautus obtained the urban jurisdiction, Q. Fulvius Gillo Sicily, Q.
§31.6.3Q. Minucius Rufus Bruttios, L. Furius Purpurio Galliam.
Minucius Rufus the Bruttii, and L. Furius Purpurio Gaul.
rogatio de bello Macedonico primis comitiis ab omnibus ferme centuriis antiquata est.
The bill concerning the Macedonian war was rejected at the first assembly by almost all the centuries.
id cum fessi diuturnitate et gravitate belli sua sponte homines taedio periculorum laborumque fecerant, §31.6.4tum Q. Baebius tribunus plebis, viam antiquam criminandi patres ingressus, incusaverat bella ex bellis seri, ne pace umquam frui plebs posset.
While the men had done this of their own accord, being tired out by the length and gravity of the war and from weariness of dangers and hardships, at the same time Q. Baebius, tribune of the plebs, entering upon the old way of accusing the patricians, had charged that war after war was being sown, so that the plebs could never enjoy peace.
§31.6.5aegre eam rem passi patres, laceratusque probris in senatu tribunus plebis, et consulem pro se quisque hortari, ut de integro comitia rogationi ferendae ediceret castigaretque segnitiam populi atque edoceret, §31.6.6quanto damno dedecorique dilatio ea belli futura esset.
The patricians took this matter hard, and the tribune of the plebs was torn to pieces with insults in the senate, and each for his own part urged the consul to proclaim a new assembly for proposing the bill, and to chastise the slothfulness of the people and teach them how great a loss and disgrace that delay of the war would be.

Notes

  1. 31.6.1vellent iuberent — Indirect speech representation of the official formula "velitis iubeatis" used in submitting proposals to the comitia centuriata. Here, the subjunctive imperfect plural forms function without `ut` as an indirect command or question depending on `promulgavit`.
  2. 31.6.3id cum ... fecerant, tum Q. Baebius ... incusaverat — The construction `cum ... tum` with the indicative pluperfect (`fecerant`, `incusaverat`) emphasizes that two past events occurred at the same time or were closely connected. It expresses a contrast or parallel: "while the people had done this on their own, at the same time Baebius had charged..."
  3. 31.6.5hortari — Historical infinitive, functioning in place of the imperfect indicative (`hortabantur`). The subject is `patres` (plural), and its use lends vividness and urgency to the narrative.
  4. 31.6.6quanto damno dedecorique — Two datives (`damno` and `dedecorique`) used as "dative of purpose or result", forming a variation of the double dative construction with `futura esset`. It signifies the loss and disgrace that the delay would bring about.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §31.6.1-31.6.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:31.6.1-31.6.6

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