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Livy · History of Rome §34.55.1-34.55.6

Regulation of Earthquake Expiations and Province Assignments

Passage 1222 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Measures taken to prevent the disruption of public business by frequent reports of earthquakes and the assignment of provinces to the consuls and praetors of that year.

§34.55.1principio anni, quo L. Cornelius Q. Minucius consules fuerunt, terrae motus ita crebri nuntiabantur, ut non rei tantum ipsius sed feriarum quoque ob id indictarum homines taederet; §34.55.2nam neque senatus haberi neque res publica administrari poterat sacrificando expiandoque occupatis consulibus.
At the beginning of the year in which Lucius Cornelius and Quintus Minucius were consuls, earthquakes were reported so frequently that people became weary not only of the phenomenon itself, but also of the festivals proclaimed on its account; for the senate could not be held, nor could the public business be administered, as the consuls were occupied with offering sacrifices and performing expiations.
§34.55.3postremo decemviris adire libros iussis, ex responso eorum supplicatio per triduum fuit.
Finally, the decemvirs having been ordered to consult the books, a supplication of three days was held in accordance with their response.
§34.55.4coronati ad omnia pulvinaria supplicaverunt, edictumque est, ut omnes, qui ex una familia essent, supplicarent pariter.
Wearing wreaths, they supplicated at all the shrines, and it was decreed that all who belonged to the same household should supplicate together.
item ex auctoritate senatus consules edixerunt, ne quis, quo die terrae motu nuntiato feriae indictae essent, eo die alium terrae motum nuntiaret.
Likewise, by authority of the senate, the consuls issued an edict that no one, on a day when a festival had been proclaimed due to a reported earthquake, should report another earthquake on that same day.
§34.55.5provincias deinde consules prius, §34.55.6tum praetores sortiti.
Then, the consuls first, and then the praetors, drew lots for their provinces.
Cornelio Gallia, Minucio Ligures evenerunt; sortiti praetores C. Scribonius urbanam, M. Valerius peregrinam, L. Cornelius Siciliam, L. Porcius Sardiniam, C. Flaminius Hispaniam citeriorem, M. Fulvius Hispaniam ulteriorem.
Gallia fell to Cornelius, and the Ligurians to Minucius; of the praetors who drew lots, Gaius Scribonius obtained the civil jurisdiction, Marcus Valerius the alien jurisdiction, Lucius Cornelius Sicily, Lucius Porcius Sardinia, Gaius Flaminius Nearer Spain, and Marcus Fulvius Farther Spain.

Notes

  1. §34.55.1non rei tantum ipsius sed feriarum quoque ob id indictarum homines taederet — The impersonal verb `taedet` takes the person who is weary in the accusative (`homines`) and the cause of weariness in the genitive (`rei ipsius`, `feriarum indictarum`). It is used here within the result clause introduced by `ita... ut...`.
  2. §34.55.2sacrificando expiandoque occupatis consulibus — Ablative absolute expressing cause, consisting of the noun `consulibus` and the perfect participle `occupatis`. The gerunds `sacrificando expiandoque` in the ablative (or dative) modify `occupatis` ("occupied in...").
  3. §34.55.4ne quis, quo die terrae motu nuntiato feriae indictae essent, eo die alium terrae motum nuntiaret — The correlative construction `quo die... eo die...` means "on the day on which..., on that day...". The subjunctive `indictae essent` is used because the relative clause is subordinate to the negative command (`ne...` clause), reflecting indirect speech. `terrae motu nuntiato` is an ablative absolute.
  4. §34.55.6urbanam, M. Valerius peregrinam — The adjectives `urbanam` and `peregrinam` are in the feminine accusative singular, modifying the omitted noun `provinciam` (province/sphere of duty) or `iurisdictionem` (jurisdiction). The former refers to the *praetor urbanus* (civil/urban jurisdiction) and the latter to the *praetor peregrinus* (foreign/alien jurisdiction).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §34.55.1-34.55.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:34.55.1-34.55.6

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