§35.10.1in exitu iam annus erat, et ambitio magis quam umquam alias exarserat consularibus comitiis.
The year was now coming to a close, and ambition had flared up more than ever before for the consular elections.
multi et potentes petebant patricii plebeique, P. Cornelius Cn. §35.10.2filius Scipio, qui ex Hispania provincia nuper decesserat magnis rebus gestis, et L. Quinctius Flamininus, qui classi in Graecia praefuerat, et Cn. Manlius Volso; §35.10.3hi patricii; plebei autem C. Laelius, Cn. Domitius, §35.10.4C. Livius Salinator, M’. Acilius.
Many powerful candidates, both patricians and plebeians, were seeking office: Publius Cornelius Scipio, son of Gnaeus (who had recently returned from his province of Hispania after performing great deeds), Lucius Quinctius Flamininus, who had commanded the fleet in Greece, and Gnaeus Manlius Volso; these were the patricians; the plebeians, on the other hand, were Gaius Laelius, Gnaeus Domitius, Gaius Livius Salinator, and Manius Acilius.
sed omnium oculi in Quinctium Corneliumque coniecti; nam et in unum locum petebant ambo patricii, et rei militaris gloria recens utrumque commendabat.
But the eyes of all were cast upon Quinctius and Cornelius; for both patricians were seeking the single place, and the recent glory of military achievements commended each of them.
§35.10.5ceterum ante omnia certamen accendebant fratres candidatorum, duo clarissimi aetatis suae imperatores.
Moreover, above all things, the brothers of the candidates, the two most famous generals of their age, kindled the contest.
maior gloria Scipionis, et quo maior, eo propior invidiam; Quincti recentior, §35.10.6ut qui eo anno triumphasset.
Greater was the glory of Scipio, and the greater it was, the closer it was to envy; that of Quinctius was more recent, since he had triumphed in that very year.
accedebat, quod alter decimum iam prope annum adsiduus in oculis hominum fuerat, quae res minus verendos magnos homines ipsa satietate facit, consul iterum post devictum Hannibalem censorque fuerat; §35.10.7in Quinctio nova et recentia omnia ad gratiam erant; nihil nec petierat a populo post triumphum nec adeptus erat.
There was also the fact that the former had now been almost constantly in the eyes of men for nearly ten years—a circumstance which, by its very satiety, makes great men less revered; he had been consul for a second time after the defeat of Hannibal, and censor; in the case of Quinctius, everything was new and fresh for winning favor; he had neither sought nor obtained anything from the people since his triumph.
§35.10.8pro fratre germano, non patrueli se petere aiebat, pro legato et participe administrandi belli; §35.10.9se terra, fratrem mari rem gessisse.
He said that he was seeking office for his own brother, not for a cousin; for his own lieutenant and partner in the conduct of the war; that he himself had acted on land, and his brother on sea.
his obtinuit, ut praeferretur candidato, quem Africanus frater ducebat, quem Cornelia gens Cornelio consule comitia habente, quem tantum praeiudicium senatus, virum e civitate optimum iudicatum, qui matrem Idaeam Pessinunte venientem in urbem acciperet.
By these arguments he succeeded in being preferred to the candidate whom his brother Africanus was leading, whom the Cornelia gens supported while a Cornelius was holding the election as consul, and whom the senate had given such a great prejudgment, having been judged the best man in the state to receive the Idaean Mother when she came into the city from Pessinus.
§35.10.10L. Quinctius et Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus consules facti: adeo ne in plebeio quidem consule, §35.10.11cum pro C. Laelio niteretur, Africanus valuit.
Lucius Quinctius and Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus were elected consuls; so little, indeed, did Africanus prevail even in the election of a plebeian consul, though he exerted himself on behalf of Gaius Laelius.
postero die praetores creati L. Scribonius Libo M. Fulvius Centumalus A. Atilius Serranus M. Baebius Tamphilus L. Valerius Tappo Q. Salonius Sarra.
On the following day, the praetors were elected: Lucius Scribonius Libo, Marcus Fulvius Centumalus, Aulus Atilius Serranus, Marcus Baebius Tamphilus, Lucius Valerius Tappo, and Quintus Salonius Sarra.
aedilitas insignis eo anno fuit M. Aemilii Lepidi et L. Aemilii Pauli; §35.10.12multos pecuarios damnarunt; ex ea pecunia clipea inaurata in fastigio Iovis aedis posuerunt, porticum unam extra portam Trigeminam, emporio ad Tiberim adiecto, alteram ab porta Fontinali ad Martis aram, qua in Campum iter esset, perduxerunt.
The aedileship of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Lucius Aemilius Paulus in that year was remarkable; they condemned many public land graziers; from that money they placed gilded shields on the pediment of the temple of Jupiter, and they constructed one portico outside the Trigeminam gate, with an emporium added to the Tiber, and another from the Fontinal gate to the altar of Mars, where the road led into the Campus.