§38.54.1morte Africani crevere inimicorum animi,
By the death of Africanus, the spirits of his enemies rose, of whom the chief was M.
§38.54.2quorum princeps fuit M. Porcius Cato, qui vivo quoque eo adlatrare magnitudinem eius solitus erat.
Porcius Cato, who even during Scipio's lifetime had been accustomed to bark at his greatness.
hoc auctore existimantur Petillii et vivo Africano rem ingressi et mortuo rogationem promulgasse.
It is believed that, at his instigation, the Petillii both entered upon the business while Africanus was still alive and proposed the bill after his death.
§38.54.3fuit autem rogatio talis: “velitis iubeatis, Quirites, quae pecunia capta ablata coacta ab rege Antiocho est quique sub imperio eius fuerunt, quod eius in publicum relatum non est, uti de ea re Ser.
Now, the bill was of this nature: "May you wish and order, Quirites, that regarding whatever money was captured, carried away, and collected from King Antiochus and those who were under his rule, which of it has not been paid into the public treasury, Ser.
§38.54.4Sulpicius praetor urbanus ad senatum referat, quem eam rem velit senatus quaerere de iis, qui praetores nunc sunt. ”
Sulpicius, the urban praetor, shall refer the matter to the senate, as to whom of those who are now praetors the senate wishes to investigate that matter." At first, Q. and L.
§38.54.5huic rogationi primo Q. et L. Mummii intercedebant, senatum quaerere de pecunia non relata in publicum, ita ut antea semper factum esset, aequum censebant.
Mummius interposed their veto against this bill, holding it to be fair that the senate should investigate money not paid into the public treasury, just as had always been done before.
§38.54.6Petillii nobilitatem et regnum in senatu Scipionum accusabant.
The Petillii accused the nobility and the "kingdom" of the Scipios in the senate.
L. Furius Purpureo consularis, qui in decem legatis in Asia fuerat,
L.
§38.54.7latius rogandum censebat, non quae ab Antiocho modo pecuniae captae forent, sed quae ab aliis regibus gentibusque, Cn.
Furius Purpureo, a consular who had been among the ten commissioners in Asia, thought that the inquiry should be made more widely, not only as to what money had been captured from Antiochus, but also from other kings and nations, thereby attacking his enemy Cn.
§38.54.8Manlium inimicum incessens.
Manlius.
et L. Scipio, quem magis pro se quam adversus legem dicturum apparebat, dissuasor processit.
And L. Scipio, who, it was obvious, would speak more in his own defense than against the bill, came forward as an opponent.
is morte P. Africani fratris, viri omnium fortissimi clarissimique, eam exortam rogationem est conquestus;
He lamented that this bill had arisen from the death of his brother, P.
§38.54.9parum enim fuisse non laudari pro Rostris P. Africanum post mortem, nisi etiam accusaretur;
Africanus, the bravest and most illustrious of all men; for he said it was not enough that P.
§38.54.10et Carthaginienses exilio Hannibalis contentos esse, populum Romanum ne morte quidem P. Scipionis exsatiari, nisi et ipsius fama sepulti laceretur et frater insuper, accessio invidiae, mactetur.
Africanus was not praised from the Rostra after his death, unless he was also accused; and that even the Carthaginians were content with the exile of Hannibal, while the Roman people were not satisfied even by the death of P. Scipio, unless his reputation now that he was buried should also be torn to pieces and his brother moreover, as an addition to their hatred, should be sacrificed.
§38.54.11M. Cato suasit rogationem — exstat oratio eius de pecunia regis Antiochi — et Mummios tribunos auctoritate deterruit, ne adversarentur rogationi.
M. Cato supported the bill — his speech "On the Money of King Antiochus" is still extant — and deterred the tribunes, the Mummii, by his authority from opposing the bill.
§38.54.12remittentibus ergo his intercessionem omnes tribus uti rogassent iusserunt.
Therefore, when they withdrew their veto, all the tribes voted that it should be ordered as had been proposed.