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Livy · History of Rome §39.17.1-39.17.7

Edicts against Flight and Panic throughout Rome and Italy

Passage 1464 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Following the consuls' edicts forbidding flight or assistance and offering rewards for informers, panic spread throughout Rome and Italy, leading to numerous arrests and the swift confession of the conspiracy's ringleaders.

§39.17.1recitari deinde senatus consulta iusserunt, indicique praemium proposuerunt, si quis quem ad se deduxisset nomenve absentis detulisset.
They then ordered the decrees of the senate to be read aloud, and proposed a reward for an informer, if anyone should bring anyone before them or report the name of an absent person.
§39.17.2qui nominatus profugisset, diem certam se finituros, ad quam nisi citatus respondisset, absens damnaretur.
As for anyone who, having been named, had fled, they would fix a certain day, by which if he did not appear and answer when summoned, he would be condemned in his absence.
si quis eorum, qui tum extra terram Italiam essent, nominaretur, ei laxiorem diem daturos, si venire ad causam dicendam pellet.
If anyone of those, who were then outside the land of Italy, should be named, they would give him a more extended term, if he should wish to come to plead his cause.
§39.17.3edixerunt deinde, ne quis quid fugae causa vendidisse neve emisse vellet; ne quis reciperet, celaret, ope ulla iuvaret fugientes.
They then issued an edict that no one should wish to sell or buy anything for the sake of flight; and that no one should receive, conceal, or help the fugitives with any assistance.
contione dimissa terror magnus urbe tota fuit, §39.17.4nec moenibus se tantum urbis aut finibus Romanis continuit, sed passim per totam Italiam, litteris hospitum de senatus consulto et contione et edicto consulum acceptis, trepidari coeptum est.
When the assembly was dismissed, there was great terror in the whole city, nor did it contain itself only within the walls of the city or the Roman borders, but everywhere throughout the whole of Italy, when letters from guest-friends concerning the decree of the senate, the assembly, and the edict of the consuls were received, panic began to spread.
§39.17.5multi ea nocte, quae diem insecuta est, quo in contione res palam facta est, custodiis circa portas positis fugientes a triumviris comprehensi et reducti sunt: multorum delata nomina.
On that night which followed the day on which the matter was made public in the assembly, many who were fleeing, guards having been placed around the gates, were arrested by the triumvirs and brought back; the names of many were reported.
quidam ex iis viri feminaeque mortem sibi consciverunt.
Certain of them, both men and women, inflicted death upon themselves.
§39.17.6coniurasse supra septem milia virorum ac mulierum dicebantur.
More than seven thousand men and women were said to have conspired.
capita autem coniurationis constabat esse M. et C. Atinios de plebe Romana et Faliscum L. Opiternium et Minium Cerrinium Campanum: §39.17.7ab his omnia facinora et flagitia orta, eos maximos sacerdotes conditoresque eius sacri esse.
It was clear, however, that the leaders of the conspiracy were Marcus and Gaius Atinius of the Roman plebs, and Lucius Opiternius, a Faliscan, and Minius Cerrinius, a Campanian: from these men all the crimes and disgraceful acts had arisen, and they were the chief priests and founders of that rite.
data opera, ut primo quoque tempore comprehenderentur.
Great care was taken so that they might be arrested at the very first opportunity.
adducti ad consules fassique de se nullam moram indicio fecerunt.
Having been brought before the consuls and having confessed about themselves, they made no delay in giving information.

Notes

  1. §39.17.1indici — This is the dative singular of the third-declension noun index (informer, discoverer), not the passive infinitive of the verb indico or the genitive of the neuter noun indicium. It indicates the recipient to whom the reward (praemium) was offered.
  2. §39.17.2diem certam se finituros — This is a principal clause in indirect speech (oratio obliqua) expressed by an accusative with infinitive construction, with finituros [esse] and se (referring to the consuls) as its subject accusative. The governing verb of saying (such as edixerunt) is omitted in the context.
  3. §39.17.4trepidari coeptum est — This is an impersonal passive construction of the intransitive verb trepidare (to be in a state of confusion/panic). In Latin, the third-person singular passive of an intransitive verb is used to express the general occurrence of an action ('panic began to spread' or 'people began to tremble').
  4. §39.17.7data opera — An ablative absolute with the perfect participle, or a main clause with est omitted (data opera [est]). The idiom dare operam means 'to take pains, take care, or make an effort'; here it indicates that active measures were taken.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §39.17.1-39.17.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:39.17.1-39.17.7

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