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Livy · History of Rome §39.32.1-39.32.15

Success in Liguria and the Election of Publius

Passage 1479 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The consuls achieve successes in Liguria, after which Appius Claudius returns to Rome and, despite heavy opposition, aggressively secures the election of his brother Publius to the consulship.

§39.32.1consules dilectibus aliisque, quae Romae agendae erant, peractis rebus in Ligures provinciam exercitum duxerunt.
The consuls, having finished the levies and other matters which had to be done at Rome, led their army into the province of the Ligurians.
§39.32.2Sempronius a Pisis profectus in Apuanos Ligures, vastando agros urendoque vicos et castella eorum aperuit saltum usque ad Macram fluvium et Lunae portum.
Sempronius, having set out from Pisae against the Apuan Ligurians, by devastating their fields and burning their villages and forts, opened a pass as far as the river Macra and the port of Luna.
§39.32.3hostes montem, antiquam sedem maiorum suorum, ceperunt; et inde superata locorum iniquitate proelio deiecti sunt.
The enemy took possession of a mountain, the ancient seat of their ancestors; and from there, the unfavorable nature of the terrain having been overcome, they were dislodged in battle.
§39.32.4et Ap. Claudius felicitatem virtutemque collegae in Liguribus Ingaunis aequavit secundis aliquot proeliis.
And Appius Claudius equaled the good fortune and courage of his colleague among the Ingaunian Ligurians in several successful battles.
sex praeterea oppida eorum expugnavit; multa milia hominum in iis cepit; belli auctores tres et quadraginta securi percussit.
In addition, he stormed six of their towns; in these he captured many thousands of men; forty-three instigators of the war he struck with the axe.
iam comitiorum appetebat tempus.
Already the time of the elections was approaching.
§39.32.5prior tamen Claudius quam Sempronius, cui sors comitia habendi obtigerat, Romam venit, quia P.. Claudius frater eius consulatum petebat.
Claudius, however, came to Rome before Sempronius, to whom the lot to hold the elections had fallen, because his brother Publius Claudius was seeking the consulship.
§39.32.6competitores habebat patricios L. Aemilium Q. Fabium Ser. Sulpicium Galbam, veteres candidatos, et ab repulsis eo magis debitum, quia primo negatus erat, honorem repetentes.
He had as patrician competitors Lucius Aemilius, Quintus Fabius, and Servius Sulpicius Galba, long-standing candidates, who, because of their previous defeats, were seeking again an honor that was all the more due to them because it had first been denied.
§39.32.7etiam quia plus quam unum ex patriciis creari non licebat, artior petitio quattuor petentibus erat.
Also because it was not permitted for more than one of the patricians to be elected, the contest was closer with four seeking the office.
§39.32.8plebeii quoque gratiosi homines petebant, L. Porcius Q. Terentius Culleo Cn. Baebius Tamphilus, et hi repulsis in spem impetrandi tandem aliquando honoris dilati.
Plebeians also, men of influence, were candidates: Lucius Porcius, Quintus Terentius Culleo, and Gnaeus Baebius Tamphilus; and these, having been delayed by previous defeats, had their hopes deferred of finally some time obtaining the honor.
§39.32.9Claudius ex omnibus unus novus candidatus erat.
Claudius was the only new candidate of them all.
opinione hominum haud dubie destinabantur Q. Fabius Labeo et L. Porcius Licinus.
In the opinion of the people, Quintus Fabius Labeo and Lucius Porcius Licinus were undoubtedly destined for the office.
§39.32.10sed Claudius consul sine lictoribus cum fratre toto foro volitando, §39.32.11clamitantibus adversariis et maiore parte senatus, meminisse eum debere se prius consulem populi Romani quam fratrem P.. Claudii esse: quin ille sedens pro tribunali aut arbitrum aut tacitum spectatorem comitiorum se praeberet? — coerceri tamen ab effuso studio nequit.
But Claudius the consul, flying about the whole forum without his lictors accompanied by his brother, while his opponents and the majority of the senate kept shouting that he ought to remember that he was a consul of the Roman people before being the brother of Publius Claudius: why indeed did he not sit before the tribunal and show himself either an arbitrator or a silent spectator of the elections? — yet he could not be restrained from his unrestrained partisan zeal.
§39.32.12magnis contentionibus tribunorum quoque plebis, qui aut contra consulem aut pro studio eius pugnabant, comitia aliquotiens turbata, donec pervicit Appius, ut deiecto Fabio fratrem traheret.
With great contentions also of the tribunes of the plebs, who fought either against the consul or in favor of his partisan zeal, the elections were several times disrupted, until Appius prevailed so as to reject Fabius and bring in his brother.
§39.32.13creatus P. Claudius Pulcher praeter spem suam et ceterorum.
Publius Claudius Pulcher was elected, contrary to his own expectations and those of the others.
locum suum tenuit L. Porcius Licinus, quia moderatis studiis, non vi Claudiana inter plebeios certatum est.
Lucius Porcius Licinus held his place, because the contest among the plebeians was carried on with moderate zeal, and not with Claudian violence.
§39.32.14praetorum inde comitia sunt habita: C. Decimius Flavus P.. Sempronius Longus P.. Cornelius Cethegus Q. Naevius Matho C. Sempronius Blaesus A. Terentius Varro praetores facti.
Next the elections of the praetors were held: Gaius Decimius Flavus, Publius Sempronius Longus, Publius Cornelius Cethegus, Quintus Naevius Matho, Gaius Sempronius Blaesus, and Aulus Terentius Varro were made praetors.
§39.32.15haec eo anno, quo Ap. Claudius M. Sempronius consules fuerunt, domi militiaeque gesta.
These were the things done at home and in the field in that year in which Appius Claudius and Marcus Sempronius were consuls.

Notes

  1. 39.32.1dilectibus aliisque, quae Romae agendae erant, peractis rebus — dilectibus (ablative plural of the 4th declension noun dilectus) and aliis (ablative plural of alius) are coordinated within an ablative absolute structure with res, which is accompanied by the relative clause quae Romae agendae erant. Within the relative clause, the gerundive agendae agrees in gender and number with the delayed head noun rebus (feminine plural). The phrase means 'having completed the levies and other matters which had to be done at Rome'.
  2. 39.32.6ab repulsis eo magis debitum, quia primo negatus erat, honorem repetentes — ab repulsis means 'after their defeats' or 'on account of their defeats'. The phrase eo magis... quia... is an intensive correlative construction meaning 'all the more... because...'. debitum is a perfect passive participle modifying honorem, which in turn is the object of repetentes, expressing 'the honor that was due to them'.
  3. 39.32.11quin ille sedens pro tribunali aut arbitrum aut tacitum spectatorem comitiorum se praeberet? — A rhetorical question in indirect discourse (oratio obliqua). The direct question of impatience, 'Why does he not...?' (quin... praebet/praebeat?), shifts to the imperfect subjunctive praeberet in indirect speech. ille refers to the consul Appius Claudius.
  4. 39.32.12donec pervicit Appius, ut deiecto Fabio fratrem traheret — pervicit (3rd person singular perfect indicative of pervinco) means 'prevailed' or 'carried his point'. The following ut-clause (ut... traheret) acts as a clause of result or effort ('succeeded in...'). deiecto Fabio is an ablative absolute meaning 'Fabius having been rejected/defeated'. traheret is used metaphorically to mean 'to drag in' or 'to bring in (his brother as a colleague)'.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §39.32.1-39.32.15. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:39.32.1-39.32.15

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