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Livy · History of Rome §39.38.1-39.38.12

Assignment of Provinces and Dispute over the Spanish Armies

Passage 1485 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The provinces of the magistrates were assigned in Rome. A fierce political struggle arose between the new praetors and the supporters of the absent generals concerning the recall of the Spanish armies, which was resolved by a senatorial decree ordering limited enlistments and the gradual discharge of veteran soldiers based on merit.

§39.38.1Romae principio eius anni, cum de provinciis consulum et praetorum actum est, consulibus Ligures, quia bellum nusquam alibi erat, decreti.
At the beginning of that year in Rome, when the provinces of the consuls and praetors were discussed, the Ligurians were decreed to the consuls, since there was no war anywhere else.
§39.38.2praetores C. Decimius Flavus urbanam, P. Cornelius Cethegus inter cives et peregrinos sortiti sunt,
The praetors Gaius Decimius Flavus drew by lot the urban jurisdiction, and Publius Cornelius Cethegus the jurisdiction between citizens and foreigners.
§39.38.3C. Sempronius Blaesus Siciliam, Q. Naevius Matho Sardiniam et ut idem quaereret de veneficiis, A. Terentius Varro Hispaniam citeriorem, P. Sempronius Longus Hispaniam ulteriorem.
Gaius Sempronius Blaesus drew Sicily; Quintus Naevius Matho, Sardinia, and also that he should investigate cases of poisoning; Aulus Terentius Varro, Nearer Spain; Publius Sempronius Longus, Farther Spain.
§39.38.4de iis duabus provinciis legati per id fere tempus L. Iuventius Talna et T. Quinctilius Varus venerunt, §39.38.5qui, quantum bellum iam profligatum in Hispania esset, senatu edocto postularunt simul, ut pro rebus tam prospere gestis diis immortalibus haberetur honos et ut praetoribus exercitum deportare liceret.
From those two provinces, about that time, came the envoys Lucius Iuventius Talna and Titus Quinctilius Varus, who, having informed the senate how far the war in Spain had already been brought to a close, requested at the same time that, in gratitude for such successful achievements, honor should be paid to the immortal gods, and that the praetors should be allowed to bring home their army.
§39.38.6supplicatio in biduum decreta est: de legionibus deportandis, cum de consulum praetorumque exercitibus ageretur, rem integram referri iusserunt.
A thanksgiving for two days was decreed; as for bringing back the legions, they ordered the matter to be referred back entire when the armies of the consuls and praetors should be discussed.
paucos post dies consulibus in Ligures binae legiones, §39.38.7quas Ap. Claudius et M. Sempronius habuerant, decretae sunt.
A few days later, two legions each were decreed to the consuls against the Ligurians, which Appius Claudius and Marcus Sempronius had commanded.
§39.38.8de Hispaniensibus exercitibus magna contentio fuit inter novos praetores et amicos absentium, Calpurnii Quinctiique.
Concerning the Spanish armies, there was a great dispute between the new praetors and the friends of the absent generals, Calpurnius and Quinctius.
§39.38.9utraque causa tribunos plebis, utraque consulem habebat.
Each side had tribunes of the plebs, and each had a consul.
hi se intercessuros senatus consulto, si deportandos censerent exercitus, denuntiabant: illi, si haec intercessio fieret, nullam rem aliam se decerni passuros.
The former announced that they would veto the decree of the senate if they voted that the armies should be brought back; the latter declared that, if this veto were interposed, they would allow no other business to be decreed.
§39.38.10victa postremo absentium gratia est et senatus consultum factum, ut praetores quattuor milia peditum Romanorum scriberent, trecentos equites, et quinque milia peditum sociorum Latini nominis, quingentos equites, quos secum in Hispaniam portarent.
At last, the influence of the absent generals was defeated, and a decree of the senate was made that the praetors should enlist four thousand Roman infantry and three hundred cavalry, and five thousand infantry of the allies of the Latin name and five hundred cavalry, whom they should carry with them to Spain.
§39.38.11cum ea quattuor milia in legiones discripsissent, quo plus quam quina milia peditum, treceni equites in singulis legionibus esset, dimitterent, eos primum, §39.38.12qui emerita stipendia haberent, deinde ut cuiusque fortissima opera Calpurnius et Quinctius in proelio usi essent.
When they had distributed those four thousand into the legions, they should discharge [the surplus], so that there should not be more than five thousand infantry and three hundred cavalry in each legion, and of these, first, who had completed their terms of service, and then in the order in which Calpurnius and Quinctius had made use of the most gallant services of each in battle.

Notes

  1. §39.38.1Ligures — Functions as the subject with the omitted verb decreti [sunt], meaning that the Ligurian territory was decreed as a province for the consuls.
  2. §39.38.9hi ... illi — hi refers to the tribunes of the plebs who support the friends of the absent generals and threaten to intercede, while illi refers to the consuls or the party of the new praetors who threaten to block any other decrees.
  3. §39.38.11quo plus ... esset, dimitterent — quo introduces a purpose clause (instead of ut) because of the comparative plus, meaning 'in order that there should not be more than five thousand infantry... in each legion, they should discharge [the surplus].' It depends on the senatus consultum as an indirect command.
  4. §39.38.12ut cuiusque fortissima opera ... usi essent — ut is a conjunction expressing proportion ('according as,' 'in order of'). usi essent is the subjunctive pluperfect of the deponent verb utor, which governs the ablative opera (cuiusque fortissima opera), meaning 'in the order in which Calpurnius and Quinctius had made use of (i.e., valued) the most gallant services of each in battle.'

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §39.38.1-39.38.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:39.38.1-39.38.12

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