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Livy · History of Rome §39.46.1-39.46.9

Funeral of Pontifex Crassus and Foreign Embassies in Rome

Passage 1493 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The death of the pontifex maximus Crassus is followed by his funeral, during which a storm fulfills a prophecy about tents in the Forum, and other portents occur. Meanwhile, numerous overseas embassies arrive in Rome to complain about King Philip of Macedonia and the actions in Bithynia.

§39.46.1huius principio anni P. Licinius Crassus pontifex maximus mortuus est, in cuius locum M. Sempronius Tuditanus pontifex est cooptatus; §39.46.2pontifex maximus est creatus C. Servilius Geminus.
At the beginning of this year, Publius Licinius Crassus, the pontifex maximus, died, in whose place Marcus Sempronius Tuditanus was co-opted as pontifex; Gaius Servilius Geminus was created pontifex maximus.
P. Licinii funeris causa visceratio data, et gladiatores centum viginti pugnaverunt, et ludi funebres per triduum facti, post ludos epulum.
For the funeral of Publius Licinius, a distribution of meat was given, one hundred and twenty gladiators fought, funeral games were celebrated for three days, and after the games a feast was held.
in quo cum toto foro strata triclinia essent, §39.46.3tempestas cum magnis procellis coorta coegit plerosque tabernacula statuere in foro:
During this, when triclinia had been spread throughout the whole Forum, a storm arose with violent gusts and forced most people to set up tents in the Forum.
§39.46.4eadem paulo post, cum undique disserenasset, sublata; defunctosque vulgo ferebant quod inter fatalia vates cecinissent, necesse esse tabernacula in foro statui.
A little later, when it had cleared up on all sides, the same tents were removed; and people commonly reported that they had discharged their obligation to fate, because the prophets had chanted among the fatal predictions that it was necessary for tents to be set up in the Forum.
§39.46.5hac religione levatis altera iniecta, quod sanguine per biduum pluvisset in area Vulcani; et per decemviros supplicatio indicta erat eius prodigii expiandi causa.
Once they were freed from this religious fear, another was cast upon them, because it had rained blood for two days in the area of Vulcan; and a supplication was proclaimed through the decemviri for the purpose of expiating that prodigy.
priusquam consules in provincias proficiscerentur, §39.46.6legationes transmarinas in senatum introduxerunt.
Before the consuls set out for their provinces, they introduced the embassies from overseas into the senate.
nec umquam ante tantum regionis eius hominum Romae fuerat.
Never before had there been so many men of that region in Rome.
§39.46.7nam ex quo fama per gentes, quae Macedoniam accolunt, vulgata est crimina querimoniasque de Philippo non neglegenter ab Romanis audiri, multis operae pretium fuisse queri, §39.46.8pro se quaeque civitates gentesque, singuli etiam privatim — gravis enim accola omnibus erat — Romam aut ad spem levandae iniuriae aut ad deflendae solacium venerunt.
For from the time when the rumor was spread among the nations that dwell around Macedonia that the charges and complaints against Philip were not listened to negligently by the Romans, and that for many it had been well worth their while to complain, each of the states and nations on their own behalf, and even individuals privately—for he was a troublesome neighbor to all—came to Rome, either in the hope of having their wrongs alleviated, or for the solace of lamenting them.
§39.46.9et ab Eumene rege legatio cum fratre eius Athenaeo venit ad querendum simul quod non deducerentur ex Thracia praesidia, simul quod in Bithyniam Prusiae bellum adversus Eumenem gerenti auxilia missa forent.
An embassy also came from King Eumenes, with his brother Athenaeus, to complain both because the garrisons were not being withdrawn from Thrace, and because auxiliary troops had been sent to Prusias, the king of Bithynia, who was waging war against Eumenes.

Notes

  1. §39.46.4defunctos — This is the infinitive 'defunctos [esse]' in an indirect statement dependent on 'ferebant', with the accusative subject 'se' (the Roman people) omitted. The verb 'defungor' (to perform, get through, or escape) here means that the people had discharged their obligation to fate or escaped the ominous portents, since the prophecy that 'tents must be set up in the Forum' (which might have portended a siege or disaster) was harmlessly fulfilled by the storm.
  2. §39.46.7ex quo fama — This introduces a complex period. 'ex quo' (since [the time when]) introduces the temporal clause whose verb is 'vulgata est'. This noun 'fama' (rumor) is explained by two parallel indirect statements (accusative with infinitive): 1) 'crimina querimoniasque ... audiri' and 2) '[queri] multis operae pretium fuisse'. The main clause of the sentence begins in §39.46.8 with 'pro se quaeque civitates... venerunt'.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §39.46.1-39.46.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:39.46.1-39.46.9

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