§4.21.1M. Cornelio Maluginense, L. Papirio Crasso consulibus exercitus in agrum Veientem ac Faliscum ducti, praedae abactae hominum pecorumque; §4.21.2hostis in agris nusquam inventus neque pugnandi copia facta;
Under the consulship of M. Cornelius Maluginensis and L. Papirius Crassus, armies were led into the Veientine and Faliscan territory, and booty of men and cattle was driven away.
urbes tamen non oppugnatae, quia pestilentia populum invasit.
The enemy was nowhere found in the fields, nor was an opportunity for fighting given; the cities, however, were not attacked, because a pestilence invaded the people.
et seditiones domi quaesitae sunt nec motae tamen ab Sp. Maelio tribuno plebis,
And seditions were sought at home, yet not set in motion, even by Sp.
§4.21.3qui favore nominis moturum se aliquid ratus et Minucio diem dixerat et rogationem de publicandis bonis Servili Ahalae tulerat, §4.21.4falsis criminibus a Minucio circumventum Maelium arguens, Servilio caedem civis indemnati obiciens.
Maelius, tribune of the plebs, who, thinking that he would stir up something by the popularity of his name, had both appointed a day of trial for Minucius and proposed a bill for confiscating the property of Servilius Ahala, arguing that Maelius had been circumvented by Minucius with false charges, and accusing Servilius of the murder of an uncondemned citizen.
quae vaniora ad populum ipso auctore fuere.
These things were more groundless to the people than to the author himself.
§4.21.5ceterum magis vis morbi ingravescens curae erat terroresque ac prodigia, maxime quod crebris motibus terrae ruere in agris nuntiabantur tecta.
But the worsening severity of the disease was rather a matter of concern, as well as terrors and prodigies, especially because it was reported that buildings in the country were collapsing due to frequent earthquakes.
obsecratio itaque a populo duumviris praeeuntibus est facta.
Therefore, a supplication was made by the people, led by the duumviri.
Pestilentior inde annus C. Iulio iterum §4.21.6et L. Verginio consulibus tantum vastitatis in urbe agrisque fecit, ut non modo praedandi causa quisquam ex agro Romano exiret bellive inferendi memoria patribus aut plebi esset, §4.21.7sed ultro Fidenates, qui se primo aut montibus aut muris tenuerant, populabundi descenderent in agrum Romanum.
Then followed a more pestilential year, when C. Julius for the second time and L. Verginius were consuls, which caused so much devastation in the city and the fields that not only did no one leave the Roman territory for the sake of plundering, nor was there any thought of waging war among either the patricians or the plebeians, but even the Fidenates, who at first had kept themselves either in the mountains or behind their walls, came down into Roman territory to plunder.
§4.21.8deinde Veientium exercitu accito — nam Falisci perpelli ad instaurandum bellum neque clade Romanorum neque sociorum precibus potuere — duo populi transiere Anienem atque haud procul Collina porta signa habuere.
Then, having summoned the army of the Veientes—for the Faliscans could not be induced to renew the war either by the disaster of the Romans or by the entreaties of their allies—the two peoples crossed the Anio and held their standards not far from the Colline Gate.
§4.21.9trepidatum itaque non in agris magis quam in urbe est.
Consequently, there was panic no less in the city than in the fields.
Iulius consul in aggere murisque explicat copias, a Verginio senatus in aede Quirini consulitur.
The consul Julius deployed his troops on the rampart and the walls; the senate was consulted by Verginius in the temple of Quirinus.
dictatorem dici Q. Servilium placet, cui Prisco alii, alii Structo fuisse cognomen tradunt.
It was decided that Q. Servilius should be named dictator, whose cognomen some hand down to have been Priscus, others Structus.
§4.21.10Verginius, dum collegam consuleret, moratus permittente eo nocte dictatorem dixit.
Verginius, having delayed to consult his colleague, named him dictator during the night with his consent.
is sibi magistrum equitum Postumum Aebutium Helvam dicit.
The dictator named Postumus Aebutius Helva as his master of the horse.