§4.25.1tribuni plebi adsiduis contentionibus prohibendo consularia comitia, cum res prope ad interregnum perducta esset, evicere tandem, ut tribuni militum consulari potestate crearentur.
The tribunes of the plebs, by preventing the consular elections through continuous struggles, when the state of affairs was almost brought to an interregnum, finally prevailed so that military tribunes with consular power should be elected.
§4.25.2victoriae praemium quod petebatur, ut plebeius crearetur, nullum fuit; omnes patricii creati sunt, M. Fabius Vibulanus, M. Folius, L. Sergius Fidenas.
The reward of victory that was sought—that a plebeian should be elected—was null; all those elected were patricians: Marcus Fabius Vibulanus, Marcus Folius, Lucius Sergius Fidenas.
§4.25.3pestilentia eo anno aliarum rerum otium praebuit.
In that year, a pestilence provided rest from other matters.
aedis Apollini pro valetudine populi vota est.
A temple was vowed to Apollo for the health of the people.
multa duumviri ex libris placandae deum irae avertendaeque a populo pestis causa fecere;
The duumviri performed many actions from the books for the purpose of appeasing the anger of the gods and averting the plague from the people.
§4.25.4magna tamen clades in urbe agrisque promiscua hominum pecorumque pernicie accepta famem quoque ex pestilentia, morbo inplicitis cultoribus agrorum, timentes in Etruriam Pomptinumque agrum et Cumas, postremo in Siciliam quoque frumenti causa misere.
However, a great disaster was received in the city and the fields by the indiscriminate destruction of men and beasts, and fearing also famine resulting from the pestilence because the cultivators of the fields had been stricken with the disease, they sent agents to Etruria, the Pomptine territory, Cumae, and finally even to Sicily for the sake of grain.
consularium comitiorum nulla mentio habita est;
No mention was made of the consular elections.
§4.25.5tribuni militum consulari potestate omnes patricii creati sunt, L. Pinarius Mamercus, L. Furius Medullinus, Sp. Postumius Albus.
The military tribunes with consular power were all elected from the patricians: Lucius Pinarius Mamercus, Lucius Furius Medullinus, Spurius Postumius Albus.
§4.25.6eo anno vis morbi levata, §4.25.7neque a penuria frumenti, quia ante provisum erat, periculum fuit.
In that year, the force of the disease abated, nor was there danger from a shortage of grain, because provision had been made beforehand.
consilia de movendo bello in Volscorum Aequorumque conciliis et in Etruria ad fanum Voltumnae agitata.
Councils about initiating war were held in the assemblies of the Volsci and Aequi, and in Etruria at the temple of Voltumna.
ibi prolatae in annum res, §4.25.8decretoque cautum, ne quod ante concilium fieret nequiquam Veiente populo querente eandem, qua Fidenae deletae sint, inminere Veis fortunam.
There, the matters were postponed to the following year, and it was guarded by a decree that no council should be held before that time, while the Veientine people complained in vain that the same fortune by which Fidenae had been destroyed was hanging over Veii.
§4.25.9interim Romae principes plebis iam diu nequiquam inminentes spei maioris honoris, dum foris otium esset, coetus indicere in domos tribunorum plebis;
Meanwhile, at Rome, the leading men of the plebs, who had for a long time been gazing in vain at the hope of greater honor, while there was peace abroad, began to call meetings in the houses of the tribunes of the plebs.
§4.25.10ibi secreta consilia agitare; queri se a plebe adeo spretos, ut, cum per tot annos tribuni militum consulari potestate creentur, nulli umquam plebeio ad eum honorem aditus fuerit.
There, they held secret consultations and complained that they were so despised by the plebs that, although military tribunes with consular power had been elected for so many years, access to that honor had never been open to any plebeian.
§4.25.11multum providisse suos maiores, qui caverint, ne cui patricio plebei magistratus paterent; aut patricios habendos fuisse tribunos plebi; adeo se suis etiam sordere nec a plebe minus quam a patribus contemni.
Their ancestors had shown great foresight in taking precautions that the plebeian magistracies should not be open to any patrician; otherwise, even the tribunes of the plebs would have had to be patricians; so worthless were they even to their own people, and despised no less by the plebs than by the patricians.
§4.25.12alii purgare plebem, culpam in patres vertere: eorum ambitione artibusque fieri, ut obsaeptum plebi sit ad honorem iter.
Others excused the plebs and turned the blame upon the patricians: it was by their canvassing and arts that the path to honor was blocked for the plebs.
si plebi respirare ab eorum mixtis precibus minisque liceat, memorem eam suorum inituram suffragia esse et parto auxilio imperium quoque adscituram.
If the plebs were allowed to breathe free from their mingled entreaties and threats, she would go to the vote mindful of her own people and, having secured help, would also assume power.
§4.25.13placet tollendae ambitionis causa tribunos legem promulgare, ne cui album in vestimentum addere petitionis causa liceret.
It was decided, for the purpose of removing canvassing, that the tribunes should propose a law that no one should be allowed to add white to his garment for the purpose of candidacy.
parva nunc res et vix serio agenda videri possit, quae tunc ingenti certamine patres ac plebem accendit.
This may now seem a small matter and scarcely to be treated seriously, which at that time inflamed both patricians and plebs with immense conflict.
§4.25.14vicere tamen tribuni, ut legem perferrent; apparebatque inritatis animis plebem ad suos studia inclinaturam.
However, the tribunes prevailed so as to pass the law; and it was apparent that the plebs, with irritated minds, would incline their support toward their own.
quae ne libera essent, senatus consultum factum est, ut consularia comitia haberentur.
Lest this support should be unrestrained, a decree of the senate was passed that consular elections should be held.