§4.7.1anno trecentesimo decimo, quam urbs Roma condita erat, primum tribuni militum pro consulibus magistratum ineunt A. Sempronius Atratinus, L. Atilius, T. Caecilius, quorum in magistrate concordia domi pacem etiam foris praebuit.
In the three hundred and tenth year from the founding of the city of Rome, military tribunes with consular power entered office for the first time: Aulus Sempronius Atratinus, Lucius Atilius, and Titus Caecilius, whose concord during their magistracy provided peace at home and even abroad.
§4.7.2sunt qui propter adiectum Aequorum Volscorumque bello et Ardeatium defectioni Veiens bellum, quia duo consules obire tot simul bella nequirent, tribunos militum tres creatos dicant sine mentione promulgatae legis de consulibus creandis ex plebe et imperio et insignibus consularibus usos.
There are some who say that, because a war with Veii was added to the war with the Aequi and Volsci and the defection of the Ardeates, since two consuls could not manage so many wars at the same time, three military tribunes were created, without any mention of the proposed law concerning the election of consuls from the plebs, and that they used consular power and insignia.
§4.7.3non tamen pro firmato iam stetit magistratus eius ius, quia tertio mense, quam inierunt, augurum decreto perinde ac vitio creati honore abiere, quod C. Curtius, qui comitiis eorum praefuerat, parum recte tabernaculum cepisset.
However, the right of that magistracy did not yet stand as established, because in the third month after they entered office, they resigned from their honor by a decree of the augurs, just as if they had been created with a flaw, because Gaius Curtius, who had presided over their comitia, had not pitched the tabernacle correctly.
§4.7.4legati ab Ardea Romam venerunt ita de iniuria querentes, ut, si demeretur ea, in foedere atque amicitia mansuros restituto agro appareret.
Envoys came from Ardea to Rome, complaining of the injury in such a way that it was apparent that, if it were removed and their land restored, they would remain in treaty and friendship.
§4.7.5ab senatu responsum et iudicium populi rescindi ab senatu non posse praeterquam quod nullo nec exemplo nec iure fieret, concordiae etiam ordinum causa.
It was answered by the senate that the judgment of the people could not be rescinded by the senate, not only because it would be done with no precedent or right, but also for the sake of concord between the orders.
§4.7.6si Ardeates sua tempora expectare velint arbitriumque senatui levandae iniuriae suae permittant, fore ut postmodo gaudeant se irae moderatos sciantque patribus aeque curae fuisse, ne qua iniuria in eos oreretur, ac ne orta diuturna esset.
If the Ardeates were willing to wait for their opportunity and leave the decision of alleviating their injury to the senate, they would afterwards rejoice that they had moderated their anger and would know that the patricians had been as concerned that no injury should arise against them as that any which had arisen should not be long-lasting.
ita legati, cum se rem integram relaturos dixissent, comiter dimissi.
Thus the envoys, having said that they would report the matter as undecided, were courteously dismissed.
§4.7.7patricii, cum sine curuli magistratu res publica esset, coiere et interregem creavere.
The patricians, since the commonwealth was without a curule magistracy, assembled and created an interrex.
contentio, consulesne an tribuni militum crearentur, in interregno rem dies complures tenuit.
The contention, whether consuls or military tribunes should be created, held the matter for several days during the interregnum.
§4.7.8interrex ac senatus consulum comitia, tribuni plebis et plebs tribunorum militum ut habeantur tendunt.
The interrex and the senate strove that comitia for consuls should be held, while the tribunes of the plebs and the plebs strove for military tribunes.
vicerunt patres, quia et plebs patriciis seu hunc seu illum delatura honorem frustra certare supersedit et principes plebis ea comitia malebant, §4.7.9quibus non haberetur ratio sua, quam quibus ut indigni praeterirentur.
The patricians won, because the plebs, since they were going to bestow this or that honor on the patricians anyway, ceased to contend in vain, and the leaders of the plebs preferred those comitia, in which their candidacy would not be considered, rather than those in which they would be passed over as unworthy.
tribuni quoque plebi certamen sine effectu in beneficio apud primores patrum reliquere.
The tribunes of the plebs also left the contest without effect as a favor to the leading men of the patricians.
§4.7.10T. Quinctius Barbatus interrex consules creat L. Papirium Mugilanum, L. Sempronium Atratinum.
Titus Quinctius Barbatus, the interrex, created consuls: Lucius Papirius Mugilanus and Lucius Sempronius Atratinus.
his consulibus cum Ardeatibus foedus renovatum est; idque monumenti est consules eos illo anno fuisse, qui neque in annalibus priscis neque in libris magistratuum inveniuntur; §4.7.11credo quod tribuni militum initio anni fuerunt, eo, perinde ac si totum annum in imperio fuerint, suffectorum iis consulum praetermissa nomina consulumhorum.
Under these consuls, the treaty with the Ardeates was renewed; and this serves as evidence that they were consuls in that year, although they are found neither in the ancient annals nor in the books of the magistrates; I believe because there were military tribunes at the beginning of the year, for that reason, just as if they had been in power for the whole year, the names of these consuls who succeeded them were omitted.
§4.7.12Licinius Macer auctor est etiam in foedere Ardeatino et in linteis libris ad Monetae ea inventa.
Licinius Macer is the authority that these things were found both in the Ardeatine treaty and in the linen books at the temple of Moneta.
et foris, cum tot terrores a finitimis ostentati essent, et domi otium fuit.
And there was peace at home, although so many terrors had been displayed by their neighbors abroad.