§40.35.1Otiosam provinciam consules habuerunt.
The consuls had a peaceful province.
M. Baebius comitiorum causa Romam revocatus consules creavit A. Postumium Albinum Luscum et C. Calpurnium Pisonem.
Marcus Baebius, recalled to Rome for the purpose of holding the elections, designated Aulus Postumius Albinus Luscus and Gaius Calpurnius Piso as consuls.
§40.35.2praetores exinde facti Ti. Sempronius Gracchus L. Postumius Albinus P. Cornelius Mammula, Ti. Minucius Molliculus A. Hostilius Mancinus C.. Maenius.
The praetors chosen thereafter were Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, Lucius Postumius Albinus, Publius Cornelius Mammula, Tiberius Minucius Molliculus, Aulus Hostilius Mancinus, and Caius Maenius.
ii omnes magistratum idibus Martiis inierunt.
They all entered upon their office on the Ides of March.
principio eius anni, §40.35.3quo A. Postumius Albinus et C.. Calpurnius Piso consules fuerunt, ab A. Postumio consule in senatum introducti, qui ex Hispania citeriore venerant a Q. Fulvio Flacco, L. Minucius legatus et duo tribuni militum, T. Maenius et L. Terentius Massaliota.
At the beginning of that year, in which Aulus Postumius Albinus and Gaius Calpurnius Piso were consuls, there were introduced into the senate by the consul Aulus Postumius those who had come from Hither Spain from Quintus Fulvius Flaccus: Lucius Minucius the legate, and two military tribunes, Titus Maenius and Lucius Terentius Massaliota.
§40.35.4hi cum duo secunda proelia, deditionem Celtiberiae, confectam provinciam nuntiassent, nec stipendio, quod mitti soleiet, nec frumento portato ad exercitum in eum annum opus esse, §40.35.5petierunt ab senatu primum, ut ob res prospere gestas diis immortalibus honos haberetur, §40.35.6deinde ut Q. Fulvio decedenti de provincia deportare inde exercitum, cuius forti opera et ipse et multi ante eum praetores usi essent, liceret.
These men, when they had reported two successful battles, the surrender of Celtiberia, and the pacification of the province, and that there was no need for that year either of pay, which was accustomed to be sent, or of grain carried to the army, sought from the senate first, that on account of the successful deeds honor should be paid to the immortal gods, next, that Quintus Fulvius, on departing from the province, should be permitted to bring back from there the army, whose brave service both he himself and many praetors before him had used.
quod fieri, praeterquam quod ita deberet, etiam prope necessarium esse: §40.35.7ita enim obstinatos esse milites, ut non ultra retineri posse in provincia viderentur, iniussuque abituri inde essent, si non dimitterentur, aut in perniciosam, si quis impense retineret, seditionem exarsuri.
They added that this being done was not only proper but also almost necessary: for the soldiers were so resolute that they did not seem to be able to be retained any longer in the province, and would depart from there without orders, if they were not discharged, or would break out into a destructive mutiny if anyone should intensely try to retain them.
§40.35.8consulibus ambobus provinciam Ligures esse senatus iussit.
The senate ordered that the Ligurians should be the province for both consuls.
praetores inde sortiti sunt: A. Hostilio urbana, Ti. Minucio peregrina obvenit, P. Cornelio Sicilia, C.. Maenio Sardinia.
Then the praetors drew lots: the city jurisdiction fell to Aulus Hostilius, the foreign jurisdiction to Tiberius Minucius, Sicily to Publius Cornelius, Sardinia to Caius Maenius.
§40.35.9Hispanias sortiti L. Postumius ulteriorem, Ti. Sempronius citeriorem.
For the Spains, Lucius Postumius drew the Farther, Tiberius Sempronius the Hither.
§40.35.10is quia successurus Q. Fulvio erat, ne vetere exercitu provincia spoliaretur, “quaero” inquit “de te, L. Minuci, cum confectam provinciam nunties, existimesne Celtiberos perpetuo in fide mansuros, ita ut sine exercitu ea provincia obtineri possit.
The latter, since he was to succeed Quintus Fulvius, lest the province should be deprived of its veteran army, said: "I ask of you, Lucius Minucius, since you report that the province is pacified, whether you think that the Celtiberians will remain perpetually in allegiance, so that that province can be held without an army.
§40.35.11si neque de fide barbarorum quicquam recipere aut adfirmare nobis potes, et habendum illic utique exercitum censes, utrum tandem auctor senatui sis supplementum in Hispaniam mittendi, ut ii modo, §40.35.12quibus emerita stipendia sint, milites dimittantur, veteribus militibus tirones immisceantur, an deductis de provincia veteribus legionibus novas conscribendi et mittendi, cum contemptum tirocinium etiam mitiores barbaros excitare ad rebellandum possit? dictu quam re facilius est provinciam ingenio ferocem,
If you can neither guarantee nor assure us anything concerning the allegiance of the barbarians, and you think that an army must by all means be kept there, do you, pray, advise the senate to send a reinforcement to Spain, so that only those soldiers whose service is completed should be discharged, and recruits be mixed with the veteran soldiers, or do you advise that the veteran legions be withdrawn from the province and new ones enrolled and sent, although an inexperienced army, which is held in contempt, might stir up even milder barbarians to rebel?
§40.35.13rebellatricem confecisse.
It is easier to say than to do that a province, fierce by nature and rebellious, has been pacified.
paucae civitates, ut quidem ego audio, quas vicina maxime hiberna premebant, in ius dicionemque venerunt; ulteriores in armis sunt. quae cum ita sint,
A few states, as indeed I hear, which the nearby winter quarters especially pressed upon, have come under our law and sway; the farther ones are in arms.
§40.35.14ego iam hinc praedico, patres conscripti, me exercitu eo, qui nunc est, rem publicam administraturun: si deducat secum Flaccus legiones, loca pacata me ad hibernacula lecturum neque novum militem ferocissimo hosti obiecturum. ”
Since these things are so, I declare here and now, conscript fathers, that I will administer the state with that army which is now there: if Flaccus should lead away the legions with him, I will choose peaceful places for winter quarters and will not expose new soldiers to a most fierce enemy."