§42.33.1ad subsellia tribunorum res agebatur; eo M. Popilius consularis, advocatus centurionum, et centuriones et consul venerunt.
The matter was being discussed near the benches of the tribunes; thither came Marcus Popilius, a man of consular rank and advocate for the centurions, along with the centurions and the consul.
§42.33.2consule inde postulante, ut in contione ea res ageretur, populus in contionem advocatus.
The consul then requesting that the matter should be discussed in an assembly, the people were summoned to an assembly.
pro centurionibus M. Popilius, qui biennio ante consul fuerat, ita verba fecit: §42.33.3militares homines et stipendia iusta et corpora et aetate et adsiduis laboribus confecta habere; nihil recusare tamen, quo minus operam rei publicae dent.
On behalf of the centurions, Marcus Popilius, who had been consul two years before, spoke as follows: that these military men had completed their regular service, and had their bodies worn out by age and constant labors; yet they refused nothing to prevent them from giving their service to the state.
id tantum deprecari, ne inferiores iis ordines, quam quos, cum militassent, habuissent, adtribuerentur.
They only prayed that ranks lower than those which they had held when they served should not be assigned to them.
§42.33.4P. Licinius consul senatus consulta recitari iussit, primum, quo bellum senatus Perseo iussisset, deinde, quo veteres centuriones quam plurimos ad id bellum scribi censuisset, nec ulli, qui non maior annis quinquaginta esset, vacationem militiae esse.
Publius Licinius the consul ordered the decrees of the senate to be read aloud: first, that by which the senate had decreed war against Perseus; next, that by which it had decided that as many veteran centurions as possible should be enrolled for that war, and that there should be no exemption from military service for anyone who was not over fifty years of age.
§42.33.5deprecatus est deinde, ne in novo bello, tam propinquo Italiae, adversus regem potentissimum, aut tribunos militum dilectum habentis inpedirent, aut prohiberent consulem, quem cuique ordinem adsignari e re publica esset, eum adsignare.
He then entreated them not to obstruct, in a new war so close to Italy and against a most powerful king, either the military tribunes who were conducting the levy, or to prevent the consul from assigning to each person the rank that would be of advantage to the state.
§42.33.6si quid in ea re dubium esset, ad senatum reicerent.
If there were any doubt in that matter, they should refer it to the senate.