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Livy · History of Rome §5.24.1-5.24.11

Peace with Capena and the Dispute over Migrating to Veii

Passage 283 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

In the year following the capture of Veii, military tribunes are appointed and peace is made with Capena. At Rome, the distribution of land in Volscian territory is rejected by the plebeians, who propose migrating to Veii instead, sparking a severe conflict with the optimates.

§5.24.1Veis captis sex tribunos militum consulari potestate insequens annus habuit, duos P. Cornelios, Cossum et Scipionem, M. Valerium Maximum iterum, K. Fabium Ambustum iterum, L. Furium Medullinum quintum, Q. Servilium tertium.
After the capture of Veii, the following year had six military tribunes with consular power: the two Publii Cornelii, Cossus and Scipio, Marcus Valerius Maximus for the second time, Kaeso Fabius Ambustus for the second time, Lucius Furius Medullinus for the fifth time, and Quintus Servilius for the third time.
§5.24.2Corneliis Faliscum bellum, Valerio ac Servilio Capenas sorte evenit.
The war against the Falisci fell by lot to the Cornelii, and that against Capena to Valerius and Servilius.
ab iis non urbes vi aut operibus temptatae, sed ager est depopulatus praedaeque rerum agrestium actae; nulla felix arbor, nihil frugiferum in agro relictum.
By them, no cities were attacked by force or by works, but the land was depopulated and booty of rustic property was driven off; no fruitful tree, nothing productive was left in the fields.
§5.24.3ea clades Capenatem populum subegit; pax petentibus data; in Faliscis bellum restabat.
This disaster subdued the Capenate people; peace was granted to them on their petition; the war with the Falisci remained.
Romae interim multiplex seditio erat, §5.24.4cuius leniendae causa coloniam in Volscos, quo tria milia civium Romanorum scriberentur, deducendam censuerant, triumvirique ad id creati terna iugera et septunces viritim diviserant.
Meanwhile at Rome there was manifold sedition, for the sake of mitigating which they had voted to lead a colony into the Volscian territory, in which three thousand Roman citizens were to be enrolled, and the triumvirs appointed for that purpose had distributed three jugera and seven-twelfths to each man.
§5.24.5ea largitio sperni coepta, quia spe maioris avertendae solacium obiectum censebant: cur enim relegari plebem in Volscos, cum pulcherrima urbs Vei agerque Veientanus in conspectu sit, uberior ampliorque Romano agro?
This largess began to be despised, because they thought that a consolation was offered to them in order to divert them from a greater hope: for why should the plebeians be banished to the Volscians, when the most beautiful city of Veii and the Veientine territory were in sight, more fertile and more extensive than the Roman territory?
§5.24.6urbem quoque urbi Romae vel situ vel magnificentia publicorum privatorumque tectorum ac locorum praeponebant.
They even preferred that city to the city of Rome, both in its situation and in the magnificence of its public and private buildings and spaces.
§5.24.7quin illa quoque actio movebatur, quae post captam utique Romam a Gallis celebratior fuit, transmigrandi Veios.
Indeed, that proposal was also set in motion—which became much more celebrated especially after the capture of Rome by the Gauls—of migrating to Veii.
§5.24.8ceterum partem plebis, partem senatus destinabant ad habitandos Veios, duasque urbes communis rei publicae incoli a populo Romano posse.
Moreover, they intended to designate a part of the plebeians and a part of the senate to inhabit Veii, and that two cities of a common republic could be inhabited by the Roman people.
aduersus quae cum optimates ita tenderent, §5.24.9ut morituros se citius dicerent in conspectu populi Romani, quam quicquam earum rerum rogaretur; §5.24.10quippe nunc in una urbe tantum dissensionum esse;
When the optimates strove against these things so vehemently that they said they would die sooner in the sight of the Roman people than any of those proposals should be brought forward; for indeed, even now in one city there was so much dissension; what would there be in two cities?
quid in duabus urbibus fore? victamne ut quisquam victrici patriae praeferret sineretque maiorem fortunam captis esse Veis, quam incolumibus fuerit?
Would anyone prefer a conquered city to his victorious fatherland, and permit captured Veii to have a greater fortune than it had had when safe?
§5.24.11postremo se relinqui a civibus in patria posse; ut relinquant.
finally, they could be left by the citizens in their fatherland; let them leave them.
patriam atque cives, nullam vim umquam subacturam, et T. Sicinium — is enim ex tribunis plebis rogationis eius lator erat — conditorem Veios sequantur relicto deo Romulo, dei filio, parente et auctore urbis Romae:
But as for leaving their fatherland and fellow citizens, no force would ever compel them; let them follow Titus Sicinius—for he, of the tribunes of the plebs, was the proposer of that measure—as the founder of Veii, abandoning the god Romulus, the son of a god, the parent and founder of the city of Rome.

Notes

  1. §5.24.4terna iugera et septunces — Means "three jugera and seven-twelfths [of a jugerum] each." The word `septunx` (plural nominative/accusative `septunces`) refers to seven-twelfths of an `as` (a unit divided into twelve parts), which here represents seven-twelfths of a jugerum.
  2. §5.24.5spe maioris avertendae — A gerundive construction expressing purpose, meaning "for the sake of diverting a greater hope." `maioris` is genitive feminine singular, agreeing with an understood noun like `spei` (hope) or `rei` (matter), which refers to the plebeians' grand expectation of gaining land in Veii.
  3. §5.24.10victamne ut quisquam victrici patriae praeferret — An independent clause expressing indignation or disbelief using `ut` with the imperfect subjunctive ("How could anyone prefer...?"). The noun `urbem` (city) is understood after `victam`.
  4. §5.24.11patriam atque cives, nullam vim umquam subacturam — An accusative and infinitive construction in indirect speech, with `esse` omitted from the future active infinitive `subacturam esse`. The subject is `nullam vim` (no force), and the reflexive pronoun `se` (themselves) and an infinitive representing "to abandon" (such as `deserere` or `relinquere`) are understood, meaning "no force would ever compel them [to abandon] their fatherland and fellow citizens."

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §5.24.1-5.24.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.24.1-5.24.11

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