§5.29.1tribunorum plebis actiones quia nondum invenerant finem, et plebs continuare latoribus legis tribunatum et patres reficere intercessores legis adnisi sunt; §5.29.2sed plus suis comitiis plebs valuit.
Since the activities of the tribunes of the plebs had not yet reached an end, both the plebs strove to continue the tribuneship for the proposers of the law, and the patricians to re-elect the intercessors against the law; but the plebs had more power in their own assemblies.
quem dolorem ulti patres sunt senatus consulto facto, ut consules, invisus plebi magistratus, crearentur.
The patricians avenged this grievance by passing a decree of the senate that consuls, a magistracy hated by the plebs, should be elected.
annum post quintum decimum creati consules L. Lucretius Flavus, Ser.
After fifteen years, consuls were elected: L.
Sulpicius Camerinus.
Lucretius Flavus and Ser.
principio huius anni ferociter,
Sulpicius Camerinus.
§5.29.3quia nemo ex collegio intercessurus erat, coortis ad perferendam legem tribunis plebis nec segnius ob id ipsum consulibus resistentibus omnique civitate in unam eam curam conversa Vitelliam coloniam Romanam in suo agro Aequi expugnant.
At the beginning of this year, fiercely, since no one from the college was going to interpose a veto, with the tribunes of the plebs rising up together to pass the law, and the consuls resisting no less vigorously for that very reason, and the entire state turned toward that single concern, the Aequi stormed and captured Vitellia, a Roman colony in their own territory.
§5.29.4colonorum pars maxima incolumes, quia nocte proditione oppidum captum liberam per aversa urbis fugam dederat, Romam perfugere.
The greatest part of the colonists escaped unharmed, because the capture of the town by night through treachery had allowed a free escape through the back parts of the city, and they fled to Rome.
§5.29.5L. Lucretio consuli ea provincia evenit.
That province fell to the consul L. Lucretius.
is cum exercitu profectus acie hostes vicit victorque Romam ad maius aliquanto certamen rediit.
Having set out with an army, he defeated the enemy in a pitched battle, and returned as victor to Rome to face a considerably greater conflict.
§5.29.6dies dicta erat tribunis plebi bienni superioris A. Verginio et Q. Pomponio, quos defendi patrum consensu ad fidem senatus pertinebat; neque enim eos aut vitae ullo crimine alio aut gesti magistratus quisquam arguebat, praeterquam quod gratificantes patribus rogationi tribuniciae intercessissent.
A day of trial had been appointed for the tribunes of the plebs of the two preceding years, A. Verginius and Q. Pomponius, whom to be defended, by the consensus of the patricians, pertained to the good faith of the senate; for no one was accusing them of any other crime in their lives or in the administration of their magistracy, except that, to gratify the patricians, they had vetoed the tribunician proposal.
§5.29.7vicit tamen gratiam senatus plebis ira, et pessimo exemplo innoxii denis milibus gravis aeris condemnati sunt.
Nevertheless, the anger of the plebs overcame the favor of the senate, and by a most pernicious precedent, the innocent men were condemned to a fine of ten thousand heavy asses each.
id aegre passi patres.
The patricians took this bitterly.
§5.29.8Camillus palam sceleris plebem arguere, quae iam in suos versa non intellegeret se pravo iudicio de tribunis intercessionem sustulisse, intercessione sublata tribuniciam potestatem evertisse.
Camillus openly accused the plebs of crime, because, having now turned against their own, they did not understand that by their wrongful judgment concerning the tribunes they had abolished the veto, and that by the abolition of the veto they had overthrown the tribunician power itself.
§5.29.9nam quod illi sperarent effrenatam licentiam eius magistratus patres laturos, falli eos. si tribunicia vis tribunicio auxilio repelli nequeat, aliud telum patres inventuros esse.
For as to their hoping that the patricians would tolerate the unbridled license of that magistracy, they were deceived; if the power of the tribunes could not be repelled by tribunician aid, the patricians would find another weapon.
consulesque increpabat, §5.29.10quod fide publica decipi tribunos eos taciti tulissent, qui senatus auctoritatem secuti essent.
And he rebuked the consuls, because they had silently permitted those tribunes, who had followed the authority of the senate, to be deceived by the public faith.
haec propalam contionabundus in dies magis augebat iras hominum.
Speaking these things openly in the manner of an orator, day by day he increased the anger of the people.