Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §5.50.1-5.50.8

Religious Rites of Camillus and Opposition to Veii

Passage 309 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Camillus, as dictator, first performs various religious duties towards the gods, such as restoring temples and establishing games, and then, to counter the tribunes urging migration to Veii, ascends the assembly's platform accompanied by the entire senate.

§5.50.1omnium primum, ut erat diligentissimus religionum cultor, §5.50.2quae ad deos inmortalis pertinebant, rettulit et senatus consultum facit, fana omnia, quoad ea hostis possedisset, restituerentur expiarenturque expiatioque eorum in libris per duumviros quaereretur; cum Caeritibus hospitium publice fieret, §5.50.3quod sacra populi Romani ac sacerdotes recepissent beneficioque eius populi non intermissus honos deum inmortalium esset; §5.50.4ludi Capitolini fierent, quod Iuppiter optimus maximus suam sedem atque arcem populi Romani in re trepida tutatus esset, collegiumque ad eam rem M. Furius dictator constitueret ex eis, qui in Capitolio atque arce habitarent.
First of all, as he was a most diligent observer of religious rites, he referred to the senate those matters which pertained to the immortal gods, and obtained a decree of the senate: that all the temples, as far as the enemy had possessed them, should be restored and expiated, and the manner of their expiation should be sought in the books by the duumviri; that a public treaty of hospitality should be made with the people of Caere, because they had received the sacred things and priests of the Roman people, and by the benefit of that people the worship of the immortal gods had not been interrupted; that the Capitoline Games should be established, because Jupiter Optimus Maximus had protected his own seat and the citadel of the Roman people in the time of danger, and that the dictator Marcus Furius should establish a college for that purpose from among those who lived on the Capitol and in the citadel.
§5.50.5expiandae etiam vocis nocturnae, quae nuntia cladis ante bellum Gallicum audita neglectaque esset, mentio inlata iussumque templum in Nova via Aio Locutio fieri.
Mention was also made of expiating the voice heard by night, which had been heard before the Gallic war announcing the disaster but had been neglected, and it was ordered that a temple should be built to Aius Locutius on the New Way.
§5.50.6aurum, quod Gallis ereptum erat quodque ex aliis templis inter trepidationem in Iovis cellam conlatum, cum, quo referri oporteret, confusa memoria esset, sacrum omne iudicatum et sub Iovis sella poni iussum.
The gold which had been rescued from the Gauls, and that which during the alarm had been carried from other temples into the shrine of Jupiter—since the memory of where it ought to be returned was confused—was all declared sacred and ordered to be placed under the seat of Jupiter.
§5.50.7iam ante in eo religio civitatis apparuerat, quod, cum in publico deesset aurum, ex quo summa pactae mercedis Gallis confieret, a matronis conlatum acceperant, ut sacro auro abstineretur.
Even before this, the religious devotion of the state had appeared in this: that when gold was lacking in public to make up the sum of the ransomed money agreed upon with the Gauls, they accepted what was contributed by the matrons, so that the sacred gold might be spared.
matronis gratiae actae honosque additus, ut earum sicut virorum post mortem sollemnis laudatio esset.
Thanks were returned to the matrons, and the honor was added that they, like the men, should have a solemn funeral oration after death.
§5.50.8his peractis, quae ad deos pertinebant quaeque per senatum agi poterant, tum demum agitantibus tribunis plebem adsiduis contionibus, ut relictis ruinis in urbem paratam Veios transmigrarent, in contionem universe senatu prosequente escendit atque ita verba fecit:
When these things which pertained to the gods and which could be transacted through the senate were completed, then at last, since the tribunes of the plebs were agitating the commons with continuous assemblies to abandon the ruins and migrate to the prepared city of Veii, he went up to the assembly, accompanied by the entire senate, and spoke as follows:

Notes

  1. §5.50.2fana omnia, quoad ea hostis possedisset, restituerentur expiarenturque — Indirect command (subjunctive imperfect with "ut" omitted) expressing the content of the senate's decree (senatus consultum). The subjunctive "possedisset" in the "quoad" clause is due to attraction in indirect speech (sequence of tenses).
  2. §5.50.5expiandae etiam vocis nocturnae — A genitive noun phrase where the gerundive "expiandae" modifies the genitive noun "vocis nocturnae." In combination with the subsequent "mentio inlata [est]," it means "mention (a proposal) was made concerning..."
  3. §5.50.7ut sacro auro abstineretur — Impersonal passive subjunctive of the verb "abstineo" (to refrain from), with "sacro auro" as an ablative of separation. The "ut" clause expresses purpose: "so that the sacred gold might be spared/not medpled with."
  4. §5.50.8agitantibus tribunis plebem adsiduis contionibus — An ablative absolute construction with the present participle "agitantibus." It expresses the concurrent situation or the immediate reason/background for the main verb "escendit" (he ascended), as the tribunes were constantly agitating the plebeians.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §5.50.1-5.50.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:5.50.1-5.50.8

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