Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §7.1.1-7.1.10

Creation of New Magistracies and the Death of Camillus

Passage 357 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

In 366 BC, Lucius Sextius took office as the first plebeian consul, prompting the patricians to establish and secure the new offices of praetor and curule aedile for themselves. Subsequently, Rome was struck by a severe pestilence that claimed the life of the renowned dictator Marcus Furius Camillus.

§7.1.1annus hic erit insignis novi hominis consulatu, insignis novis duobus magistratibus, praetura et curuli aedilitate.
This year will be notable for the consulship of a new man, notable for two new magistracies, the praetorship and the curule aedileship.
hos sibi patricii quaesivere honores pro concesso plebi altero consulatu.
These honors the patricians sought for themselves in return for the other consulship conceded to the plebs.
§7.1.2plebes consulatum L. Sextio, cuius lege partus erat, dedit; patres praeturam Sp. Furio M. f. Camillo, aedilitatem Cn. Quinctio Capitolino et P. Cornelio Scipioni, suarum gentium viris, gratia campestri dederunt.
The plebs gave the consulship to Lucius Sextius, by whose law it had been won; the patricians gave the praetorship to Spurius Furius Camillus, son of Marcus, and the aedileship to Gnaeus Quinctius Capitolinus and Publius Cornelius Scipio, men of their own clans, through influence in the Campus.
L. Sextio collega ex patribus datus L. Aemilius Mamercinus.
As colleague to Lucius Sextius, Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus was given from the patricians.
§7.1.3principio anni et de Gallis, quos primo palatos per Apuliam congregari iam fama erat, et de Hernicorum defectione agitata mentio.
At the beginning of the year, mention was made both of the Gauls, whom rumor now said were gathering after being at first scattered through Apulia, and of the defection of the Hernici.
§7.1.4cum de industria omnia, ne quid per plebeium consulem ageretur, proferrentur, silentium omnium rerum ac iustitio simile otium fuit, §7.1.5nisi quod, non patientibus tacitum tribunis, quod pro consule uno plebeio tres patricios magistratus curulibus sellis praetextatos tamquam consules sedentes nobilitas sibi sumpsisset, §7.1.6praetorem quidem etiam iura reddentem et collegam consulibus atque iisdem auspiciis creatum, verecundia inde inposita est senatui ex patribus iubendi aediles curules creari.
Since all business was intentionally postponed, lest anything should be transacted through the plebeian consul, there was a silence in all affairs and an inactivity similar to a cessation of public business (iustitium), except that, the tribunes not suffering to pass in silence that, in return for one plebeian consul, the nobility had taken for themselves three patrician magistrates, clad in the praetexta and sitting on curule chairs like consuls, indeed, a praetor who even administered justice and was elected as a colleague to the consuls and under the same auspices; consequently, shame was imposed on the senate against ordering that the curule aediles be elected from the patricians.
primo, ut alternis annis ex plebe fierent, convenerat; postea promiscuum fuit.
At first, it had been agreed that they should be created from the plebs in alternate years; afterwards it was open to either.
inde L. Genucio §7.1.7et Q. Servilio consulibus et ab seditione et a bello quietis rebus, ne quando a metu ac periculis vacarent, pestilentia ingens orta.
Thereafter, Lucius Genucius and Quintus Servilius being consuls, and affairs being quiet both from sedition and from war, lest they should ever be free from fear and dangers, a great pestilence arose.
§7.1.8censorem, aedilem curulem, tres tribunos plebis mortuos ferunt, pro portione et ex multitudine alia multa funera fuisse; maxumeque eam pestilentiam insignem mors quamvis matura, tamen acerba M. Furi fecit.
They report that a censor, a curule aedile, and three tribunes of the plebs died, and that in proportion there were many other deaths from the multitude; and what made that pestilence especially notable was the death of Marcus Furius, which, though ripe in years, was nevertheless bitter.
§7.1.9fuit enim vere vir unicus in omni fortuna, princeps pace belloque, priusquam exulatum iret, clarior in exilio vel desiderio civitatis, quae capta absentis inploravit opem, vel felicitate, qua restitutus in patriam secum patriam ipsam restituit; §7.1.10par deinde per quinque et viginti annos — tot enim postea vixit — titulo tantae gloriae fuit dignusque habitus, quem secundum a Romulo conditorem urbis Romanae ferrent.
For he was truly a singular man in every fortune, foremost in peace and in war; illustrious before he went into exile, but more illustrious in his exile, whether from the longing of the state which, when captured, implored his aid in his absence, or from the good fortune with which, when restored to his country, he restored his country itself along with himself; thereafter, for twenty-five years — for he lived so many years afterwards — he was equal to the title of so great glory, and was deemed worthy of being celebrated as the second founder of the Roman city after Romulus.

Notes

  1. 7.1.1pro concesso plebi altero consulatu — A dominant participle construction (analogous to *ab urbe condita*), where the perfect participle *concesso* carries the main idea of the phrase ("the granting of the other consulship") rather than simply modifying the noun *consulatu* in the ablative after *pro*.
  2. 7.1.5non patientibus tacitum — An ablative absolute construction (*non patientibus... tribunis*) enclosing *tacitum*, a neuter singular adjective used substantively/adverbially as the object of *patientibus* ("not enduring [the matter] as a silent thing," i.e., "not allowing it to pass in silence").
  3. 7.1.6praetorem quidem etiam iura reddentem — An accusative phrase in apposition to or specifying the object (*tres patricios magistratus*) of *nobilitas sibi sumpsisset* within the *quod* clause in section 5. It emphasizes that among the "three magistrates," the praetor was created as a colleague to the consuls with the same auspices, which was the focus of the tribunes' indignation.
  4. 7.1.10dignusque habitus, quem ... ferrent — A relative clause of characteristic or result with the imperfect subjunctive *ferrent*, dependent on the adjective *dignus*. In classical Latin, *dignus* is regularly followed by a relative pronoun and the subjunctive (rather than an infinitive) to express "worthy to be [so called]".

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §7.1.1-7.1.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.1.1-7.1.10

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