Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §7.16.1-7.16.9

Law on Interest and the Surrender of Privernum

Passage 372 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The interest rate bill of one-twelfth was passed, and Licinius Stolo was fined under his own law. Consul Marcius forced Privernum to surrender and celebrated a triumph, while his colleague Manlius passed a manumission tax within the military camp, which the tribunes banned as a dangerous precedent.

§7.16.1haud aeque laeta patribus insequenti anno C. Marcio Cn. Manlio consulibus de unciario faenore a M. Duillio L. Menenio tribunis plebis rogatio est perlata; et plebs aliquanto eam cupidius scivit.
In the following year, in the consulship of Gaius Marcius and Gnaeus Manlius, a bill concerning the rate of interest of one-twelfth (one ounce) was carried through by the tribunes of the plebs, Marcus Duillius and Lucius Menenius, which was not equally pleasing to the patricians; and the plebeians enacted it with considerably more eagerness.
§7.16.2ad bella nova priore anno destinata Falisci quoque hostes exorti duplici crimine, quod et cum Tarquiniensibus iuventus eorum militaverat, et eos, qui Falerios perfugerant, cum male pugnatum est, repetentibus fetialibus Romanis non reddiderant.
To the new wars destined in the previous year, the Faliscans also arose as enemies on a double charge: because both their youth had campaigned together with the Tarquinienses, and they had not returned those who had fled to Falerii when the battle was fought unsuccessfully, upon the demand of the Roman fetials.
§7.16.3ea provincia Cn. Manlio obvenit.
That province fell to Gnaeus Manlius.
Marcius exercitum in agrum Privernatem, integrum pace longinqua, induxit militemnque praeda inplevit.
Marcius led his army into the Privernate territory, untouched because of a long peace, and filled his soldiers with booty.
ad copiam rerum addidit munificentiam, quod nihil in publicum secernendo augenti rem privatum militi favit.
To the abundance of things, he added generosity, because by setting aside nothing for the public treasury, he favored the soldier who was increasing his private property.
§7.16.4Priverlates cum ante moenia sua castris permunitis consedissent, vocatis ad contionem militibus “castra nunc” inquit “vobis hostium urbemque praedae do, si mihi pollicemini vos fortiter in acie operam navaturos nec praedae magis quam pugnae paratos esse. ” §7.16.5signum poscunt ingenti clamore celsique et spe haud dubia feroces in proelium vadunt.
When the Privernates had settled in a well-fortified camp before their own walls, he said, having called the soldiers to an assembly: “I now give you the enemy’s camp and city for plunder, if you promise me that you will perform your duty bravely in the battle line, and that you are not more ready for plunder than for battle.” They demanded the signal with a huge shout, and went into battle proud and fierce with no doubtful hope.
ibi ante signa Sex. Tullius, de quo ante dictum est, exclamat: “aspice, imperator” inquit, “quem ad modum exercitus tuus tibi promissa praestet” piloque posito stricto gladio in hostem impetum facit.
There, before the standards, Sextus Tullius, of whom mention was made before, cried out: “Look, commander,” he said, “in what manner your army is performing its promises to you!” and having laid down his spear, he made a charge against the enemy with his drawn sword.
§7.16.6sequuntur Tullium antesignani omnes primoque impetu avertere hostem; fusum inde ad oppidum persecuti, cum iam scalas moenibus admoverent, in deditionem urbem acceperunt.
All the front-line soldiers followed Tullius, and routed the enemy with their first charge; then, having pursued them when they were scattered to the town, when they were already applying ladders to the walls, they accepted the city into surrender.
triumphus de Privernatibus actus.
A triumph was celebrated over the Privernates.
ab altero consule nihil memorabile gestum, §7.16.7nisi quod legem novo exemplo ad Sutrium in castris tributim de vicesima eorum, qui manu mitterentur, tulit.
Nothing memorable was done by the other consul, except that he proposed a law, by a novel precedent, at Sutrium in the camp, by tribes, concerning the twentieth part of the value of those who should be manumitted.
patres, quia ea lege haud parvum vectigal inopi aerario additum esset, auctores fuerunt; §7.16.8ceterum tribuni plebis non tam lege quam exemplo moti, ne quis postea populum sevocaret, capite sanxerunt; nihil enim non per milites iuratos in consulis verba quamvis perniciosum populo, si id liceret, ferri posse.
The patricians, because by that law no small tax was added to the impoverished treasury, gave their authorization; but the tribunes of the plebs, moved not so much by the law as by the precedent, enacted under pain of death that no one thereafter should call the people apart; for they believed that nothing, however ruinous to the people, could not be carried through, if that were allowed, by soldiers sworn to the words of the consul.
§7.16.9eodem anno C. Licinius Stolo a M. Popilio Laenate sua lege decem milibus aeris est damnatus, quod mille iugerum agri cum filio possideret emancipandoque filium fraudem legi fecisset.
In the same year, Gaius Licinius Stolo was condemned by Marcus Popilius Laenas to a fine of ten thousand asses under his own law, because he possessed one thousand iugera of land together with his son, and by emancipating his son had committed a fraud against the law.

Notes

  1. §7.16.1haud aeque laeta patribus — patribus is a dative of reference or judgment depending on the adjective laeta, meaning "not equally pleasing to the patricians."
  2. §7.16.2ad bella nova — The preposition ad is used here in the sense of "in addition to," indicating that the hostility of the Faliscans was added to the new wars planned in the previous year.
  3. §7.16.3augenti rem privatum militi favit — militi is a dative governed by the verb favit (faveo, "to favor, support"), and is modified by the present participle phrase augenti rem privatum ("increasing his private property").
  4. §7.16.8nihil enim non... ferri posse — The double negative (nihil non) creates a strong affirmative meaning "everything could be carried." The phrase iuratos in consulis verba refers to those who had sworn allegiance to the consul's words (the military oath).
  5. §7.16.9emancipandoque filium fraudem legi fecisset — The ablative gerund (emancipando) expresses means ("by emancipating"). In the phrase fraudem legi fecisset, legi is a dative of disadvantage or reference depending on fraudem facere ("to commit a fraud against the law").

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §7.16.1-7.16.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:7.16.1-7.16.9

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.