§8.20.1Privernum duobus consularibus exercitibus cum obsideretur, alter consul comitiorum causa Romam revocatus. §8.20.2carceres eo anno in circo primum statuti. §8.20.3nondum perfunctos cura Privernatis belli tumultus Gallici fama atrox invasit haud ferme unquam neglecta patribus.
When Privernum was being besieged by two consular armies, the other consul was recalled to Rome for the sake of holding the elections. In that year, starting gates were first set up in the Circus. While they had not yet discharged their anxiety over the Privernate war, an alarming rumor of a Gallic uprising—which was almost never neglected by the senators—assailed them.
extemplo igitur consules novi L. Aemilius Mamercinus et C. Plautius eo ipso die, kal. Quinctilibus, quo magistratum inierunt, conparare inter se provincias iussi et Mamercinus, cui Gallicum bellum evenerat, scribere exercitum sine ulla vacationis venia; quin opificum quoque vulgus et sellularii, §8.20.4minime militiae idoneum genus, exciti dicuntur Veiosque ingens exercitus contractus, ut inde obviam Gallis iretur; longius discedi, §8.20.5ne alio itinere hostis falleret ad urbem incedens, non placuit.
Immediately, therefore, the new consuls Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus and Gaius Plautius, on the very day they entered office, the Kalends of July, were ordered to arrange their provinces between themselves, and Mamercinus, to whose lot the Gallic war had fallen, was ordered to levy an army without any exemption from service being allowed; indeed, even the crowd of artisans and sedentary laborers, a class of men least fit for military service, are said to have been called out, and a huge army was assembled at Veii, so that they might advance from there to meet the Gauls; to depart further, lest the enemy, advancing to the city by another route, should elude them, was not approved.
paucos deinde post dies satis explorata temporis eius quiete a Gallis Privernum omnis conversa vis.
Then, a few days later, when the quiet of the Gauls at that time had been sufficiently ascertained, the entire force was turned towards Privernum.
duplex inde fama est; §8.20.6alii vi captam urbem Vitruviumque vivum in potestatem venisse, alii, priusquam ultima adhiberetur vis, ipsos se in dicionem consulis caduceum praeferentes permisisse auctores sunt Vitruviumque ab suis traditum. §8.20.7senatus de Vitruvio Privernatibusque consultus consulem Plautium dirutis Priverni muris praesidioque valido inposito ad triumphum accersit; Vitruvium in carcere adservari iussit, quoad consul redisset, tum verberatum necari.
After that, there is a double tradition; some write that the city was taken by force and that Vitruvius fell alive into their power; others that, before the utmost force was applied, the inhabitants themselves, carrying a herald's staff before them, surrendered themselves to the dominion of the consul, and that Vitruvius was betrayed by his own people. The senate, being consulted about Vitruvius and the Privernates, summoned the consul Plautius to a triumph, after the walls of Privernum had been demolished and a strong garrison stationed there; they ordered Vitruvius to be kept in prison until the consul returned, and then, after being scourged, to be put to death.
aedes eius, §8.20.8quae essent in Palatio, diruendas, bona Semoni Sango censuerunt consecranda; quodque aeris ex eis redactum est, ex eo aenei orbes facti positi in sacello Sangus adversus aedem Quirini. §8.20.9de senatu Privernate ita decretum, ut, qui senator Priverni post defectionem ab Romanis mansisset, trans Tiberim lege eadem, qua Veliterni, habitaret. §8.20.10His ita decretis usque ad triumphum Plauti silentium de Privernatibus fuit; post triumphum consul necato Vitruvio sociisque eius noxae apud satiatos iam suppliciis nocentium tutam mentionem de Privernatibus ratus §8.20.11“quoniam auctores defectionis” inquit “meritas poenas et ab dis inmortalibus et a vobis habent, patres conscripti, quid placet de innoxia multitudine fieri? equidem,
His house, which was on the Palatine, they decreed should be demolished, and his goods consecrated to Semo Sancus; and of the bronze that was realized from them, bronze discs were made and placed in the chapel of Sancus opposite the temple of Quirinus. Concerning the senate of Privernum, it was decreed that whoever had remained a senator at Privernum after the revolt from the Romans should dwell across the Tiber under the same law as the Veliterni. These things having been thus decreed, there was silence concerning the Privernates until the triumph of Plautius; after the triumph, the consul, now that Vitruvius and the partners of his guilt had been put to death, thinking that it would be safe to mention the Privernates among those who were already satiated with the punishments of the guilty, said, "Since the authors of the revolt, conscript fathers, have received their deserved punishment both from the immortal gods and from you, what is your pleasure should be done with the innocent multitude?
§8.20.12etsi meae partes exquirendae magis sententiae quam dandae sunt, tamen, cum videam Privernates vicinos Samnitibus esse, unde nunc nobis incertissima pax est, quam minimum irarum inter nos illosque relinqui velim. ”
For my part, although my part is rather to ask for your opinion than to give one, yet, when I see that the Privernates are neighbors to the Samnites, with whom we now have a most uncertain peace, I should wish that as little resentment as possible be left between us and them."