§8.21.1cum ipsa per sese res anceps esset, prout cuiusque ingenium erat atrocius mitiusve suadentibus, tum incertiora omnia unus ex Privernatibus legatis fecit, magis condicionis, in qua natus esset, quam praesentis necessitatis memor, §8.21.2qui interrogatus a quodam tristioris sententiae auctore, quam poenam meritos Privernates censeret, “eam” inquit, “quam merentur qui se libertate dignos censent. ” §8.21.3cuius cum feroci responso infestiores factos videret consul eos, qui ante Privernatium causam inpugnabant, ut ipse benigna interrogatione mitius responsum eliceret, “quid?
While the matter itself was in its own nature critical, with those who advised being harsher or milder according to each one's character, then one of the Privernate envoys made everything more uncertain, being more mindful of the condition in which he was born than of his present necessity, who, when asked by a certain author of a harsher opinion what punishment he thought the Privernates deserved, said, "That which they deserve who think themselves worthy of freedom." When the consul saw that those who had previously opposed the cause of the Privernates were made more hostile by his bold reply, in order that he himself might elicit a milder answer by a gentle questioning, he said, "What?
§8.21.4si poenam” inquit “remittimus vobis, qualem nos pacem vobiscum habituros speremus?” “si bonam dederitis” inquit, “et fidam et perpetuam; §8.21.5si malam, haud diuturnam. ” tum vero minari, nec id ambigue, Privernatem quidam, et illis vocibus ad rebellandum incitari pacatos populos; pars mitior senatus ad meliora responsum trahere §8.21.6et dicere viri et liberi vocem auditam; an credi posse ullum populum aut hominem denique in ea condicione, cuius eum paeniteat, diutius, quam necesse sit, mansurum?
If we remit the punishment for you, what kind of peace may we hope to have with you?" "If you give us a good one," he said, "it will be both faithful and perpetual; if a bad one, it will not be of long duration." Then indeed some threatened the Privernate, and that not ambiguously, and declared that by those words peaceful peoples were incited to rebellion; but the milder part of the senate interpreted the response in a better light, and said that the voice of a man and a freeman had been heard; for could it be believed that any people, or indeed any man, would remain in a condition which he regretted longer than was necessary?
§8.21.7ibi pacem esse fidam, ubi voluntarii pacati sint, neque eo loco, ubi servitutem esse velint, fidem sperandam esse.
There peace was faithful where men were voluntarily pacified, nor was fidelity to be hoped for in that place where they wished there to be slavery.
§8.21.8in hanc sententiam maxime consul ipse inclinavit animos, identidem ad principes sententiarum consulares, §8.21.9uti exaudiri posset a pluribus, dicendo eos demum, qui nihil praeterquam de libertate cogitent, dignos esse, qui Romani fiant.
To this opinion the consul himself especially inclined their minds, by saying repeatedly to the consulars, the leaders of opinion, so that he could be heard by the majority, that those alone who thought of nothing but freedom were worthy to become Romans.
§8.21.10itaque et in senatu causam obtinuere, et ex auctoritate patrum latum ad populum est, ut Privernatibus civitas daretur.
And so they won their cause in the senate, and on the authority of the fathers a proposal was brought to the people that citizenship should be given to the Privernates.
eodem anno Anxur trecenti in coloniam missi sunt; §8.21.11bina iugera agri acceperunt.
In the same year, three hundred were sent as a colony to Anxur; they received two iugera of land each.