§9.7.1cum haec dicerentur audirenturque et deploratum paene Romanum nomen in concilio sociorum fidelium esset, §9.7.2dicitur Ofillius Calavius, Ovi filius, clarus genere factisque, tum etiam aetate verendus, longe aliter se habere rem dixisse: §9.7.3silentium illud obstinatum fixosque in terram oculos et surdas ad omnia solacia aures et pudorem intuendae lucis ingentem molem irarum ex alto animi cientis indicia esse. §9.7.4aut Romana se ignorare ingenia, aut silentium illud Samnitibus flebiles brevi clamores gemitusque excitaturum, Caudinaeque pacis aliquanto Samnitibus quam Romanis tristiorem memoriam fore; §9.7.5quippe suos quemque eorum animos habiturum, ubicumque congressuri sint; saltus Caudinos non ubique Samnitibus fore.
While these things were being said and heard, and the Roman name was almost despaired of in the council of the faithful allies, Ofillius Calavius, son of Ovius, a man distinguished by birth and deeds, and at that time also venerable for his age, is said to have declared that the matter stood far otherwise: that that obstinate silence, those eyes fixed upon the ground, those ears deaf to all consolations, and that shame of beholding the light, were indications of a mind arousing a great mass of wraths from the depths of the soul; that either he was ignorant of the Roman character, or that silence would shortly arouse tearful cries and groans for the Samnites, and the memory of the Caudine peace would be considerably more sorrowful for the Samnites than for the Romans; for each of them would keep his own spirit wherever they should meet; the Caudine passes would not be everywhere for the Samnites.
iam Romae etiam sua infamis clades erat.
Already in Rome, too, their own infamous disaster was known.
§9.7.6obsessos primum audierunt; tristior deinde ignominiosae pacis magis quam periculi nuntius fuit.
At first they heard that they were besieged; then the news of the ignominious peace was sadder than that of the danger.
§9.7.7ad famam obsidionis dilectus haberi coeptus erat; dimissus deinde auxiliorum apparatus, postquam deditionem tam foede factam acceperunt, extemploque sine ulla publica auctoritate consensum in omnem formam luctus est.
At the report of the siege, a levy had begun to be held; then the preparation of auxiliary troops was dismissed, after they received the news of a surrender so foully made, and immediately, without any public decree, a consensus was reached on every form of mourning.
tabernae circa forum clausae, §9.7.8iustitiumque in foro sua sponte coeptum prius quam indictum; lati clavi, anuli aurei positi; §9.7.9paene maestior exercitu ipso civitas esse nec ducibus solum atque auctoribus sponsoribusque pacis irasci sed innoxios etiam milites odisse et negare urbe tectisve accipiendos.
The shops around the forum were closed, and a suspension of public business in the forum began spontaneously before it was proclaimed; the broad purple stripes and golden rings were laid aside; the state was almost more sorrowful than the army itself, and was angry not only with the leaders, authors, and sponsors of the peace, but even hated the innocent soldiers and declared they should not be received into the city or into homes.
§9.7.10quam concitationem animorum fregit adventus exercitus etiam iratis miserabilis.
This excitement of minds was broken by the arrival of the army, pitiful even to the angry.
non enim tamquam in patriam revertentes ex insperato incolumes, §9.7.11sed captorum habitu vultuque ingressi sero in urbem, ita se in suis quisque tectis abdiderunt, ut postero atque insequentibus diebus nemo eorum forum aut publicum aspicere vellet.
For they did not enter the city like men returning unexpectedly safe to their country, but with the habit and countenance of captives, entering late into the city; and each so hid himself in his own house that on the next and following days none of them wished to look upon the forum or the public.
§9.7.12consules in privato abditi nihil pro magistratu agere, nisi quod expressum senatus consulto est, ut dictatorem dicerent comitiorum causa.
The consuls, shut up in private, did nothing in their magisterial capacity, except what was wrung from them by a decree of the senate, namely, to name a dictator for the purpose of holding the elections.
Q. Fabium Ambustum dixerunt §9.7.13et P. Aelium Paetum magistrum equitum; §9.7.14quibus vitio creatis suffecti M. Aemilius Papus dictator, L. Valerius Flaccus magister equitum.
They named Quintus Fabius Ambustus, and Publius Aelius Paetus as master of the horse; these having been created with some defect, Marcus Aemilius Papus was substituted as dictator, and Lucius Valerius Flaccus as master of the horse.
nec per eos comitia habita; et quia taedebat populum omnium magistratuum eius anni, res ad interregnum rediit.
Nor were the elections held by them; and because the people were weary of all the magistrates of that year, the matter returned to an interregnum.
interreges Q. Fabius Maximus, M. Valerius Corvus.
The interreges were Quintus Fabius Maximus and Marcus Valerius Corvus.
§9.7.15is consules creavit Q. Publilium Philonem tertiunm et L. Papirium Cursorem iterum haud dubio consensu civitatis, quod nulli ea tempestate duces clariores essent.
The latter created as consuls Quintus Publilius Philo, for the third time, and Lucius Papirius Cursor, for the second time, with the undoubted consensus of the state, because there were no more illustrious leaders at that time.