in annos quadraginta petentibus datae frumento stipendioque imperato. Paci externae confestim continuatur 2 discordia domi. Agrariae legis tribuniciis stimulis plebs furebat. Consules nihil Meneni damnatione, nihil periculo deterriti Servilii summa vi resistunt. Abeuntes magistratu Cn. Genucius tribunus plebis arripuit. L. Aemilius et Opiter Verginius consulatum ineunt. Vo- 3 piscum Iulium pro Verginio in quibusdam annalibus consulem invenio. Hoc anno quoscumque consules habuit rei ad populum Furius et Manlius circumeunt sordidati non plebem magis quam iuniores patrum. Sua- 4 dent, monent, honoribus et administratione rei publicae abstineant; consulares vero fasces, praetextam, curulemque sellam nihil aliud quam pompam funeris putent; claris insignibus velut infulis velatos ad mortem destinari. Quod si consulatus tanta dulcedo sit, iam nunc 5 ita in animum inducant, consulatum captum et oppressum ab tribunicia potestate esse; consuli, velut apparitori tribunicio, omnia ad nutum imperiumque tribuni agenda esse. Si se commoverit, si respexerit patres, 6 si aliud quam plebem esse in re publica crediderit,

ously for support by force of arms and violence.

4. suadent, etc.: this, of course, is only a rhetorical picture of their own condition, not intended for any instruction. It is another chance for Livy to make a speech. — honoribus, office, including at that time only the quæstorship and consulship. pompam funeris: i.e. like the display in a funeral procession, only to escort the person to his grave. insignibus, etc.: changing the figure, he compares the same marks of honor to the decorations of a sacrificial victim.

5. iam nunc: i.e. before they went into politics.

exsilium Cn. Marci, Meneni damnationem et mortem sibi 7 proponat ante oculos. His accensi vocibus patres consilia inde non publica sed in privato seductaque a plurium conscientia habuere. Vbi cum id modo constaret, iure an iniuria eripiendos esse reos, atrocissima quaeque maxime placebat sententia, nec auctor quamvis audaci 8 facinori deerat. Igitur iudicii die cum plebs in foro erecta exspectatione staret, mirari primo quod non descenderet tribunus; dein, cum iam mora suspectior fieret, deterritum a primoribus credere, et desertam ac prodi9 tam causam publicam queri; tandem qui obversati vestibulo tribuni fuerant nuntiant domi mortuum esse inventum. Quod ubi in totam contionem pertulit rumor, sicut acies funditur duce occiso, ita dilapsi passim alii alio. Praecipuus pavor tribunos invaserat, quam nihil auxilii sacratae leges haberent, morte collegae monitos. 10 Nec patres satis moderate ferre laetitiam, adeoque neminem noxiae paenitebat ut etiam insontes fecisse videri vellent, palamque ferretur malo domandam tribuniciam potestatem.

55 Sub hac pessimi exempli victoria dilectus edicitur; paventibusque tribunis sine intercessione ulla consules 2 rem peragunt. Tum vero irasci plebs tribunorum magis silentio quam consulum imperio, et dicere actum esse

7. accensi, etc.: the harangue had the intended effect. non publica: i.e. it was a secret conspiracy. -an: the word of question on which this should depend is only implied in modo constaret, which indicates a debate of which the result was eripiendos, etc., but the other question, iure an iniuria, remained undecided; cf., for a less striking case of the same, I. 33. 8.

auctor, agent; properly, 'responsible party.'

8. igitur, etc.: a masterly touch of description. The necessary plot and means are described, and Livy skips with an 'accordingly' to the dramatic scene of the discovery of the death.

10. malo domandam: cf. 34. II. PUBLILIUS VOLERO, THE AUTHOR OF THE PUBLILIAN LAW.

55. sub, after, though the Latin says a little more than this.

2. silentio: cf. 45. 4 and 57. 4.

de libertate sua, rursus ad antiqua reditum, cum Genucio uno mortuam ac sepultam tribuniciam potestatem. Aliud agendum ac cogitandum, quo modo resistatur patribus id autem unum consilium esse, ut se ipsa 3 plebs, quando aliud nihil auxilii habeat, defendat. Quattuor et viginti lictores apparere consulibus, et eos ipsos plebis homines. Nihil contemptius neque infirmius, si sint qui contemnant; sibi quemque ea magna atque horrenda facere. His vocibus alii alios cum incitassent, ad 4 Voleronem Publilium, de plebe hominem, quia, quod ordines duxisset, negaret se militem fieri debere, lictor missus est a consulibus. Volero appellat tribunos. 5 Cum auxilio nemo esset, consules spoliari hominem et virgas expediri iubent. 'Provoco' inquit ad populum' Volero, 'quoniam tribuni civem Romanum in conspectu suo virgis caedi malunt quam ipsi in lecto suo a vobis trucidari.' Quo ferocius clamitabat, eo infestius circumscindere et spoliare lictor. Tum Volero 6 et praevalens ipse et adiuvantibus advocatis repulso lictore, ubi indignantium pro se acerrimus erat clamor, eo se in turbam confertissimam recipit, clamitans 'Provoco 7 et fidem plebis imploro: adeste cives, adeste commilito

nes. Nihil est quod exspectetis tribunos, quibus ipsis 8 vestro auxilio opus est.' Concitati homines veluti ad proelium se expediunt; apparebatque omne discrimen adesse, nihil cuiquam sanctum non publici fore non pri9 vati iuris. Huic tantae tempestati cum se consules obtulissent, facile experti sunt parum tutam maiestatem sine viribus esse. Violatis lictoribus, fascibus fractis e foro in curiam compelluntur, incerti quatenus Volero 10 exerceret victoriam. Conticescente deinde tumultu cum in senatum vocari iussissent, queruntur iniurias suas, 11 vim plebis, Voleronis audaciam. Multis ferociter dictis sententiis vicere seniores, quibus ira patrum adversus temeritatem plebis certari non placuit.

56

Voleronem amplexa favore plebs proximis comitiis tribunum plebi creat in eum annum qui Lucium Pina2 rium P. Furium consules habuit. Contraque omnium opinionem, qui eum vexandis prioris anni consulibus permissurum tribunatum credebant, post publicam causam privato dolore habito, ne verbo quidem violatis consulibus rogationem tulit ad populum ut plebei magistratus 3 tributis comitiis fierent. Haud parva res sub titulo prima specie minime atroci ferebatur, sed quae patriciis omnem potestatem per clientium suffragia creandi

at the moment, as well as at the trial of the appeal; cf. 23. 8 n.. quod: see Gr. 238. b. exspectetis: see Gr. 320. a.

8. omne discrimen, a general struggle; not for some particular point, but one in which the whole state was at stake.

9. incerti, etc.: a euphemistic way of saying they were afraid of their lives.

10. vocari: the subject is so obvious that it is omitted. 11. vicere, prevailed.

VOLERO PROPOSES HIS LAW.

56. 2. permissurum, devote; lit. 'give over.' post: with habito; elsewhere Livy uses the dative with posthabere. ad popu

lum: it is doubtful before what body Livy conceived the law to have been proposed; perhaps he had no clear idea, but most likely it was the comitia tributa; cf. 15.

3. clientium: according to Livy, these had the right to vote, but in what body is uncertain. auferret: see Gr. 320. a.

quos vellent tribunos auferret. Huic actioni gratissi- 4 mae plebi cum summa vi resisterent patres, nec, quae una vis ad resistendum erat, ut intercederet aliquis ex collegio auctoritate aut consulum aut principum adduci posset, res tamen suo ipsa molimine gravis certaminibus in annum extrahitur. Plebs Voleronem tribunum 5 reficit: patres, ad ultimum dimicationis rati rem venturam, Ap. Claudium Appi filium, iam inde a paternis certaminibus invisum infestumque plebi, consulem faciunt; collega ei Titus Quinctius datur.

Principio statim anni nihil prius quam de lege ageba- 6 tur. Sed ut inventor legis Volero, sic Laetorius collega eius auctor cum recentior tum acrior erat. Ferocem 7 faciebat belli gloria ingens, quod aetatis eius haud quisquam manu promptior erat. Is, cum Volero nihil praeterquam de lege loqueretur, insectatione abstinens consulum, ipse in accusationem Appi familiaeque super

4. actioni: the magistrate was said agere cum populo. — quae: referring to the ut clause,which, however, depends immediately on adduci. resistendum: Livy carelessly uses this word in a slightly different sense from that of resisterent above, which only means attempt to resist. — aliquis: this should be properly the subject of posset, but the sentence is confused by the parenthetical relative clause. It ought to read neque quisquam ut intercederet adduci posset, quae una vis, etc., but the parenthesis carries with it the ut clause, and we have aliquis and no subject for posset.

tamen: again a slight confusion of thought. The real idea is, 'This was a measure most agreeable to the plebs, but the senate resisted, and though they failed to secure the only effectual means, yet in spite of the zeal of the people and the

fact that no tribune could be won over to stay proceedings, the importance of the matter delayed it for a whole year,' i.e. beyond the term of office of Publilius. — molimine gravis, difficult from its importance; lit. 'heavy from its own weight.'

5. paternis: cf. 27. 1. - datur: cf. 43. II n., and see the conduct of Quinctius, ch. 15.

ut..

6. anni: naturally of the consul's term. sic: almost equal to though... yet. The idea is, 'But the struggle was with a different adversary, though (while) Volero was the inventor, yet (so also) Lætorius was a champion, a fresher and more energetic man, so that he now takes the lead.'

7. ferocem, audacious; confident and violent at the same time, as is explained in the following. familiae, etc.: cf. Tac. Ann. I. 4.