Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 10.22

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[2] no one doubted that Fabius would by the ¹ common voice of all be for the fifth time elected; and in fact the prerogative centuries and all those which were summoned first ² were naming him consul, together with Lucius Volumnius.

Fabius then made a speech, to the same purport as he had done two years before; but, overborne by the general agreement, he ended by requesting that he might have for colleague Publius Decius, who would be a prop to his old age.

[3] in the censorship and the two consulships which he had shared with Decius, he had found that nothing more tended to the preservation of the commonwealth than the harmony of colleagues. to a new partner in authority he could now hardly hope to adapt an old man's mind: with one whose character he knew, it would be easier to share his counsels.

[4] his plea was seconded by the consul, who bestowed well —merited

[5] praise on Publius Decius, and recalling the advantages that accrued from harmony betwixt the consuls to the administration of military measures and the harm that resulted from their discord, reminded his hearers how dire had been the danger occasioned lately by the strife between himself and his colleague.

[6] Decius and Fabius, he said, were of one heart and one mind, and were, besides, men born for war, ³ great in their deeds, but unskilled in the strife of words and of the tongue.

[7] theirs were talents meet for the consul's office. but shrewd and clever men, masters of the law and of eloquence, like Appius Claudius, should be had to preside over the City and the Forum, ⁴ and should be elected praetors to administer

[8] justice. with these transactions the day was taken

[9] up. on the following day, by the direction of the consul, elections were held both of consuls and of praetors. Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius were chosen consuls and Appius Claudius praetor —all three being absent ⁵ —and the senate passed a decree, which the people ratified, prolonging for a year the command of Lucius Volumnius.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor). Medford, MA. .

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Sage, Evan T.; Schlesinger, Alfred C., translators. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959. (Loeb Classical Library))

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 10.22 focus

[1] nemini dubium erat, quin Q. Fabius omnium consensu destinaretur, eumque et praerogativae et primo vocatae omnes centuriae consulem cum L. Volumnio dicebant.

[2] Fabi oratio fuit, qualis biennio ante; deinde, ut vincebatur consensu, versa postremo ad collegam P. Decium poscendum:

[3] id senectuti suae adminiculum fore. censura duobusque consulatibus simul gestis expertum se, nihil concordi collegio firmius ad rem publicam tuendam esse. novo imperii socio vix iam adsuescere senilem animum posse; cum moribus notis facilius se communicaturum consilia.

[4] Subscripsit subscripsit orationi eius consul cum meritis P. Deci laudibus, tur, quae ex concordia consulum bona quaeque ex discordia mala in administratione rerum militarium evenirent,

[5] memorando, quamque prope ultimum discrimen suis et collegae certaminibus nuper ventum foret, admonendo;

[6] Decium Fabiumque uno animo, una mente vivere; esse praeterea viros natos militiae, factis magnos, ad verborum linguaeque certamina rudes:

[7] ea ingenia consularia esse; callidos sollertesque, iuris atque eloquentiae consultos, qualis Ap. Claudius esset, urbi ac foro praesides habendos praetoresque ad reddenda iura creandos esse.

[8] his agendis dies est consumptus.

[9] postridie ad praescriptum consulis et consularia et praetoria comitia habita. consules creati Q. Fabius et P. Decius, Ap. Claudius praetor, omnes absentes. et L. Volumnio ex senatus consulto et scito plebis prorogatum in annum imperium est.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 10.22 focus

[1]

nemini dubium erat quin Fabius quintum ¹ omnium consensu destinaretur; eumque et praerogativae et primo vocatae omnes centuriae consulem cum L. Volumnio dicebant.

[2] Fabi oratio fuit qualis biennio ante; deinde, ut vincebatur consensu, versa postremo ad collegam P. Decium poscendum:

[3] id senectuti suae adminiculum fore. censura duobusque consulatibus simul gestis expertum se nihil concordi collegio firmius ad rem publicam tuendam esse. novo imperii socio vix iam adsuescere senilem animum posse;

[4] cum moribus notis facilius se communicaturum consilia. subscripsit orationi eius consul cum meritis P. Deci laudibus, tum quae ex concordia consulum bona quaeque ex discordia mala in administratione rerum militarium evenirent memorando,

[5] quamque ² prope ultimum discrimen suis et collegae certaminibus nuper ventum foret, admonendo;

[6] Decium Fabiumque uno animo, una mente ³ vivere; esse praeterea viros natos militiae, factis ⁴ magnos, ad verborum linguaeque certamina rudes. ea ingenia consularia esse:

[7] callidos sollertesque, iuris atque eloquentiae consultos, qualis Ap. Claudius esset, urbi ac foro ⁵ praesides habendos praetoresque ad reddenda iura creandos esse.

[8] his agendis dies est consumptus. postridie ad praescriptum consulis et consularia et praetoria comitia habita.

[9] consules creati Q. Fabius et P. Decius, Ap. Claudius praetor, omnes absentes; et L. Volumnio ex senatus consulto et scito plebis prorogatum in annum imperium est.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Livy in Fourteen Volumes. Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Schlesinger, Alfred C., editors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959 (printing).) — 10.22 focus

[1]

nemini dubium erat quin Fabius quintum ¹ omnium consensu destinaretur; eumque et praerogativae et primo vocatae omnes centuriae consulem cum L. Volumnio dicebant.

[2] Fabi oratio fuit qualis biennio ante; deinde, ut vincebatur consensu, versa postremo ad collegam P. Decium poscendum:

[5] quamque ² prope ultimum discrimen suis et collegae certaminibus nuper ventum foret, admonendo;

[6] Decium Fabiumque uno animo, una mente ³ vivere; esse praeterea viros natos militiae, factis ⁴ magnos, ad verborum linguaeque certamina rudes. ea ingenia consularia esse:

[7] callidos sollertesque, iuris atque eloquentiae consultos, qualis Ap. Claudius esset, urbi ac foro ⁵ praesides habendos praetoresque ad reddenda iura creandos esse.

[8] his agendis dies est consumptus. postridie ad praescriptum consulis et consularia et praetoria comitia habita.

[9] consules creati Q. Fabius et P. Decius, Ap. Claudius praetor, omnes absentes; et L. Volumnio ex senatus consulto et scito plebis prorogatum in annum imperium est.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 10.22 focus

[1]

No one doubted but that Quintus Fabius would be chosen by universal consent; and accordingly, the prerogative, and all the first-called centuries, were for naming him consul with Lucius Volumnius.

[2] The speech of Fabius was to the same purpose as it had been two years before; but afterwards, when he yielded to the general wish, he applied himself to procure Decius to be appointed his confederate:

that,

he said,

would be a prop to his advanced age.

[3]

In the censorship, and two consulships, in which they had been associated, he had experienced that there could be no firmer support, in promoting the interest of the commonwealth, than harmony with a colleague. At his advanced stage of life, his mind could hardly conform itself to a new associate in command; and he could more easily act in concert with a temper to which he had been familiarized.

[4] Volumnius subscribed to these sentiments, both by bestowing due praises on Publius Decius, and enumerating

the advantages resulting from concord between consuls, and the evils arising from their disagreement in the conduct of military affairs;

[5] at the same time remarking,

how near the extremity of danger matters had been brought, by the late dispute between his colleague and himself.

[6] He warmly recommended to Decius and Fabius to

live together with one mind and one spirit.

Observed that

they were men qualified by nature for military command: great in action, but unpractised in the strife of words and eloquence; their talents were such as eminently became consuls.

[7]

As to the artful and the ingenious lawyers and orators, such as Appius Claudius, they ought to be kept at home to preside in the city and the forum; and to be appointed praetors for the administration of justice.

[8] In these proceedings that day was spent, and, on the following, the elections both of consuls and praetor were held, and were guided by the recommendations suggested by the consul.

[9] Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius were chosen consuls; Appius Claudius, praetor; all of them absent; and, by a decree of the senate, followed by an order of the commons, Lucius Volumnius was continued in the command for another year.

History of Rome Perseus (Volumes 1-2. Roberts, Canon, Rev, translator. London, New York: J. M. Dent and Sons; E. P. Dutton and Co., 1912.) — 10.22 focus

[1] After this speech no one felt the slightest doubt that Q. Fabius would be unanimously elected. The “prerogative” centuries and all those of the first class were voting for him and Volumnius, when he again addressed the electors very much

[2] in the terms he had employed two years before, and as on the former occasion when he yielded to the universal wish, so now he again requested that P. Decius might be his colleague.

[3] He would be a support for his old age to lean upon, they had been together as censors, and twice as consuls, and he had learnt by experience that nothing went further to protect the State than harmony between colleagues. He felt that he could hardly at his time of life get accustomed to a new comrade in office, he could so much more easily share all his counsels with one whose character and disposition he knew.

[4] Volumnius confirmed what Fabius had said. He bestowed a well-deserved encomium on Decius, and pointed out what an advantage in military operations is gained by harmony between the consuls,

[5] and what mischief is wrought when they are at variance. He mentioned as an instance the recent misunderstanding between him and

[6] his colleague which almost led to a national disaster, and he solemnly admonished Decius and Fabius that they should live together with one mind and one heart. They were, he continued, born commanders, great in action, unskilled in wordy debate, possessing, in fact, all the qualifications of a consul.

[7] Those, on the other hand, who were clever and cunning in law, and practised pleaders, like Appius Claudius, ought to be employed in the City and on the bench; they should be elected praetors to administer justice.

[8] The discussion in the Assembly lasted the whole day. On the morrow the elections were held for both consuls and praetors.

[9] The consul's recommendation was acted upon; Q. Fabius and P. Decius were elected consuls, and Appius Claudius was returned as praetor; they were all elected in their absence. The senate passed a resolution, which the Assembly confirmed by a plebiscite, that Volumnius' command should be extended for a year.

Notes on the current edition

Ab Urbe Condita With An English Translation, books 1-10, 21-45, with periochae 11-20

1. B.C. 295

2. The praerogativae were the 18 centuries of knights; the others here referred to were the 80 centuries of the first class, cf. I. xliii. 11.

3. B.C. 295

4. Where the law —courts were held.

5. Fabius and Decius can only have been absent from the voting place, but Appius was away from Rome.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 10.22

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

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