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), 4.24

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[1]

This affair ended a good deal more quietly ¹ than anybody had anticipated.

[2] It was reported by merchants ² that the Veientes had been refused assistance and had been told that having embarked on the war at their own discretion they must prosecute it with their own forces nor seek the alliance of those in their adversity with whom they had not shared the prospect of success.

[3] Whereupon the dictator, that his appointment might not have been for nothing, was desirous, being deprived of the means of winning military renown, of accomplishing some peaceful achievement to signalize his dictatorship. He therefore laid his plans to weaken the censorship, either thinking its powers excessive, or troubled less by the greatness of the office than by its long duration.

[4] So, calling an assembly, he said that the immortal gods had undertaken to manage the foreign relations of the state and to make everything safe: he himself would do what needed to be done within the City, and would defend the liberty of the Roman People. Now the greatest safeguard was that great powers should not be long-continued, but that a limit of time should be imposed on them, since no limit of jurisdiction could be. Other magistracies were tenable for one year, the censorship for five.

[5] It was a serious matter for the same man to have authority over people for so many years, in a great part of their affairs. He announced that he should propose a law that the censorship might not last longer than a year and a half.

[6] With vast enthusiasm on the part of the people the law was next day enacted, and Mamercus exclaimed,

That you may have positive proof, Quirites, how little I approve prolonged authority, I lay down my dictatorship.

[7] Thus, having resigned his own ³ magistracy and assigned a limit for the other, he was escorted to his home by the people, with striking manifestations of rejoicing and good-will. The censors, in their indignation that Mamercus had abridged a magistracy of the Roman People, removed him from his tribe, and assessing him at eight times his former tax, disfranchised him. ⁴ This they say Mamercus bore with great fortitude, having regard rather to the cause of his humiliation than to the humiliation itself. The leading patricians, though they had opposed the curtailment of the jurisdiction of the censorship, were offended by this example of censorial ruthlessness, since each of them perceived that he should be subjected to the censor for a longer period and more frequently than he should hold the

[8] censor's office. The people at any rate are said to have been so enraged that no man's influence but that of Mamercus himself could have shielded the censors from their violence.

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.) — 4.24 focus

[1] ea res aliquanto expectatione omnium tranquillior fuit.

[2] itaque cum renuntiatum a mercatoribus esset negata Veientibus auxilia iussosque suo consilio bellum initum suis viribus exequi nec adversarum rerum quaerere socios, cum quibus spem integram communicare noluerint,

[3] tur sint dictator, ne nequiquam creatus esset, materia quaerendae bello gloriae adempta in pace aliquid operis edere, quod monumentum esset dictaturae, cupiens censuram minuere parat seu nimiam potestatem ratus seu non tam magnitudine honoris quam diuturnitate offensus.

[4] contione itaque advocata rem publicam foris gerendam ait tutaque omnia praestanda deos inmortales suscepisse; se, quod intra muros agendum esset, libertati populi Romani consulturum. maximam autem eius custodiam esse, si magna imperia diuturna non essent et temporis. modus inponeretur, quibus iuris inponi non posset. alios magistratus annuos esse, quinquennalem censuram.

[5] grave esse iisdem per tot annos, magnam partem vitae, obnoxios vivere. se legem laturum, ne plus quam annua ac semenstris censura esset.

[6] consensu ingenti populi legem postero die pertulit et “ut re ipsa” inquit “sciatis, Quirites, quam mihi diuturna non placeant imperia, dictatura me abdico.” Deposito deposito suo magistratu,

[7] inposito fine alteri cum gratulatione ac favore ingenti populi domum est reductus. censores aegre passi Mamercum, quod magistratum populi Romani minuisset, tribu moverunt octiplicatoque censu aerarium fecerunt.

[8] quam rem ipsum ingenti animo tulisse ferunt causam potius ignominiae intuentem quam ignominiam; primores patrum, quamquam deminutum censurae ins ius noluissent, exemplo acerbitatis censoriae offensos, quippe cum se quisque diutius ac saepius subiectum censoribus fore cerneret quam censuram gesturum;

[9] populi certe tanta indignatio coorta dicitur, ut via a censoribus nullius auctoritate praeterquam ipsius Mamerci deterreri quiverit.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 4.24 focus

[1]

ea res aliquanto exspectatione omnium ¹ tranquillior fuit.

[2] itaque cum renuntiatum a mercatoribus esset negata Veientibus auxilia, iussosque suo consilio bellum initum suis viribus exsequi nec adversarum rerum quaerere socios, cum quibus spem integram communicati non sint, ²

[3] tum dictator, ne nequiquam creatus esset, materia quaerendae bello gloriae adempta, in pace aliquid operis edere quod monumentum esset dictaturae cupiens, censuram minuere parat seu nimiam potestatem ratus seu non tam magnitudine honoris quam diuturnitate offensus.

[4] contione itaque advocata rem publicam foris gerendam ait tutaque omnia praestanda deos immortales suscepisse: se, quod intra muros agendum esset, libertati populi Romani consulturum; maximam autem eius custodiam esse si magna imperia diuturna non essent et temporis modus imponeretur quibus iuris imponi non posset;

[5] alios magistratus annuos esse, quinquennalem censuram; grave ³ esse iisdem per tot annos magna parte vitae obnoxios vivere; se legem laturum, ne plus quam annua ac semestris censura esset.

[6] consensu ingenti populi legem postero die pertulit et

ut re ipsa

inquit

sciatis, Quirites, quam mihi diuturna non placeant imperia, dictatura me abdico.

[7] deposito suo magistratu, ⁴ imposito fine alteri, cum gratulatione ac favore ingenti populi domum est reductus. censores aegre passi Mamercum quod magistratum populi Romani minuisset tribu moverunt octiplicatoque censu aerarium fecerunt.

[8] quam rem ipsum ingenti animo tulisse ferunt causam potius ignominiae intuentem quam ignominiam; primores patrum, quamquam deminutum censurae ius noluissent, exemplo acerbitatis censoriae offensos, quippe cum se quisque diutius ac saepius subiectum censoribus fore cerneret quam censuram gesturum:

[9] populi certe tanta indignatio coorta dicitur ut vis a censoribus nullius auctoritate praeterquam ipsius Mamerci deterreri quiverit.

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).) — 4.24 focus

[1]

ea res aliquanto exspectatione omnium ¹ tranquillior fuit.

[5] alios magistratus annuos esse, quinquennalem censuram; grave ³ esse iisdem per tot annos magna parte vitae obnoxios vivere; se legem laturum, ne plus quam annua ac semestris censura esset.

[6] consensu ingenti populi legem postero die pertulit et

ut re ipsa

inquit

sciatis, Quirites, quam mihi diuturna non placeant imperia, dictatura me abdico.

[9] populi certe tanta indignatio coorta dicitur ut vis a censoribus nullius auctoritate praeterquam ipsius Mamerci deterreri quiverit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 4.24 focus

[1]

That matter passed off much more quietly than any one expected.

[2] Therefore when word was brought by certain traders, that aid was refused to the Veientians, and that they were bid to prosecute with their own strength a war entered into on their own separate views, and not to seek out persons as sharers in their distresses, to whom they had not communicated their hopes when flourishing;

[3] the dictator, that his appointment might not be in vain, all opportunity of acquiring military glory being now taken from him, desirous of performing during peace some work which might serve as a memorial of his dictatorship, sets about limiting the censorship, either judging its powers excessive, or disapproving of the duration rather than the extent of the office.

[4] Accordingly, having summoned a meeting, he says

that the immortal gods had taken on themselves that the public affairs should be managed externally, and that the general security should be insured; that with respect to what was to be done within the walls, he would provide for the liberty of the Ro- man people. But that the most effectual guarding of it was, that offices of great power should not be of long continuance; and that a limit of time should be set to those to which a limit of jurisdiction could not be set.

[5]

That other offices were an- nual, that the censorship was quinquennial; that it was a grievance to be subject to the same individuals for such a number of years in a considerable part of the affairs of life. That he would propose a law, that the censorship should not last longer than a year and half.

[6] Amid the great approbation of the people he passed the law on the following day, and says,

that you may know, Romans, in reality, how little pleasing to me are offices of long duration, I resign the dictatorship.

Having laid down his own office, and set a limit to the office of others, he was escorted home with the congratulation and great good will of the people.

[7] The censors resenting Mamercus' conduct for his having diminished the duration of one of the offices of the Roman people, degraded him from his tribe, and increasing his taxes eight-fold, disfranchised ¹ him. They say that he bore this with great magnanimity as he considered the cause of the disgrace, rather than the disgrace itself; that the principal patricians also, though they had been averse to the curtailing the privileges of the censorship, were much displeased at this instance of censorial severity; inasmuch as each saw that he would be longer and more frequently subjected to the censors, than he should hold the office of censor. Certain it is that such indignation is said to

[8] have arisen on the part of the people, that violence could not be kept off from the censors through the influence of any person except of Mamercus himself.

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.) — 4.24 focus

[1] The¹ occasion passed off more quietly than anybody expected.

[2] Information was brought by traders that help had been refused to the Veientines; they were told to prosecute with their own resources a war which they had commenced on their own initiative, and not, now that they were in difficulties, to look for allies amongst those whom in their prosperity they refused to take into their confidence.

[3] The Dictator was now deprived of any opportunity of acquiring fame in war, but he was anxious to achieve some work which might be a memorial of his dictatorship and prevent it from appearing an unnecessary appointment, so he made preparations for abridging the censorship, either because he considered its power excessive, or because he objected not so much to the greatness as the length of

[4] duration of the office. Accordingly he convened the Assembly and said that as the gods had undertaken the conduct of the State in external affairs and made everything safe, he would do what required to be done within the walls, and take counsel for the liberties of the Roman people. Those liberties were most securely guarded when those who held great powers did not hold them long, and when offices which could not be limited in their jurisdiction were limited in their tenure.

[5] Whilst the other magistracies were annual, the censorship was a quinquennial one. It was a distinct grievance to have to live at the mercy of the same men for so many years, in fact for a considerable part of one's life.

[6] He was going to bring in a law that the censorship should not last longer than eighteen months. He carried the law the next day amidst the enthusiastic approval of the people, and then made the following announcement: “That you may really know, Quirites, how much I disapprove of prolonged rule, I now lay down my dictatorship.”

[7] After thus resigning his own magistracy and limiting the other one, he was escorted home amidst the hearty good-will and congratulations of the people. The censors were extremely angry with Mamercus for having limited the power of a Roman magistrate, they struck him out of his tribe, increased his assessment eightfold, and disfranchised him.

[8] It is recorded that he bore this most magnanimously, thinking more of the cause which led to the ignominy being inflicted upon him than of the ignominy itself. The leading men amongst the patricians, though disapproving of the limitation imposed on the censorial jurisdiction, were shocked at this instance of the harsh exercise of its power, for each recognised that he would be subject to the censors more frequently and for a longer time than he would be censor himself.

[9] At all events the people, it is said, felt so indignant that no one but Mamercus possessed sufficient authority to protect the censors from violence.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 434

2. This implies that the meetings of the league were made occasions for fairs. Cp. the fair at the shrine of Feronia, I. xxx. 5.

3. B.C. 434

4. The aerarii were the lowest class of citizens. They could neither vote nor hold office; were not eligible for service in the legion; and shared in the burdens of the state only by the payment of taxes 8 — aes —assessed by the censors, instead of being determined by the citizen's sworn declaration, as was the case with members of the five classes.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 4.24

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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