Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, D. Spillan, A.M., M.D. (Translator), Cyrus Edmonds (Translator), William A. McDevitte (Translator), 5.24

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[1]

After the capture of Veii, the following year had six military tribunes with consular power, the two Publii Cornelii, Cossus and Scipio, Marcus Valerius Maximus a second time, Kaeso Fabius Ambustus a third time, Lucius Furius Medullinus a fifth time, Quintus Servilius a third time. To the Cornelii the Faliscian war, to Valerius and Servilius the Capenatian war, fell by lot.

[2] By them no cities were attempted by storm or by siege, but the country was laid waste, and the plunder of the effects on the lands was driven off; not a single fruit tree, not a vegetable was left on the land. These losses reduced the people of Capena; peace was granted to them on their suing for it. The war among the Faliscians still continued.

[3] At Rome in the mean time sedition became multiplied; and for the purpose of assuaging this they resolved that a colony should be sent off to the Volscian country, for which three thousand Roman citizens should be enrolled; and the triumvirs appointed for the purpose, distributed three acres and seven-twelfths to each man.

[4] This donation began to be scorned, because they thought that it was offered as a solace for the disappointment of higher hopes. For why were the commons to be sent into exile to the Volscians, when the magnificent city of Veii was still in view, and the Veientian territory, more fertile and extensive than the Roman territory?

[5] The city also they extolled as preferable to the city of Rome, both in situation, in the grandeur of its enclosures, and buildings, both public and private. Nay, even that scheme was proposed, which after the taking of Rome by the Gauls was still more strongly urged, of removing to Veii. But they destined Veii to be inhabited by half the commons and half the senate; and that two cities of one common republic might be inhabited by the Roman people. ¹ When the nobles strove against these measures so strenuously, as to de- dare "that they would sooner die in the sight of the Roman people, than that any

[6] of these things should be put to the vote; for that now in one city there were so many dissensions; what would there be in two? Would any one prefer a vanquished to a victorious city; and suffer Veii now after being captured to enjoy greater prosperity than it had before its

[7] capture? Lastly, that they may be forsaken in their country by their fellow-citizens; that no power should ever oblige them to forsake their country and fellow-citizens, and follow Titus Licinius (for he was the tribune of the commons who proposed the measure) as a founder to Veii, abandoning the divine Romulus, the son of a god, the parent and founder of the city of Rome. When these proceedings were going on with shameful contentions, (for the

[8] patricians had drawn over one half of the tribunes of the commons to their sentiments,) nothing else obliged the commons to refrain from violence, but that whenever a clamour was set up for the purpose of commencing a riot, the principal members of the senate, presenting themselves among the foremost to the crowd, ordered that they themselves should be attacked, struck, and put to death. Whilst they abstained from violating their age, dignity, and honourable station, their respect for them checked their rage even with respect to similar attempts on others.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). D. Spillan, A.M., M.D. (Translator), Cyrus Edmonds (Translator), William A. McDevitte (Translator). Medford, MA. .

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's 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.) — 5.24 focus

[1] Veis captis sex tribunos militum consulari potestate insequens annus habuit, duos P. Cornelios, Cossum et Scipionem, M. Valerium Maximum iterum, K. Fabium Ambustum iterum, L. Furium Medullinum quintum, Q. Servilium tertium.

[2] Corneliis Faliscum bellum, Valerio ac Servilio Capenas sorte evenit. ab iis non urbes vi aut operibus temptatae, sed ager est depopulatus praedaeque rerum agrestium actae; nulla felix arbor, nihil frugiferum in agro relictum.

[3] ea clades Capenatem populum subegit; pax petentibus data; in Faliscis bellum restabat. Romae interim multiplex seditio erat,

[4] cuius leniendae causa coloniam in Volscos, quo tria milia civium Romanorum scriberentur, deducendam censuerant, triumvirique ad id creati terna iugera et septunces viritim diviserant.

[5] ea largitio sperni coepta, quia spe maioris avertendae solacium obiectum censebant: cur enim relegari plebem in Volscos, cum pulcherrima urbs Vei agerque Veientanus in conspectu sit, uberior ampliorque Romano agro?

[6] urbem quoque urbi Romae vel situ vel magnificentia publicorum privatorumque tectorum ac locorum praeponebant.

[7] quin illa quoque actio movebatur, quae post captam utique Romam a Gallis celebratior fuit, transmigrandi Veios.

[8] ceterum partem plebis, partem senatus destinabant ad habitandos Veios, duasque urbes communis rei publicae incoli a populo Romano posse. Adversus aduersus quae cum optimates ita tenderent,

[9] ut morituros se citius dicerent in conspectu populi Romani, quam quicquam earum rerum rogaretur;

[10] quippe nunc in una urbe tantum dissensionum esse; quid in duabus urbibus fore? victamne ut quisquam victrici patriae praeferret sineretque maiorem fortunam captis esse Veis, quam incolumibus fuerit?

[11] postremo se relinqui a civibus in patria posse; ut relinquant. patriam atque cives, nullam vim umquam subacturam, et T. Sicinium — is enim ex tribunis plebis rogationis eius lator erat — conditorem Veios sequantur relicto deo Romulo, dei filio, parente et auctore urbis Romae:

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 5.24 focus

[2] Veiis captis sex tribunos militum consulari ¹ potestate insequens annus habuit, duos P. Cornelios, Cossum et Scipionem, M. Valerium Maximum iterum K. Fabium Ambustum tertium ² L. Furium Medullinum quintum Q. Servilium tertium.

corneliis Faliscum bellum, Valerio ac Servilio Capenas sorte evenit. ab iis non urbes vi aut operibus temptatae, sed ager est depopulatus praedaeque rerum agrestium actae; nulla felix arbor, nihil frugiferum in agro relictum.

[3] ea clades Capenatem populum subegit; pax petentibus data; in Faliscis bellum restabat.

[4] Romae interim multiplex seditio erat, cuius leniendae causa coloniam in Volscos, quo tria milia civium Romanorum scriberentur, deducendam censuerant, triumvirique ad id creati terna iugera et septunces viritim diviserant.

[5] ea largitio sperni coepta, quia spei maioris avertendae solacium obiectum censebant: cur enim relegari plebem in Volscos, cum pulcherrima urbs Veii agerque Veientanus in conspectu sit, uberior ampliorque Romano agro?

[6] urbem quoque urbi Romae vel situ vel magnificentia ³ publicorum privatorumque tectorum ac locorum praeponebant.

[7] quin illa quoque actio movebatur, quae post captam utique Romam a Gallis celebratior fuit, transmigrandi Veios.

[8] ceterum partem plebis, partem senatus destinabant ad habitandos ⁴ Veios, duasque urbes communi rei re publica ⁵ incoli a populo Romano posse.

[9] adversus quae cum optimates ita tenderent ut morituros se citius dicerent in conspectu populi Romani quam quicquam earum rerum rogaretur; quippe nunc in una urbe tantum dissensionum esse:

[10] quid in duabus ⁶ fore? victamne ut quisquam victrici patriae praeferret sineretque maiorem fortunam captis esse Veiis, quam incolumibus fuerit? postremo se relinqui a civibus in patria posse:

[11] ut relinquant patriam atque cives nullam vim unquam subacturam, et T. Sicinium—is enim ex tribunis plebis rogationis eius lator erat—conditorem Veios sequantur relicto deo Romulo, dei filio, parente et auctore urbis Romae.

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).) — 5.24 focus

[3] ea clades Capenatem populum subegit; pax petentibus data; in Faliscis bellum restabat.

[6] urbem quoque urbi Romae vel situ vel magnificentia ³ publicorum privatorumque tectorum ac locorum praeponebant.

[7] quin illa quoque actio movebatur, quae post captam utique Romam a Gallis celebratior fuit, transmigrandi Veios.

[8] ceterum partem plebis, partem senatus destinabant ad habitandos ⁴ Veios, duasque urbes communi rei re publica ⁵ incoli a populo Romano posse.

[9] adversus quae cum optimates ita tenderent ut morituros se citius dicerent in conspectu populi Romani quam quicquam earum rerum rogaretur; quippe nunc in una urbe tantum dissensionum esse:

[10] quid in duabus ⁶ fore? victamne ut quisquam victrici patriae praeferret sineretque maiorem fortunam captis esse Veiis, quam incolumibus fuerit? postremo se relinqui a civibus in patria posse:

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (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)) — 5.24 focus

[1]

The year which followed the capture of ¹ Veii had six consular tribunes, to wit, the two Publii Cornelii, Cossus and Scipio, Marcus Valerius Maximus (for the second time), Caeso Fabius Ambustus (for the third), Lucius Furius Medullinus (for the fifth), Quintus Servilius (for the third). To the Cornelii was allotted the Faliscan war, to Valerius and Servilius the war with Capena.

[2] They attempted no cities, either by assault or by siege, but wasted the countryside and despoiled the farmers of their possessions, leaving not one fruit-tree in the land nor any productive plant. This devastation overcame the resistance of the Capenates; they begged for peace and it was granted.

[3] In the Faliscan country the war went on.

[4] At Rome, meanwhile, there were disturbances of many sorts, to quiet which the senate had voted to plant a colony on the Volscian frontier, and to enroll for that destination three thousand Roman citizens, to each of whom a board of three, appointed for the purpose, had proposed to assign three iugera ² and seven-twelfths.

[5] This donation men were disposed to spurn, regarding it as a sop intended to divert their hopes from greater things: for why should the plebs be banished to the Volscian country, when the fair city of Veii and the Veientine lands (more fertile and extensive than those of Rome) were there in plain sight?

[6] The city, too, they preferred to ³ the City of Rome, whether for situation, or for the splendour of its public and private buildings and its places.

[7] Nay, they even mooted the plan which certainly had a great following later, when the Gauls had captured Rome, of migrating to Veii. ⁴

[8] For the rest, they intended that half of the plebs and half of the senate should dwell in Veii, regarding it as possible for the Roman people to inhabit two cities with a common polity.

[9] This proposal the patricians opposed with such vehemence as to declare that they would sooner die in the sight of the Roman People than suffer anything of the sort to come to a vote; for when there was already so much dissension in a single city, what would it be in two?

[10] Was it possible that any man should prefer a vanquished to a victorious city, and suffer Veii captured to enjoy a greater fortune than Veii free?

[11] In fine, it was conceivable that they should be left behind in their native city by their fellow Romans; but to forsake their country and their fellow-citizens no violence should ever force them; they had no mind to follow Titus Sicinius —the tribune of the plebs who had proposed the bill —to Veii, as their founder, abandoning the god Romulus, the son of a god, the Father and Author of the Roman City.

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.) — 5.24 focus

[1] The¹ year following the capture of Veii had for the six consular tribunes two of the Publii Cornelii, namely, Cossus and Scipio, M. Valerius Maximus —for the second time —Caeso Fabius Ambustus —for the third time —L. Furius Medullinus —for the fifth time —and Q. Servilius —for the third time.

[2] The war against the Faliscans was allotted to the Cornelii, that against Capenae to Valerius and Servilius. They did not make any attempt to take cities either by assault or investment, but confined themselves to ravaging the country and carrying off the property of the agriculturists; not a single fruit tree, no produce whatever, was left on the land.

[3] These losses broke the resistance of the Capenates, they sued for peace and it was granted them. Amongst the Faliscans the war went on.

[4] In Rome, meanwhile, disturbances arose on various matters. In order to quiet them it had been decided to plant a colony on the Volscian frontier, and the names of 3000 Roman citizens were entered for it. Triumvirs appointed for the purpose had divided the land into lots of 3 7/12 jugera per man.

[5] This grant began to be looked upon with contempt, they regarded it as a sop offered to them to divert them from hoping for something better. “Why,” they asked, “were plebeians to be sent into banishment amongst the Volscians when the splendid city of Veii and the territory of the Veientines was within view, more fertile and more ample than the territory of Rome?”

[6] Whether in respect of its situation or of the magnificence of its public and private buildings and its open spaces, they gave that city the preference over Rome.

[7] They even brought forward a proposal, which met with still more support after the capture of Rome by the Gauls, for migrating to Veii.

[8] They intended, however, that Veii should be inhabited by a portion of the plebs and a part of the senate;

[9] they thought it a feasible project that two separate cities should be inhabited by the Roman people and form one State. In opposition to these proposals, the nobility went so far as to declare that they would sooner die before the eyes of the Roman people than that any of those schemes should be put to the vote.

[10] If, they argued, there was so much dissension in one city, what would there be in two? Could any one possibly prefer a conquered to a conquering city, and allow Veii to enjoy a greater good fortune after its capture than while it stood safe?

[11] It was possible that in the end they might be left behind in their native City by their fellow-citizens, but no power on earth would compel them to abandon their native City and their fellow-citizens in order to follow T. Sicinius —the proposer of this measure —to Veii as its new founder, and so abandon Romulus, a god and the son of a god, the father and creator of the City of Rome.

Notes on the current edition

History of Rome, books 1-10, 21-45

A 6 proposal so absurd would have justified the most vehement opposition of the senate. But it is much more probable, that the scope of the proposition was, that on this occasion the whole of the conquered land should 7 be divided, but amongst the whole nation, so that the patricians also and their clients should receive 8 a share as absolute property.

— Neibuhr, vol. ii. p. 248.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 5.24

D. Spillan, A.M., M.D. (Translator), Cyrus Edmonds (Translator), William A. McDevitte (Translator)

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