Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator), 4.49

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[1] The¹ consular tribunes for the following year were P. Cornelius Cossus, C. Valerius Potitus, Q. Quinctius Cincinnatus, and Numerius Fabius Vibulanus. There would have been two wars this year if the Veientine leaders had not deferred hostilities owing to religious scruples. Their lands had suffered from an inundation of the Tiber chiefly through the destruction of their farm

[2] buildings. The Bolani, a people of the same nationality as the Aequi, had made incursions into the adjoining territory of Labici and attacked the newly-settled colonists, in the hope of averting the consequences by receiving the unanimous support of the

[3] Aequi. But the defeat they had sustained three years before made them disinclined to render

[4] assistance; the Bolani, abandoned by their friends, lost both town and territory after a siege and one trifling engagement in a war which is not even worth

[5] recording. An attempt was made by L. Sextius, a tribune of the plebs, to carry a measure providing that colonists should be sent to Bolae as they had been to Labici, but it was defeated by the intervention of his colleagues, who made it clear that they would not allow any resolution of the plebs to take effect except on the authorisation of the senate. The consular tribunes for the following year were Cnaeus Cornelius Cossus, L. Valerius Potitus, Q. Fabius Vibulanus-for the second time-and M. Postumius

[6] Regillensis. The Aequi recaptured Bolae and strengthened the town by introducing fresh colonists. The war against the Aequi was entrusted to Postumius, a man of violent and obstinate temper, which, however, he displayed more in the hour of victory than during the war. After marching with his hastily-raised army to Bolae and crushing the spirit of the Aequi in some insignificant actions, he at length forced his way into the town. Then he diverted the contest from the enemy to his own

[7] fellow-citizens. During the assault he had issued an order that the plunder should go to the soldiers, but after the capture of the town he broke his word. I am led to believe that this was the real ground for the resentment felt by the army rather than that in a city which had been recently sacked and where a new colony had been settled, the amount of booty was less than the tribune had given

[8] out. After he had returned to the City on the summons of his colleagues owing to the commotions excited by the tribunes of the plebs, the feeling against him was intensified by a stupid and almost insane utterance in a meeting of the

[9] Assembly. Sextius was introducing an agrarian law, and stated that one of its provisions was that colonists be settled at Bolae. “Those,” he said, “who had captured Bolae deserved that the city and its territory should belong to them.” Postumius exclaimed, “It will be a bad thing for my soldiers if they do not keep quiet.” This exclamation was quite as offensive to the senators, when they heard of it, as it was to the

[10] Assembly. The tribune of the plebs was a clever man and not a bad speaker; he had now got amongst his opponents a man of insolent temper and hot tongue, whom he could irritate and provoke into saying things which would bring odium not only upon himself, but upon his cause and upon the whole of his order. There was no one amongst the consular tribunes whom he oftener drew into argument before the Assembly than

[11] Postumius. After the above quoted coarse and brutal utterance Sextius said, “Do you hear, Quirites, this man threatening his soldiers with punishment, as if they were slaves? Shall this monster appear in your eyes more worthy of his high office than the men who are trying to send you out as colonists to receive as a free gift city and land, and provide a resting-place for your old age; who are fighting gallantly for your interests against such savage and insolent opponents? Now you can begin to wonder why it is that so few take up your cause. What have they to hope for from you? Is it high office? You would rather confer it on your opponents than on the champions of the Roman people. You broke out into indignant murmurs just now when you heard what this man said. What difference does it

[12] make? If you had to give your votes now, you would prefer this man who threatens you with punishment to those who want to secure for you lands and houses and property.” When this exclamation of Postumius was reported to the soldiers it aroused much more indignation in the camp. “What!” they said, “is the embezzler of the spoils, the robber, actually threatening his soldiers with punishment?” Open as the expressions of resentment were, the quaestor P. Sestius still thought that the excitement could be repressed by the same exhibition of violence by which it had been aroused. A lictor was sent to a soldier who was shouting, this led to uproar and

[13] disorder. The quaestor was struck by a stone and got out of the crowd, the man who had hurt him exclaimed that the quaestor had got what the commander had threatened the

[14] soldiers. Postumius was sent for to deal with the outbreak; he aggravated the general irritation by the ruthless way in which he made his investigations and the cruelty of the punishments he inflicted. At last, when his rage exceeded all bounds, and a crowd had gathered at the cries of those whom he had ordered to be put to death “under the hurdle,” ² he rushed down from his tribunal in a frenzy to those who were interrupting the execution; the lictors and centurions tried in all directions to disperse the crowd, and drove them to such a pitch of exasperation that the tribune was overwhelmed beneath a shower of stones from his own

[15] army. When this dreadful deed was reported at Rome, the consular tribunes urged the senate to order an inquiry into the circumstances of the death of their colleague, but the tribunes of the plebs interposed their veto. That matter was closely connected with another subject of

[16] dispute. The senate were apprehensive lest the plebeians, either through dread of an investigation or from feelings of resentment, should elect the consular tribunes from their own body, and they did their utmost accordingly to secure the election of consuls. As the tribunes of the plebs would not allow the senate to pass a decree, and also vetoed the election of consuls, matters passed to an interregnum. The victory rested finally with the senate.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator). Medford, MA. 1997-10-28.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 4.49 focus

[1] duo bella insequens annus habuisset, quo P. Cornelius Cossus, C. Valerius Potitus, Q. Quinctius Cincinnatus, Num. Fabius Vibulanus tribuni militum consulari potestate fuerunt,

[2] ni Veiens bellum religio principum distulisset, quorum agros Tiberis super ripas effusus maxime ruinis villarum vastavit.

[3] simul Aequos triennio ante accepta clades prohibuit Bolanis, suae gentis populo, praesidium ferre.

[4] excursiones inde in confinem agrum Labicanum factae erant novisque colonis bellum inlatum.

[5] quam noxam cum se consensu omnium Aequorum defensuros sperassent, deserti ab suis ne memorabili quidem bello per obsidionem levemque unam pugnam et oppidum et fines amisere. temptatum ab L. Decio tribuno plebis,

[6] ut rogationem ferret, qua Bolas quoque, sicut Labicos, coloni mitterentur, per intercessionem collegarum, qui nullum plebi scitum nisi ex auctoritate senatus passuros se perferri ostenderunt, discussum est.

[7] Bolis insequente anno receptis Aequi coloniaque eo deducta novis viribus oppidum firmarunt tribunis militum Romae consulari potestate Cn. Cornelio Cosso, L. Valerio Potito, Q. Fabio Vibulano iterum, M. Postumio Regillensi.

[8] huic bellum adversus Aequos permissum est, pravae mentis homini, quam tamen victoria magis quam bellum ostendit.

[9] nam exercitu inpigre scripto ductoque ad Bolas cum levibus proeliis Aequorum animos fregisset, postremo in oppidum inrupit. deinde ab hostibus in civis certamen vertit et, cum inter oppugnationem praedam militis fore edixisset, capto oppido fidem mutavit.

[10] eam magis adducor ut credam irae causam exercitui fuisse, quam quod in urbe nuper direpta coloniaque nova minus praedicatione tribuni praedae fuerit.

[11] auxit eam iram, postquam ab collegis arcessitus propter seditiones tribunicias in urbem revertit, audita vox eius in contione stolida ac prope vecors, qua M. Sextio tribuno plebis legem agrariam ferenti, simul, Bolas quoque ut mitterentur coloni, laturum se dicenti — dignum enim esse, qui armis cepissent, eorum urbem agrumque Bolanum esse — “malum quidem militibus meis” inquit, “nisi quieverint.” quod auditum non contionem magis quam mox patres offendit.

[12] et tribunus plebis, vir acer nec infacundus, nactus inter adversarios superbum ingenium inmodicamque linguam, quam inritando agitandoque in eas inpelleret voces, quae invidiae non ipsi tantum, sed causae atque universo ordini essent, neminem ex collegio tribunorum militum saepius quam Postumium in disceptationem trahebat.

[13] tur tum vero secundam tam saevum atque inhumanum dictum “auditis” inquit, “Quirites, sicut servis malum minantem militibus?

[14] tamen haec belua dignior vobis tanto honore videbitur, quam qui vos urbe agrisque donatos in colonias mittunt, qui sedem senectuti vestrae prospiciunt, qui pro vestris commodis adversus tam crudeles superbosque adversarios depugnant?

[15] incipite deinde mirari, cur pauci iam vestram suscipiant causam. quid ut a vobis sperent? an honores, quos adversariis vestris potius quam populi Romani propugnatoribus datis?

[16] ingemuistis modo voce huius audita. quid id refert? iam si suffragium detur, hunc, qui malum vobis minatur, iis, qui agros sedesque ac fortunas stabilire volunt, praeferetis.”

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 4.49 focus

[1]

duo bella insequens annus habuisset, quo ¹ P. Cornelius Cossus C. Valerius Potitus Q. Quinctius Cincinnatus Num. Fabius² Vibulanus tribuni militum consulari potestate fuerunt,

[2] ni Veiens bellum religio principum distulisset, quorum agros Tiberis super ripas effusus maxime ruinis villarum vastavit.

[3] simul Aequos triennio ante accepta clades prohibuit Bolanis, ³ suae gentis populo, praesidium ferre.

[4] excursiones inde in confinem agrum Labicanum ⁴ factae erant novisque colonis bellum inlatum.

[5] quam noxam cum se consensu omnium Aequorum defensuros sperassent, deserti ab suis ne memorabili quidem bello, per obsidionem levemque unam pugnam et oppidum et fines amisere.

[6] temptatum ab L. Decio ⁵ tribuno plebis, ut rogationem ferret qua Bolas quoque, sicut Labicos, coloni mitterentur, per intercessionem collegarum, qui nullum plebi scitum nisi ex auctoritate senatus passuros se perferri ostenderunt, discussum est.

[7] bolis insequente anno receptis Aequi coloniaque eo deducta novis viribus oppidum firmarunt, tribunis militum Romae consulari potestate Cn. Cornelio Cosso L. Valerio Potito Q. Fabio Vibulano iterum M. Postumio Regillensi. ⁶

[8] huic bellum adversus ⁷ Aequos permissum est, pravae mentis homini, quam tamen victoria magis quam bellum ostendit.

[9] nam exercitu impigre scripto ductoque ad Bolas cum levibus proeliis Aequorum animos fregisset, postremo in oppidum inrupit. deinde ab hostibus in cives certamen vertit et cum inter oppugnationem praedam militis fore edixisset, capto oppido fidem mutavit.

[10] eam earn magis adducor ut credam irae causam exercitui fuisse quam quod in urbe nuper direpta coloniaque nova minus praedicatione tribuni praedae fuerit.

[11] auxit eam earn iram, postquam ab collegis arcessitus propter seditiones tribunicias in urbem revertit, audita vox eius in contione stolida ac prope vecors, qua M. Sextio ⁸ tribuno plebis legem agrariam ferenti, simul Bolas quoque ut mitterentur coloni laturum se dicenti—dignum ⁹ enim esse qui armis cepissent, eorum urbem agrumque Bolanum esse—

malum quidem militibus meis

inquit,

nisi quieverint.

quod auditum non contionem magis quam mox patres offendit.

[12] et tribunus plebis, vir acer nec infacundus, nactus inter adversarios superbum ingenium immodicamque linguam, quam inritando agitandoque in eas impelleret voces quae invidiae non ipsi tantum sed causae atque universe ordini essent, ¹⁰ neminem ex collegio tribunorum militum saepius quam Postumium in disceptationem trahebat.

[13] tum vero secundum tam saevum atque inhumanum dictum

auditis

inquit,

Quirites , sicut servis malum minantem militibus?

[14]

tamen haec belua dignior vobis tanto honore videbitur quam qui vos urbe agrisque donatos in colonias mittunt, qui sedem senectuti vestrae prospiciunt, qui pro vestris commodis adversus tam crudeles superbosque adversarios adversaries depugnant?

[15]

incipite deinde mirari cur pauci iam vestram suscipiant causam. quid ut a vobis sperent? An honores, quos adversariis vestris potius quam populi Romani propugnatoribus datis?

[16]

ingemuistis modo voce huius audita. quid id refert? iam si suffragium detur, hunc qui malum vobis minatur iis qui agros sedesque ac fortunas stabilire volunt praeferetis.

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).) — 4.49 focus

[1]

duo bella insequens annus habuisset, quo ¹ P. Cornelius Cossus C. Valerius Potitus Q. Quinctius Cincinnatus Num. Fabius² Vibulanus tribuni militum consulari potestate fuerunt,

[2] ni Veiens bellum religio principum distulisset, quorum agros Tiberis super ripas effusus maxime ruinis villarum vastavit.

[3] simul Aequos triennio ante accepta clades prohibuit Bolanis, ³ suae gentis populo, praesidium ferre.

[4] excursiones inde in confinem agrum Labicanum ⁴ factae erant novisque colonis bellum inlatum.

[5] quam noxam cum se consensu omnium Aequorum defensuros sperassent, deserti ab suis ne memorabili quidem bello, per obsidionem levemque unam pugnam et oppidum et fines amisere.

[8] huic bellum adversus ⁷ Aequos permissum est, pravae mentis homini, quam tamen victoria magis quam bellum ostendit.

[10] eam earn magis adducor ut credam irae causam exercitui fuisse quam quod in urbe nuper direpta coloniaque nova minus praedicatione tribuni praedae fuerit.

malum quidem militibus meis

inquit,

nisi quieverint.

quod auditum non contionem magis quam mox patres offendit.

[13] tum vero secundum tam saevum atque inhumanum dictum

auditis

inquit,

Quirites , sicut servis malum minantem militibus?

[14]

[15]

incipite deinde mirari cur pauci iam vestram suscipiant causam. quid ut a vobis sperent? An honores, quos adversariis vestris potius quam populi Romani propugnatoribus datis?

[16]

ingemuistis modo voce huius audita. quid id refert? iam si suffragium detur, hunc qui malum vobis minatur iis qui agros sedesque ac fortunas stabilire volunt praeferetis.

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)) — 4.49 focus

[1]

There would have been two wars in the ¹ ensuing year, in which Publius Cornelius Cossus, Gaius Valerius Potitus, Quintus Quinctius Cincinnatus, and Numerius Fabius Vibulanus were military tribunes with consular powers, had not the war with Veii been delayed, thanks to the superstition of the

[2] Veientine leaders, whose farms an overflow of the Tiber had laid waste, chiefly by ruining the farmhouses.

[3] At the same time the Aequi were deterred by the defeat they had suffered three years before from marching to the assistance of the Bolani, a tribe of their own race.

[4] These people had made incursions into the neighbouring territory of Labici and attacked the new settlers.

[5] The consequences of this outrage they had hoped to avoid by means of the co-operation of all the Aequi; but, having been abandoned by their friends, they lost their town and their lands, in a war which does not even merit description, as the result of a siege and a single skirmish.

[6] An attempt on the part of Lucius Decius, a plebeian tribune, to carry a law providing that colonists should be sent to Bolae too, as well as to Labici, was frustrated through the intervention of his colleagues, who intimated that they would permit no plebiscite to pass unless it had the warrant of the senate.

[7] Bolae was retaken the next year, and the Aequi planted a colony there and strengthened the town with new defenders. Rome now had the following military tribunes with consular powers, Gnaeus Cornelius Cossus, Lucius Valerius Potitus, Quintus Fabius Vibulanus (for the second time), and Marcus Postumius Regillensis.

[8] To this last was intrusted ² the campaign against the Aequi. He was a wrongheaded man, yet he showed it more in the hour of victory than during the campaign.

[9] For he was energetic in raising an army and leading it to Bolae, where, after breaking the spirit of the Aequi in some trifling engagements, he finally forced an entrance into the town. He then diverted the quarrel from the enemy to his fellow-citizens; and though he had proclaimed at the time of the attack that the booty should belong to the soldiers, when he had taken the town he broke his promise.

[10] This, I am inclined to believe, was the cause of the army's resentment, rather than the fact that in a recently-plundered city inhabited by new settlers, there was less booty than the tribune had predicted.

[11] The ill-feeling was increased, when, being sent for by his colleagues on account of tribunician disturbances, he had returned to the City, by a stupid and almost insane remark he was heard to make in an assembly, where Marcus Sextius, a plebeian tribune, in introducing an agrarian measure, announced that he should propose also that colonists be dispatched to Bolae —for it was proper, he said, that the city and lands of the Bolani should belong to those who had captured them in war.

Woe to my soldiers,

exclaimed Postumius,

unless they hold their peace!

[12] —a saying which presently, on being reported to the senators, offended them no less than it had the assembly. And the tribune of the plebs, a keen and not uneloquent man, having got for one of his adversaries a man of haughty spirit and unbridled tongue, whom he could irritate and provoke to say things that would not only make himself disliked but his cause and the entire senate as well, made a ³ point of involving Postumius in a dispute more

[13] often than any other member of the college of military tribunes. On this particular occasion, after that savage and brutal threat, he cried,

Do you hear him, Quirites, threatening his soldiers with punishment like slaves?

[14]

Shall this wild beast seem to you, notwithstanding, more deserving of so great an office than those who would present you with a city and with lands, and send you out to colonies; who would provide a home for your old age; who fight for your interests against these cruel and insolent adversaries?

[15]

And does it surprise you that so few espouse your cause? What are they to expect of you? Those offices which you give by preference to your opponents, rather than to the champions of the Roman People?

[16]

You groaned just now when you heard his remark. What of it? If you should be asked to vote this very moment, you would elect this man who threatens you with chastisement in preference to those who wish to secure you lands and houses and fortunes.

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 4.49 focus

[1]

The following year, on which Publius Cornelius Cossus, Caius Valerius Potitus, Quintus Quintius Cincinnatus, Numerius Fabius Vibulanus were military tribunes with consular power, would have brought with it two continual wars, had not the Veientian campaign been deferred by the religious scruples of the

[2] leaders, whose lands were destroyed, chiefly by the ruin of the country-seats, in consequence of the Tiber having overflowed its banks.

[3] At the same time the loss sustained three years before prevented the Aequans from affording assistance to the Bolani, a state belonging to their own nation.

[4] Excursions had been made from thence on the contiguous territory of Lavici, and hostilities were committed on the new colony.

[5] As they had expected to be able to defend this act of aggression by the concurrent support of all the Aequans, when deserted by their friends they lost both their town and lands, after a war not even worth mentioning, through a siege and one slight battle.

[6] An attempt made by Lucius Sextius, tribune of the people, to move a law by which colonists might be sent to Bole also, in like manner as to Lavici, was defeated by the protests of his colleagues, who declared openly that they would suffer no order of the commons to be passed, unless with the approbation of the senate.

[7] On the following year the Aequans, having recovered Bolae, and sent a colony thither, strengthened the town with additional fortifications, the military tribunes with consular power at Rome being Cneius Cornelius Cossus, Lucius Valerius Potitus, Quintus Fabius Vibulanus a second time, Marcus Postumius Regillensis.

[8] The war against the Aequans was intrusted to the latter, a man of depraved mind, which victory manifested more effectually than war.

[9] For having with great activity levied an army and marched it to Bolae, after breaking down the spirits of the Aequans in slight engagements, he at length forced his way into the town. He then turned the contest from the enemy to his countrymen; and when during the assault he had proclaimed, that the plunder should belong to the soldiers, after the town was taken he broke his word.

[10] I am more inclined to believe that this was the cause of the displeasure of the army, than that in a city lately sacked and in a colony still young there was less booty found than the tribune had represented.

[11] An expression of his heard in the assembly, which was very silly and almost insane, after he returned into the city on being sent for on account of some tribunitian disturbances, increased this bad feeling; on Sextus, a tribune of the commons, proposing an agrarian law, and at the same time declaring that he would also propose that colonists should be sent to Bole; for that those who had taken them by their arms were deserving that the city and lands of Bolae should belong to them, he exclaimed,

Woe to my soldiers, if they are not quiet;

which words, when heard, gave not greater offence to the assembly, than they did soon after to the patricians.

[12] And the plebeian tribune being a sharp man and by no means devoid of eloquence, having found among his adversaries this haughty temper and unbridled tongue, which by irritating and exciting he could urge into such expressions as might prove a source of odium not only to himself, but to his cause and to the entire

[13] body, he strove to draw Postumius into discussion more frequently than any of the college of military tribunes.

[14] Then indeed, after so brutal and inhuman an expression,

Romans,

says he,

do ye hear him threatening woe to his soldiers as to slaves? Yet this brute will appear to you more deserving of so high an honour than those who send you into colonies, after having granted to you cities and lands; who provide a settlement for your old age, who fight against such cruel and arrogant adversaries in defence of your interests.

[15]

Begin then to wonder why few persons now undertake your cause. What are they to expect from you?

[16]

is it honours which you give to your adversaries rather than to the champions of the Roman people. You felt indignant just now, on hearing an expression of this man? What matters that, if you will prefer this man who threatens woe to you, to those who are desirous to secure for you lands, settlements, and property?

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Capture of Bolae —Assassination of Postumius.

2. See description of execution of Turnus Herdonius in Book I. chap. li. Here, as no water is mentioned, it must have been the “pressing to death” beneath a hurdle loaded with large stones.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 4.49

Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator)

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