redactae miseruit. Itaque legem tulit[1] ut ager publicus pauperibus divideretur. Sed cum agrum publicum[2] obtinerent[3] patres vehementer ei resistitur. Itaque odio infensi patres eum accusaverunt quod eo consilio plebi studere conaretur[4] ut rex ipse fieret. Fit tumultus: in forum concurritur: vita extemplo Cassio[5] erepta est. Qua lege quamvis parum subventum esset plebi, utile exemplum fuit; nam postea et aliae leges agrariae latae quae agrum publicum plebi dividerent.
25.—Cum tantae patribus cum plebe intercederent simultates, neque adhuc inopiae civium subventum esset, maiore in dies[6] auctoritate tribuni fiebant. Plebei enim tributim convocati auctoribus tribunis[7] de suis iniuriis, frustra repugnantibus patribus, querebantur. Neque tamen adhuc in suis comitiis leges iubere[8] poterant, sed si quis e plebe latam in comitiis[9] centuriatis, ubi plurimum poterant patres, legem violasset, eum tribuni tuebantur ne qua ei a patribus vis inferretur. Qua ex re apparebit duos in una civitate populos exstitisse. Postea vero, diminuta patrum auctoritate, summa potestas[10] penes cives in comitia tributa convocatos fuit.
26.—Cum ita se res haberent eo miseriae[11] perventum est ut plebei pro consulibus tribunisque decemviros fiagitarent, qui recensione veterum legum facta, novas insuper adiicerent, omnes in tabulis scriptas in publico proponerent. Ita modo[12] tutos fore cives, si constitisset[13] cui legi a quoque parendum esset. Ecquem non paenitere[14] discordiae tot annos in republica flagrantis? His frustra patres adversantur: plebs tandem impetravit ut decemviri crearentur. Tune promulgatae sunt[15] leges magno cum gaudio
- ↑ legem tulit—‘proposed a law.’ Laws were enacted by the people in their comitia, (20, note). The proposer of the law, which was called a rogatio till it was passed, was said ferre or rogare legem. The term rogatio answers to our ‘bill’ and lex to ‘act of parliament.’
- ↑ ager publicus—common land belonging to the state.
- ↑ obtinerent—‘held.’
- ↑ quod conaretur—virtually sub-oblique; i.e. because they said he attempted : conabatur would mean that he did actually make the attempt. The rule may be put briefly thus: clauses that give the opinion of other people than the writer require the subjunctive.
- ↑ Cassio—10, note.
- ↑ in dies—‘from day to day.’
- ↑ auctoribus tribunis—‘the tribunes acting as spokesmen.’
- ↑ iubere—‘to ratify.’
- ↑ comitiis—20, note.
- ↑ summa potestas—in later times laws passed by the people in the comitia tributa were called plebiscita and had the same force as laws passed in the other comitia.
- ↑ eo miseriae—‘to such a pitch of wretchedness.’ Lit. ‘thither of wretchedness.’
- ↑ ita modo, etc.—13, note.
- ↑ si constitisset—‘if it was definitely settled.’
- ↑ ecquem non poenitere—Questions in oratio obliqua if of the first or third person are usually in the infinitive. They are practically exclamations, not questions. Questions that require an answer are in the subjunctive.
- ↑ promulgatae sunt—‘were read.’ A lex or rogatio (24, note) was said promulgari when its provisions were published, like the three readings of a bill in the House of Commons.
