http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19725/19725-h/19725-h.htm
https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/baker-the-history-of-rome-vol-1
"My task from now on will be to trace the history in peace and of a free nation, governed by annually elected officers of state and subject not to the caprice of individual men, but to the overriding authority of law.
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt, Book 2, Section 1
OR
"The affairs, civil and military, of the Roman people, henceforward free, their annual magistrates, and the sovereignty of the laws, more powerful than that of men, I shall now detail."
Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome, Translated by D. Spillan, A.M.M.D., Book 2, Section 1
OR
"Henceforward I am to treat of the affairs, civil and military, of a free people, for such the Romans were now become; of annual magistrates and the authority of the laws exalted above that of men."History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by George Baker, Book 2, Section 1
"The hard-won liberty of Rome was rendered the more welcome, and the more fruitful, by the character of the last king, Tarquin the Proud ("Lucius Tarquinius Superbus"). Earlier kings may all be considered, not unjustly, to have contributed to the city's growth, making room for the expanding population, for the increase of which they, too, were responsible. They were all, in their way, successive 'founders' of Rome. Moreover it cannot be doubted that [Lucius Junius Brutus], who made for himself so great a name by the expulsion of Tarquin, would have done his country the greatest disservice, had he yielded too soon to the passion for liberty and forced the abdication of any of the previous kings. One has but to think of what the populace was like in those early days -- a rabble of vagrants, mostly runaways and refugees -- and to ask what would have happened if they had suddenly found themselves protected from all authority by inviolable sanctuary, and enjoying complete freedom of action, if not full political rights. In such circumstances, unrestrained by the power of the throne, they would, no doubt, have set sail on the stormy sea of democratic politics, swayed by the gusts of popular eloquence and quarreling for power with the governing class of a city which did not even belong to them, before any real sense of community had had time to grow. That sense -- the only true patriotism -- comes slowly and springs from the heart: it is founded upon respect for the family and love of the soil. Premature "liberty" of this kind would have been a disaster: we should have been torn to pieces by petty squabbles before we had ever reached political maturity, which, as things were, was made possible by the long quiet years under monarachical government; for it was that government which, as it were, nursed our strength and enabled us ultimately to produce sound fruit from liberty, as only a politically adult nation can."
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt, Book 2, Section 1
"Moreover the first step towards political liberty in Rome consisted in the fact that the consuls were annually elected magistrates -- in the limitation, that is, not of their powers but of their period in office. The earliest consuls exercised the full powers of the kings, and carried all their insignia, with one exception -- the most impressive of all -- namely the 'rods.' These were allowed to only one consul of the two, to avoid the duplication of this dreadful symbol of the power of life and death. [...]"
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt, Book 2, Section 1
OR
"The haughty insolence of the late king had caused this liberty to be the more welcome: for the former kings reigned in such a manner that they all in succession might be not undeservedly set down as founders of the parts, at least of the city, which they added as new residences for the population augmented by themselves. Nor is there a doubt but that the very same Brutus who earned so much glory for expelling this haughty monarch, would have done so to the greatest injury of the public weal, if, through an over-hasty desire of liberty, he had wrested the kingdom from any of the preceding kings. For what would have been the consequence if that rabble of shepherds and strangers, fugitives from their own countries, having, under the protection of an inviolable asylum, found liberty, or at least impunity, uncontrolled by the dread of regal authority, had begun to be distracted by tribunician storms, and to engage in contests with the fathers in a strange city, before the pledges of wives and children, and love of the very soil, to which it requires a length of time to become habituated, had united their affections. Their affairs not yet matured would have been destroyed by discord, which the tranquil moderation of the government so cherished, and by proper nourishment brought to such perfection, that, their strength being now developed, they were able to produce the wholesome fruits of liberty."
"The haughty insolence of the late king had caused this liberty to be the more welcome: for the former kings reigned in such a manner that they all in succession might be not undeservedly set down as founders of the parts, at least of the city, which they added as new residences for the population augmented by themselves. Nor is there a doubt but that the very same Brutus who earned so much glory for expelling this haughty monarch, would have done so to the greatest injury of the public weal, if, through an over-hasty desire of liberty, he had wrested the kingdom from any of the preceding kings. For what would have been the consequence if that rabble of shepherds and strangers, fugitives from their own countries, having, under the protection of an inviolable asylum, found liberty, or at least impunity, uncontrolled by the dread of regal authority, had begun to be distracted by tribunician storms, and to engage in contests with the fathers in a strange city, before the pledges of wives and children, and love of the very soil, to which it requires a length of time to become habituated, had united their affections. Their affairs not yet matured would have been destroyed by discord, which the tranquil moderation of the government so cherished, and by proper nourishment brought to such perfection, that, their strength being now developed, they were able to produce the wholesome fruits of liberty."
Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome, Translated by D. Spillan, A.M.M.D., Book 2, Section 1
OR
"What greatly enhanced the public joy on having attained to this state of freedom, was, the haughty insolence of the late king: for the former kings governed in such a manner, that all of them, in succession, might deservedly be reckoned as founders of the several parts at least, of the city, which they added to it, to accommodate the great numbers of inhabitants, whom they themselves introduced. Nor can it be doubted, that the same Brutus, who justly merited so great glory, for having expelled that haughty king, would have hurt the public interest most materially, had he, through an over hasty zeal for liberty, wrested the government from any one of the former princes. For what must have been the consequence, if that rabble of shepherds and vagabonds, fugitives from their own countries, having, under the sanction of an inviolable asylum, obtained liberty, or at least impunity; and uncontrolled by dread of kingly power, had once been set in commotion by tribunitian storms, and had, in a city, where they were strangers, engaged in contests with the Patricians, before the pledges of wives and children, and an affection for the soil itself, which in length of time is acquired from habit, had united their minds in social concord? The state, as yet but a tender shoot, had, in that case, been torn to pieces by discord; whereas the tranquil moderation of the then government cherished it, and, by due nourishment, brought it forward to such a condition, that its powers being ripened, it was capable of producing the glorious fruit of liberty."
"What greatly enhanced the public joy on having attained to this state of freedom, was, the haughty insolence of the late king: for the former kings governed in such a manner, that all of them, in succession, might deservedly be reckoned as founders of the several parts at least, of the city, which they added to it, to accommodate the great numbers of inhabitants, whom they themselves introduced. Nor can it be doubted, that the same Brutus, who justly merited so great glory, for having expelled that haughty king, would have hurt the public interest most materially, had he, through an over hasty zeal for liberty, wrested the government from any one of the former princes. For what must have been the consequence, if that rabble of shepherds and vagabonds, fugitives from their own countries, having, under the sanction of an inviolable asylum, obtained liberty, or at least impunity; and uncontrolled by dread of kingly power, had once been set in commotion by tribunitian storms, and had, in a city, where they were strangers, engaged in contests with the Patricians, before the pledges of wives and children, and an affection for the soil itself, which in length of time is acquired from habit, had united their minds in social concord? The state, as yet but a tender shoot, had, in that case, been torn to pieces by discord; whereas the tranquil moderation of the then government cherished it, and, by due nourishment, brought it forward to such a condition, that its powers being ripened, it was capable of producing the glorious fruit of liberty."
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by George Baker, Book 2, Section 1
"Moreover the first step towards political liberty in Rome consisted in the fact that the consuls were annually elected magistrates -- in the limitation, that is, not of their powers but of their period in office. The earliest consuls exercised the full powers of the kings, and carried all their insignia, with one exception -- the most impressive of all -- namely the 'rods.' These were allowed to only one consul of the two, to avoid the duplication of this dreadful symbol of the power of life and death. [...]"
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt, Book 2, Section 1
OR
OR
"[...] But the origin of liberty you may date from this period, rather because the consular authority was made annual, than that any diminution was made from the kingly prerogative. The first consuls had all their privileges and ensigns of authority, only care was taken that the terror might not appear doubled, by both having the fasces at the same time. [...]
Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome, Translated by D. Spillan, A.M.M.D., Book 2, Section 1
OR
"[...] The origin of liberty is to be dated from that period, rather on account of the consular government being limited to one year, than of any diminution made of the power which had been possessed by the kings. The first consuls enjoyed all their privileges, and all their ensigns of authority; in this respect, only, care was taken, not to double the objects of terror by giving the fasces to both the consuls.[...]"
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by George Baker, Book 2, Section 1
"He [Lucius Junius Brutus, one of the first consuls] then turned his attention to strengthening the influence of the Senate, who numbers had been reduced by the political murders of Tarquin [the Proud]; for this purpose he brought into it leading men of equesrian rank and made up its number to a total of three hundred. This, we are toldm was the origin of the distinction between the 'Fathers' [that is, Patricians] and the 'Conscripts': i.e., the original senators and those (the conscripts) who were later enrolled, or conscripted, as members of the senatorial body. The measure was wonderfully effective in promoting national unity and lessening friction between patricians and populace."
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt, Book 2, Section 1
OR
"[...] Next in order, that the fulness of the house might produce more of strength in the senate, he filled up the number of the senators, diminished by the king's murders, to the amount of three hundred, having elected the principal men of the equestrian rank; and from thence it is said the custom was derived of summoning into the senate both those who were patres [that is, patricians or Fathers] and those who were conscripti. Forsooth they styled those who were elected into the new senate Conscripti. It is wonderful how much that contributed to the concord of the state, and to attach the affection of the commons to the patricians."
Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome, Translated by D. Spillan, A.M.M.D., Book 2, Section 1
OR
"[...] Next, in order that the fullness of their body might give the greater weight to the senate, he filled up the number of the senators, which had been diminished by the king’s murders, to the amount of three hundred, electing into that body the principal men of equestrian rank; and hence the practice is said to have taken its rise of summoning to the senate those who are fathers, and those who are conscripti; for they called those who were elected into this new senate conscripti. This had a wonderful effect towards producing concord in the state, and in attaching the affection of the commons to the patricians."
"[...] Next, in order that the fullness of their body might give the greater weight to the senate, he filled up the number of the senators, which had been diminished by the king’s murders, to the amount of three hundred, electing into that body the principal men of equestrian rank; and hence the practice is said to have taken its rise of summoning to the senate those who are fathers, and those who are conscripti; for they called those who were elected into this new senate conscripti. This had a wonderful effect towards producing concord in the state, and in attaching the affection of the commons to the patricians."
History of Rome, Titus Livius (Livy), Translated by George Baker, Book 2, Section 1
No comments:
Post a Comment