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I cannot even try to sound perky about this set of Latin. It’s a bunch of senate decrees. Senate decrees, folks. So it’s in legalese, but the archaic Latin version thereof, and generally pedantic and dull, but hard to translate. And there is a ton of it.
Sigh. Well. For the sake of completeness, here goes. I promise nothing regarding coherence.
Senate Decree About the Bacchanal
Q. Marcius son of L., Sp. Postumius son of L., the consuls, resolved on the nones of October at the temple of Bellona.* M. Claudius son of M., L. Valerius son of P., Q. Minucius son of C., came there for writing about the Bacchanal, which was for the allied Latin people, and judged it must it be decreed thus:
May no one of them wish to keep a shrine of Bacchus; if there should be anyone who they say must keep a shrine of Bacchus, they should come to the city of Rome to appeal to the praetor, lay these things down where their words may be heard, appeal for use of the senate to decide, while no less than a hundred of the senators are present when this matter is decided. May no man who is a Roman citizen wish to approach a Bacchanal, nor a legitimate man of the Latins, nor any friend of theirs, nor may they approach a city praetor, and the judgment from each of the senators, while no less than a hundred of the senators are present when the matter is decided, will be the command. They decided.
May no man be a priest [of Bacchus]; may no one, man or woman, be the high priest. May no one wish to have their money in common; may they not wish to make anyone, neither man nor woman, high priest or for the office of high priest. May they not wish after this to swear oaths together, nor eat together, nor make promises together, nor promise to abide by the judgment of an agreed-on arbiter,** nor may they wish to swear loyalty to anyone among themselves. May they not wish to do holy things in darkness; nor may anyone wish to hold their rights secretly or publicly or outside the city, unless they have gone to the city praetor, and he and the opinion of the senate, while no less than a hundred of the senators are present when the matter is decided, command this. They decided.
May no one wish that more than five men of all men together and women perform sacred rites, nor wish more than two men, nor more than three women, to come into that company, unless the city praetor and the opinion of the senate [says so], and it is written to appeal there.
This appeal is in the assembly by decree for no less than three market days; you know that this is the opinion and judgment of the senate: thus was their judgment: “If there is anyone who acts against what is written above, he is judged to be performing a capital crime;” -- and this decree was engraved thus in a bronze tablet, thus the senate judged fair; order this fastened where it may easily become known, and let the Bacchanalia, if they are known thus, aside from legal exemptions if any are duly sacred there, be written as thus above, in the ten days in which the tablet was given to you let it be made and posted. In the Teuran land.
To the Tiburtines
L. Cornelius son of Gn., praetor of the senate, advises from the temple of Castor on the third day after the nones of May.
A. Manlius son of A., Sex. Iulius... L. Postumius son of Sp. went there for writing.
Because you Tiburtines sent word and you were clarifying certain matters, the senate pays attention to these things thus so that the decree is fair; and we have heard these things just as you said them announced to us. We are inclining our attention towards these things which were done for this reason because we know by our merit that you were not able to do these things, and you are not the sort of people who would do these things, and it was not useful to you or to to our republic to do these things. And as soon as the senate heard your words, we had so great a feeling within us, that we formed an opinion before the appeal, that there was no sin regarding these things or yours. And since you have clarified these matters to the senate, we believe, and it is fitting that you turn our feeling this way, that the matter will be clarified to the people of Rome.
The Law of the Spoletino Light
May no one violate this light, nor extinguish it, nor carry off what is alight, nor cut it down unless it is on the day of the year of the divine matter. On that day, because it is for the sake of the divine matter, it is permitted to cut it down without treachery. If anyone violates it, may they give a cow as sin-offering to Jove; if anyone knowingly violated it with wicked treachery, may they give a cow as sin-offering to Jove, and also give 300 pennies*** as a fine. The exacting of these sin-offerings and fines is for the leader.
The Law of the Lucerne Light
May no one shovel dung into the sacred grove, nor expose or carry out funeral rites for a corpse. If anyone should do these things against [this decree], let there be pronounced against him who wished it fifty-nine blows to be cast against him; or if the magistrate wishes to punish him, it is permitted.
The Opinion of the Minucians, Spoken Between the Genuates and Veiturans
Q. M. Minuceis son of Q. and Rufius know about arguments between the Genuates and the Veiturans in the present matter, and they joined together in public between these arguments, and they seized the land by law and declared what its borders are. They ordered to make these borders and that these boundaries be fixed: when they are made, they ordered [the men] to come into Rome publicly. In Rome they publicly declared their opinion from the senate consul, on the ides of December, with L. Caecilius son of Q. and Q. Muucius son of Q. as consuls.
And since the field is separate from the house of the Veiturans,^ which field it is permitted that they sell and their heir inherit, let the field not be subject to taxes.
The borders of the separate field of Langatiens. From the lowest brook, which originates from a spring in Mannicelus, to the Ede river, where its end lies. Thence from the stream below turning towards the Lemurium flow. [And it continues like this about streams and rivers for a VERY LONG TIME, believe you me. We will pass over this.]
The public fields which the Langenes possess, these seem to be the borders: [MORE DAMN RIVERS.]
And that is where I stopped, because no one wants more of that translated, especially me. I will grind through it eventually, because I must just in case it shows up on an exam, but you’re not going to see more of those decrees here. Thank god.
---
* A goddess of war, and the sister of Mars. Her temple was used when the senate was meeting with people not allowed into the city.
** That’s actually just “May they not wish to” and then four verbs. The last one is especially precious.
*** The unit is an “as”, but that’s a little tricky to render literally in English.
^ Or possibly it’s their personal property. Or it might be a fortress instead of a house? It’s a confusing clause.
Sigh. Well. For the sake of completeness, here goes. I promise nothing regarding coherence.
Senate Decree About the Bacchanal
Q. Marcius son of L., Sp. Postumius son of L., the consuls, resolved on the nones of October at the temple of Bellona.* M. Claudius son of M., L. Valerius son of P., Q. Minucius son of C., came there for writing about the Bacchanal, which was for the allied Latin people, and judged it must it be decreed thus:
May no one of them wish to keep a shrine of Bacchus; if there should be anyone who they say must keep a shrine of Bacchus, they should come to the city of Rome to appeal to the praetor, lay these things down where their words may be heard, appeal for use of the senate to decide, while no less than a hundred of the senators are present when this matter is decided. May no man who is a Roman citizen wish to approach a Bacchanal, nor a legitimate man of the Latins, nor any friend of theirs, nor may they approach a city praetor, and the judgment from each of the senators, while no less than a hundred of the senators are present when the matter is decided, will be the command. They decided.
May no man be a priest [of Bacchus]; may no one, man or woman, be the high priest. May no one wish to have their money in common; may they not wish to make anyone, neither man nor woman, high priest or for the office of high priest. May they not wish after this to swear oaths together, nor eat together, nor make promises together, nor promise to abide by the judgment of an agreed-on arbiter,** nor may they wish to swear loyalty to anyone among themselves. May they not wish to do holy things in darkness; nor may anyone wish to hold their rights secretly or publicly or outside the city, unless they have gone to the city praetor, and he and the opinion of the senate, while no less than a hundred of the senators are present when the matter is decided, command this. They decided.
May no one wish that more than five men of all men together and women perform sacred rites, nor wish more than two men, nor more than three women, to come into that company, unless the city praetor and the opinion of the senate [says so], and it is written to appeal there.
This appeal is in the assembly by decree for no less than three market days; you know that this is the opinion and judgment of the senate: thus was their judgment: “If there is anyone who acts against what is written above, he is judged to be performing a capital crime;” -- and this decree was engraved thus in a bronze tablet, thus the senate judged fair; order this fastened where it may easily become known, and let the Bacchanalia, if they are known thus, aside from legal exemptions if any are duly sacred there, be written as thus above, in the ten days in which the tablet was given to you let it be made and posted. In the Teuran land.
To the Tiburtines
L. Cornelius son of Gn., praetor of the senate, advises from the temple of Castor on the third day after the nones of May.
A. Manlius son of A., Sex. Iulius... L. Postumius son of Sp. went there for writing.
Because you Tiburtines sent word and you were clarifying certain matters, the senate pays attention to these things thus so that the decree is fair; and we have heard these things just as you said them announced to us. We are inclining our attention towards these things which were done for this reason because we know by our merit that you were not able to do these things, and you are not the sort of people who would do these things, and it was not useful to you or to to our republic to do these things. And as soon as the senate heard your words, we had so great a feeling within us, that we formed an opinion before the appeal, that there was no sin regarding these things or yours. And since you have clarified these matters to the senate, we believe, and it is fitting that you turn our feeling this way, that the matter will be clarified to the people of Rome.
The Law of the Spoletino Light
May no one violate this light, nor extinguish it, nor carry off what is alight, nor cut it down unless it is on the day of the year of the divine matter. On that day, because it is for the sake of the divine matter, it is permitted to cut it down without treachery. If anyone violates it, may they give a cow as sin-offering to Jove; if anyone knowingly violated it with wicked treachery, may they give a cow as sin-offering to Jove, and also give 300 pennies*** as a fine. The exacting of these sin-offerings and fines is for the leader.
The Law of the Lucerne Light
May no one shovel dung into the sacred grove, nor expose or carry out funeral rites for a corpse. If anyone should do these things against [this decree], let there be pronounced against him who wished it fifty-nine blows to be cast against him; or if the magistrate wishes to punish him, it is permitted.
The Opinion of the Minucians, Spoken Between the Genuates and Veiturans
Q. M. Minuceis son of Q. and Rufius know about arguments between the Genuates and the Veiturans in the present matter, and they joined together in public between these arguments, and they seized the land by law and declared what its borders are. They ordered to make these borders and that these boundaries be fixed: when they are made, they ordered [the men] to come into Rome publicly. In Rome they publicly declared their opinion from the senate consul, on the ides of December, with L. Caecilius son of Q. and Q. Muucius son of Q. as consuls.
And since the field is separate from the house of the Veiturans,^ which field it is permitted that they sell and their heir inherit, let the field not be subject to taxes.
The borders of the separate field of Langatiens. From the lowest brook, which originates from a spring in Mannicelus, to the Ede river, where its end lies. Thence from the stream below turning towards the Lemurium flow. [And it continues like this about streams and rivers for a VERY LONG TIME, believe you me. We will pass over this.]
The public fields which the Langenes possess, these seem to be the borders: [MORE DAMN RIVERS.]
And that is where I stopped, because no one wants more of that translated, especially me. I will grind through it eventually, because I must just in case it shows up on an exam, but you’re not going to see more of those decrees here. Thank god.
---
* A goddess of war, and the sister of Mars. Her temple was used when the senate was meeting with people not allowed into the city.
** That’s actually just “May they not wish to” and then four verbs. The last one is especially precious.
*** The unit is an “as”, but that’s a little tricky to render literally in English.
^ Or possibly it’s their personal property. Or it might be a fortress instead of a house? It’s a confusing clause.