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18. But so numerous were the persons who had fled from the City that, since in many instances legal proceedings and causes were falling through,1 the praetors Titus Maenius and Marcus Licinius were compelled, through the intervention of the senate, to adjourn court for thirty days, until the investigations should be finished by the consuls. [2] The same depopulation, because at Rome men whose names had been given in did not respond or were not found, compelled the consuls to make the rounds of the villages and there investigate and conduct trials. [3] Those who had merely been initiated and had made their prayers in accordance with the ritual formula, [p. 271]the priest dictating the words, in which the wicked2 conspiracy to all vice and lust was contained, but had committed none of the acts to which they were bound by the oath against either themselves or others, they left in chains; upon those who had permitted themselves to be defiled by debauchery or murder, who had polluted themselves by false testimony, forged seals, substitution of wills or other frauds, they inflicted capital punishment. [4] More were killed than were thrown into prison. There was a large number of men and women in both classes. Convicted women were turned over to their relatives or to those who had authority over them, that they might be punished in private:3 [5] if there was no suitable person to exact it, the penalty was inflicted by the state. [6] Then the task was entrusted to the consuls of destroying all forms of Bacchic worship, first at Rome and then throughout Italy, except in cases where an ancient altar or image had been consecrated.4 For the future it was then provided by decree of the senate that there should be no Bacchanalia in Rome or Italy. [7] If any person considered such worship to be ordained by tradition or to be necessary, and believed that he could not omit it without sin and atonement, he was to make a declaration before the city praetor, and the latter would consult the senate. [8] If permission were granted to him, at a meeting where not fewer than one hundred were in attendance, he should offer the sacrifice, provided that not more than five people should take part in the rite, and that there [p. 273]should be no common purse or master of sacrifices5 or priest.6

1 Cases could not be tried because of the absence of one or both parties to suits. The remedy adopted was the proclamation of a iustitium for thirty days: this suspended all ordinary public and private business.

2 B.C. 186

3 Such punishments were inflicted by virtue of patria potestas.

4 Their antiquity was their guarantee that they antedated the abuse of the Bacchus worship and were free from its bad features. In any case the Romans were inclined to respect venerable age.

5 B.C. 186

6 The last clauses prevent a definite organization of the cult. The decree, however, legalizes traditional rites in honour of Bacchus and necessary individual acts of worship.

[9] We are fortunate in possessing an inscription (CIL. I. 196), containing, in the form of a letter addressed to the Teurani, a federated state of Bruttium, the substance of the senate's decisions (the celebrated Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus). In general the statements of Livy agree with the inscription, although the evidence of language gives no indication that Livy saw the inscription.

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load focus Notes (W. Weissenborn, 1875)
load focus Notes (W. Weissenborn, H. J. Müller, 1875)
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load focus Summary (English, Evan T. Sage, Ph.D., 1936)
load focus Summary (Latin, W. Weissenborn, H. J. Müller, 1911)
load focus English (William A. McDevitte, Sen. Class. Mod. Ex. Schol. A.B.T.C.D., 1850)
load focus Latin (W. Weissenborn, H. J. Müller, 1911)
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  • Commentary references to this page (8):
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 33-34, commentary, 33.24
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 35-38, commentary, 38.24
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 35-38, commentary, 38.38
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 39-40, commentary, 40.13
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 39-40, commentary, 40.19
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 41-42, commentary, 41.22
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 41-42, commentary, 41.9
    • Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 43-44, commentary, 43.14
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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (12):
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