Liv. 3.25.1L. Minucius inde et C. Nautius cōnsulēs factī duās residuās annī priōris causās excēpērunt.Next Lucius Minucius and Gaius Nautius were made consuls and took over the two issues left over from the previous year. Liv. 3.25.2Eōdem modō cōnsulēs lēgem, tribūnī iūdicium dē Volsciō inpediēbant;In the same way as before, the consuls obstructed the law, the tribunes the trial of Volscius; Liv. 3.25.3sed in quaestōribus novīs maior vīs, maior auctōritās erat.but in the new quaestors there was greater force, greater authority. Liv. 3.25.3Cum M. Valeriō, Mānī fīliō, Volesī nepōte, quaestor erat T. Quīnctius Capitōlīnus, quī ter cōnsul fuerat.Quaestor with Marcus Valerius, son of Manius and grandson of Volesus, was Titus Quinctius Capitolinus, who had been consul three times. Liv. 3.25.3Is quoniam neque Quīnctiae familiae Caesō neque reī pūblicae maximus iuvenum restituī posset, falsum testem, quī dīcendae causae innoxiō potestātem adēmisset, iūstō ac piō bellō persequēbātur.Since Caeso could not be restored to the Quinctian family, nor the greatest of the young men to the state, he pursued with a just and righteous war the false witness who had robbed an innocent man of the chance to plead his case.
Liv. 3.25.4Cum Verginius maximē ex tribūnīs dē lēge ageret, duum mēnsum spatium cōnsulibus datum est ad īnspiciendam lēgem, ut, cum ēdocuissent populum, quid fraudis occultae ferrētur, sinerent deinde suffrāgium inīre.When Verginius, above all the tribunes, was pressing the law, a period of two months was granted to the consuls to examine the law, so that, when they had shown the people what hidden trickery was being proposed, they should then let them go to the vote. Liv. 3.25.4Hoc intervallī datum rēs tranquillās in urbe fēcit.The granting of this interval brought quiet to the city. Liv. 3.25.5Nec diūturnam quiētem Aequī dedērunt, quī ruptō foedere, quod ictum erat priōre annō cum Rōmānīs, imperium ad Gracchum Cloelium dēferunt;Nor did the Aequi allow a lasting quiet: breaking the treaty that had been struck with the Romans the year before, they confer the command on Gracchus Cloelius; Liv. 3.25.5is tum longē prīnceps in Aequīs erat.he was at that time by far the foremost man among the Aequi. Liv. 3.25.6Gracchō duce in Labīcānum agrum, inde in Tusculānum hostīlī populātiōne veniunt plēnīque praedae in Algidō castra locant.Under Gracchus' leadership they come with hostile ravaging into the territory of Labici, then into that of Tusculum, and, laden with booty, pitch camp on Algidus.
Liv. 3.25.6In ea castra Q. Fabius, P. Volumnius, A. Postumius lēgātī ab Rōmā vēnērunt questum iniūriās et ex foedere rēs repetītum.To that camp came envoys from Rome, Quintus Fabius, Publius Volumnius and Aulus Postumius, to complain of the wrongs and to demand restitution under the treaty. Liv. 3.25.6Eōs Aequōrum imperātor, quae mandāta habeant ab senātū Rōmānō, ad quercum iubet dīcere;The commander of the Aequi bids them tell whatever instructions they have from the Roman senate to the oak; Liv. 3.25.8sē alia interim āctūrum.he would meanwhile attend to other business. Liv. 3.25.8Quercus, ingēns arbor, praetōriō imminēbat, cuius umbra opāca sēdēs erat.An oak, a huge tree, overhung the general's tent, and its shade made a dark seat. Liv. 3.25.8Tum ex lēgātīs ūnus abiēns "et haec" inquit "sacrāta quercus et quidquid deōrum est audiant foedus ā vōbīs ruptum nostrīsque et nunc querellīs adsint et mox armīs, cum deōrum hominumque simul violāta iūra exsequēmur."Then one of the envoys said as he departed, 'Let this sacred oak and all the gods there are hear that the treaty has been broken by you, and let them stand by our complaints now and soon by our arms, when we shall avenge the rights of gods and men violated together.' Liv. 3.25.8Rōmam ut rediēre lēgātī, senātus iussit alterum cōnsulem contrā Gracchum in Algidum exercitum dūcere, alterī populātiōnem fīnium Aequōrum prōvinciam dedit.When the envoys returned to Rome, the senate ordered one consul to lead an army against Gracchus on Algidus, and assigned to the other as his province the ravaging of the territory of the Aequi.
Liv. 3.25.9Tribūnī suō mōre impedīre dīlēctum et forsitan ad ultimum impedīssent;The tribunes in their usual way obstructed the levy, and perhaps would have obstructed it to the end; Liv. 3.25.9sed novus subitō additus terror est.but suddenly a new terror was added.