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Monday, March 21, 2011

Roman Senate's Decree against Bacchic Festivals



SENATUS CONSULTUM DE BACCANALIBUS


(1) [Q(uintus)] Marcius L(uci) f(ilius), S(purius) Postumius L(uci) f(ilius) co(n)s(ules) senatum consoluerunt n(onis) Octob(ribus), apud aedem (2) Duelonai.
[The consuls, Quintus Marcius, son of Lucius, and Spurius Postumius, son of Lucius, have convened the Senate on the Nones of October on the estate of Duelona.]

Sc(ribundo) arf(uerunt) M(arcus) Claudi(us) M(arci) f(ilius), L(ucius) Valeri(us) P(ubli) f(ilius), Q(uintus) Minuci(us) C(ai) f(ilius), De Bacanalibus quei foideratei (3) esent, ita exdeicendum censuere:
[Marcus Claudius, son of Marcus, Lucius Valerius, son of Publius, and Quintus Minucius, son of Gaius, are treatymakers and have shown up for the purpose of this inscription--so they have decreed the following:]

«Neiquis eorum [B]acanal habuise velet.
["No of these men present has wished to hold a Bacchic festival.]

seiques (4) esent, quei sibei deicerent necesus ese Bacanal habere, eeis utei ad pr(aitorem) urbanum (5) Romam venirent, deque eeis rebus, ubei eorum v[e]r[b]a audita esent, utei senatus (6) noster decerneret,
[And if any men should exist, who might say that they find it necessary to hold a Bacchic festival, they should come and make use of the City Praetor in Rome, and on these matters, and after they have heard their arguments, just as our own Senate body decreed,]

dum ne minus senator[i]bus C adesent, [quom e]a res cosoleretur.
[while no less than 100 senators were present to resolve the matter.]

 (7) Bacas vir nequis adiese velet ceivis Romanus neve nominus Latini neve socium (8) quisquam,
[Let no man wish to attend Bacchic festivities, whether he be a Roman citizen, or Latin by origin, or one of our allies,]

nisei pr(aitorem) urbanum adiesent, isque [d]e senatuos sententiad,
[that is, unless they consult the Praetor of the City, and he informs the senators of his judgment,]

dum ne (9) minus senatoribus C adesent, quom ea res cosoleretur, iousisent.
Ce[n]suere.
[and there being not less that a hundred senators present to resolve the matter, they grant approval. So the Senate has decreed.]


(10)| sacerdos nequis uir eset.
[No one should be legally allowed to be one of its priests.]

Magister neque uir neque mulier quisquam eset.
[Neither an officeholder, a man, nor a woman, no one!]

(11) neve pecuniam quisquam eorum comoine[m h]abuise velet.
[Nor should any one be allowed to hold a communal fund for it.]

Neve magistratum, (12) neve pro magistratu[d], neque virum [neque mul]ierem qui[s]quam fecise velet.
[Nor should anyone, man or women, be allowed to create a position or act with any authority regarding it.]

(13) Neve post hac inter sed conioura[se nev]e comvovise neve conspondise (14) neve conpromesise velet, neve quisquam fidem inter sed dedise velet.
[Nor should be allowed, if found guilty, to settle, arrange or enact marriages, nor be allowed to make any oaths among themselves.]

(15) Sacra in [o]quoltod ne quisquam fecise velet.
[Let no one be allowed to conduct any rituals relating to this matter.]

Neve in poplicod neve in (16) preivatod neve exstrad urbem sacra quisquam fecise velet, nisei (17) pr(aitorem) urbanum adieset, isque de senatuos sententiad, dum ne minus (18) senatoribus C adesent, quom ea res cosoleretur, iousisent.
[Let no one be allowed to conducted these rituals in public or private, or even outside our city, unless he consults the Praetor of the City, and he brings the matter to the Senate, so long as no less than 82 of our senators are present to decide upon the matter.]

Censuere.
[So the Senate has decreed.]

(19) Homines plous V oinvorsei virei atque mulieres sacra ne quisquam (20) fecise velet,
[Let more than 5 adult males and women ever have performed these rituals,]

neve inter ibei virei plous duobus, mulieribus plous tribus (21) arfuise velent, nisei de pr(aitoris) urbani senatuosque sententiad, utei suprad (22) scriptum est.»
[nor among them more than 2 men, and more than 3 women present, unless approved by the Praetor of the City and senators, following the rules written above.] 




Haice utei in coventionid exdeicatis ne minus trinum (23) noundinum,
[Let you speak in this kind of gathering uness you are of proper age, 39]

senatuosque sententiam utei scientes esetis,
[and you should then know the declaration of the Senate to be such,]

 eorum (24) sententia ita fuit:
[This was their declaration:]

 «Sei ques esent,
[If there should be men present,]

 quei arvorsum ead fecisent,
[and should they have do things like these against the law]

 quam suprad (25) scriptum est,
[as it has been written above,]

eeis rem caputalem faciendam censuere».
[they have agreed that these offenders need suffer the death penalty.]

 atque utei (26) hoce in tabolam ahenam inceideretis,
[and you should also inscribe this upon a bronze tablet,]

 ita senatus aiquom censuit,
[as thusly the Senate decreed,]

 (27) uteique eam figier ioubeatis,
[and may you order that it be fixed somewhere]

 ubei facilumed gnoscier potisit.
[where it can be seen and read most easily.]

Atque (28) utei ea Bacanalia, sei qua sunt,
[and these Bacchic festivals, wherever they might be,]

exstrad quam sei quid ibei sacri est,
[treat it as if were something against our religion]

(29) ita utei suprad scriptum est,
[so as it has been written above,]

in diebus X,
[in 10 days,]

 quibus vobeis tabelai datai (30) erunt,
[shall these tablets be bequeathed to you all]

faciatis utei dismota sient.
[so make an effort to drive away these festivals.]
 


FIN