Sed ut a luxu perditis moribus ad severissima maiorum instituta transgrediar, antea senatus adsiduam stationem eo loci peragebat qui hodieque senaculum appellatur; nec exspectabat ut edicto contraheretur, sed inde citatus protinus in curiam veniebat, ambiguae laudis civem existimans qui debitis rei publicae officiis non sua sponte sed iussus fungeretur, quia quidquid imperio cogitur exigenti magis quam praestanti acceptum refertur.
But to pass from manners corrupted by luxury to the austere institutions of our ancestors, the senate in former times kept regular station in the place which even today is called the senaculum. They did not wait to be assembled by proclamation but would proceed thence to the senate house immediately when summoned. For to their thinking a citizen who discharged offices due to the commonwealth not of his own volition but in compliance with an order deserved but questionable commendation, since any service forced by authority redounds to the credit of him who requires it rather than of him who renders it.
final_alignments\Valerius_Memorable_Book2.json