Has astu aggressus, quo verteret acrius aegras ad Tyrios mentes, quae nulla sorte daturam certus erat Romam (neque enim impetranda volebat)' Pacuvio fuit haud obscurum crimine nomen' hortatur summi partem deposcere iuris atque alternatos sociato consule fasces; et, si partita renuant sedisse curuli aequatumque decus geminasque videre secures, ultorem ante oculos atque ora astare repulsae.
Thus demoralized was Capua, when Pacuvius, a man whose name is known only because of his misdeeds, worked cunningly upon the minds of the citizens, in order to make them more eager to join the Carthaginians. He urged them to demand of Rome what he knew that Rome would never grant'indeed he did not wish it to be granted'that Capua should claim an equal share in the highest officeb and that the rods should pass in turn from one consul to the other. And, if the Romans refused to share their curule chair and to admit a partner, with a second set of axes, to the high office, then one who would avenge the rebuff was near and in full view.
final_alignments\Silius_Italicus_Punica_Book11.json