Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus

Reproduction based on a rubbing of the inscription, which is intaglio engraved on bronze. The original is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus is a notable Old Latin inscription (CIL i² 2, 581), dating to AUC 568, or 186 BC, discovered in 1640 at Tiriolo, southern Italy. It is letter from the praetor stating the substance of a decree of the Roman Senate prohibiting the Bacchanalia throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate.

The Bacchanalia began as a small sect of persons practicing nocturnal religious rites featuring orgiastic behavior under the influence of wine. As some of the practices were considered immoral or were illegal by day, the practicioners adopted a code of secrecy and began in effect a secret society. The orgiastic aspects soon attracted large numbers of people who considered that they were above the law. Murder and rape were said not to have been below them. They limited membership to persons who had not yet reached 20 years of age.

When the cult began to involve many offspring of noble families and to terrorize persons into joining, some sought the assistance of their elders, information was put before the Senate and steps were taken to protect the witnesses. The cult was held to be a threat to the security of the state, investigators were appointed, rewards were offered to informants, legal processes were put in place and the Senate began the official suppression of the cult throughout Italy. Many committed suicide to avoid indictment. The penalty for leadership was capital. Imprisonment was meted out for marginal involvement. Livy, the chief historical source, states that there were more executions than imprisonments.^[1] After the conspiracy had been quelled the Bacchanalia survived in Southern Italy.

Text

The surviving copy is inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Apulia in Southern Italy (1640), now at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The text as copied from the inscription is as follows.^[2]

1. [Q] MARCIUS L F S POSTUMIUS L F COS SENATUM CONSOLUERUNT N OCTOB APUD AEDEM
2. DUELONAI SC ARF M CLAUDI M F L VALERI P F Q MINUCI C F DE BACANALIBUS QUEI FOEDERATEI
3. ESENT ITA EXDEICENDUM CENSUERE NEIQUIS EORUM BACANAL HABUISE VELET SEI QUES
4. ESENT QUEI SIBEI DEICERENT NECESUS ESE BACANAL HABERE EEIS UTEI AD PR URBANUM
5. ROMAM VENIRENT DEQUE EEIS REBUS UBEI EORUM VER[B]A AUDITA ESENT UTEI SENATUS
6. NOSTER DECERNERET DUM NE MINUS SENATOR[I]BUS C ADESENT [QUOM E]A RES COSOLORETUR
7. BACAS VIR NEQUIS ADIESE VELET CEIVIS ROMANUS NEVE NOMINUS LATINI NEVE SOCIUM
8. QUISQUAM NISEI PR URBANUM ADIESENT ISQUE [D]E SENATUOS SENTENTIAD DUM NE
9. MINUS SENATORIBUS C ADESENT QUOM EA RES COSOLERETUR IOUSISET CE[N]SUERE
10. SACERDOS NE QUIS VIR ESET MAGISTER NEQUE VIR NEQUE MULIER QUISQUAM ESET
11. NEVE PECUNIAM QUISQUAM EORUM COMOINE[MH]ABUISE VE[L]ET NEVE MAGISTRATUM
12. NEVE PRO MAGISTRATU[D] NEQUE VIRUM [NEQUE MUL]IEREM QUISQUAM FECISE VELET
13. NEVE POST HAC INTER SED CONIOURA [SE NEV]E COMVOVISE NEVE CONSPONDISE
14. NEVE CONPROMESISE VELET NEVE QUISQUAM FIDEM INTER SED DEDISE VELET
15. SACRA IN OQOLTOD NE QUISQUAM FECISE VELET NEVE IN POPLICOD NEVE IN
16. PREIVATOD NEVE EXTRAD URBEM SACRA QUISQUAM FECISE VELET NISEI
17. PR URBANUM ADIESET ISQUE DE SENATUOS SENTENTIAD DUM NE MINUS
18. SENATORIBUS C ADESENT QUOM EA RES COSOLERETUR IOUSISET CENSUERE
19. HOMINES PLOUS V OINVORSEI VIREI ATQUE MULIERES SACRA NE QUISQUAM
20. FECISE VELET NEVE INTER IBEI VIREI PLOUS DUOBUS MULIERIBUS PLOUS TRIBUS
21. ARFUISE VELENT NISEI DE PR URBANI SENATUOSQUE SENTENTIAD UTEI SUPRAD
22. SCRIPTUM EST HAICE UTEI IN CONVENTIONID EXDEICATIS NE MINUS TRINUM
23. NOUNDINUM SENATUOSQUE SENTENTIAM UTEI SCIENTES ESETIS EORUM
24. SENTENTIA ITA FUIT SEI QUES ESENT QUEI ARVORSUM EAD FECISENT QUAM SUPRAD
25. SCRIPTUM EST EEIS REM CAPUTALEM FACIENDAM CENSUERE ATQUE UTEI
26. HOCE IN TABOLAM AHENAM INCEIDERETIS ITA SENATUS AIQUOM CENSUIT
27. UTEIQUE EAM FIGIER IOUBEATIS UBI FACILUMED GNOSCIER POTISIT ATQUE
28. UTEI EA BACANALIA SEI QUA SUNT EXSTRAD QUAM SEI QUID IBEI SACRI EST
29. ITA UTEI SUPRAD SCRIPTUM EST IN DIEBUS X QUIBUS VOBEIS TABELAI DATAI
30. ERUNT FACIATIS UTEI DISMOTA SIENT IN AGRO TEURANO

Transliteration into classical Latin

The following passage uses classical reflexes of the Old Latin lexical items:^[2]

1. [Q.] Marcius L. f(ilius), S(purius) Postumius L. f(ilius) co(n)s(ules) senatum consoluerunt N(onis) Octob(ribus), apud aedem
2. Bellonai. Sc(ribendo) adf(uerunt) M. Claudi(us) M. f(ilius), L. Valeri(us) P. f(ilius), Q. Minuci(us) C. f. f(ilius). De Bacchanalibus qui foederati
3. essent, ita edicendum censuere: «Nequis eorum [B]acchanal habuisse vellet. siqui
4. essent, qui sibi dicerent necesse esse Bacchanal habere, ei uti ad pr(aetorem) urbanum
5. Romam venirent, deque eis rebus, ubei eorum v[e]r[b]a audita essent, uti senatus
6. noster decerneret, dum ne minus senator[i]bus C adessent, [cum e]a res consuleretur.
7. Bacchas vir nequis adiisse vellet civis Romanus neve nominis Latini neve sociorum
8. quisquam, nisi pr(aetorem) urbanum adiissent, isque [d]e senatus sententia, dum ne
9. minus senatoribus C adessent, cum ea res consuleretur, iussisset. Ce[n]suere.
10. Sacerdos nequis uir esset. Magister neque uir neque mulier quaequam esset.
11. neve pecuniam quisquam eorum commune[m h]abuisse vellet. Neve magistratum,
12. neve pro magistratu, neque virum [neque mul]ierem qui[s]quam fecisse vellet,
13. neve post hac inter se coniuras[se nev]e convovisse neve conspondisse
14. neve compromesisse vellet, neve quisquam fidem inter sed dedisse vellet.
15. Sacra in occulto ne quisquam fecisse vellet. Neve in publico neve in
16. privato neve extra urbem sacra quisquam fecisse vellet, nisi
17. pr(aetorem) urbanum adiisset, isque de senatus sententia, dum ne minus
18. senatoribus C adessent, cum ea res consuleretur, iussisset. Censuere.
19. Homines plus V universi viri atque mulieres sacra ne quisquam
20. fecisse vellet, neve interibi viri plus duobus, mulieribus plus tribus
21. adfuisse vellent, nisi de pr(aetoris) urbani senatusque sententia, uti supra
22. scriptum est.» Haec uti in contioni edicatis ne minus trinum
23. nundinum, senatusque sententiam uti scientes essetis, eorum
24. sententia ita fuit: «Siqui essent, qui adversum ea fecissent, quam supra
25. scriptum est, eis rem capitalem faciendam censuere». Atque uti
26. hoc in tabulam ahenam incideretis, ita senatus aequum censuit,
27. utique eam figi iubeatis, ubi facillime nosci possit; atque
28. uti ea Bacchanalia, siqua sunt, extra quam siquid ibi sacri est,
29. (ita ut supra scriptum est)^[3] in diebus X, quibus vobis tabelae datae
30. erunt, faciatis uti dimota sint. In agro Teurano.

Translation into English

The inscription was translated by Nina E. Weston as follows.^[4]

Daniel Hopfer, Bacchanalian Scene

"Quintus Marcius the son of Lucius, and Spurius Postumius, consulted the senate on the Nones of October (7th), at the temple of the Bellonae. Marcus Claudius, son of Marcus, Lucius Valerias, son of Publius, and Quintus Minucius, son of Gaius, were the committee for drawing up the report.

Regarding the Bacchanalia it was resolved to give the following directions to those who are in alliance with us.

No one of them is to possess a place where the festivals of Bacchus are celebrated: if there are any who claim that it is necessary for them to have such a place, they are to come to Rome to the praetor urbanus, and the senate is to decide on those matters, when their claims have been heard, provided that not less than 100 senators are present when the affair is discussed. No man is to be a Bacchantian, neither a Roman citizen, nor one of the Latin name, nor any of our allies unless they come to the praetor urbanus, and he in accordance with the opinion of the senate expressed when not less than 100 senators are present at the discussion, shall have given leave. Carried.

No man is to be a priest; no one, either man or woman, is to be an officer (to manage the temporal affairs of the organization); nor is anyone of them to have charge of a common treasury; no one shall appoint either man or woman to be master or to act as master; henceforth they shall not form conspiracies among themselves, stir up any disorder, make mutual promises or agreements, or interchange pledges; no one shall observe the sacred rites either in public or private or outside the city, unless he comes to the praetor urbanus, and he, in accordance with the opinion of the senate, expressed when no less that 100 senators are present at the discussion, shall have given leave. Carried.

No one in a company of more than five persons altogether, men and women, shall observe the sacred rites, nor in that company shall there be present more than two men or three women, unless in accordance with the opinion of the praetor urbanus and the senate as written above.

See that you declare it in the assembly (contio) for not less than three market days; that you may know the opinion of the senate this was their judgment: if there are any who have acted contrary to what was written above, they have decided that a proceeding for a capital offense should be instituted against them; the senate has justly decreed that you should inscribe this on a brazen tablet, and that you should order it to be placed where it can be easiest read; see to it that the revelries of Bacchus, if there be any, except in case there be concerned in the matter something sacred, as was written above, be disbanded within ten days after this letter shall be delivered to you.

In the Teuranian field."

Notes

1. ^ Titus Livius. "Book 34, sections 8 through 18". History of Rome. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Ernout, Alfred (1947) (in French, Latin). Recueil de Textes Latins Archaiques. Paris: Librairie C. Klincksieck. pp. 58-68. 
3. ^ Ernout omits the phrase in his traduction.
4. ^ Thatcher, Oliver Joseph, ed (1901). The ideas that have influenced civilization, in the original documents. Volume III: The Roman World. Roberts-Manchester Publishing Co.. pp. 76-77. 

See also

• List of Roman laws
• Roman Senate

External links

• "SC De Bacchanalibus". The Roman Law Library, Iustinianus Project, Grenoble II University. http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Cours/Ak/. Retrieved 21 October 2009. 
• "SC De Bacchanalibus, Latin Literary Sources". The Roman Law Library, Iustinianus Project, Grenoble II University. http://web.upmf-grenoble.fr/Haiti/Cours/Ak/. Retrieved 21 October 2009. 
• "Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus". The Latin Library. http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/scbaccanalibus.html. Retrieved 19 October 2009. 
• "Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus". Bibliotheca Augustiana. http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/Chronologia/Lsante02/Bacchanalia/bac_orig.html. Retrieved 20 October 2009.