Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 31.14

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[1] Thereupon Publius Sulpicius, after the announcement of the vows on the Capitoline, left the city with his lictors in uniform,¹ arrived

[2] at Brundisium and there, enrolling in the legions veteran volunteers from the African army and selecting ships from the fleet of Gnaeus Cornelius, he arrived in Macedonia the second day after he set sail from Brundisium.

[3] There Athenian ambassadors met him, begging that he release them from siege. He at once sent to Athens Gaius Claudius Cento with twenty warships and a thousand soldiers.

[4] For² the king³ himself was not conducting the siege of Athens, but was principally occupied with the attack on Abydus,⁴ and was now trying his strength in naval battles with the Rhodians and Attalus, in neither case with conspicuous success;

[5] however, his spirits were kept up, partly by his naturally impetuous disposition, partly by a treaty⁵ which he had concluded with Antiochus, king of Syria, according to which the wealth of Egypt, which both coveted when they heard of the death of King Ptolemy, was soon to be divided between them.

[6] Now the Athenians⁶ had undertaken the war⁷ against Philip for no sufficient reason, since they retained nothing of their ancient greatness except their spirit.

[7] Two young men from Acarnania,⁸ during the celebration of the mysteries at Eleusis, though not initiated, had entered the temple of Ceres, ignorant that they were committing a sacrilege, and merely following the crowd.

[8] Their words easily betrayed them, since they asked foolish questions, and though it was clear that they had come in openly and by mistake they were put to death as if they had committed some heinous crime.

[9] The Acarnanians reported this revolting and unfriendly act to Philip, and prevailed upon him to send them Macedonian aid and permit them to attack Athens.

[10] This army at first laid waste Attica with fire and sword and returned to Acarnania laden with every kind of booty. This was the original provocation; later regular war was declared and waged by decree of the state after formal notification.

[11] Now when King Attalus and the Rhodians had arrived at Aegina in pursuit of Philip, who was retiring to Macedonia, Attalus crossed to Piraeus to renew and confirm his alliance with the Athenians.⁹

[12] The whole body of citizens,¹⁰ with their wives and children, poured out to meet him; the priests in their¹¹ vestments and the very gods, so to speak, starting up from their thrones, welcomed him as he entered the city.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor). Medford, MA. .

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Sage, Evan T.; Schlesinger, Alfred C., translators. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959. (Loeb Classical Library))

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 31.14 focus

[1] tum P. Sulpicius secundum vota in Capitolio nuncupata paludatis lictoribus profectus ab urbe Brundisium venit

[2] et veteribus militibus voluntariis ex Africano exercitu in legiones discriptis navibusque ex classe Cn. Cornelii electis altero die, quam a Brundisio solvit, in Macedoniam traiecit.

[3] ibi ei praesto fuere Atheniensium legati orantes, ut se obsidione eximeret. missus extemplo Athenas est C. Claudius Cento cum viginti longis navibus et mille militum. neque enim ipse rex Athenas obsidebat;

[4] eo maxime tempore Abydum oppugnabat, iam cum Rhodiis et Attalo navalibus certaminibus, neutro feliciter proelio, vires expertus;

[5] sed animos ei faciebat praeter ferociam insitam foedus ictum cum Antiocho, Syriae rege, divisaeque iam cum eo Aegypti opes, cui morte audita Ptolomaei regis ambo imminebant.

[6] contraxerant autem sibi cum Philippo bellum Athenienses haudquaquam digna causa, dum ex vetere fortuna nihil praeter animos servant.

[7] Acarnanes duo iuvenes per initiorum dies non initiati templum Cereris inprudentes religionis cum cetera turba ingressi sunt.

[8] facile eos sermo prodidit absurde quaedam percunctantis, deductique ad antistites templi, cum palam esset per errorem ingressos, tamquam ob infandum scelus interfecti sunt.

[9] id tam foede atque hostiliter factum gens Acarnanum ad Philippum detulit impetravitque ab eo, ut datis Macedonum auxiliis bellum se inferre Atheniensibus pateretur.

[10] hic exercitus primo terrain terram Atticam ferro ignique depopulatus cum omnis generis praeda in Acarnaniam rediit. et irritatio quidem animorum ea prima fuit; posted postea iustum bellum decretis civitatis ultro indicendo factum.

[11] Attalus enim rex Rhodiique persecuti cedentem in Macedoniam Philippum cum Aeginam venissent, rex Piraeum renovandae confirmandaeque cum Atheniensibus societatis causa traiecit.

[12] civitas omnis obviam effusa cum coniugibus ac liberis, sacerdotes citu insignibus suis intrantem urbem ac di prope ipsi exciti sedibus suis acceperunt.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Livy in Fourteen Volumes. Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Schlesinger, Alfred C., editors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959 (printing).) — 30.14 focus

[1]

haec¹ non hostili modo odio, sed amoris etiam stimulis, amatam ² apud aemulum cernens, cum dixisset, non mediocri cura Scipionis animum pepulit.

[2] et fidem criminibus raptae ³ prope inter arma nuptiae neque consulto neque exspectato Laelio faciebant tamque praeceps festinatio ut quo die captam captain hostem hosted⁴ vidisset, eodem matrimonio iunctam acciperet et ad penates hostis sui nuptiale sacrum conficeret;

[3] et ⁵ eo foediora haec videbantur Scipioni, quod ipsum in Hispania iuvenem nullius forma pepulerat captivae. haec secum volutanti Laelius ac Masinissa supervenerunt. quos cum pariter ambo et benigno voltu excepisset et egregiis laudibus frequenti praetorio celebrasset,

[4] abductum in secretum Masinissam sic adloquitur: " aliqua te, Masinissa, existimo ⁶ intuentem in me bona et principio in Hispania ad iungendam mecum amicitiam venisse et postea in Africa te ipsum spesque omnes tuas in fidem meam commisisse.

[5] atqui nulla earum virtus est propter quas tibi adpetendus visus sim qua ego aeque ac temperantia et continentia libidinum gloriatus fuerim.

[6] hanc te quoque ad ceteras tuas eximias virtutes, Masinissa, adiecisse velim. non est, non—mihi crede—tantum ab hostibus armatis aetati nostrae periculi ⁷ quantum ab circumfusis undique voluptatibus.

[7] qui eas temperantia sua frenavit ac domuit multo maius decus maioremque victoriam sibi peperit quam nos Syphace victo habemus.

[8] quae me absente strenue ac fortiter fecisti libenter et commemoravi et memini; cetera te ipsum tecum reputare quam me dicente erubescere malo. Syphax populi Romani auspiciis victus captusque est.

[9] itaque ipse, coniunx, regnum, ager, oppida, homines qui incolunt, quidquid denique Syphacis fuit praeda populi Romani est;

[10] et regem ⁸ coniugemque eius, etiamsi non civis Carthaginiensis esset,etiamsi non patrem eius imperatorem hostium videremus, Romam oporteret mitti, ac senatus populique Romani de ea iudicium atque arbitrium esse quae regem socium nobis alienasse atque in arma egisse ⁹ praecipitem dicatur.

[11] vince animum; cave ¹⁰ deformes multa bona uno vitio et tot meritorum gratiam maiore culpa quam causa culpae est conrumpas.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 31.14 focus

[1]

tum P. Sulpicius secundum vota in Capitolio nuncupata

[2] paludatis lictoribus profectus ab urbe Brundisium venit et veteribus militibus voluntariis ex Africano exercitu in legiones discriptis navibusque ex classe Cn. Cornelii electis altero die, quam a Brundisio solvit, in Macedoniam traiecit.

[3] ibi ei praesto fuere Atheniensium legati orantes, ut se obsidione eximeret. missus extemplo Athenas est C. Claudius Cento cum viginti longis ¹ navibus et mille militum.

[4] neque enim ipse rex Athenas obsidebat; eo maxime tempore Abydum oppugnabat, iam cum Rhodiis et Attalo navalibus certaminibus, neutro feliciter proelio, vires expertus;

[5] sed animos ei faciebat praeter ferociam insitam foedus ictum cum Antiocho, Syriae rege, divisaeque iam cum eo Aegypti opes, cui morte audita Ptolomaei regis ambo imminebant.

[6] contraxerant autem sibi cum Philippo bellum Athenienses ² haudquaquam digna causa, dum ex vetere fortuna nihil praeter animos servant.

[7] Acarnanes duo iuvenes per initiorum dies non initiati templum Cereris inprudentes religionis cum cetera turba ingressi sunt.

[8] facile eos sermo prodidit absurde quaedam percunctantis, deductique ad antistites templi, cum palam esset per errorem ingressos, tamquam ob infandum scelus interfecti sunt.

[9] id tam foede atque hostiliter factum gens Acarnanum ad Philippum detulit impetravitque ab eo, ut datis Macedonum auxiliis bellum se inferre Atheniensibus pateretur.

[10] hic exercitus primo terram Atticam ferro ignique depopulatus cum omnis generis praeda in Acarnaniam rediit. et irritatio quidem animorum ea prima fuit; postea iustum bellum decretis civitatis ultro indicendo factum.

[11] Attalus enim rex Rhodiique persecuti cedentem in Macedoniam Philippum cum Aeginam venissent, rex Piraeum renovandae confirmandaeque cum Atheniensibus societatis causa ³ traiecit.

[12] civitas omnis obviam effusa cum coniugibus ac liberis, sacerdotes cum insignibus suis intrantem urbem ac di prope ipsi exciti sedibus suis acceperunt.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 31.14 focus

[1]

Publius Sulpicius, after making his vows in the Capitol, set out robed from the city with his lictors, and arrived at Brundusium;

[2] where, having formed into legions the veteran soldiers of the African army who were willing to follow him, and chosen his ships out of the fleet of the late consul, Cornelius, he crossed and arrived in Macedonia the day after he had set sail from Brundusium.

[3] There he was met by ambassadors from the Athenians, entreating him to relieve them from the siege. Immediately, Caius Claudius Centho was despatched to Athens, with twenty ships of war, and a thousand of land forces.

[4] For it was not the king himself who carried on the siege of Athens; he was at that time besieging Abydus, after having tried his strength in naval contests against Attalus, and against the Rhodians, without success in either engagement.

[5] But, besides the natural presumptuousness of his temper, he acquired confidence from a treaty which he had formed with Antiochus, king of Syria, in which they had divided the wealth of Egypt between them; on which, on hearing of the death of Ptolemy, they were both intent.

[6] The Athenians now had entangled themselves in a war with Philip on too trifling an occasion, and at a time when they retained nothing of their former condition but their pride.

[7] During the celebration of the mysteries, two young men of Acarnania, who were not initiated, unapprized of its being an offence against religion, entered the temple of Ceres along with the rest of the crowd:

[8] their discourse readily betrayed them, by their asking some absurd questions; whereupon, being carried before the presidents of the temple, although it was evident that they went in through mistake, yet they were put to death, as if for a heinous crime.

[9] The Acarnanian nation made complaint to Philip of this barbarous and hostile act. and prevailed on him to grant them some aid of Macedonian soldiers, and to allow them to make war on the Athenians.

[10] At first this army, after ravaging the lands of Attica with fire and sword, retired to Acarnania with booty of all kinds. This was the first provocation to hostilities. The Athenians afterwards, on their side, entered into a regular war, and proclaimed it by order of the state.

[11] For king Attalus and the Rhodians, having come to Aegina in pursuit of Philip, who was retiring to Macedonia, the king crossed over to Piraeus, for the purpose of renewing and confirming his alliance with the Athenians.

[12] On entering the city, the whole inhabitants received him, pouring forth with their wives and children to meet him; the priests, with their emblems of religion; and in a manner the gods themselves, called forth from their abodes.

History of Rome Perseus (Volumes 1-2. Roberts, Canon, Rev, translator. London, New York: J. M. Dent and Sons; E. P. Dutton and Co., 1912.) — 31.14 focus

[1]

After the recital of the customary prayers in the Capitol P. Sulpicius was invested by his lictors with the paludamentum and left the City for Brundisium.

[2] Here he incorporated into his legions the veterans who had volunteered out of the African army, and also selected the vessels out of the fleet under Cn. Cornelius. Then he set sail, and the next day he landed in, Greece.

[3] Here he was met by an embassy from Athens who begged him to raise the siege which that city was undergoing. C. Claudius Cento was at once despatched thither with 20 warships and 1000 men.

[4] The king was not personally directing the siege, he was just then attacking Abydos, after trying his strength in naval encounters with the Rhodians and with Attalus, and in neither battle had he been successful.

[5] But his was not a nature to accept defeat quietly, and now that he had leagued himself with Antiochus, king of Syria, he was more determined on war than ever. They had agreed to divide the rich kingdom of Egypt between them, and on hearing of the death of Ptolemy they both prepared to attack it.

[6] The Athenians, who retain nothing of their ancient greatness but their pride, had become involved in hostilities with Philip through a quite unimportant incident.

[7] During the celebration of the Eleusinian Mysteries two young Acarnanians who had not been initiated entered the temple of Ceres with the rest of the crowd, quite unaware of the sacrilegious nature of their action.

[8] They were betrayed by the silly questions which they asked, and were brought before the temple authorities. Though it was quite evident that they had sinned in ignorance, they were put to death as though guilty of a horrible crime.

[9] The Acarnanians reported this hostile and barbarous act to Philip and obtained his consent to their making war on Athens supported by a Macedonian contingent. Their army began by laying the land of Attica waste with fire and sword, after which they returned to Acarnania with plunder of every description.

[10] So far there was only anger and exasperation on both sides, subsequently, by a decree of the citizens, Athens made a formal declaration of war.

[11] For when King Attalus and the Rhodians who were following up Philip in his retreat to Macedonia had reached Aegina, the king sailed across to the Piraeus for the purpose of renewing and confirming his alliance with the Athenians.

[12] The whole body of the citizens came out to meet him with their wives and children; the priests in their sacred robes received him as he entered the city; even the gods themselves were almost summoned from their shrines to welcome him.

Notes on the current edition

Ab Urbe Condita With An English Translation, books 1-10, 21-45, with periochae 11-20

1. One might expect paludatus cum lictoribus; I have however retained the reading of the MSS.: cf. XLI. x. 5; 7; 13; XLV. xxxix. 11 (in the first of these Gronovius conjectured paludatus sine lictoribus), in which the same phrase occurs.

2. Livy's elliptical neque enim suggests that if Philip had been before Athens a larger relief expedition would have been necessary.

3. Livy here summarizes the activities of Philip during the campaign of 200 B.C. before the arrival of Sulpicius in the late summer or early autumn of that year. He resumes the narrative dealing with Sulpicius in xxii. 4 below.

4. Philip's attack upon this famous city on the Hellespont was part of the aggressive campaign against the Greek cities on the islands and in Asia Minor, some of which were free, while others belonged to the Ptolemies, whose empire he had agreed with Antiochus (see below) to dismember. His policy threatened both Pergamum and Rhodes (cf. the Introductory Note) and brought them into the war.

5. Cf. Polyb. III. ii. 8. The death of Ptolemy Philopator (cf. the note on ii. 3 above) gave Philip and Antiochus their apparent opportunity to expand at the expense of the boy Epiphanes. The treaty was probably made in 203 B.C.

6. Livy here summarizes briefly and somewhat inaccurately the events leading up to Roman intervention in the east. In 201 B.C., in consequence of the treaty mentioned in sect. 5 above, Philip had begun operations against the Egyptian possessions in Thrace, northern Asia Minor, and the Cyclades. This brought him into conflict with Pergamum, already allied with Athens, and with Rhodes. At the approach of winter he had withdrawn to Europe, after a campaign somewhat more successful than Livy's account intimates. Athens was not immediately involved in this war, but was embroiled with Philip in the manner described in the following sections. The alignment is then: Philip and the Aetolian League vs. Athens, Pergamum, Rhodes, Rome. Antiochus, allied with both Rome and Philip, was not involved directly, nor was Ptolemy, allied with Rome, although Philip's attack on his possessions precipitated the war.

7. B.C. 200

8. Acarnania, in the north-west, was a part of the Aetolian League.

9. See, for this alliance, XXIX. xii. 14.

10. Polybius (XVI. xxv. 5) similarly describes this scene.

11. B.C. 200

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 31.14

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

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