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), 31.32

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[1] After this had been said by the Roman commissioner, and the opinions of all were turning¹ toward the Romans, Damocritus, chief of the Aetolians, bribed — so men say — by

[2] the king, argued, not agreeing in any way with either side, that nothing was so inconsistent with wisdom in a great crisis as haste; for repentance, swift yet none the less late and unavailing, followed, when hastily-formed plans could not be recalled or annulled.

[3] The time for making the decision, the ripe moment for which should, in his judgment, be awaited, could be fixed even now:

[4] since it was provided by the laws that questions concerning peace or war should not be debated except at the Panaetolian and Pylaic²

[5] ³

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.) — 31.32 focus

[1] haec dicta ab Romano cum essent, inclinatis omnium animis ad Romanos Damocritus, praetor Aetolorum, pecunia, ut fama est, ab rege accepta nihil aut huic aut illi parti adsensus,

[2] rem magni discriminis consiliis nullam esse tam inimicam quam celeritatem dixit; celerem enim paenitentiam, sed eandem seram atque inutilem sequi, cum praecipitata raptim consilia neque revocari neque in integrum restitui possint.

[3] deliberationis eius, cuius ipse maturitatem expectandam putaret, tempus ita iam nunc statui posse: cum legibus cautum esset, ne de pace belloque nisi in Panaetolico et Pylaico concilio ageretur, decernerent extemplo,

[4] ut praetor sine fraude, cum de bello et pace agere velit, advocet concilium, et quod tur tum referatur decernaturque ut perinde ius ratumque sit, ac si in Panaetolico aut Pylaico concilio actum esset.

[5] dimissis ita suspensa re legatis egregie consultum genti aiebat: nam utrius partis melior fortuna belli esset, ad eius societatem inclinaturos. haec in concilio Aetolorum acta.

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).) — 30.32 focus

[1]

In castra ut est ventum, pronuntiant ambo arma expedirent milites animosque ad supremum certamen, non in unum diem sed in perpetuum, si felicitas adesset, victores.

[2] Roma an Carthago iura gentibus daret ante crastinam noctem scituros; neque enim Africam aut Italiam, sed orbem terrarum victoriae praemium fore; par periculum praemio quibus adversa ¹ pugnae fortuna fuisset.

[3] nam neque Romanis effugium ullum patebat in aliena ignotaque terra, et Carthagini, supremo ² auxilio effuso, adesse videbatur praesens excidium.

[4] ad hoc discrimen procedunt postero die duorum ³ opulentissimorum populorum duo longe clarissimi duces, duo fortissimi exercitus, multa ante parta decora aut cumulaturi eo die aut eversuri.

[5] anceps igitur spes et metus miscebant animos; contemplantibusque modo suam modo hostium aciem, cum ⁴ oculis magis quam ratione pensarent vires, simul laeta, simul tristia obversabantur. quae ipsis sua sponte non succurrebant, ea duces admonendo atque hortando subiciebant. ⁵

[6] Poenus sedecim annorum in terra Italia ⁶ res gestas, tot duces Romanos, tot exercitus occidione occisos et sua cuique decora, ubi ad insignem alicuius pugnae memoria militem venerat, referebat:

[7] Scipio Hispanias et recentia in Africa proelia et confessionem hostium, quod neque non petere pacem propter metum neque manere in ea prae insita animis perfidia potuissent.

[8] ad hoc conloquium Hannibalis in secreto habitum ac liberum fingenti qua ⁷ volt flectit. ⁸

[9] ominatur , quibus quondam auspiciis patres eorum ad Aegates pugnaverint insulas, ea illis exeuntibus in aciem portendisse deos.

[10] adesse finem belli ac laboris; in manibus esse praedam Carthaginis, reditum domum in patriam ad parentes, liberos, coniuges penatesque deos.

[11] celsus⁹ haec corpore voltuque ita laeto ut vicisse iam crederes dicebat.

instruit deinde primos hastatos, post eos principes; triariis postremam aciem clausit.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 31.32 focus

[1]

’ haec dicta ab Romano cum essent, inclinatis omnium animis ad Romanos Damocritus, praetor Aetolorum, pecunia, ut fama est, ab rege accepta ¹ nihil aut huic aut illi parti adsensus,

[4] decernerent extemplo, ut praetor sine fraude, cum de bello et pace agere velit, advocet concilium, et quod tum referatur decernaturque ut perinde ius ratumque sit ac si in Panaetolico aut Pylaico concilio actum esset.

[5] dimissis ita suspensa re legatis egregie consultum genti aiebat: nam utrius partis melior fortuna belli esset, ad eius societatem inclinaturos. haec in concilio Aetolorum acta.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 31.32 focus

[1]

When these things had been said by the ambassador, the minds of all leaning towards the Romans, Damocritus, praetor of the Aetolians, (who, it was reported, had received money from the king,) assenting in no degree to one party or the other, said, —that

in consultations of great and critical importance, nothing was so injurious as haste.

[2]

That repentance, indeed, generally followed, and that quickly, but yet too late and unavailing; because designs carried on with precipitation could not be recalled, nor matters brought back to their original state. The time, however, for determining the point under consideration, which, for his part, he thought should not be too early, might yet immediately be fixed in this manner.

[3]

As it had been provided by the laws, that no determination should be made concerning peace or war, except in the Panaetolic or Pylaic councils; let them immediately pass a decree, that the praetor, when he chooses to treat respecting war and peace, may have full authority to summon a council;

[4]

and that whatever shall be then debated and decreed, shall be, to all intents and purposes, legal and valid, as if it had been transacted in the Panaetolic or Pylaic assembly.

[5] And thus dismissing the ambassadors, with the matter undetermined, he said, that therein he had acted most prudently for the interest of the state; for the Aetolians would have it in their power to join in alliance with whichever of the parties should be more successful in the war. Such were the proceedings in the council of the Aetolians.

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.) — 31.32 focus

[1]

At the conclusion of this speech the unanimous feeling was in favour of the Romans. Damocritus, the chief magistrate of the Aetolians, who was currently reported to have been bribed by the king, refused to support either side.

[2] "In a matter of such serious consequence," he said, "nothing is so fatal to wise counsels as doing things in a hurry. This is followed by quick repentance which, however, is too late, and quite unavailing; decisions hastily and precipitately formed cannot be recalled, nor can the mischief be undone."

[3] He thought that an interval ought to be allowed for mature deliberation, and the time could be fixed there and then. As they were forbidden by law to discuss questions of peace and war anywhere but in the Pan-Aetolian Council, they ought at once to pass a decree exempting the chief magistrate from all penalties, if he summoned a

[4] council when he thought the time had come to submit the question of peace and war, and the decrees of that council should have the same force and validity as though they had been passed in a regular Pan-Aetolian Council.

[5] After the matter was adjourned the envoys were dismissed, and Damocritus said that the decision come to was in the highest degree favourable to the nation, for whichever side had the better fortune in the war, that side they would be able to join. Such were the proceedings in the Pan-Aetolian Council.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 200

2. This is probably the other stated meeting of the League, but this name is not used elsewhere in this connection.

3. Possibly, as Professor Capps suggests to me, the Pylaic meeting was that of the Amphictyonic Council, now dominated by Aetolia, at Thermopylae; one expects, however, action by an Aetolian and not by an Amphictyonic agency. Cf.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 31.32

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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