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), 31.39

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[1] The consul was engaged in refreshing himself at the time it was announced that the herald had come and why he had come.

[2] Replying merely that in the morning there would be opportunity for a conference, he gave Philip what he sought, the chance to retire rapidly during the night and a part of the next day.

[3] He made for the mountains, choosing a road which he knew the Roman, with his heavy-armed column, would not take. At daybreak the consul sent the herald away after granting the truce, and when he learned, no long time later, that the enemy had gone, not knowing where to pursue him, he spent some days in the same camp while gathering supplies.

[4] Thence he marched to Stuberra and brought there from Pelagonia the grain which was in¹ the fields. He then marched to Pluinna, still ignorant as to where the enemy had gone.

[5] When Philip had established a base near Bruanium, marching from there across country he inspired sudden terror in the enemy. On that account the Romans moved from Pluinna and encamped on the Osphagus river.

[6] The king also pitched camp not far away, throwing up a rampart along the bank of a river — the natives call it Erigonus.

[7] Then, feeling certain that the Romans would move toward Eordaea, he hurried forward to gain the pass, that the Romans might not force the road, which was closed by the narrow entrance.

[8] There he threw up hasty fortifications, using sometimes a rampart, sometimes a ditch, sometimes piles of stones to serve as a wall, sometimes cut-down trees, as the nature of the terrain

[9] and the material at hand permitted, and, as he thought, rendered a road which was already naturally difficult impassable by the obstacles which he placed in all the open places.

[10] There were many forests in the neighbourhood, a great hindrance to the Macedonian phalanx,² which was of absolutely no use except where it could thrust, so to speak, a rampart in front of the shields with its very long spears, and for this purpose they needed open country.

[11] The Thracians too were impeded by their lances, which were likewise of great length, among the branches which projected in every direction.

[12] Only the Cretan contingent was of much service, but even they, since they could only, if there was an attack, direct their arrows against unprotected horses and riders, so against the Roman shields they lacked the power of penetration, and there were left no unexposed parts at which they could aim.

[13] And so, when they perceived that weapons of this³ kind were ineffective, they harassed the enemy with the stones which lay everywhere through the whole valley. The clash of these against the shields, causing more noise than damage, delayed the advancing Romans for a little while.

[14] Then, scorning these also, part of the Romans, forming a testudo,⁴ advanced in face of the enemy, while others, gaining the saddle by a short detour,

[15] dislodged the terrified Macedonians from their strong points and outposts, and even killed some of them, since flight was slow in the difficult country.

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.) — 31.39 focus

[1] corpus iam curabat consul, cum, venisse caduceatorem et quid venisset, nuntiatum est.

[2] responso tantum dato mane postero die fore copiam conveniendi, id quod quaesitum erat, nox dieique insequentis pars ad praecipiendum iter Philippo data est.

[3] montes, quam viam non ingressurum gravi agmine Romanum sciebat, petit. consul prima luce caduceatore datis indutiis dimisso hand haud ita multo post abisse hostem cum sensisset, ignarus, qua sequeretur, iisdem stativis frumentando dies aliquot consumpsit.

[4] Stuberram deinde petit atque ex Pelagonia frumentum, quod in agris erat, convexit. inde ad Pluinnam est progressus nondum conperto, quam regonem regionem hostes petissent.

[5] Philippus cum primo ad Bruanium stativa habuisset, profectus inde transversis limitibus terrorerl terrorem praebuit subitum hosti. movere itaque ex Pluinma Pluinna Romani et ad Osphagum flumen posuerunt castra.

[6] rex haud procul inde et ipse vallo super ripam amnis ducto — Erigonum incolae vocant — consedit.

[7] inde satis comperto Eordaeam petituros Romanos, ad occupandas angustias, ne superare hostes artis faucibus inclusum aditum possent, praecessit.

[8] ibi alia vallo, alia fossa, alia lapidum congerie, ut pro muro essent, alia arboribus obiectis, ut aut locus postulabat aut materia suppeditabat,

[9] propere permuniit atque, ut ipse rebatur, viam suapte natura difficilem obiectis per omnes transitus operibus inexpugnabilem fecit.

[10] erant pleraque silvestria circa, incommoda phalangi maxime Macedonum, quae nisi ubi praelongis hastis velut vallum ante clipeos obiecit, quod ut fiat libero campo opus est, nullius admodum usus est.

[11] Thracas quoque rumpiae, ingentis et ipsae longitudinis, inter obiectos undique ramos impediebant.

[12] Cretensium una cohors non inutilis erat; sed ea quoque ipsa, ut, si quis impetum faceret, in patentem vulneri ecum equitemque sagittas conicere poterat, ita adversus scuta Romana nec ad traiciendum satis magnam vim habebat, nec aperti quicquam erat, quod peterent.

[13] itaque id ut vanum teli genus senserunt esse, saxis passim tota valle iacentibus incessebant hostem. ea maiore cum sonitu quam vulnere ullo pulsatio scutorum parumper succedentis Romanos tenuit.

[14] deinde, iis quoque spretis, partim testudine facta per adversos vadunt hostis,

[15] partim brevi circuitu cum in iugum collis evasissent, trepidos ex praesidiis stationibusque Macedonas deturant deturbant et, ut in locis impeditis difficili fuga, plerosque etiam obtruncant.

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).) — 30.39 focus

[1]

Claudium consulem, profectum tandem ab urbe, inter portus Cosanum Loretanumque atrox vis tempestatis adorta in metum ingentem adduxit.

[2] Populonium inde cum pervenisset stetissetque ibi, dum reliquum tempestatis exsaeviret, Ilvam insulam et ab Ilva Corsicam, a Corsica in Sardiniam traiecit. Ibi superantem Insanos montes multo et ¹ saevior et infestioribus locis tempestas adorta disiecit classem.

[3] multae quassatae armamentisque spoliatae naves, quaedam fractae. ita vexata ac lacerata classis Carales tenuit. ubi dum subductae reficiuntur naves, hiems oppressit circumactumque anni tempus, et nullo prorogante imperium privatus Ti. Claudius classem Romam reduxit.

[4] M. Servilius, ne comitiorum causa ad urbem revocaretur, dictatore dicto C. ² Servilio Gemino, in provinciam est profectus. dictator magistrum equitum P. Aelium Paetum dixit.

[5] saepe comitia indicta perfici tempestates prohibuerunt; itaque cum pridie idus Martias veteres magistratus abissent, ³ novi suffecti non essent, res publica sine curulibus magistratibus erat.

[6] T. Manlius Torquatus pontifex eo anno mortuus; in locum eius suffectus C. ⁴ Sulpicius Galba. ab L. Licinio Lucullo et Q. Fulvio aedilibus curulibus ludi Romani ter toti ⁵ instaurati.

[7] pecuniam ex aerario scribae viatoresque aedilicii clam egessisse per indicem ⁶ damnati sunt, non sine infamia Luculli aedilis.

[8] P. Aelius Tubero et L. Laetorius aediles plebis vitio creati magistratu se abdicaverunt, cum ludos ludorumque causa epulum Iovi fecissent et signa tria ⁷ ex multaticio argento facta in Capitolio posuissent. cerialia ludos dictator et magister equitum ex senatus consulto fecerunt.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 31.39 focus

[1]

corpus iam curabat consul, cum, venisse caduceatorem et quid venisset, nuntiatum est.

[2] responso tantum dato mane postero die fore copiam conveniendi, id quod quaesitum erat, nox dieique insequentis pars ad praecipiendum iter Philippo data est. montes, quam viam non ingressurum gravi agmine Romanum sciebat, petit.

[3] consul prima luce caduceatore datis indutiis dimisso haud ita multo post abisse hostem cum sensisset, ignarus, qua sequeretur, iisdem stativis frumentando dies aliquot consumpsit.

[4] Stuberram deinde petit atque ex Pelagonia frumentum, quod in agris ¹ erat, convexit. inde ad Pluinnam est progressus nondum conperto, quam regionem hostes petissent.

[5] Philippus cum primo ad Bruanium stativa habuisset, profectus inde transversis limitibus terrorem praebuit subitum hosti. movere itaque ex Pluinna Romani et ad Osphagum flumen posuerunt castra.

[6] rex haud procul inde et ipse vallo super ripam amnis ducto—Erigonum incolae vocant—

[7] consedit. inde satis comperto Eordaeam petituros Romanos, ad occupandas angustias, ne superare hostes artis faucibus inclusum aditum possent, praecessit.

[8] ibi alia vallo, alia fossa, alia lapidum congerie, ut pro muro essent, alia arboribus obiectis, ut aut locus postulabat aut materia suppeditabat, propere permuniit atque,

[9] ut ipse rebatur, viam suapte natura difficilem obiectis per omnes transitus operibus inexpugnabilem fecit.

[11] Thracas quoque rumpiae, ingentis et ipsae longitudinis, inter obiectos undique ramos impediebant.

[12] ² Cretensium una cohors non inutilis erat; sed ea quoque ipsa, ut, si quis impetum faceret, in patentem vulneri ecum equitemque sagittas conicere poterat, ita adversus scuta Romana nec ad traiciendum satis magnam vim habebat, nec aperti quicquam erat, quod peterent.

[13] itaque id ut vanum teli genus senserunt esse, saxis passim tota valle iacentibus incessebant hostem. ea maiore cum sonitu quam vulnere ullo pulsatio scutorum parumper succedentis Romanos tenuit.

[14] deinde, iis quoque spretis, partim testudine facta per adversos vadunt hostis,

[15] partim brevi circuitu cum in iugum collis evasissent, trepidos ex praesidiis stationibusque Macedonas deturbant et, ut in locis impeditis difficili fuga, plerosque etiam obtruncant.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 31.39 focus

[1]

The consul was now taking refreshment, when he was told that the herald had arrived, and on what business;

[2] he gave him no other answer, than that he should be admitted to an audience early the next morning: by which means Philip gained what he wanted —the length of that night, and part of the following day, during which he might get the start on his march.

[3] He directed his route towards the mountains, a road which he knew the Romans with their heavy baggage would not attempt. The consul, having, at the first light, dismissed the herald with a grant of a truce, in a short time after discovered that the enemy had gone off; but not knowing what course to take in pursuit of them, he remained in the same camp for several days, which he employed in collecting forage.

[4] He then marched to Stubera, and brought thither, from Pelagonia, the corn that was in the fields. From thence he advanced to Pluvina, not having yet discovered to what quarter the Macedonian had bent his course.

[5] Philip, having at first fixed his camp at Bryanium, marched thence through cross-roads, and gave a sudden alarm to the enemy. The Romans, on this, removed from Pluvina, and pitched their camp near the river Osphagus.

[6] The king also sat down at a small distance, forming his intrenchment on the bank of a river which the inhabitants call Erigonus.

[7] Having there received certain information that the Romans intended to proceed to Eordaea, he marched away before them, in order to take possession of the defiles, and prevent the enemy from making their way, where the roads are confined in narrow straits.

[8] There, with great haste, he fortified some places with a rampart, others with a trench, others with stones heaped up instead of walls, others with trees laid across, according as the situation required, or as materials lay convenient;

[9] and thus a road, in its own nature difficult, he rendered, as he imagined, impregnable by the works which he drew across every pass.

[10] The adjoining ground, being mostly covered with woods, was exceedingly incommodious to the phalanx of the Macedonians, which is of no manner of use, except when they extend their very long spears before their shields, forming as it were a palisade; to perform which, they require an open plain.

[11] The Thracians, too, were embarrassed by their lances, which also are of a great length, and were entangled among the branches that stood in their way on every side.

[12] The body of Cretans alone was not unserviceable; and yet even these, though, in case of an attack made on them, they could to good purpose discharge their arrows against the horses or riders, where they were open to a wound, yet against the Roman shields they could do nothing, because they had neither strength sufficient to pierce through them, nor was there any part exposed at which they could aim.

[13] Perceiving, therefore, that kind of weapon to be useless, they annoyed the enemy with stones, which lay in plenty in all parts of the valley: the strokes made by these on their shields, with greater noise than injury, for a short time retarded the advance of the Romans;

[14] but quickly disregarding these missiles also, some, closing their shields in form of a tortoise, forced their way through the enemy in front;

[15] others having, by a short circuit, gained the summit of the hill, dislodged the dismayed Macedonians from their guards and posts, and even slew the greater part of them, their retreat being embarrassed by the difficulties of the ground.

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.) — 31.39 focus

[1]

The consul was resting when the news was brought to him of the arrival of the herald and the reason of his coming.

[2] All his reply was that an interview would be granted on the following morning. This was just what Philip wanted, as it gave him the night and a part of the following day in which to get the start of his opponent.

[3] He took the road over the mountains, which he knew that the Roman general would not attempt with his heavy column. At daybreak the consul granted the armistice and dismissed the herald and not long afterwards became aware that the enemy had disappeared. Not knowing in what direction to follow him he spent some days in camp, collecting corn.

[4] Then he marched to Stuberra and gathered out of Pelagonia the corn which was in the fields. From there he advanced to Pluinna without, so far, discovering the route which the enemy had taken.

[5] Philip at first fixed his camp at Bryanium and then advancing by cross-roads created a sudden alarm amongst the enemy. The Romans in consequence left Pluinna and encamped by the river Osphagus.

[6] The king pitched his camp not far away by a river which the natives call Erigonus, and carried his intrenchment along the bank. Then, having definitely ascertained that the Romans intended to march to Eordaea,

[7] he determined to anticipate them and occupied a narrow pass with the object of making it impossible for the enemy to pass through it.

[8] He barricaded it in various ways, in some parts with rampart, in others with fosse, in other places with piled-up stones to serve as a wall, and elsewhere with tree-trunks as the nature of the ground or the materials allowed, until, as he

[9] believed, he had made a road which was naturally difficult, absolutely impassable by the obstacles which he had placed across every exit.

[10] The country was mostly forest, difficult for troops to work in, especially for the Macedonian phalanx, for unless they can make a kind of chevaux de frise with the extraordinarily long spears which they hold in front of their shields-and this requires a free and open space-they are of no use whatever.

[11] The Thracians with their pikes, which were also of an enormous length, were hampered and obstructed by the branches on all sides.

[12] The Cretan cohort was the only one that was of any service, and this only to a very limited extent, for though when attacked by an unprotected horse and rider they could discharge their arrows with effect, there was not sufficient force in their missiles to penetrate the Roman shields nor was there any exposed part of the body at which they could take aim.

[13] Finding therefore that mode of attack useless, they pelted the enemy with the stones which were lying all over the ravine. This caused more noise than injury, but the drumming on their shields checked the advance of the Romans for a few minutes.

[14] They soon ceased to pay any attention to them, and some of them forming a shield-roof over their heads forced their way through the enemy in front, while others by making a short circuit gained the crest of the hill and drove the Macedonians from their posts of observation.

[15] Escape was almost impossible on such difficult ground, and the greater number were slain.

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. For the formation and battle tactics of the phalanx, and its advantages and disadvantages as compared with the more mobile Roman legion, see Polyb. XVIII. xxviii-xxxii. incl. Livy's account, while less explicit and detailed, is consistent with that of Polybius.

3. B.C. 200

4. An attack formation, in which overlapping shields, held above the heads and at the sides of the soldiers, offered protection to the men inside.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 31.39

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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