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), 33.20

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[1] Many are the noble ventures which the Rhodians have undertaken on land and sea, to testify to their loyalty to the Roman people and

[2] in behalf of the whole race of the Greeks, but they have done nothing more glorious than on this occasion, when, unterrified by the magnitude of the impending war, they sent ambassadors to the king, ordering him not to pass Chelidoniae — a promontory in Cilicia, made famous by the ancient treaty¹ between the Athenians and the Persian kings:

[3] if Antiochus did not keep his fleet and army within this limit, they vowed that they would oppose him, not from any ill-will towards him, but to prevent his joining Philip and interfering with the Romans who were undertaking to liberate Greece.

[4] Antiochus was at the time besieging² Coracesium, having recovered Zephyrium and Soli and Aphrodisias and Corycus, and Selinus, after rounding Anemurium — this also is a cape in Cilicia.

[5] All these and other forts on this coast having surrendered to him without resistance, either from fear or voluntarily, Coracesium unexpectedly closed its gates and delayed him. There the ambassadors of the Rhodians were given audience.

[6] And although their message was one to inflame the king's mind, he restrained his anger and answered

[7] that he would send ambassadors to Rhodes with instructions to renew the long-standing relations existing between him and his ancestors and that state, and to bid them have no fears of the king's coming: no fraud or mischief was planned either for them or for their allies; for he would not violate the friendship of the Romans, in evidence whereof he cited both his own recent embassy to them and the senate's complimentary decrees and replies to him.³

[8] At that time, as it happened, his ambassadors had returned from Rome, where they had been heard and dismissed courteously, as the situation demanded,

[9] the outcome of the war with Philip being still in doubt. While the ambassadors of the king were relating this before the assembly of the Rhodians, the news came that the war had been ended at Cynoscephalae.

[10] Their fear of Philip having been dispelled by the receipt of this news, the Rhodians abandoned their design of going to meet Antiochus with the fleet; their other concern they did not forget, to wit, that of maintaining the liberty of the cities allied with Ptolemy, which were threatened with war by Antiochus.

[11] For some they helped with reinforcements, some by warnings and information⁴ as to the enemy's plans,

[12] and they were responsible for preserving the liberty of the people of Caunus, Myndus, Halicarnassus, and Samos.

[13] It is hardly worth while to record in detail the events in this part of the world, since I am scarce able to recount those things which belong properly to the Roman war.

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.) — 33.20 focus

[1] multa egregie Rhodii pro fide erga populum Romanum proque universo nomine Graecorum terra marique ausi sunt,

[2] nihil magnificentius, quam quod ea tempestate, non territi tanta mole inminentis belli, legatos ad regem miserunt, ne Chelidonias — promunturium Ciliciae est inclutum foedere antiquo Atheniensium cum regibus Persarum — superaret: si eo fine non contineret classem copiasque suas,

[3] se obviam ituros, non ab odio ullo, sed ne coniungi eum Philippo paterentur et impedimento esse Romanis liberantibus Graeciam.

[4] Coracesium eo tempore Antiochus operibus oppugnabat, Zephyrio et Solis et Aphrodisiade et Coryco et superato Anemurio — promunturium id quoque Ciliciae est — Selinunte recepto.

[5] omnibus his aliisque eius orae castellis aut metu aut voluntate sine certamine in dicionem acceptis, Coracesium praeter spem clausis portis tenebat eum.

[6] ibi legati Rhodiorum auditi. et quamquam ea legatio erat,

[7] quae accendere regium animum posset, temperavit irae et legatos se Rhodum missurum respondit iisqne iisque mandaturum, ut renovarent vetusta iura cum ea civitate sua maiorumque suorum et vetarent eos pertimescere adventum regis: nihil aut iis aut sociis eorum noxiae futurum fraudive;

[8] nam Romanorum amicitiamn amicitiam se non violaturum, argumento et suam recentem ad eos legationem esse et senatus honorifica in se decreta responsaque.

[9] tur tum forte legati redierant ab Roma comiter auditi dimissique, ut tempus postulabat,

[10] incerto adhuc adversus Philippum eventu belli. cum haec legati regis in contione Rhodiorum agerent, nuntius venit debellatum ad Cynoscephalas esse. hoc nuntio accepto Rhodii dempto metu a Philippo omniserunt omiserunt consilium obviam eundi classe Antiocho;

[11] illam alteram curam non omiserunt tuendae libertatis civitatum sociarum Ptolomaei, quibus bellum ab Antiocho imminebat.

[12] nam alias auxiliis iuverunt, alias providendo ac praemonendo conatus hostis, causaque libertatis fuerunt Cauniis, Myndiis, Halicarnassensibus Samiisque.

[13] non operae est persequi, ut quaeque acta in his locis sint, cum ad ea, quae propria Romani belli sunt, vix sufficiam.

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).) — 30.20 focus

[1]

frendens gemensque ac vix lacrimis temperans dicitur legatorum verba audisse.

[2] postquam edita sunt mandata,

iam non perplexe

inquit,

sed palam revocant qui vetando supplementum et pecuniam mitti iam pridem retrahebant. ¹

[3]

vicit ergo Hannibalem non populus Romanus totiens caesus fugatusque, sed senatus Carthaginiensis obtrectatione atque invidia.

[4]

neque hac deformitate reditus mei tam P. Scipio exsultabit atque efferet sese quam Hanno, qui domum nostram, quando alia re non potuit, ruina Carthaginis oppressit.

[5] iam hoc ipsum praesagiens animo praeparaverat ante naves. itaque inutili militum turba praesidii specie in oppida Bruttii agri quae pauca metu magis quam fide continebantur dimissa, quod roboris in exercitu erat in Africam transvexit,

[6] multis Italici generis, quia ² in Africam secuturos abnuentes concesserant in Iunonis Laciniae delubrum inviolatum ad eam diem, in templo ipso foede interfectis.

[7] raro quemquam alium patriam exsilii causa relinquentem tam ³ maestum abisse ferunt quam Hannibalem hostium terra excedentem. respexisse saepe Italiae litora, et deos hominesque accusantem in se quoque ac suum ipsius caput exsecratum,

[8] quod ⁴ non cruentum ab Cannensi victoria militem Romam duxisset. Scipionem ire ad Carthaginem ausum, qui consul hostem Poenum in Italia non vidisset;

[9] se, centum milibus armatorum ad Trasumennum, ad Cannas caesis, circa Casilinum Cumasque et Nolam consenuisse. haec accusans querensque ex diutina possessione Italiae est detractus.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 33.20 focus

[1]

multa egregie Rhodii pro fide erga populum Romanum proque universo nomine Graecorum terra marique ausi sunt,

[2] nihil magnificentius, quam quod ea tempestate, non territi tanta mole inminentis belli, legatos ad regem miserunt, ne Chelidonias — promunturium Ciliciae est, inclutum foedere antiquo Atheniensium cum regibus Persarum — superaret: si eo fine non contineret classem copiasque suas,

[3] se obviam ituros, non ab odio ullo, sed ne coniungi eum Philippo paterentur et inpedimento esse ¹ Romanis liberantibus Graeciam.

[4] Coracesium eo tempore Antiochus operibus oppugnabat, Zephyrio et Solis et Aphrodisiade et Coryco et superato Anemurio — promunturium id quoque Ciliciae est —

[5] Selinunte recepto. omnibus his aliisque eius orae castellis aut metu aut voluntate sine certamine in dicionem acceptis, Coracesium praeter spem clausis portis tenebat eum.

[6] ibi legati Rhodiorum auditi. et quamquam ea legatio erat, quae accendere regium animum posset,

[7] temperavit irae et legatos se Rhodum missurum respondit iisque mandaturum, ut renovarent vetusta iura cum ea civitate sua maiorumque suorum et vetarent eos pertimescere adventum regis: nihil aut iis aut sociis eorum noxiae futurum fraudive;

[8] nam Romanorum amicitiam se non violaturum, argumento et suam recentem ad eos legationem esse et senatus honorifica in se decreta responsaque.

[9] tum forte legati ² redierant ab Roma comiter auditi dimissique, ut tempus postulabat, incerto adhuc adversus Philippum eventu belli.

[10] cum haec legati regis in contione Rhodiorum agerent, nuntius venit debellatum ad Cynoscephalas esse. hoc nuntio accepto Rhodii dempto metu a Philippo omiserunt consilium obviam eundi classe Antiocho;

[11] illam alteram curam non omiserunt tuendae libertatis civitatum sociarum Ptolomaei, quibus bellum ab Antiocho imminebat.

[12] nam alias auxiliis iuverunt, alias providendo ac praemonendo conatus hostis, causaque libertatis fuerunt Cauniis, Myndiis, Halicarnassensibus Samiisque.

[13] non operae est persequi, ut quaeque acta in his locis sint, cum ad ea, quae propria Romani belli sunt, vix sufficiam.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 33.20 focus

[1]

The Rhodians, out of a faithful attachment to the Roman people, and an affection for the whole race of the Greeks, have performed many honourable exploits, both on land and sea:

[2] but never was their gallantry more eminently conspicuous than on this occasion, when, nowise dismayed at the formidable magnitude of the impending war, they sent ambassadors to tell the king, that he should not double the point of Cheledoniae, which is a promontory of Cilicia, rendered famous by an ancient treaty between the Athenians and the king of Persia;

[3] that if he did not confine his fleet and forces to that boundary, they would meet him there and oppose him, not out of any ill will, but because they would not suffer him to join Philip and obstruct the Romans, who were restoring liberty to Greece.

[4] At this time Antiochus was pushing on the siege of Coracesium with his works; for, after he had got possession of Zephyrium, Solae, Aphrodisias, and Corycus;

[5] and doubling Anemurium, another promontory of Cilicia, had taken Selinus; when all these, and the other fortresses on that coast, had, either through fear or inclination, submitted without resistance, Coracesium shut its gates, and gave him a delay which he did not expect.

[6] Here an audience was given to the ambassadors of the Rhodians, and although the purport of their embassy was such as might kindle passion in the breast of a king, yet he stifled his resentment, and answered, that

he would send ambassadors to Rhodes, and would give them instructions to renew the old treaties, made by him and his predecessors, with that state;

[7]

and to assure them, that they need not be alarmed at his approach; that it would involve no injury or fraud either to them or their allies;

[8]

for that he was not about to violate the friendship subsisting between himself and the Romans, both his own late embassy to that people, and the senate's answers and decrees, so honourable to him, were a sufficient evidence.

[9] Just at that time his ambassadors happened to have returned from Rome, where they had been heard and dismissed with courtesy, as the juncture required; the event of the war with Philip being yet uncertain.

[10] While the king's ambassadors were haranguing to the above purpose, in an assembly of the people at Rhodes, a courier arrived with an account of the battle at Cynoscephalae having finally decided the fate of the war. Having received this intelligence, the Rhodians, now freed from all apprehensions of danger from Philip, resolved to oppose Antiochus with their fleet.

[11] Nor did they neglect another object that required their attention; the protection of the freedom of the cities in alliance with Ptolemy, which were threatened with war by Antiochus.

[12] For, some they assisted with men, others by forewarning them of the enemy's designs; by which means they enabled the Cauneans, Mindians, Halicarnassians, and Samians to preserve their liberty.

[13] It were needless to attempt enumerating all the transactions as they occurred in that quarter, when I am scarcely equal to the task of recounting those which immediately concern the war in which Rome was engaged.

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.) — 33.20 focus

[1]

The Rhodians have given many splendid proofs of their courage in maintaining their loyalty to Rome and in defending the liberties of Greece, but never did they afford a finer instance of it than at this time.

[2] Undismayed by the vastness of the impending war they sent a message to the king forbidding him to sail beyond the promontory of Chelidonia in Cilicia, a place rendered famous by its being mentioned in an ancient treaty between the Athenians and the kings of Persia.

[3] If he did not keep his fleet and his forces within that limit, they informed him that they should oppose him, not because of any personal enmity to him, but because they would not allow him to join forces with Philip and so hinder the Romans in their work of liberating Greece.

[4] Antiochus was at the time investing Coracesium. He had so far secured Zephyrium, Soli, Aphrodisias and Corycus, and after rounding Anemurium-another Cilician headland-had captured Selinus.

[5] All these towns and other fortified places on this coast had submitted to him either voluntarily or under the stress of fear, but Coracesium unexpectedly shut its gates against him.

[6] During this delay the Rhodian envoys obtained an audience of him. The tenor of their instructions was of a nature to rouse the

[7] king's wrath, but he curbed his anger and told them that he should send envoys to Rhodes with instructions to renew the old ties which he and his ancestors had formed with that State, and also to reassure them as to the object of his approach, which would bring no injury or loss either to them or to their allies.

[8] The embassy which he had sent to Rome had just returned, and as the issue of the war with Philip was still uncertain the senate had wisely given them a favourable reception.

[9] Antiochus alleged the gracious reply of the senate and the resolution they passed, so complimentary to him, as a proof that he had no intention of breaking off his friendly relations with Rome.

[10] Whilst the king's envoys were urging these considerations in a meeting of the citizens of Rhodes, news came that the war had been brought to a close at Cynoscephalae. On receipt of this intelligence the Rhodians, having nothing more to fear from Philip, abandoned their design of opposing Antiochus with their fleet.

[11] They did not, however, abandon the other object, the defence of the liberties of the States in alliance with Ptolemy which Antiochus was now threatening. To some they gave active assistance, others they forewarned of the movements of the enemy; it was thus that Caunos, Myndus, Halicarnassus and Samos owed their liberty to Rhodes.

[12] It is not worth while to go in detail into the events which happened in this

[13] part of the world, seeing that it is almost beyond my powers to deal with those especially connected with the war with Rome.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. In 449 B.C., Cimon made a treaty providing that Persian warships should not pass this promontory (Plutarch, Cimon 13).

2. B.C. 197

3. In 198 B.C. (XXXII. viii. 15) the Romans sent an embassy to Antiochus with the request that he keep out of Pergamum, but the war with Philip compelled them to maintain this propitiatory attitude toward him. Antiochus shrewdly uses it to allay the suspicions of the Rhodians.

4. B.C. 197

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 33.20

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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