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), 35.33

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[1] ¹

[2] and of the services rendered to all Greece by Titus Quinctius: they should not heedlessly, by too great haste in deciding, spoil all this; hot-headed and bold decisions were fair at first sight, hard to follow through, disastrous in result.

[3] The Roman commissioners, and among them Titus Quinctius, were not far away; before decisive action was taken, let them settle by words those matters which were in dispute rather than arm Asia and Europe for a fatal war.

[4] XXXIII. The multitude was eager for a change and was all in favour of Antiochus, and they voted that the Romans should not even be admitted to the council; among the chiefs it was especially the elder men who by their influence secured them audience before the council.

[5] When the Athenians reported this vote, it seemed best to Quinctius that he should go to Aetolia: he would either cause them some uncertainty or all men would be witnesses that the responsibility for the war would rest with the Aetolians and that the Romans would take up arms with justice and almost from necessity.

[6] After his arrival there Quinctius in the council began with the origin of the alliance of the Aetolians with the Romans and how often the faith imposed by the treaty had been broken by them, and spoke briefly of the status of the cities about which there was debate:

[7] if, nevertheless, they considered that they had any just claim, how much better would it be to send ambassadors to Rome,² whether they preferred to arbitrate or to appeal to the senate, than for the Roman people to go to war³ with Antiochus, the Aetolians being the matchmakers,⁴ not without great disturbance to mankind and the ruin of Greece.

[8] Nor would any experience the calamity of this war sooner than those who had caused it. This prophecy, as one might call it, of the Roman was in vain. Thoas then and others of the same party were heard with universal applause and succeeded in carrying a motion, without even adjourning the council or awaiting the departure of the Romans, and by this decree Antiochus was invited to liberate Greece and to arbitrate between the Aetolians and the Romans.

[9] To this so insolent vote a personal insult was added by their praetor Damocritus: for when Quinctius asked for the actual decree, he, showing no respect for the high position of the man, replied that there was now a matter which was more pressing which he had to attend to;

[10] the decree and the answer he would presently deliver in Italy when his camp was pitched on the banks of the Tiber:⁵

[11] such madness had at that time seized the Aetolian people and such their magistrates.

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.) — 35.33 focus

[1] multitudo avida novandi res Antiochi tota erat, et ne admittendos quidem in concilium Romanos censebant; principum maxime seniores auctoritate obtinuerunt ut daretur iis concilium.

[2] hoc decretum Athenienses cum rettulissent, eundum in Aetoliam Quinctio visum est:

[3] aut enim moturum aliquid, aut omnis homines testes fore penes Aetolos culpam belli esse, Romanos iusta ac prope necessaria sumpturos arma.

[4] postquam ventum est eo, Quinctius in concilio orsus a principio societatis Aetolorum cum Romanis, et quotiens ab iis fides mota foederis esset, pauca de iure civitatium,

[5] de quibus ambigeretur, disseruit: si quid tamen aequi se habere arbitrarentur, quanto esse satius Romam mittere legatos,

[6] seu disceptare seu rogare senatum mallent, quam populum Romanum cum Antiocho lanistis Aetolis non sine magno motu generis humani et pernicie Graeciae dimicare? nec ullos prius cladem eius belli sensuros, quam qui movissent.

[7] haec nequiquam velut vaticinatus Romanus. Thoas deinde ceterique factionis eiusdem cum adsensu omnium auditi pervicerunt,

[8] ut ne dilato quidem concilio et absentibus Romanis decretum fieret, quo accerseretur Antiochus ad liberandam Graeciam disceptandumque inter Aetolos et Romanos.

[9] huic tam superbo decreto addidit propriam contumeliam Damocritus praetor eorum: nam cum id ipsum decretum posceret eum Quinctius, non veritus maiestatem viri aliud in praesentia,

[10] quod magis instaret, praevertendum sibi esse dixit; decretum responsumque in Italia brevi castris super ripam Tiberis positis daturum:

[11] tantus furor illo tempore gentem Aetolorum, tantus magistratus eorum cepit.

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).) — 30.33 focus

[1]

non confertas autem cohortes ante sua quamque signa instruebat, sed manipulos aliquantum inter se distantes, ut esset spatium qua elephanti hostium acti ¹ nihil ordines turbarent.

[2] Laelium , cuius ante legati, eo anno quaestoris extra sortem ex senatus consulto opera utebatur, cum Italico equitatu ab sinistro cornu, Masinissam Numidasque ab dextro opposuit.

[3] vias patentes inter manipulos antesignanorum velitibus—ea tunc tune levis armatura erat— complevit, dato praecepto ut ad impetum elephantorum aut post directos ² refugerent ordines aut in dextram laevamque discursu applicantes se antesignanis ³ viam qua inruerent in ancipitia tela beluis darent.

[4] Hannibal ad terrorem primos ⁴ elephantos— octoginta autem erant, quot nulla umquam in acie ante habuerat—instruxit,

[5] deinde auxilia Ligurum Gallorumque Baliaribus Maurisque admixtis; in ⁵ secunda acie Carthaginienses Afrosque et Macedonum legionem;

[6] modico deinde intervallo relicto subsidiariam aciem Italicorum militum—Bruttii plerique erant, vi ac necessitate plures quam sua voluntate decedentem ex Italia secuti—instruxit.

[7] equitatum et ipse ⁶ circumdedit cornibus; dextrum Carthaginienses, sinistrum Numidae tenuerunt.

[8] varia adhortatio erat in exercitu inter tot homines, quibus non lingua, non mos, non lex, non arma, non vestitus habitusque, non causa militandi eadem esset.

[9] auxiliaribus et praesens et multiplicata ex praeda merces ostentatur; Galli proprio atque insito in Romanos odio accenduntur; Liguribus campi uberes Italiae deductis ex asperrimis montibus in spem victoriae ostentantur;

[10] mauros Numidasque Masinissae inpotenti futuro ⁷ dominatu terret; aliis aliae spes ac metus iactantur.

[11] Carthaginiensibus moenia patriae, di penates, sepulcra maiorum, liberi cum parentibus coniugesque pavidae, aut excidium servitiumque aut imperium orbis terrarum, nihil aut in metum aut in spem medium, ostentatur.

[12] cum maxime haec imperator apud Carthaginienses, duces suarum gentium inter populares, pleraque per interpretes inter immixtos ⁸ alienigenis ⁹ agerent, tubae cornuaque ab Romanis cecinerunt,

[13] tantusque ¹⁰ clamor ortus ut elephanti in suos, sinistrum maxime cornu, verterentur, ¹¹ Mauros ac Numidas. addidit facile Masinissa perculsis terrorem nudavitque ab ea parte aciem equestri auxilio.

[14] paucae tamen bestiarum intrepidae ¹² in hostem actae inter velitum ordines cum multis suis volneribus ingentem stragem edebant.

[15] resilientes enim ad manipulos velites, cum viam elephantis, ne obtererentur, fecissent, in ancipites ad ictum utrimque coniciebant hastas, nec pila ab ¹³ antesignanis cessabant,

[16] donec donee undique incidentibus telis exacti ex Romana acie hi quoque in suos dextrum ¹⁴ cornu, ipsos Carthaginienses equites, in fugam verterunt. Laelius ut turbatos vidit hostes addidit perculsis terrorem.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 35.33 focus

[1]

multitudo avida novandi res Antiochi tota erat, et ne admittendos quidem in concilium Romanos censebant; principum maxime seniores auctoritate obtinuerunt, ut daretur iis concilium.

[2] hoc decretum Athenienses cum retulissent, eundum in Aetoliam Quinctio visum est:

[3] aut enim moturum aliquid, aut omnis homines testes fore penes Aetolos culpam belli esse, Romanos iusta ac prope necessaria sumpturos arma.

[4] postquam ventum est eo, Quinctius in concilio orsus a principio societatis Aetolorum cum Romanis, ¹ et quotiens ab iis fides mota foederis esset, pauca de iure civitatium, de quibus ambigeretur, disseruit:

[5] si quid tamen aequi se habere arbitrarentur, quanto esse satius Romam mittere legatos, seu disceptare seu rogare senatum mallent,

[6] quam populum Romanum cum Antiocho lanistis Aetolis non sine magno motu generis humani et pernicie Graeciae dimicare? nec ullos prius cladem eius belli sensuros, quam qui movissent.

[7] haec nequiquam velut vaticinatus Romanus. Thoas deinde ceterique factionis eiusdem cum adsensu omnium auditi pervicerunt,

[8] ut ne dilato quidem concilio et absentibus Romanis decretum fieret, quo accerseretur Antiochus ad liberandam Graeciam disceptandumque inter Aetolos et Romanos.

[9] huic tam superbo decreto addidit propriam contumeliam Damocritus praetor eorum: nam cum id ipsum decretum posceret eum Quinctius, non veritus maiestatem viri aliud in praesentia, quod magis instaret, praevertendum sibi esse dixit;

[10] decretum responsumque in Italia brevi castris super ripam Tiberis positis daturum:

[11] tantus furor illo tempore gentem Aetolorum, tantus magistratus eorum cepit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 35.33 focus

[1]

The multitude, ever fond of novelty, warmly espoused the cause of Antiochus, and gave their opinion, that the Romans should not even be admitted into the council; but, by the influence chiefly of the elder members, a vote was passed, that the council should give audience to the Romans.

[2] On being acquainted, by the Athenians, with this determination, Quinctius thought it desirable to go into Aetolia;

[3] for he thought that,

either he should be able to effect some change in their designs; or that it would be manifest to all mankind, that the blame of the war would lie on the Aetolians, and that the Romans would be warranted in taking arms by justice, and, in a manner, by necessity.

[4] On arriving there, Quinctius, in his discourse to the council, began with the first formation of the alliance between the Romans and the Aetolians, and enumerated how many times the faith of the treaty had been violated by them.

[5] He then enlarged a little on the rights of the states concerned in the dispute, and added, that,

notwithstanding, if they thought that they had any reasonable demand to make, it would surely be infinitely better to send

[6]

ambassadors to Rome, whether they chose to argue the case or to make a request to the senate, than that the Roman people should enter the lists with Antiochus, while the Aetolians acted as marshals of the field; not without great disturbance to the affairs of the world, and to the utter ruin of Greece.

[7] That

no people would feel the fatal consequences of such a war sooner than the first promoters of it.

This prediction of the Roman was disregarded.

[8] Thoas, and others of the same faction, were then heard with general approbation; and they prevailed so far, that, without adjourning the meeting, or waiting for the absence of the Romans, a decree was passed that Antiochus should be invited to vindicate the liberty of Greece, and decide the dispute between the Aetolians and the Romans.

[9] To the insolence of this decree, their praetor, Damocritus, added a personal affront: for on Quinctius asking him for a copy of the decree, without any respect to the dignity of the person to whom he spoke, he told him, that

he had, at present, more pressing business to despatch;

[10]

but he would shortly give him the decree, and an answer, in Italy, from his camp on the banks of the Tiber.

[11] Such was the degree of madness which possessed, at that time, both the nation of the Aetolians and their magistrates.

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.) — 35.33 focus

[1]

The great mass of the assembly, eager for a change of policy, were wholly on the side of Antiochus and were even opposed to admitting the Romans into the council.

[2] Mainly, however, through the influence of the elders amongst their leading men, it was decided that a meeting of the council should be summoned to hear them.

[3] When the Athenians returned and reported this decision Quinctius felt that he ought to go to Aetolia, as he might do something to change their purpose, if not the whole world would see that the responsibility for the war rested solely on the Aetolians and that Rome was taking up arms in a just and necessary cause.

[4] Quinctius began his address to the council by tracing the history of the league between the Aetolians and Rome and pointing out how frequently they had infringed its provisions.

[5] He then dealt briefly with the rights of the cities which were the subject of controversy and showed how much better it would be, if they thought they had a fair case, to

[6] send a deputation to Rome to argue their cause or bring it before the senate, whichever they preferred, instead of a war between Rome and Antiochus at the instigation of the Aetolians, a war which would create a world-wide disturbance and utterly ruin Greece. None would feel the fatal result of such a war sooner than those who set it in motion.

[7] The Roman was a true prophet, but he spoke in vain.

[8] Without allowing time for deliberation by adjourning the council or even waiting for the Romans to retire, Thoas and the rest of his supporters got a decree passed amidst the cheers of the assembly for inviting Antiochus to give liberty to Greece and arbitrate between the Romans and the Aetolians.

[9] The insolence of this decree was aggravated by the personal effrontery of Damocritus their chief magistrate. When Quinctius asked him for a copy of the decree, Damocritus, without the slightest regard for his official position, told him that a more pressing matter demanded his

[10] immediate attention, he would shortly give him his reply and the decree from his camps in Italy on the banks of the Tiber.

[11] Such was the madness which at that time possessed the Aetolians and their magistrates.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. xiii. 11 Flamininus speaks of the alliance as broken. It had not, so far as we can judge from Livy's narrative, been formally renewed, but it is convenient for the Romans to regard it as even informally and tacitly in force with the resumption of peaceful relations after the liberation of Greece.

2. Recalling the experience of the Aetolian embassy in 195 B.C. (XXXIII. xlix. 8), one cannot blame the Aetolians for not being impressed by this argument.

3. B.C. 192

4. My translation suggests part but not all of the Latin metaphor. The lanistae were the trainers of the gladiators, who acted also in the capacity of the managers of modern prizefighters. Flamininus means that the Romans and Antiochus are to be the gladiators and do the fighting; the Aetolians, as the lanistae of both, will get the profits without undergoing personal risk. To call them

umpires

marshals of the lists

would inject other and even more erroneous ideas, since both imply disinterestedness and impartiality. For a somewhat similar use of the word see Cicero, Phil. XIII. xl.

5. Cf. XXXVI. xxiv. 12.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 35.33

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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