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), 36.11

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[1] From Demetrias the king went on to Chalcis, having fallen in love with a young woman of Chalcis, the daughter of Cleoptolemus,¹ and when he had worn her father out first

[2] by sending messengers, then by personal requests delivered verbally, the father being reluctant to entangle himself in a match which promised too great difficulties, at length he gained his point, and as if in the midst of peace he celebrated his nuptials and for the rest of the winter, forgetful of the magnitude of the two tasks he had undertaken, the Roman war and the liberation of Greece, laying aside the responsibility for everything he engaged in banquets and the delights which follow wine and then, from weariness rather than satiety of these pleasures, he gave himself over to sleep.

[3] This same habit of easy living seized all the king's prefects who were in command of the winter camps everywhere,² especially in Boeotia;

[4] the soldiers too fell into the same way of life, nor did one of them put on his armour or walk his post or perform sentinel-duty or do anything else which pertained to the tasks and duties of a soldier.

[5] And so at the beginning of spring,³ when he had come by way of Phocis to Chaeronea, where he had ordered the whole army to assemble from all its stations, he readily perceived that the soldiers had spent the winter under no sterner discipline than their commander.

[6] Then he ordered Alexander the Acarnanian and Menippus the Macedonian to conduct their troops to Stratus in Aetolia; he himself offered sacrifice to Apollo at Delphi and proceeded to Naupactus.

[7] Having held a conference with the Aetolian chiefs, on the road which leads past Calydon and Lysimachia to Stratus, he met his own men who were marching by way of the Malian gulf.

[8] There Mnasilochus, a leading Acarnanian, purchased by many gifts, did not merely by his own efforts win over the people to the king's side, but even brought Clytus the praetor, who at that time held the chief magistracy, over to his own opinion.

[9] When he saw that the people of Leucas, this being the principal city of Acarnania, could not easily be induced to rebel, because of their fear of the Roman fleet which was with Atilius and which was off Cephallania, he attacked them-by guile.

[10] For when he had said in the council that the interior portions of Acarnania should be defended and that all who could bear arms should repair to Medio and Thyrreum, that these towns might not be captured by Antiochus or the Aetolians, there were some who argued that it was unnecessary that all should be called out as for a major emergency, but that a garrison of five hundred⁴ men was adequate.

[11] Obtaining this number of young men and placing three hundred at Medio and two hundred at Thyrreum as garrisons, he so conducted matters that these might fall into the hands of the king to serve as hostages.

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.) — 36.11 focus

[1] rex Chalcidem a Demetriade, amore captus virginis Chalcidensis, Cleoptolemi filiae, cum patrem primo allegando, deinde coram ipse rogando fatigasset,

[2] invitum se gravioris fortunae condicioni illigantem, tandem impetrata re tamquam in media pace nuptias celebrat et relicum hiemis, oblitus, quantas simul duas res suscepisset, bellum Romanum et Graeciam liberandam, omissa omnium rerum cura, in conviviis et vinum sequentibus voluptatibus ac deinde ex fatigatione magis quam satietate earum in somno traduxit.

[3] eadem omnis praefectos regios, qui ubique, ad Boeotiam maxime, praepositi hibernis erant, cepit luxuria;

[4] in eandem et milites effusi sunt, nec quisquam eorum aut arma induit aut stationem aut vigilias servavit aut quicquam, quod militaris operis aut muneris esset, fecit.

[5] itaque principio veris, cum per Phocidem Chaeroneam, quo convenire omnem undique exercitum iusserat, venisset, facile animadvertit nihilo severiore disciplina milites quam ducem hibernasse.

[6] Alexandrum inde Acarnana et Menippum Macedonem Stratum Aetoliae copias ducere iussit; ipse Delphis sacrificio Apollini facto Naupactum processit.

[7] consilio principum Aetoliae habito via, quae praeter Calydonern Calydonem et Lysimachiam fert ad Stratum, suis, qui per Maliacum sinum veniebant, occurrit.

[8] ibi Mnasilochus princeps Acarnanum, multis emptus donis, non ipse solum gentem regi conciliabat, sed Clytum etiam praetorem, penes quem tur tum summa potestas erat, in suam sententiam adduxerat.

[9] is cum Leucadios, quod Acarnaniae caput est, non facile ad defectionem posse cerneret impelli propter metum Romanae classis, quae cum Atilio quaeque circa Cephallaniam erat, arte eos est adgressus.

[10] nam cum in concilio dixisset tuenda mediterranea Acarnaniae esse et omnibus, qui arma ferrent, exeundum ad Medionem et Thyrreum, ne ab Antiocho aut Aetolis occuparentur,

[11] fuere qui dicerent nihil attinere omnis tumultuose concitari, satis esse quingentorum hominum praesidium. ear eam iuventutem nactus, trecentis Medione, ducentis Thyrrei in praesidio positis, id agebat, ut pro obsidibus futuri venirent in potestatem regis.

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).) — 30.11 focus

[1]

per eosdem forte dies cum Laelius et Masinissa quinto decimo ferme die in Numidiam ¹ pervenissent, Maesulii, regnum paternum Masinissae, laeti ut ad regem diu ² desideratum concessere.

[2] Syphax pulsis inde praefectis praesidiisque suis vetere se continebat regno, neutiquam quieturus.

[3] stimulabat³ aegrum amore uxor socerque, et ita viris equisque abundabat ut subiectae oculis regni per multos florentis annos vires etiam minus barbaro atque inpotenti animo spiritus possent facere.

[4] igitur omnibus qui bello apti erant in unum coactis equos, arma, tela dividit; equites in turmas, pedites in cohortes, sicut quondam ab Romanis centurionibus didicerat, distribuit.

[5] exercitu haud minore quam quem prius habuerat, ceterum omni prope. novo atque incondito, ire ad hostes pergit.

[6] et castris in propinquo positis primo pauci equites ex tuto speculantes ab stationibus progredi, dein iaculis summoti recurrere ad suos; inde excursiones in vicem fieri et, cum pulsos indignatio accenderet, plures subire,

[7] quod inritamentum certaminum equestrium est, cum aut vincentibus spes aut pulsis ira adgregat suos.

[8] ita tum a paucis proelio accenso omnem utrimque postremo equitatum certaminis studium effudit. ac dum sincerum ⁴ equestre proelium erat, multitudo Masaesuliorum, ingentia agmina Syphace emittente, ⁵ sustineri vix poterat;

[9] deinde, ut pedes Romanus repentino per turmas suas ⁶ viam dantes intercursu stabilem aciem fecit absterruitque effuse invehentem sese hostem, primo barbari segnius permittere equos,

[10] dein stare ac prope turbari ⁷ novo genere pugnae, postremo non pediti solum cedere, sed ne equitem quidem sustinere peditis praesidio audentem. iam signa quoque legionum adpropinquabant.

[11] tum vero Masaesulii non modo primum impetum, sed ne conspectum quidem signorum atque armorum tulerunt; tantum seu memoria priorum cladium seu praesens terror valuit.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 36.11 focus

[1]

rex Chalcidem a Demetriade profectus, amore captus virginis Chalcidensis, Cleoptolemi filiae, cum patrem primo allegando, deinde coram ipse rogando fatigasset,

[3] eadem omnis praefectos regios, qui ubique, ad Boeotiam maxime, praepositi hibernis erant, cepit luxuria; in eandem et milites effusi sunt, nec quisquam eorum

[4] aut arma induit aut stationem aut vigilias servavit aut quicquam quod militaris operis aut muneris esset, fecit.

[5] itaque principio veris, cum per Phocidem Chaeroneam, quo convenire omnem undique exercitum iusserat, venisset, facile animadvertit nihilo severiore disciplina milites quam ducem hibernasse.

[6] Alexandrum inde Acarnana et Menippum Macedonem Stratum Aetoliae copias ducere iussit: ipse Delphis sacrificio Apollini facto Naupactum processit.

[7] consilio principum Aetoliae habito via, quae praeter Calydonem et Lysimachiam fert ad Stratum, suis, qui per ² Maliacum sinum veniebant, occurrit.

[8] ibi Mnasilochus princeps Acarnanum, multis emptus donis, non ipse solum gentem regi conciliabat, sed Clytum etiam praetorem, penes quem tum summa potestas erat, in suam sententiam adduxerat.

[10] nam cum in concilio dixisset tuenda mediterranea Acarnaniae esse et omnibus, qui arma ferrent, exeundum ad Medionem et Thyrreum, ne ab Antiocho aut Aetolis occuparentur,

[11] fuere qui dicerent nihil attinere omnis tumultuose concitari, satis esse quingentorum hominum praesidium. eam iuventutem nactus, trecentis Medione, ducentis Thyrrei in praesidio positis, id agebat, ut pro obsidibus futuri venirent in potestatem regis.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 36.11 focus

[1]

Antiochus went from Demetrias to Chalcis, where he became captivated with a young woman, daughter of Cleoptolemus.

[2] When he had plied her father, who was unwilling to connect himself with a condition in life involving such serious consequences, first by messages, and afterwards by personal importunities, and had at length gained his consent; he celebrated his nuptials in the same manner as if it were a time of profound peace. Forgetting the two important undertakings in which he was at once engaged, —the war with Rome, and the liberating of Greece, —he banished every thought of business from his mind, and spent the remainder of winter in feasting and the pleasures connected with wine; and then in sleep, produced rather by fatigue than by satiety with these things.

[3] The same spirit of dissipation seized all his officers who commanded in the several winter quarters, particularly those stationed in Bœotia, and even the common men abandoned themselves to the same indulgences;

[4] not one of whom ever put on his armour, or kept watch or guard, or did any part of the duty or business of a soldier.

[5] When, therefore, in the beginning of spring, the king came through Phocis to Chaeronea, where he had appointed the general assembly of all the troops, he perceived at once that the soldiers had spent the winter under discipline no more rigid than that of their commander.

[6] He ordered Alexander, an Acarnanian, and Menippus, a Macedonian, to lead his forces thence to Stratum, in Etolia; and he himself, after offering sacrifice to Apollo at Delphi, proceeded to Naupactum.

[7] After holding a council of the chiefs of Aetolia, he went by the road which leads by Chalcis and Lysimachia to Stratum, to meet his army, which was coming along the Malian bay.

[8] Here Mnasilochus, a man of distinction among the Acarnanians, being bribed by many presents, not only laboured himself to dispose that nation in favour of the king, but had brought to a concurrence in the design their praetor, Clytus, who was at that time invested with the highest authority.

[9] This latter, finding that the people of Leucas, the capital of Acarnania, could not be easily seduced to defection, because they were afraid of the Roman fleets, one under Atilius, and another at Cephallenia, practised an artifice against them. He observed in the council, that the inland parts of Acarnania should be guarded from danger, and that all who were able to bear arms ought to march out to Medio and Thurium, to prevent those places from being seized by Antiochus, or the Aetolians;

[10] on which there were some who said, that there were no necessity for all the people to be called out in that hasty manner, for a body of five hundred men would be sufficient for the purpose.

[11] Having got this number of soldiers at his disposal, he placed three hundred in garrison at Medio, and two hundred at Thurium, with the design that they should fall into the hands of the king, and serve hereafter as hostages.

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.) — 36.11 focus

[1]

The king left Demetrias for Chalcis. Here he fell in love with a daughter of Cleoptolemus, a Chalcidian magnate, and after numerous communications to her father followed by personal interviews (for he was reluctant to be entangled in an alliance so far above his own rank) Antiochus married the girl.

[2] The wedding was celebrated as though it were a time of peace, and forgetting the two vast enterprises in which he had embarked-war with Rome and the liberation of Greece-he dismissed all his cares and spent the rest of the winter in banquets and the pleasures attendant on wine, sleeping off his debauches, wearied rather than satisfied.

[3] All the king's officers who were in command of the different winter stations, especially those in Boeotia, fell into the same dissolute mode of life;

[4] even the common soldiers were completely sunk in it, not a man amongst them ever put on his armour or went on duty as guard or sentry, or discharged any military duty whatever.

[5] When, therefore, at the commencement of spring Antiochus passed through Phocis on his way to Chaeronea, where he had given orders for the whole of his army to muster, it was easy for him to see that the men had passed the winter under no stricter discipline than their leader.

[6] From Chaeronea he ordered Alexander the Acarnanian and the Macedonian Menippus to take the troops to Stratus in Aetolia. He himself, after sacrificing to Apollo at Delphi, went to Naupactus.

[7] Here he had an interview with the Aetolian leaders, and then taking the road which runs past Calydon and Lysimachia he arrived at Stratum, where he met his army who were coming by the Maliac Gulf.

[8] Mnasilochus, one of the leading men in Acarnania, who had received many presents from Antiochus, was trying to persuade his people to take the king's side. He had succeeded in bringing Clytus, in whom the supreme power was vested at the time, over to his views, but he saw that there would be difficulty in inducing

[9] Leucas, the capital, to revolt from Rome, owing to their fear of the Roman fleet under Atilius, a portion of which was cruising off Cephalania. He therefore decided to adopt a ruse.

[10] At a meeting of the council he told them that the ports of Acarnania ought to be protected and that all who could bear arms ought to go to Medione and Tyrrheum to prevent their being seized by Antiochus and the Aetolians. Some of those present protested against this indiscriminate calling out of their fighting strength as quite unnecessary and said that a force of 500 men would be adequate for this purpose.

[11] When he had got this force he placed 300 men in Medione and 200 in Tyrrheum, his intention being that they should fall into the king's hands and be practically hostages.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Polybius (XX. viii.) adds other details, that Antiochus was now fifty years old, that Cleoptolemus was a man of rank, and that his daughter, whom Antiochus named Euboea, was of extraordinary beauty, and that she escaped to Ephesus after the defeat at Thermopylae. On the other hand, he says nothing of the reluctance of her father to permit the match, and he makes less of the unsuitability of Antiochus' conduct.

2. B.C. 191

3. In iii. 14 above the narrative of events in Rome was brought up to May. The account of events in Greece is now abreast of it.

4. B.C. 191

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 36.11

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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