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), 36.15

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[1] While this was going on Antiochus was at Chalcis, now at last perceiving that he had gained nothing from Greece except a pleasant winter at Chalcis and a shameful marriage.

[2] Then he began to blame the false promises of the Aetolians and to censure Thoas, but Hannibal he admired as not¹ only a wise man but as little less than a prophet of all that was happening.

[3] Yet, not to risk still more his rash enterprise by his own inactivity, he sent messages to Aetolia that they should assemble all their youth and meet at Lamia; and he too led there about ten thousand infantry, including replacements from those who had later arrived from Asia, and five hundred cavalry.

[4] When a somewhat smaller number than ever before had-assembled there, only the chiefs, in fact, with a few clients,² and these explained that they had worked with all diligence to call out the largest possible numbers from- their cities, but had prevailed by neither

[5] influence nor persuasion nor right of command against the shirkers of military service, then, abandoned on all sides, both by his own subjects, who were tarrying in Asia, and by his allies, who were not fulfilling the promises by the hope of which they had invited him, he retired within the pass of Thermopylae.³

[6] This ridge, just as Italy is cut in two by the backbone of the Apennines, divides Greece.

[7] In front of the pass of Thermopylae, facing the north, are Epirus and Perrhaebia and Magnesia and Thessaly and Phthiotic Achaea and the Malian gulf;

[8] within the pass towards the south lie the larger part of Aetolia and Acarnania and Phocis with Locris and Boeotia with the island of Euboea adjoining it and, on a sort of promontory running out into the sea, the Attic land, and lying behind it the Peloponnesus.⁴

[9] This range, taking its course from Leucas and the sea on the west and continuing through Aetolia to the other sea on the east, has such thickets and scattered cliffs that not even individuals travelling light, not to mention armies, can easily find paths by which to cross.

[10] The mountains on the extreme east they call Oeta, the highest of which is named Callidromum, in the valley of which, where it slopes down to the Malian gulf, there is a road not wider than sixty paces. This is the one military road where an army can pass if there is no resistance.⁵

[11] For that reason the place is called Pylae and by others, because there are warm springs within the pass itself,

[12] Thermopylae,⁶ and it is renowned for the death of the Lacedaemonians as they opposed the Persians, more memorable than the battle.

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.) — 36.15 focus

[1] cum haec agebantur, Chalcide erat Antiochus, iam tur tum cernens nihil se ex Graecia praeter amoena Chalcide hiberna et infames nuptias petisse.

[2] tunc Aetolorum vana promissa incusare et Thoantem, Hannibalem vero non ut prudentem tantum virum sed prope vatem omnium, quae tur tum evenirent, admirari. ne tamen temere coepta segnitia insuper everteret,

[3] nuntios in Aetoliam misit, ut omni contracta iuventute convenirent Lamiam; et ipse eo decem milia fere peditum ex iis, qui postea venerant ex Asia, expleta et equites quingentos duxit.

[4] quo cum aliquanto pauciores quam umquam antea convenissent, et principes tantummodo cum paucis clientibus essent, atque ii dicerent omnia sedulo ab se facta, ut quam plurimos ex civitatibus suis evocarent;

[5] nec auctoritate nec gratia nec imperio adversus detractantes militiam valuisse, destitutus undique et ab suis, qui morabantur in Asia, et ab sociis, qui ea, in quorum spem vocaverant, non praestabant, intra saltum Thermopylarum sese recepit.

[6] id iugum, sicut Appennini dorso Italia dividitur, ita mediam Graeciam dirimit.

[7] ante saltum Thermopylarum in septentrionem versa Epirus et Perrhaebia et Magnesia et Thessalia est et Phthiotae Achaei et sinus Maliacus;

[8] intra fauces ad meridiem vergunt Aetoliae pars maior et Acarnania et cum Locride Phocis et Boeotia adiunctaque insula Euboea et excurrente in altum velut promunturio Attica terra et sita ab tergo Peloponnesus.

[9] hoc iugum ab Leucate et mari ad occidentem verso per Aetoliam ad alterum mare orienti obiectum tendens ea aspreta rupesque interiectas habet, ut non modo exercitus sed ne expediti quidem facile ullas ad transitum calles inveniant.

[10] extremos ad orientem montis Oetam vocant, quorum quod altissimum est Callidromon appellatur, in cuius valle ad Maliacum sinum vergente iter est non latius quam sexaginta passus.

[11] haec una militaris via est, qua traduci exercitus, si non prohibeantur, possint.

[12] ideo Pylae et ab aliis, quia calidae aquae in ipsis faucibus sunt, Thermopylae locus appellatur, nobilis Lacedaemoniorum adversus Persas morte magis memorabili quam pugna.

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).) — 30.15 focus

[1]

Masinissae haec audienti non rubor solum suffusus, sed lacrimae etiam obortae; et cum se quidem in potestate futurum imperatoris dixisset orassetque eum ut quantum res sineret fidei suae

[2] temere obstrictae consuleret—promisisse enim se in nullius potestatem eam traditurum—ex praetorio in tabernaculum suum confusus concessit.

[3] Ibi arbitris remotis cum crebro suspiritu ¹ et gemitu, quod ² facile ab circumstantibus tabernaculum exaudiri posset,

[4] aliquantum temporis consumpsisset, ingenti ad postremum edito gemitu fidum e servis vocat, ³ sub cuius custodia regio more ad incerta fortunae venenum erat, et ⁴ mixtum in poculo ferre ad

[5] Sophonibam iubet ac simul nuntiare Masinissam libenter primam ei fidem praestaturum fuisse quam vir ⁵ uxori debuerit; quoniam eius arbitrium qui possint adimant, secundam fidem praestare ne viva in potestatem Romanorum veniat.

[6] memor patris imperatoris patriaeque et duorum regum quibus nupta fuisset, sibi ipsa consuleret. hunc nuntium ac simul venenum ferens minister cum ad Sophonibam venisset,

[7]

accipio

inquit

nuptiale munus, neque ingratum, si nihil maius vir uxori praestare potuit. hoc tamen nuntia, melius me morituram fuisse, si non in funere meo nupsissem.

[8] non locuta est ferocius quam acceptum poculum nullo trepidationis signo dato inpavide hausit.

[9] quod ubi nuntiatum est Scipioni, ne quid aeger animi ⁶ ferox iuvenis gravius consuleret, accitum eum extemplo nunc solatur,

[10] nunc, quod temeritatem temeritate ⁷ alia luerit tristioremque rem quam necesse fuerit fecerit, leniter castigat.

[11] postero die, ut a praesenti motu averteret animum eius, in tribunal escendit et contionem advocari iussit. Ibi Masinissam, primum regem appellatum eximiisque ornatum laudibus, aurea corona, aurea patera, sella curuli et scipione eburneo, toga picta et palmata tunica donat.

[12] addit verbis honorem: neque magnificentius quicquam triumpho apud Romanos neque triumphantibus ⁸ ampliorem eo ornatum ⁹ esse quo unum ¹⁰ omnium externorum ¹¹ dignum Masinissam populus Romanus ducat.

[13] Laelium deinde et ipsum conlaudatum aurea corona donat; et alii militares viri, prout a quoque navata opera erat, donati.

[14] his honoribus mollitus regis animus erectusque in spem propinquam sublato Syphace omnis Numidiae potiundae.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 36.15 focus

[1]

cum haec agebantur, Chalcide erat Antiochus, iam tum cernens nihil se ex Graecia praeter amoena Chalcide hiberna et ¹ infames nuptias petisse. tunc Aetolorum vana promissa incusare et Thoantem, Hannibalem vero non ut prudentem tantum virum sed prope vatem omnium.

[2] quae tum evenirent, admirari. ne tamen temere coepta segnitia insuper everteret, nuntios in Aetoliam misit, ut omni contracta iuventute convenirent Lamiam;

[3] et ipse eo decem milia fere peditum ex iis, qui postea venerant ex Asia, expleta et equites quingentos duxit.

[4] quo cum aliquanto pauciores quam umquam ante convenissent, et principes tantummodo cum paucis clientibus essent, atque ii dicerent omnia sedulo ab se facta, ut quam plurimos ex civitatibus suis evocarent;

[6] id iugum, sicut Appennini dorso Italia dividitur, ita mediam Graeciam dirimit.

[7] ante saltum Thermopylarum in septentrionem versa Epirus ² et Perrhaebia et Magnesia—et Thessalia est et Phthiotae Achaei et sinus Maliacus;

[10] extremos ad orientem montis Oetam vocant, ³ quorum quod altissimum est Callidromon appellatur, in cuius valle ad Maliacum sinum vergente iter est non latius quam sexaginta passus.

[11] haec una militaris via est, qua traduci exercitus, si non prohibeantur, possint.

[12] ideo Pylae et ab aliis, quia calidae aquae in ipsis faucibus sunt, Thermopylae locus appellatur, nobilis Lacedaemoniorum adversus Persas morte magis memorabili quam pugna.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 36.15 focus

[1]

During these transactions, Antiochus was at Chalcis; and now, perceiving that he had gained nothing from Greece agreeable, except winter quarters and a disgraceful marriage at Chalcis, he warmly blamed Thoas, and the fallacious promises of the Aetolians;

[2] while he admired Hannibal, not only as a prudent man, but as the predicter of all those events which were then transpiring.

[3] However, that he might not still further defeat his inconsiderate enterprise by his own inactivity, he sent requisitions to the Aetolians, to arm all their young men, and assemble in a body at Lamia. He himself also immediately led thither about ten thousand foot (the number having been filled up out of the troops which had come after him from Asia) and five hundred horse.

[4] Their assembly on this occasion was far less numerous than ever before, none attending but the chiefs with a few of their vassals. These affirmed that they had, with the utmost diligence, tried every method to bring into the field as great a number as possible out of their respective states, but that they had not prevailed either by argument, persuasion, or authority, against those who declined the service.

[5] Being disappointed thus on all sides, both by his own people, who delayed in Asia, and by his allies, who did not fulfil those engagements by which they had prevailed on him to comply with

[6] their invitation, the king retired beyond the pass of Thermopylae. A range of mountains here divides Greece in the same manner as Italy is divided by the ridge of the Apennines.

[7] Outside the strait of Thermopylae, towards the north, lie Epirus, Perrhaebia, Magnesia, Thessaly, the Achaean Phthiotis, and the Malian bay;

[8] on the inside, towards the south, the greater part of Aetolia, Acarnania, Phocis, Locris, Bœotia, and the adjacent island of Eubœa, the territory of Attica, which stretches out like a promontory into the sea, and, behind that, the Peloponnesus.

[9] This range of mountains, which extends from Leucas and the sea on the west, through Aetolia to the opposite sea on the east, is so closely covered with thickets and craggy rocks, that, not to speak of an army, even persons lightly equipped for travelling can with difficulty find paths through which they can pass.

[10] The hills at the eastern extremity are called Œta, and the highest of them Callidromus; in a valley, at the foot of which, reaching to the Malian bay, is a passage not broader than sixty paces. This is the only military road by which an army can be led, even if it should not be opposed.

[11] The place is therefore called Pyle, the gate; and by some, on account of a warm spring, rising just at the entrance of it, Thermopyle.

[12] It is rendered famous by the memorable battle of the Lacedaemonians against the Persians, and by their still more glorious death.

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.) — 36.15 focus

[1]

Antiochus was all this time at Chalcis, having at last discovered that he had gained nothing from Greece beyond a pleasant winter at Chalcis and a disreputable marriage.

[2] He now accused the Aetolians of having made empty promises and admired Hannibal, not only as a man of prudence and foresight, but also as little short of a prophet, seeing how he had foretold everything which was happening.

[3] In order that his reckless adventure might not be ruined through his own inactivity, he sent a message to the Aetolians requesting them to concentrate all their fighting strength at Lamia, where he himself joined them with about 10,000 infantry, made up largely of troops which had come from Asia, and 500 cavalry.

[4] The Aetolians mustered in considerably smaller numbers than on any previous occasion, only the leading men with a few of their dependents were present.

[5] They said that they had done their utmost to call up as many as possible from their respective cities, but their personal influence, their appeals, their official authority, were alike powerless against those who declined to serve. Finding himself deserted on all sides by his own troops, who were hanging back in Asia, and by his allies, who were not doing what they

[6] undertook to do when they invited him, he withdrew into the pass of Thermopylae.

[7] This mountain range cuts Greece in two, just as Italy is intersected by the Apennines. To the north of the pass are situated Epirus, Perrhaebia, Magnesia, Thessaly, the Achaeans of Phthiotis, and the Maliac Gulf.

[8] South of it lie the greater part of Aetolia, Acarnania, Locris, Phocis, Boeotia, the adjoining island of Euboea, and Attica, which projects into the sea like a promontory; beyond these is the Peloponnese.

[9] This range extends from Leucas on the western sea through Aetolia to the eastern sea, and is so rugged and precipitous that even light infantry-let alone an army-would have great difficulty in finding any paths by which to cross it. The eastern end of the range is called Oeta, and its highest peak bears the name of Callidromus.

[10] The road running through the lower ground between its base and the Maliac Gulf is not more than sixty paces broad and is the only military road which can be traversed by an army, and then only if it meets with no opposition.

[11] For this reason the place is called Pylae, and also Thermopylae, from the hot springs there, and is famous

[12] for the battle against the Persians, but still more so for the glorious death of the Lacedaemonians who fought there.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 191

2. Livy here transfers to Greece a Roman institution of which there is no other trace in Greece. The precise status of these dependents is then uncertain.

3. At this distance of time and space, the war with Antiochus so far seems to have the character of comic opera: the extravagant promises of Antiochus and the Aetolians; the insignificant forces; the childish hesitation and frequent changes of plan; the feeble discipline; the burlesque scene of the marriage; the futile conquest of Thessaly; the inglorious retirement to the site of one of the most splendid events in ancient history. Rome must almost have repented of her elaborate preparations.

4. B.C. 191

5. Livy conceives of the pass as the terminus of a mountain barrier crossing Greece in a west-east direction. With reference to that barrier he places the principal geographical subdivisions. His comparison with the Apennines is graphic but misleading, since the geographical importance of the two ranges is quite unlike; the historical importance of Thermopylae is no doubt responsible. The pass begins here to figure in Roman history and this geographical excursus is therefore pertinent, though not in Livy's ordinary manner.

Pylae

means literally

Gates,

Thermopylae

Hot Gates.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 36.15

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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