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), 36.25

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[1] At the same time that the Romans were attacking Heraclea, Philip by agreement was besieging Lamia, having met the consul near Thermopylae when he returned from Boeotia, to congratulate him and the Roman people upon his victory and to apologize because as a result

[2] of illness he had not been present at the battle.

[3] Then they separated to attack the two cities at the same time. They are about seven miles apart, and because Lamia both lies on a hill and commands a view especially over the region of Oeta, the distance seems exceedingly¹ short and everything is in sight.

[4] While the Romans and the Macedonians, as if competing for a prize, were strenuously engaged day and night either on the siege-works or in fighting, the task of the Macedonians was the more difficult because the Romans were fighting with a terrace and mantlets and all their works above ground, the Macedonians with tunnels underground, and in the rough spots² flint, almost unworkable with iron, met them.

[5] And since they were making little progress, the king, through conferences with their chiefs, tried to induce the townspeople to surrender the city, not doubting that

[6] if Heraclea were captured first they would submit to the Romans in preference to him and that the consul would take the credit to himself in raising the siege.

[7] Nor was he deceived in this opinion; for immediately after the taking of Heraclea the message came that he should abandon the siege: it was fairer that the Roman soldiers, who had fought in the battle-line with the Aetolians, should enjoy the rewards of victory.³

[8] So he retired from Lamia and, after the misfortune of a neighbouring city, the people escaped suffering a similar fate.⁴

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.) — 36.25 focus

[1] eodem tempore, quo Romani Heracleam, Philippus Lamiam ex composito oppugnabat, circa Thermopylas cum console consule redeunte ex Boeotia, ut victoriam ipsi populoque Romano gratularetur excusaretque, quod morbo impeditus bello non interfuisset,

[2] congressus. inde diversi ad duas simul oppugnandas urbes profecti.

[3] intersunt septem ferme milia passuum; et quia Lamia cum posita est in tumulo, tur tum regionem maxime Oetae spectat, oppido quam breve intervallum videtur, et omnia in conspectu sunt.

[4] cum enixe, velut proposito certamine, Romani Macedonesque diem ac noctem aut in operibus aut in proeliis essent, hoc maior difficultas Macedonibus erat, quod Romani aggere et vineis et omnibus supra terrain terram operibus, subter Macedones cuniculis oppugnabant, et in asperis locis silex paene inpenetrabilis ferro occurrebat.

[5] et cum parum procederet inceptum, per colloquia principum oppidanos temptabat rex, ut urbem dederent,

[6] haud dubius, quin, si prius Heraclea capta foret, Romanis se potius quam sibi dedituri essent, suamque gratiam consul in obsidione liberanda facturus esset.

[7] nec eum opinio est frustrata; confestim enim ab Heraclea capta nuntius venit, ut oppugnatione absisteret: aequius esse Romanos milites, qui acie dimicassent cum Aetolis, praemia victoriae habere.

[8] ita recessum ab Lamia est, et propinquae clade urbis ipsi, ne quid simile paterentur, effugerunt.

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).) — 30.25 focus

[1]

nondum ab Roma reverterant legati, ¹ neque sciebatur quae senatus Romani de bello aut pace sententia esset, necdum indutiarum dies exierat;

[2] eo indigniorem iniuriam ratus Scipio ab iis qui petissent pacem et indutias et spem pacis et fidem indutiarum violatam esse, legatos Carthaginem L. Baebium, L. Sergium, L. Fabium extemplo misit.

[3] qui cum multitudinis concursu prope violati essent ² nec reditum tutiorem futurum cernerent, petierunt a magistratibus quorum auxilio vis prohibita erat ut naves mitterent quae se prosequerentur.

[4] datae triremes duae cum ad Bagradam flumen pervenissent, unde castra Romana conspiciebantur, Carthaginem rediere.

[5] classis Punica ad Uticam stationem habebat. ex ea tres quadriremes, seu clam misso a Carthagine nuntio ut id fieret, seu Hasdrubale, qui classi praeerat, sine publica fraude auso facinus,

[6] quinqueremem Romanam superantem promunturium ex alto repente adgressae sunt. Sed neque rostro ferire celeritate subterlabentem ³ poterant, neque transilire armati ex humilioribus in altiorem navem, et defendebatur egregie, quoad tela suppeditarunt.

[7] quis deficientibus iam nulla alia res eam quam propinquitas terrae multitudoque a castris in litus effusa tueri potuit. ⁴

[8] concitatam enim remis quanto maximo impetu poterant in terram cum immisissent, navis tantum iactura facta, incolumes ipsi evaserunt.

[9] ita alio super aliud scelere cum haud dubie indutiae ruptae essent, Laelius Fulviusque ab Roma cum legatis Carthaginiensibus supervenerunt.

[10] Quibus Scipio, etsi non indutiarum fides modo a ⁵ Carthaginiensibus, sed ius etiam gentium in legatis violatum esset, tamen se nihil nec institutis populi Romani nec suis moribus indignum in iis facturum esse cum dixisset, dimissis legatis bellum parabat.

[11] Hannibali iam terrae adpropinquanti iussus e nauticis unus ⁶ escendere in malum, ut specularetur quam tenerent regionem,

[12] cum dixisset sepulchrum dirutum proram spectare, abominatus praetervehi iusso gubernatore ad Leptim adpulit classem atque ibi copias exposuit.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 36.25 focus

[1]

eodem tempore, quo Romani Heracleam, Philippus Lamiam ex composito oppugnabat, circa Thermopylas cum consule redeunte ex Boeotia, ut victoriam ipsi populoque Romano gratularetur excusaretque, quod morbo impeditus bello non interfuisset, congressus.

[2] inde diversi ad duas simul oppugnandas urbes profecti.

[3] intersunt septem ferme milia passuum; et quia Lamia cum posita est in tumulo, tum regionem maxime Oetae spectat, oppido quam breve intervallum videtur, et omnia in conspectu sunt.

[4] cum ¹ enixe, velut proposito certamine, Romani Macedonesque diem ac noctem aut in operibus aut in proeliis essent, hoc maior difficultas Macedonibus erat, quod Romani aggere et vineis et omnibus supra terram operibus, subter Macedones cuniculis oppugnabant, et in asperis locis silex saepe inpenetrabilis ferro occurrebat.

[5] et cum parum procederet inceptum, per colloquia principum oppidanos temptabat rex,

[6] ut urbem dederent, haud dubius, quin, si prius Heraclea capta foret, Romanis se potius quam sibi dedituri essent, suamque gratiam consul in obsidione liberanda facturus esset.

[7] nec eum opinio est frustrata; confestim enim ab Heraclea capta nuntius venit, ut oppugnatione absisteret: aequius esse Romanos milites, qui acie dimicassent cum Aetolis, praemia victoriae habere.

[8] ita recessum ab Lamia est, et propinquae clade urbis ipsi, ne quid simile paterentur, effugerunt.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 36.25 focus

[1]

At the same time, while the Romans were employed in the reduction of Heraclea, Philip, by concert, besieged Lamia. He had an interview with the consul, as he was returning from Bœotia, at Thermopylae, whither he came to congratulate him and the Roman people on their successes, and to apologize for his

[2] not having taken an active part in the war, being prevented by sickness; and then they went from thence, by different routes, to lay siege to the two cities at once.

[3] The distance between these places is about seven miles; and as Lamia stands on high ground, and has an open prospect, particularly towards the region of Mount Œta, the distance seems very short, and every thing that passes can be seen from thence.

[4] The Romans and Macedonians, with all the emulation of competitors for a prize, employed the utmost exertions, both night and day, either in the works or in fighting; but the Macedonians encountered greater difficulty on this account, that the Romans made their approaches by mounds, covered galleries, and other works, which were all above ground; whereas the Macedonians worked under ground by mines, and, in that stony soil, often met a flinty rock, which iron could not penetrate.

[5] The king, seeing that his undertaking succeeded but ill, endeavoured, by conversations with the principal inhabitants, to prevail on the townspeople to sur- render the place;

[6] for he was fully persuaded, that if Heraclea should be taken first, the Lamians would then choose to surrender to the Romans rather than to him; and that the consul would take to himself the merit of relieving them from a siege.

[7] Nor was he mistaken in that opinion; for no sooner was Heraclea reduced, than a message came to him to desist from the assault; because

it was more reasonable that the Roman soldiers, who had fought the Aetolians in the field, should reap the fruits of the victory.

[8] Thus was Lamia relieved, and the misfortune of a neighbouring city proved the means of its escaping a like disaster.

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.) — 36.25 focus

[1]

Whilst the Romans were laying siege to Heraclea, Philip, as arranged with the consul, was attacking Lamia. He had gone to Thermopylae to offer the consul and the people of Rome his congratulations on the victory and at the same time to excuse himself on the ground of illness

[2] for not having taken part in the operations against Antiochus.

[3] Then the two commanders separated to carry on the siege of the two places simultaneously. These are about seven miles distant from each other, and as Lamia stands on rising ground and looks towards Mount Oeta the distance between them seems very short and all that goes on in the one place can be seen from the other.

[4] The Romans and the Macedonians were strenuously engaged as though in mutual rivalry in siege operations or in actual fighting night and day. But the Macedonians had the more difficult task owing to the fact that the Roman galleries and vineae and all their siege engines were above ground while the Macedonians conducted the attack by means of subterranean mines, and in difficult places they often came to rock upon which iron tools could make no impression.

[5] Finding that he was making little progress, the king held conferences with the leading men of the place in the hope that the townsmen might be induced to surrender.

[6] He felt quite certain that if Heraclea were taken first they would surrender to the Romans sooner than to him and that the consul would win their gratitude for having raised the siege.

[7] His surmise proved correct, for no sooner was Heraclea taken than a message reached him requesting him to abandon the siege, for as it was the Romans who had fought the engagement with the Aetolians it was but fair that they should have the prize of victory.

[8] So Lamia was relieved and through the fall of a neighbouring city escaped a similar fate.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Both oppido and quam are colloquial intensives, and the combination of the two seems not to occur before Livy.

2. B.C. 191

3. Philip showed no signs of resentment at this treatment until 185 B.C. (XXXIX. xxiii. 9), when it was one of his grievances.

4. The natural inference from the consul's message would be that the Roman army would at once take up the siege, but this was not done and Lamia was not taken until the next year (XXXVII. v. 3).

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 36.25

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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