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), 36.31

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Section

← Previous Next →

[1] At the same time too Messene in the Peloponnesus began to be besieged by the Achaeans because it refused to join their league.

[2] Two cities, Messene and Elis, were outside the Achaean council; their sympathies were with the Aetolians.

[3] The Eleans, however, after Antiochus was driven from Greece,¹ responded more moderately to the ambassadors of the Achaeans:² if the royal garrison³ were withdrawn they would consider what they should do;

[4] the Messenians,⁴ on the other hand, had dismissed the ambassadors unanswered and had begun war, but fearful for their cause

[5] when their crops were being burned everywhere by a wide-ranging army and they saw the camp established near the city, they sent ambassadors to Chalcis to Titus Quinctius, the source of their liberty, to say that the Messenians were ready to open their gates and surrender their city to the Romans, not the Achaeans.

[6] Having listened to the ambassadors Quinctius, setting out at once from Megalopolis, sent a messenger to Diophanes, praetor of the Achaeans,⁵ to order him to withdraw his army at once from Messene and to report to him.

[7] Diophanes obeyed the summons, and raising the siege and himself travelling light, preceded the column and near Andania, a little town located between Megalopolis and Messene, met Quinctius; and when he had explained the reason for the siege, Quinctius reproached him gently because he had undertaken so important a matter

[8] without his authorization,⁶ and ordered him to disband his army and not to disturb the peace secured to the advantage of everyone.

[9] He instructed the Messenians to recall their exiles and join the council of the Achaeans; if they had any matters about which they wished to raise objections or to take precautions for themselves against future contingencies, they should come to him at Corinth; Diophanes he directed to give him an immediate opportunity to meet the Achaean council.

[10] There he complained about the island of⁷ Zacynthos,⁸ which had been wrongfully occupied, and demanded that it be restored to the Romans.

[11] Zacynthos had formerly belonged to Philip, king of the Macedonians; he had ceded it to Amynander as a bribe to induce him to permit Philip to lead his army through Athamania into the upper part of Aetolia, on the expedition⁹ by which he had broken the spirits of the Aetolians and forced them to seek peace.

[12] Amynander had appointed Philip of Megalopolis governor of the island; later, during the war in which he joined Antiochus against the Romans, he had recalled Philip for military duties and sent Hierocles of Agrigentum to succeed him.

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.) — 36.31 focus

[1] eodem tempore et Messene in Peloponneso ab Achaeis, quod concilii eorum recusaret esse,

[2] oppugnari coepta est. duae civitates, Messene et Elis, extra concilium Achaicum erant; cum Aetolis sentiebant.

[3] Elei tamen post fugatum ex Graecia Antiochum legatis Achaeorum lenius responderant: dimisso praesidio regio cogitaturos se, quid sibi faciendum esset;

[4] Messenii sine responso dimissis legatis moverant bellum,

[5] trepidique rerum suarum, cum iam ager effuso exercitu passim ureretur castraque prope urbem poni viderent, legatos Chalcidem ad T. Quinctium, auctorem libertatis, miserunt, qui nuntiarent Messenios Romanis, non Achaeis et aperire portas et dedere urbem paratos esse.

[6] auditis legatis extemplo profectus Quinctius a Megalopoli ad Diophanen praetorem Achaeorum misit, qui extemplo reducere eum a Messene exercitum et venire ad se iuberet.

[7] dicto paruit Diophanes et soluta obsidione expeditus ipse praegressus agmen circa Andaniam, parvum oppidum inter Megalopolim Messenenque positum, Quinctio occurrit;

[8] et cum causas oppugnationis exponeret, castigatum leniter, quod tantam rem sine auctoritate sua conatus esset, dimittere exercitum iussit nec pacem omnium bono partam turbare.

[9] Messeniis imperavit, ut exules reducerent et Achaeorum concilii essent; si qua haberent, de quibus aut recusare aut in posterum caveri sibi vellent, Corinthum ad se venirent;

[10] Diophanen concilium Achaeorum extemplo sibi praebere iussit. ibi de Zacyntho intercepta per fraudem insula questus postulavit, ut restitueretur Romanis.

[11] Philippi Macedonum regis Zacynthus fuerat; ear eam mercedem Amynandro dederat, ut per Athamaniam ducere exercitum in superiorein superiorem partem Aetoliae liceret, qua expeditione fractis animis Aetolos compulit ad petendam pacem.

[12] Amynander Philippum Megalopolitanum insulae praefecit; postea per bellum, quo se Antiocho adversus Romanos coniunxit, Philippo ad munera belli revocato Hieroclen Agrigentinum successorem misit.

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).) — 30.31 focus

[1]

adversus haec imperator Romanus in hanc fere sententiam respondit: " non me fallebat, ¹ Hannibal, adventus ² tui spe Carthaginienses et praesentem indutiarum fidem et spem pacis turbasse;

[2] neque tu id sane dissimulas, qui de condicionibus superioribus ³ pacis omnia subtrahas praeter ea quae iam pridem in nostra potestate sunt.

[3] ceterum ut ⁴ tibi curae est sentire cives tuos quanto per te onere leventur, sic mihi laborandum est ne ⁵ quae tum ⁶ pepigerunt hodie subtracta ex condicionibus pacis praemia perfidiae habeant.

[4] indigni quibus eadem pateat condicio, etiam ut prosit vobis fraus petitis. neque patres nostri priores de Sicilia, neque nos de Hispania fecimus bellum; et tunc ⁷ Mamertinorum sociorum periculum et nunc Sagunti excidium nobis pia ac iusta induerunt arma.

[5] vos lacessisse et tu ipse fateris et dei testes sunt, qui et illius belli exitum secundum ius fasque dederunt et huius dant et dabunt.

[6]

quod ad me attinet, et humanae infirmitatis memini et vim Fortunae reputo et omnia quaecumque agimus subiecta esse mille casibus scio;

[7]

ceterum, quem ad modum superbe et violenter me faterer facere, si, priusquam in Africam traiecissem, te tua voluntate cedentem Italia et inposito in naves exercitu ipsum venientem ad pacem petendam aspernarer,

[8]

sic nunc, cum prope manu conserta ⁸ restitantem ac tergiversantem in Africam ⁹ adtraxerim, ¹⁰ nulla sum tibi verecundia obstrictus.

[9]

proinde si quid ad ea in quae tum pax conventura videbatur, quasi ¹¹ multa navium cum commeatu per indutias expugnatarum ¹² legatorumque violatorum, adicitur, est quod referam ad consilium; sin illa quoque gravia videntur, bellum parate, quoniam pacem pati non potuistis.

[10] ita infecta pace ex conloquio ad suos cum se recepissent, frustra verba iactata ¹³ renuntiant: armis decernendum esse habendamque eam earn fortunam quam dei dedissent.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 36.31 focus

[1]

eodem tempore et Messene in Peloponneso ab Achaeis, quod concilii eorum recusarat esse, oppugnari coepta est.

[2] etenim duae civitates, Messene et Elis, extra concilium Achaicum erant;

[3] cum Aetolis sentiebant. Elei tamen post fugatum ex Graecia Antiochum legatis Achaeorum lenius responderant: dimisso praesidio regio cogitaturos se, quid sibi faciendum esset;

[4] Messenii sine responso dimissis legatis moverant bellum,

[5] trepidique rerum suarum, cum iam ager effuso exercitu passim ureretur castraque prope urbem poni viderent, legatos Chalcidem ¹ ad T. Quinctium , auctorem libertatis, miserunt, qui nuntiarent Messenios Romanis, non Achaeis, et aperire portas et dedere urbem paratos esse.

[6] auditis legatis extemplo profectus Quinctius a Megalopoli ad Diophanen praetorem Achaeorum misit, qui extemplo reducere eum a Messene exercitum et venire ad se iuberet.

[7] dicto paruit Diophanes et soluta obsidione expeditus ipse praegressus agmen circa Andaniam, parvum oppidum inter Megalopolim Messenenque positum, Quinctio occurrit; et cum causas oppugnationis exponeret,

[8] castigatum leniter, quod tantam rem sine auctoritate sua conatus esset, dimittere exercitum iussit nec pacem omnium bono partam turbare.

[9] Messeniis imperavit, ut exules reducerent et Achaeorum concilii essent; si qua haberent, de quibus aut recusare aut in posterum caveri sibi vellent, Corinthum ad se venirent;

[10] Diophanen concilium Achaeorum extemplo sibi praebere iussit. ibi de Zacyntho intercepta per fraudem insula questus postulavit, ut restitueretur Romanis.

[11] Philippi Macedonum regis Zacynthus fuerat; eam mercedem Amynandro dederat, ut per Athamaniam ducere exercitum in superiorem partem Aetoliae liceret, qua expeditione fractis animis Aetolos compulit ad petendam pacem.

[12] Amynander Philippum ² Megalopolitanum insulae praefecit; postea per bellum, quo se Antiocho adversus Romanos coniunxit, Philippo ad munera belli revocato Hieroclen Agrigentinum successorem misit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 36.31 focus

[1]

At the same time, the Achaeans laid siege to Messene, in Peloponnesus, because it refused to become a member of their body:

[2] for the two states of Messene and Elis were unconnected with the Achaean confederacy, and sympathized with the Aetolians.

[3] However, the Eleans, after Antiochus had been driven out of Greece, answered the deputies, sent by the Achaeans, with more moderation:

[4] that

when the king's troops were removed, they would consider what part they should take.

[5] But the Messenians had dismissed the deputies without an answer, and prepared for war. Alarmed, afterwards, at their own situation, when they saw the enemy ravaging their country without control, and pitching their camp close to their city, they sent deputies to

[6] Chalcis, to Titus Quinctius, the author of their liberty, to acquaint him, that

the Messenians were willing, both to open their gates, and surrender their city, to the Romans, but not to the Achaeans.

[7] On hearing this Quinctius immediately set out, and despatched from Megalopolis a messenger to Diophanes, praetor of the Achaeans, requiring him to draw off his army instantly from Messene, and to come to him.

[8] Diophanes obeyed the order; raising the siege, he hastened forward himself before the army, and met Quinctius near Andania, a small town between Megalopolis and Messene.

[9] When he began to explain the reasons for commencing the siege, Quinctius, gently reproving him for undertaking a business of that importance without consulting him, ordered him to disband his

[10] forces, and not to disturb a peace which had been established advantageously to all.

[11] He commanded the Messenians to recall the exiles, and to unite themselves to the confederacy of the Achaeans; and if there were any particulars to which they chose to object, or any precautions which they judged requisite for the future, they might apply to him at Corinth.

[12] He then gave directions to Diophanes, to convene immediately a general council of the Achaeans, that he might settle some business with them.

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.) — 36.31 focus

[1]

Messene, in the Peloponnese, had refused to join the Achaean league, and the Achaeans now laid siege to it.

[2] Neither of the two cities, Messene and Elis, were members of the league; their sympathies were with the Aetolians.

[3] The Eleans, however, after Antiochus' flight from Greece, returned a more conciliatory reply to the Achaean envoy and said that when the king's garrison was withdrawn they would consider what they ought to do.

[4] The Messenians, on the other hand, dismissed the envoys without vouchsafing any reply whatever and commenced hostilities. But the devastation of their

[5] land in all directions by fire and sword and the sight of the Achaean camp near their city made them tremble for their safety, and they sent a message to T. Quinctius at Chalcis to the effect that as he was the author of their liberty the men of Messene were prepared to open their gates to the Romans and surrender their city to them, but not to the Achaeans.

[6] On receipt of this message Quinctius at once left Chalcis and sent word to Diophanes, the captain-general of the Achaeans, to withdraw his army at once from Messene and go to him.

[7] Diophanes obeyed and raised the siege, and then hurrying on in advance of his army met Quinctius near Andania, a town lying between Megalopolis and Messene. When he began to explain his reasons for attacking the place Quinctius gently rebuked him for taking such

[8] an important step without his sanction and ordered him to disband his army and not to disturb the peace which had been established for the good of all.

[9] He commanded the Messenians to recall their banished citizens and join the Achaean league; if there were any conditions they objected to, or any safeguards for the future which they wanted, they were to go to him at Corinth. At the same time he ordered Diophanes to convene a meeting of the Achaean league forthwith, at which he would be present.

[10] In his address to the council he pointed out how the island of Zacynthus had been treacherously seized, and he now demanded its restoration to the Romans.

[11] The island, he explained, had at one time formed part of Philip's dominions and he had given it to Amynander as the price of being allowed to march through Athamania into the north of Aetolia, the result of his expedition being that the Aetolians abandoned all further resistance and sued for peace.

[12] Amynander made Philip of Megalopolis governor of the island. Subsequently when Amynander joined Antiochus in war against Rome he recalled Philip to take up active service and sent Hierocles of Agrigentum to succeed him.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. For their embassy to Antiochus and their anticipations of trouble with the Achaeans, see v. 1-2 above.

2. The Achaeans were trying to induce these two cities voluntarily to join them or, if necessary, to coerce them.

3. B.C. 191

4. Livy does not mention it, but a short time before Philopoemen had released Messene from the domination of Nabis (Pausanias IV. xxix. 4); it had probably favoured Antiochus. Cities within Achaean territory but not members of the League were of course constant menaces to the League.

5. Diophanes had succeeded Philopoemen as Achaean strategus in the fall of 191 B.C.

6. Quinctius had no authority from any source, Roman or Greek, to issue orders to the Greeks. He based his actions on his prestige and his peculiar position as the liberator of Greece, and they were rarely challenged by the Greek states.

7. B.C. 191

8. Now that Rome was permanently involved in the east, Zacynthos had a certain strategic value, since it was important to have all possible naval bases closed to foreign powers. Rome had occupied it in 211 B.C. (XXVI. xxiv. 15), but in some manner it had passed into Philip's possession. Livy relates its subsequent history in the following sections. For some reason Quinctius makes no mention of Rome's earlier interest.

9. In 207 B.C. (XXVIII. vii. 14) or 205 B.C. (XXIX. xii. 1).

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 36.31

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers