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), 36.37

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[1] ¹

[2] The games were celebrated through ten days by Publius Cornelius. About the same time a temple was dedicated to the Great Idaean Mother, a goddess whom this same Publius Cornelius, when she came from Asia in the consulship of Publius Cornelius Scipio, who later received the surname of Africanus, and Publius Licinius, had escorted to the Palatine from the harbour.²

[3] The contract for the construction of the temple, under a decree of the senate, was let by the censors Marcus Livius and Gaius Claudius in the consulship of Marcus Cornelius and Publius Sempronius;³ thirteen years after the contract was let, Marcus Junius Brutus dedicated the temple, and games⁴ were given by reason of the dedication, which Valerius Antias says were the first to be held with dramatic performances, and called the Megalesia.⁵ Also a temple of Juventas in the Circus Maximus was dedicated by Gaius Licinius Lucullus the duumvir. It had been vowed sixteen years before by Marcus Livius the consul in the battle in which he destroyed Hasdrubal and his army; as censor he also let the contract for its construction in the consulship of Marcus Cornelius and Publius Sempronius.⁶

[4] By reason of this dedication also games were held, and with more intense religious feeling because the new war with Antiochus was imminent.⁷ XXXVII. In the beginning of the year in which these things happened, Manius Acilius having already set out to the war and Publius Cornelius the consul being still in Rome, it is recorded that two domesticated cattle in the Carinae climbed up a stairway to the roof of a house. The haruspices ordered that they be burned alive and the ashes thrown into the Tiber.

[5] At Terracina and Amiternum it was reported that there were several showers of stones, at Minturnae the temple of Jupiter and the shops around the forum were struck by lightning, at Volturnum in the mouth of the river two ships were struck by lightning and burned.

[6] On account of these portents the decemvirs were directed by a decree of the senate to consult the Sibylline Books, and they reported that a fast in honour of Ceres should be held and this repeated every fifth year; also that a nine-day festival should be celebrated and a period of prayer for one day; that those who offered the prayers should wear garlands;⁸ and that the consul⁹ Publius Cornelius, in honour of whatever gods and with whatever victims the decemvirs should announce, should offer sacrifice. The gods were appeased now by the due performance of vows, now by the rites of atonement for the prodigies, and the consul departed to his province, ordering the proconsul Gnaeus Domitius to send his army back to Rome and leave the province;¹⁰ he himself led the legions into the country of the Boii.

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.) — 36.37 focus

[1] principio eius anni, quo haec iam profecto ad bellum M’. Acilio, manente adhuc Romae P.

[2] Cornelio consule agebantur, boves duos domitos in Carinis per scalas pervenisse in tegulas aedificii proditum memoriae est. eos vivos comburi cineremque eorum deici in Tiberim haruspices iusserunt.

[3] Tarracinae et Amiterni nuntiatum est aliquotiens lapidibus pluvisse, Menturnis aedem Iovis et tabernas circa forum de caelo tactas esse, Volturni in ostio fluminis duas naves fulmine ictas conflagrasse.

[4] eorum prodigiorum causa libros Sibyllinos ex senatus consulto decemviri cum adissent, renuntiaverunt, ieiunium instituendum Cereri esse, et id quinto quoque anno servandum;

[5] et ut novemdiale sacrum fieret et unum diem supplicatio esset; coronati supplicarent; et consul P.

[6] Cornelius, quibus diis quibusque hostiis edidissent decemviri, sacrificaret. placatis diis nunc votis rite solvendis nunc prodigiis expiandis, in provinciam proficiscitur consul, atque inde Cn. Domitium proconsulem dimisso exercitu Romam decedere iussit; ipse in agrum Boiorum legiones induxit.

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).) — 30.37 focus

[1]

postero die revocatis legatis et cum multa castigatione perfidiae monitis ut tot cladibus edocti tandem deos et ius iurandum esse crederent, condiciones pacis dictae, ut liberi legibus suis viverent;

[2] quas urbes quosque agros quibusque finibus ante bellum tenuissent tenerent, populandique finem eo die Romanus faceret;

[3] perfugas fugitivosque et captivos omnes redderent Romanis, ¹ et naves rostratas praeter decem triremes traderent elephantosque quos haberent domitos, neque domarent ² alios;

[4] bellum neve in Africa neve extra Africam iniussu ³ populi Romani gererent; Masinissae res redderent foedusque cum eo facerent;

[5] frumentum stipendiumque auxiliis, donec ab Roma ⁴ legati redissent, praestarent; decem milia talentum argenti, discripta pensionibus aequis in annos quinquaginta, solverent;

[6] obsides centum arbitratu Scipionis darent, ne minores quattuordecim annis neu triginta maiores. indutias ita se ⁵ daturum, si per priores indutias naves onerariae captae quaeque fuissent in navibus restituerentur; aliter nec indutias nec spem pacis ullam esse.

[7] has condiciones legati cum domum referre ⁶ iussi in contione ederent et Gisgo ad dissuadendam pacem processisset audireturque a multitudine inquieta eadem ⁷ et inbelli,

[8] indignatus Hannibal dici ea in tali tempore audirique, arreptum Gisgonem manu sua ex superiore loco detraxit. quae insueta liberae civitati species cum fremitum populi movisset,

[9] perturbatus militaris vir urbana libertate

novem

inquit

annorum a vobis profectus post sextum et tricesimum annum redii. militares artes, quas me a puero fortuna nunc privata nunc publica docuit, probe videor scire; urbis ac fori iura, leges, mores vos me oportet doceatis.

[10] excusata inprudentia de pace multis verbis ⁸ disseruit, quam nec iniqua et ⁹ necessaria esset.

[11] id omnium maxime difficile erat, quod ex navibus per indutias captis nihil praeter ipsas comparebat naves; nec inquisitio erat facilis, adversantibus paci qui ¹⁰ arguerentur.

[12] placuit naves reddi et homines utique inquiri; cetera quae abessent aestimanda Scipioni permitti atque ita pecunia luere Carthaginienses.

[13] —Sunt qui Hannibalem ex acie ad mare pervenisse, inde praeparata nave ad regem Antiochum extemplo profectum tradant, postulantique ante omnia Scipioni ut Hannibal sibi traderetur responsum esse Hannibalem in Africa non esse.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 36.37 focus

[1]

principio eius anni, quo haec iam profecto ad bellum M'. Acilio ,

[2] manente adhuc Romae P. Cornelio consule agebantur, boves duos domitos in Carinis per scalas pervenisse in tegulas aedificii proditum memoriae est. eos vivos comburi cineremque eorum deici in Tiberim haruspices iusserunt.

[4] eorum prodigiorum causa libros Sibyllinos ex senatus consulto decemviri cum adissent, renuntiaverunt, ieiunium instituendum Cereri esse, et id quinto quoque anno servandum;

[5] et ut novemdiale sacrum fieret et unum diem supplicatio esset; coronati supplicarent; et consul P. Cornelius , quibus diis quibusque hostiis ¹ edidissent decemviri, sacrificaret.

[6] placatis diis nunc votis rite solvendis nunc prodigiis expiandis, in provinciam proficiscitur consul, atque inde Cn. Domitium proconsulem dimisso exercitu Romam decedere iussit; ipse in agrum Boiorum legiones induxit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 36.37 focus

[1]

At the beginning of the year in which those transactions passed, after Manius Acilius had gone to open the campaign, and while the other consul, Publius

[2] Cornelius, yet remained in Rome, two tame oxen, it is said, climbed up by ladders on the tiles of a house in the Carinae. The aruspices ordered them to be burned alive, and their ashes to be thrown into the Tiber.

[3] It was reported, that several showers of stones had fallen at Tarracina and Amiternum; that, at Minturnae, the temple of Jupiter, and the shops round the forum, were struck by lightning; that, at Vulturnum, in the mouth of the river, two ships were struck by lightning, and burnt to ashes.

[4] On occasion of these prodigies, the decemvirs, being ordered by a decree of the senate to consult the Sibylline books, declared, that

a fast ought to be instituted in honour of Ceres, and the same observed every fifth year; that the nine days' worship ought to be solemnized, and a supplication for one day;

[5]

and that they should observe the supplication, with garlands on their heads; also that the consul Publius Cornelius should sacrifice to such deities, and with such victims, as the decemvirs should direct.

[6] When he had used every means to avert the wrath of the gods, by duly fulfilling vows and expiating prodigies, the consul went to his province; and, ordering the proconsul Cneius Domitius to disband his army, and go home to Rome, he marched his own legions into the territory of the Boians.

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.) — 36.37 focus

[1]

At the beginning of the year in which the above events took place, before M. Acilius had left for the war and whilst P. Cornelius was still in Rome, various portents were announced.

[2] There is a tradition that two tame oxen in the Carinae climbed up the stairs on to the flat roof of a building. The haruspices ordered them to be burnt alive and the ashes thrown into the Tiber.

[3] At Terracina and Amiternum several showers of stones were said to have fallen. At Menturnae the temple of Jupiter and the booths round the forum were reported to have been struck by lightning, and at Volturnus two ships in the mouth of the river which had been similarly struck were burnt out.

[4] In consequence of these portents the senate gave directions for the decemviri to consult the Sibylline Books, and they ordained that a fast day must be instituted in honour of Ceres to be observed every five years;

[5] that the sacrifices should be offered for nine days and solemn intercessions for one day, the suppliants to wear wreaths of laurel leaves, and that the consul should offer sacrifice to such deities and with such victims as the decemvirs should name.

[6] After the gods had been appeased and the portents duly expiated the consul left for his province. On his arrival he ordered the proconsul Cneius Domitius to disband his army and depart for Rome; he himself led his army into the country of the Boii.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. lvii. 12-14), and it was probably customary for generals to hold out parts of it. Scipio seems to have been careless enough or honest enough not to reserve any booty for this purpose. This episode, together with the following, reveals, however, friction between the senate and the Scipios.

2. Cf. XXIX. xiv. 1. There are numerous references to the selection of Scipio Nasica as the vir optimus to receive the goddess ( e.g. XXXV. x. 9). The choice of Brutus rather than Nasica as the dedicator of the temple may be an additional rebuke to him. See, however, the Periocha.

3. The chronology is incorrect. Africanus and Licinius were consuls in 205 B.C. (XXVIII. xxxviii. 12) and Cethegus and Tuditanus in 204 B.C. (XXIX. xi. 10), when the divinity was brought to Rome. Livius and Claudius were censors in this year (XXIX. xxxvii. 1). See also sect. 6 below.

4. B.C. 191

5. It is futile to try to determine just what Antias meant. Cf. XXXIV. liv. 3 for a similar statement.

6. The temple was vowed at the battle of the Metaurus in 207 B.C., but Livy has not mentioned before either the vow or the contract.

7. These events then belong to the early spring of 191 B.C.

8. This was in accordance with Greek ritual.

9. B.C. 191

10. This interpretation is somewhat unnatural but is necessary to secure consistency with i. 9 above.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 36.37

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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