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), 37.24

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[1] But in an instant of time both the excellence of their ships and their experience in naval warfare took away all fear from the Rhodians.

[2] For the ships, sailing quickly out into deep water, each gave the one in rear a place on the land side,¹ and, moreover, if a ship clashed head on with a ship of the enemy, it either crushed its prow or broke off its oars or, passing through the open intervals between the files, it attacked the stern.²

[3] The greatest fear was caused when a seven-banked ship of the king was sunk³ with one blow by a much smaller Rhodian vessel; so now without question the right wing of the enemy was turned to flight.

[4] Eudamus, in the open, although he was superior in everything else, was hard pressed by Hannibal, particularly on account of the greater number of his ships, and Hannibal would have surrounded him had not the flagship of his fleet displayed the signal by which, as the custom is, a scattered fleet is collected into one place, and all the ships which had been victorious on the right⁴ flank had hurried off to bear aid to their comrades.

[5] Then Hannibal also and the ships which followed him began to retire; nor could the Rhodians pursue, since many of their rowers were sick and for that⁵ reason more quickly exhausted.

[6] While they were restoring their strength with food in the open water, Eudamus watched the enemy towing their lame and crippled ships with hawsers from open vessels, and hardly more than twenty moving off undamaged, and from the bridge of the flagship he called for silence and exclaimed,

Stand up and look upon a glorious sight.

[7] Every man stood up, and seeing the confusion and panic of the enemy, they cried almost with one voice

Let us pursue.

[8] The ship of Eudamus himself had been damaged by many blows; but he ordered Pamphilidas and Chariclitus to follow as far as they deemed it safe.

[9] They pursued for some distance; but when Hannibal was close to land, fearing that they might be detained by the wind near a hostile coast, they returned to Eudamus, and with difficulty towed to Phaselis the captured seven-banked ship which had been struck at the first onset.

[10] Thence they returned to Rhodes, not so much rejoicing in their victory as blaming one another because, when it had been possible, the entire fleet of the enemy had not been sunk or captured.

[11] Hannibal, discouraged by this one defeat, did not even then dare to pass Lycia, anxious though he was to join the old fleet of the king as soon as possible;

[12] and, that this course might not be open to him, the Rhodians sent Chariclitus with twenty beaked ships to Patara and the harbour of Megiste.

[13] Eudamus, with the seven largest ships of the fleet which he had commanded, they ordered to rejoin the Romans at Samos, in order that with whatever wisdom and whatever influence he had, he might urge the Romans to the capture of Patara.

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.) — 37.24 focus

[1] sed momento temporis et navium virtus et usus maritimae rei terrorem omnem Rhodiis dempsit.

[2] nam et in altum celeriter evectae naves locum post se quaeque venienti ad terram dedere, et si qua concurrerat rostro cum hostium nave, aut proram lacerabat, aut remos detergebat, aut libero inter ordines discursu praetervecta in puppim impetum dabat.

[3] maxime exterruit hepteris regia a multo minore Rhodia nave uno ictu demersa;

[4] itaque iam baud haud dubie dextrum cornu hostium in fugam inclinabat. Eudamum in alto multitudine navium maxime Hannibal, ceteris omnibus longe praestantem, urgebat, et circumvenisset, ni signo sublato ex praetoria nave, quo dispersam classem in unum colligi mos erat, omnes quae in dextro cornu vicerant naves ad opem ferendam suis concurrissent.

[5] tur tum et Hannibal quaeque circa eum naves erant capessunt fugam; nec insequi Rhodii ex magna parte aegris et ob id celerius fessis remigibus potuerunt.

[6] cum in alto, ubi substiterant, cibo reficerent vires, contemplatus Eudamus hostis claudas mutilatasque naves apertis navibus remulco trahentis, viginti paulo amplius integras abscedentis, e turri praetoriae navis silentio facto “exsurgite” inquit “et egregium spectaculum capessite oculis.”

[7] consurrexere omnes, contemplatique trepidationem fugamque hostium ac prope una voce omnes, ut sequerentur, exclamaverunt.

[8] ipsius Eudami multis ictibus vulnerata navis erat; Pamphilidam et Chariclitum insequi, quoad putarent tutum,

[9] iussit. aliquamdiu secuti sunt; postquam terrae appropinquabat Hannibal, veriti, ne includerentur vento in hostium ora, ad Eudamum revecti hepterem captam, quae primo concursu icta erat, aegre Phaselidem pertraxerunt.

[10] inde Rhodum non tam victoria laeti, quam alius alium accusantes, quod, cum potuisset, non omnis submersa aut capta classis hostium foret, redierunt.

[11] Hannibal, ictus uno proelio adverso, ne tur tum quidem praetervehi Lyciam audebat, cum coniungi veteri regiae classi quam primum cuperet;

[12] et ne id ei facere liberum esset, Rhodii Chariclitum cum viginti navibus rostratis ad Patara et Megisten portum miserunt.

[13] Eudamum cum septem navibus maximis ex ea classe, cui praefuerat, Samum redire ad Romanos iusserunt, ut, quantum consilio, quantum auctoritate valeret, compelleret Romanos ad Patara expugnanda.

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).) — 43.23 focus

[1]

Rex cum non ¹ minore vexatione iumentorum hominumque quam venerat in Macedoniam rediit; Appium tamen ab obsidione Phanotes fama ducentis ad Stratum Persei summovit.

[2] Cleuas cum praesidio impigrorum iuvenum insecutus sub radicibus prope inviis montium ² ad mille hominum ex agmine impedito occidit, ad ducentos cepit.

[3] Appius superatis angustiis in campo quem Meleona vocant stativa dierum paucorum habuit. interim Cleuas assumpto Philostrato, qui quingentos ex ³ Epirotarum gente habebat, in agrum Antigonensem transcendit. ⁴ Macedones ad depopulationem profecti;

[4] Philostratus⁵ cum cohorte sua in insidiis loco ⁶ obscuro consedit. in palatos populatores cum erupissent ab Antigonea armati, ⁷ fugientes eos persequentes effusius in vallem insessam ab hostibus praecipitant.

[5] ibi ad mille ⁸ occisis, centum ferme captis, et ubique prospere gesta re prope stativa Appi castra movent, ne qua vis sociis suis ab Romano exercitu inferri possit.

[6] Appius nequiquam in his locis terens tempus, dimissis Chaonum Thesprotorumque ⁹ et si qui alii Epirotae erant praesidiis, cum Italicis militibus in Illyricum regressus, per Parthinorum ¹⁰ socias urbes in hiberna militibus divisis, ¹¹ ipse Romam sacrificii causa redit.

[7] Perseus ex Penestarum gente mille pedites, ducentos equites revocatos Cassandream, praesidio ut essent, misit.

[8] Ab Gentio eadem adferentes redierunt. nec deinde alios atque alios mittendo temptare eum destitit, cum appareret, quantum in eo praesidii esset, nec tamen impetrare ab animo posset, ut impensam in rem maximi ad omnia momenti faceret.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 37.24 focus

[1]

sed momento temporis et navium virtus et usus rei maritimae terrorem omnem Rhodiis dempsit.

[3] maxime exterruit hepteris regia a multo minore Rhodia nave uno ictu demersa: itaque iam haud dubie dextrum cornu hostium in fugam inclinabat.

[4] Eudamum in alto multitudine navium maxime Hannibal, ceteris omnibus longe praestantem, urgebat, et circumvenisset, ni signo sublato ¹ ex praetoria nave, quo dispersam classem in unum colligi mos erat, omnes quae in dextro cornu vicerant naves ad opem ferendam suis concurrissent.

[5] tum et Hannibal quaeque circa eum naves erant capessunt fugam; nec insequi Rhodii ex magna parte aegris et ob id celerius fessis remigibus potuerunt.

[7] ” consurrexere omnes, contemplatique trepidationem fugamque hostium [ac] prope una voce omnes, ut sequerentur, exclamaverunt.

[8] ipsius Eudami multis ictibus vulnerata navis erat; Pamphilidam et Chariclitum insequi, quoad putarent tutum, iussit.

[9] aliquamdiu secuti sunt; postquam terrae appropinquabat Hannibal, veriti, ne includerentur vento in hostium ora, ad Eudamum revecti hepterem captam, quae primo concursu icta erat, aegre Phaselidem pertraxerunt.

[10] inde Rhodum non tam victoria laeti, quam alius alium accusantes, quod, cum potuisset, non omnis submersa aut capta classis hostium foret, redierunt.

[11] Hannibal, ictus uno proelio adverso, ne tum quidem ² praetervehi Lyciam audebat, cum coniungi veteri regiae classi quam primum cuperet et ne id ei facere liberum esset,

[12] Rhodii Chariclitum cum viginti navibus rostratis ad Patara et Megisten portum miserunt.

[13] Eudamum cum septem navibus maximis ex ea classe, cui praefuerat, Samum redire ad Romanos iusserunt, ut, quantum consilio, quantum auctoritate valeret, compelleret Romanos ad Patara expugnanda.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 37.24 focus

[1]

But the goodness of their ships, and the expertness of their men in nautical business, quickly freed the Rhodians from all embarrassment.

[2] They pushed out hastily towards the main, and each made room next the land for the one immediately behind; and when any made a stroke with its beak against a ship of the enemy, it either shattered its prow, or swept off its oars; or passing by it in the clear space between the vessels, made an attack on its stern.

[3] One of the king's seven-banked ships being sunk with one stroke, by a Rhodian vessel of much smaller size, discouraged them very much.

[4] Therefore the right wing of the enemy was now undoubtedly verging to flight. Hannibal, in the open sea, by means chiefly of his superior number of ships, pressed hard on Eudamus, who surpassed him in every other respect: and he would have surrounded him were it not that, on the signal being given from the admiral's fleet, (by which it is usual to collect together the fleet when dispersed,) all the ships which had conquered on the right wing came speedily to bear aid to their own party.

[5] This made Hannibal himself, with all his division, betake themselves to flight; while the Rhodians could not pursue, because their rowers being most of them sick, were therefore the sooner wearied.

[6] When they were recruiting their strength with food on the sea where they brought to, Eudamus, observing the enemy towing, by means of their open vessels, several damaged and crippled ships, and seeing little more than twenty that were going off uninjured, commanded silence from the castle of the commander's ship, and then called out,

Arise, and feast your eyes with an extraordinary sight.

[7] They all started up, and perceiving the disorderly flight of the enemy, cried out, almost with one voice, that they ought to pursue.

[8] Eudamus's ship was bulged in many places; he therefore ordered Pamphilidas and Chariclitus to pursue as far as they should think it safe.

[9] They, accordingly, pursued for a considerable time: but after that Hannibal make-in close to the land, fearing to be wind-bound on an enemy's coast, they steered back to Eudamus, and with difficulty towed to Phaselis a captured seven-banked ship, which had been damaged in the beginning of the engagement.

[10] They then sailed home to Rhodes, not so much exulting in their victory as blaming one another because the entire fleet had not been taken or sunk, when it could have been done.

[11] Hannibal, disheartened by the loss of this one battle, did not even then dare to sail past the coast of Lycia, though he wished to join the king's main fleet as soon as possible.

[12] And that this action might not be unimpeded, the Rhodians sent Chariclitus with twenty ships of war to Patara and the harbour of Megiste.

[13] They then ordered Eudamus, with seven of the largest vessels belonging to the fleet which he had com- manded, to rejoin the Romans at Samos, and to endeavour by every argument, and by all his influence, to prevail on the Romans to besiege Patara.

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.) — 37.24 focus

[1]

But the excellence of their vessels and their own practiced seamanship took away all fear from the Rhodians in a moment.

[2] Each ship in turn steered towards the open sea and so allowed room on the land side for the one which followed it, and whenever any of them closed with an enemy vessel with its beak foremost, it either tore a hole in its prow or sheared off its oars, or else, where it found a clear way through the line, it passed it and attacked its stern.

[3] What caused the greatest alarm was the sinking of one of the hepteres at a single stroke by a much smaller Rhodian vessel; and on this, the right division were showing unmistakable signs of preparing for flight.

[4] Hannibal, on the other hand, in the open sea, was closing with a large number of ships on Eudamus, and in spite of the Rhodian's superiority in all other respects, would have hemmed him in had not the signal which is customarily used to call a scattered fleet together been given from the commander's ship. All the ships which had won the day on the right immediately rushed to their comrades' help.

[5] Now it was Hannibal and the ships round him which took to flight; the Rhodians, however, were unable to pursue them as most of the rowers were out of health, and therefore more quickly tired.

[6] Whilst they were recruiting their strength with food as they lay on the water, Eudamus from the turret of his ship was watching the enemy as they employed their open ships to tow away the damaged and crippled ones, not much more than twenty getting away uninjured. He called for silence and then said, "Come and feast your eyes on a wonderful sight."

[7] They all got up, and after watching the hurried flight of the enemy exclaimed, with almost one voice, that they ought to follow them up. Eudamus' own ship had been repeatedly struck, so he ordered Pamphilidas and Chariclitus to go in pursuit as far as they could do so with safety.

[8] They kept up the chase for a considerable time, but when Hannibal drew near the

[9] land they were afraid of being wind-bound off the enemy shores, and so they returned to Eudamus with the captured heptere which had been struck in the beginning of the battle, and with some difficulty they succeeded in towing it to Phaselis.

[10] From there they sailed back to Rhodes, not so much delighted at their victory as angry with one another because they had not sunk or captured the whole of the hostile fleet, when it was in their power to do so.

[11] So deeply did Hannibal feel this one defeat that though he was very anxious to join the king's fleet as soon as he could, he did not venture to sail beyond the coast of Lycia, and to prevent

[12] him from being at liberty to do this the Rhodians sent Chariclitus with twenty ships of war to Patara and the harbour of Megiste.

[13] Eudamus received instructions to return to the Romans at Samos with seven of the largest vessels out of his fleet and use all the influence he possessed and every argument he could employ to induce the Romans to take Patara.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. The congestion described in the preceding note automatically corrected itself, the ships naturally turning to the right where the battle was on. The ships that broke through the hostile line gave still more space for manoeuvre.

2. These were the standard forms of naval attack. The Romans, although they had no native instinct for naval warfare, introduced some familiar and effective variations on these tactics.

3. This statement must not be taken too literally: cf. sect. 9 below.

4. Livy appears here to change his point of view. The

right wing

of sect. 3 is that of the king's fleet, while the

right flank

here is that of the Rhodians. One or the other, however, may be a simple error on the part of Livy or a scribe.

5. B.C. 190

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 37.24

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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