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), 37.39

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[1] After the consul perceived that the enemy declined to fight, he called a council the next day, to consider

[2] what they should do if Antiochus would not give them an opportunity for a battle.

[3] Winter, he said, was at hand; either they would have to keep the troops in tents or, if it was decided to withdraw

[4] to winter quarters, the war would have to be postponed to the summer. No enemy was ever held in such contempt by the Romans.

[5] The¹ cry from all sides was that he should immediately lead them out and take advantage of the enthusiasm of the soldiers, who, as if their task was, not to fight with so many thousands of the enemy, but

[6] to slaughter the same number of cattle, were ready to attack the camp over ditch, over wall, if the enemy would not come out to fight.

[7] Gnaeus Domitius was sent to reconnoitre the route of approach and where they could come up to the enemy's rampart, and when he brought back complete and definite information, it

[8] was decided that on the following day they would move the camp nearer; on the third day the standards were advanced to the centre of the space and the battle-line began to form.

[9] Nor did Antiochus think that he should remain longer on the defensive, lest he both diminish the courage of his own

[10] men by declining battle and increase the hopes of

[11] the enemy, and he too led out his forces, advancing so far from the camp that it was clear that he meant to engage.

[12] The Roman battle-line is generally about uniform in its arrangement, both as to number and as to their equipment.

[13] There were two Roman legions and two² of allies of the Latin confederacy; each consisted of five thousand four hundred men.³

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.) — 37.39 focus

[1] consul postquam detractari certamen vidit, postero die in consilium advocavit, quid sibi faciendum esset, si Antiochus pugnandi copiam non faceret?

[2] instare hiemem; aut sub pellibus habendos milites fore, aut, si concedere in hiberna vellet, differendum esse in aestatem bellum.

[3] nullum umquam hostem Romani aeque contempserunt. conclamatum undique est, duceret extemplo et uteretur ardore militum,

[4] qui, tamquam non pugnandum cum tot milibus hostium, sed par numerus pecorum trucidandus esset, per fossas, per vallum castra invadere parati erant,

[5] si in proelium hostis non exiret. Cn. Domitius ad explorandum iter, et qua parte adiri hostium vallum posset, missus, postquam omnia certa rettulit, postero die propius admoveri castra placuit; tertio signa in medium campi prolata et instrui acies coepta est.

[6] nec Antiochus ultra tergiversandum ratus, ne et suorum animos minueret detractando certamen et hostium spem augeret, et ipse copias eduxit, tantum progressus a castris, ut dimicaturum appareret.

[7] Romana acies unius prope formae fuit et hominum et armorum genere. duae legiones Romanae, duae socium ac Latini nominis erant; quina milia et quadringenos singulae habebant.

[8] Romani mediam aciem, cornua Latini tenuerunt; hastatorum prima signa, dein principum erant, triarii postremos claudebant.

[9] extra hanc velut iustam aciem a parte dextra consul Achaeorum caetratis immixtos auxiliares Eumenis, tria milia ferme peditum, aequata fronte instruxit; ultra eos equitum minus tria milia opposuit, ex quibus Eumenis octingenti, reliquus omnis Romanus equitatus erat;

[10] extremos Trallis et Cretensis — quingentorum utrique numerum explebant — statuit.

[11] laevum cornu non egere videbatur obiectis talibus auxiliis, quia flumen ab ea parte ripaeque deruptae claudebant;

[12] quattuor tamen inde turmae equitum oppositae. haec summa copiarum erat Romanis, et duo milia mixtorum Macedonum Thracumque, qui voluntate secuti erant; hi praesidio castris relicti sunt.

[13] XVI elephantos post triaiios triarios in subsidio locaverunt; nam praeterquam quod multitudinem regiorum elephantorum — erant autem quattuor et quinquaginta — sustinere non videbantur posse, ne pari quidem numero Indicis Africi resistunt, sive quia magnitudine — longe enim illi praestant — sive robore animorum vincuntur.

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.) — 37.39 focus

[1]

consul postquam detractari certamen vidit, postero die in consilium advocavit, quid sibi faciendum esset, si Antiochus pugnandi copiam non faceret?

[2] instare hiemem; aut sub pellibus habendos milites fore, aut, si concedere in hiberna vellet, differendum esse in aestatem bellum.

[3] nullum umquam hostem Romani aeque contempserunt. conclamatum undique est, duceret extemplo et uteretur ardore militum,

[4] qui, tamquam non pugnandum cum tot milibus hostium, sed par numerus pecorum ¹ trucidandus esset, per fossas, per vallum castra invadere parati erant, si in proelium hostis non exiret.

[5] Cn. Domitius ad explorandum iter, et qua parte adiri hostium vallum posset, missus, postquam omnia certa rettulit, postero die propius admoveri castra placuit; tertio signa in medium campi prolata et instrui acies coepta est.

[6] nec Antiochus ultra tergiversandum ratus, ne et suorum animos minueret detractando certamen et hostium spem augeret, et ipse copias eduxit, tantum progressus a castris, ut dimicaturum appareret.

[7] Romana acies unius prope formae fuit et hominum et armorum genere. duae legiones Romanae, duae socium ac Latini nominis erant; quina milia et quadringenos singulae habebant.

[8] Romani mediam aciem, cornua Latini tenuerunt; hastatorum prima signa, dein principum erant, triarii postremos claudebant. ²

[10] extremos Trallis et Cretensis —

[11] quingentorum utrique numerum explebant — statuit. laevum cornu non videbatur egere talibus auxiliis, quia flumen ab ea parte ripaeque deruptae claudebant; quattuor tamen inde turmae equitum oppositae.

[12] haec summa copiarum erat Romanis, et duo milia mixtorum Macedonum Thracumque, qui voluntate secuti erant;

[13] hi praesidio castris relicti sunt. XVI elephantos post triarios in subsidio locaverunt: nam praeterquam quod ³ multitudinem regiorum elephantorum — erant autem quattuor et quinquaginta — sustinere non videbantur posse, ne pari quidem numero Indicis Africi resistunt, sive quia magnitudine — longe enim illi praestant — sive robore animorum vincuntur.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 37.39 focus

[1]

The consul, after perceiving that he declined the contest, called a council next day, and asked their opinion,

how he ought to act if Antiochus would not give him an opportunity of engaging.

[2]

For the winter was at hand, and he must either keep the soldiers in camp; or, if they chose to retire to winter quarters, defer the business of the war until summer.

[3] The Romans never despised any enemy so much. The assembly on every side called on him to lead on immediately, and make use of the present ardour of the troops;

[4] who, as if the business were not to fight against so many thousands, but to slaughter an equal number of cattle, were ready to force their way, through trenches and ramparts, into the camp, if the enemy would not come out to battle.

[5] Cneius Domitius was sent to discover the nature of the ground, and on what side the enemies' rampart could be approached; after he returned with a full account of every particular, it was resolved that the camp should next day be moved nearer to the enemy. On the third day, the standards were carried forward into the middle of the plain, and the soldiers began to form line.

[6] Antiochus, thinking that he could hesitate no longer, lest, by declining a battle, he should damp the courage of his men, and add to the confidence of the enemy, drew out his forces in person, advancing only so far from the enemy's camp as to make it apparent that he was willing to come to an engagement.

[7] The Roman line was nearly uniform throughout with respect to both men and armour. There were two Roman legions, and two brigades of allies and Latins, each containing five thousand four hundred men.

[8] The Romans formed the centre, the Latins the wings. The spearmen com- posed the first line, the first-rank men the second, and the veterans closed the rear.

[9] Beyond this, which formed as it were the regular line of battle, the consul formed on the right of it, and in one continued line, the auxiliary troops of Eumenes, intermixed with Achaean targeteers, making about three thousand foot; beyond these he posted somewhat less than three thousand horse, of which, eight hundred belonged to Eumenes; all the rest of the cavalry were Roman:

[10] and in the extremity of the line he placed bodies of Trallians and Cretans, equal in number, who were composed of five hundred men each.

[11] His left wing did not appear to require such supports, because a river and steep banks flanked it.

[12] However, four troops of horse were posted there. This was the whole amount of the Roman force, besides two thousand Macedonians and Thracians, who had, as volunteers, accompanied the army. These were left to guard the camp. They placed sixteen elephants behind the veterans, in reserve.

[13] For besides that they were not supposed capable of withstanding the great number of the king's elephants, which were no less than fifty-four, the African elephants are not able to cope with an equal number of Indians, either because they are inferior to them in size, (in which the Indian have much the advantage,) or in unyielding courage.

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.) — 37.39 focus

[1]

When the consul saw that he declined to give battle, he summoned a council of war for the next day to decide what he was to do if Antiochus did not give them the opportunity of fighting.

[2] Winter, he said, was coming on; either he would have to keep the soldiers in their tents or else, if he wished to go into winter quarters, operations would have to be suspended till the summer.

[3] For none of their enemies did the Romans ever feel greater contempt.

[4] From all sides they called upon him to lead them out to battle and to take full advantage of the ardour of the soldiers. If the enemy would not come out, they were ready to charge over the fosses and rampart and rush the camp, for it was not as though they had to fight with so many thousands of men, but rather to slaughter so many thousands of cattle.

[5] Cn. Domitius was sent to reconnoitre the ground and find out at what point the enemy's rampart could be best approached, and after he had brought definite and complete information it was decided to move the camp on the morrow nearer the enemy.

[6] On the third day the standards were advanced into the middle of the plain and the line formed. Antiochus, on his side, felt that he ought not to hesitate any longer lest he should depress the spirits of his own men and raise the hopes of the enemy by declining battle.

[7] He led his forces out just far enough from his camp to make it appear that he intended to fight.

The Roman army was practically uniform as regards both the men and their equipment; there were two Roman legions and two of Latins and allies, each containing 5000 men.

[8] The Romans occupied the centre, the Latins the wings. The standards of the hastati were in front, then came those of the principes, and last of all the triarii.

[9] Beyond these, whom we may call the regulars, the consul drew up on his right, level with them, the auxiliary troops of Eumenes who were incorporated with the Achaean caetrati, amounting to about 3000 men; beyond them again were stationed nearly 3000 cavalry, 800 of which were furnished by Eumenes, the rest being Romans.

[10] Outside these were posted the Trallian and Cretan horse, each body numbering 500 troopers.

[11] The left wing was not considered to need so much support as it rested on the river and was protected by the precipitous banks; four squadrons of cavalry, however, were lined up at that end.

[12] This was the total strength which the Romans brought into the field. In addition to these, however, there was a mixed force of Macedonians and Thracians, 2000 in all, who had followed as volunteers; they were left to guard the camp.

[13] The sixteen elephants were placed in reserve behind the triarii; they could not possibly stand against the king's elephants, of which there were fifty-four, and the African elephants are no match for the Indian elephants even when the numbers are equal, for the latter are much larger and fight with more determination.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 190

2. The Latin organizations were usually called alae (XXXI. xxi. 7 and the note), and this word may have dropped out here. It is equally possible that Polybius did not distinguish them in this case.

3. The usual strength was 5,000 (XXVI. xxviii. 7) or 5,200 men (

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 37.39

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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