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), 38.17

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[1] Since war was to be waged with this enemy, so terrible to all the inhabitants of this region, the consul summoned an assembly and addressed the soldiers in about this fashion:

[2]

It does not escape me, soldiers, that of all the peoples who inhabit Asia the Gauls stand first in reputation for war.

[3]

Among peoples of the most unwarlike sort this fierce tribe, travelling up and down in war, has almost made the world its residence.

[4]

Tall bodies, long reddish hair, huge shields, very long swords; in¹ addition, songs as they go into battle and yells and leapings and the dreadful din of arms as they clash shields according to some ancestral custom —all these are deliberately used to terrify their foes.

[5]

But let Greeks and Phrygians and Carians fear these things to which they are unused and unaccustomed; to Romans Gallic riotings² are familiar and their vain displays too are well known.

[6]

Once, when we first met them at the Allia,³ our ancestors long ago fled before them; from that time now for two hundred years, terrified like animals they are slain and routed, and more triumphs, almost, have been celebrated over the Gauls than over all the

[7]

world. This has now been learned by experience: if you bear up under their first onset, into which they rush with glowing enthusiasm and blind passion, their limbs grow lax with sweat and weariness, their weapons fall from their hands; their soft bodies, their soft souls (when passion subsides) are overcome by sun, dust, thirst, so that you need not use arms against them. Not only when matched legion to legion have we learned this, but when fighting man to man

[8]

alone. Titus Manlius, Marcus Valerius have shown how far Roman valour surpasses Gallic madness. Then Marcus Manlius alone thrust down the Gauls as they climbed in close array to the

[9]

Capitoline.⁴ And those forefathers of ours had to do with true Gauls, born in their own land; these now are degenerates, of mixed race, and⁵ really Gallogrecians, as they are named; just as, in the case of plants and animals, the seeds have less power to maintain their natural quality than the character of the soil and climate in which they live has power to change

[10]

it. The Macedonians who hold Alexandria in Egypt, who hold Seleucia and Babylonia and other colonies scattered throughout the world, have degenerated into Syrians, Parthians,

[11]

Egyptians; Massilia,⁶ situated among the Gauls, has acquired something of the disposition of its neighbours; what have the Tarentines retained of that stern and dreadful Spartan

[12]

discipline? Whatever grows in its own soil, has greater excellence; transplanted to a soil alien to it, its nature changes and it degenerates towards that in which it is nurtured. It is Phrygians,⁷ therefore, burdened with the weapons of Gauls, whom, even as you slew them in the battle-line of Antiochus, you will slay, victorious over the

[13]

vanquished. I am afraid that there will be too little of glory rather than too much of war. King Attalus has often repulsed and routed

[14]

them. Do not think that it is only beasts which when newly caught first retain that fierceness of their forest life, and then, when long fed by the hands of men, grow tame, but that in moderating the ferocity of men nature does not do the

[15]

same. Do you believe that these are the same men that their fathers and their grandfathers

[16]

were? Exiles on account of the poverty of the land, they left home, travelling through the most inhospitable land of Illyricum, then Paeonia and Thrace, fighting with the fiercest tribes, and seized these lands. Toughened and hardened by so many⁸ misfortunes, they were received by a land which could stuff them with its abundance of all

[17]

things. In a land most rich, under a sky most kindly, among natives mild in disposition, all that fierceness with which they came has grown gentle. You, by Hercules, being men of Mars, must escape and avoid as soon as possible the pleasantness of Asia: such power have these foreign delights to destroy the vigour of the soul; such influence does contact with the habits and character of the natives

[18]

exert.⁹ Yet this turns out well in this respect

[19]

—that, while their strength against you is vain, still their reputation among the Greeks is the same as that of old, which they had when they came, and you will win, as victors, the same military glory among our allies as if you had conquered Gauls who had

[20]

preserved their ancient type of courage.

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.) — 38.17 focus

[1] cum hoc hoste, tam terribili omnibus regionis eius, quia bellum gerendum erat, pro contione milites in hunc maxime modum adlocutus est consul:

[2] “non me praeterit, milites, omnium quae Asiam colunt gentium Gallos fama belli praestare.

[3] inter mitissimum genus hominum ferox natio pervagata bello prope orbem terrarum sedem cepit. procera corpora, promissae et rutilatae comae, vasta scuta, praelongi gladii;

[4] ad hoc cantus ineuntium proelium et ululatus et tripudia,

[5] et quatientium scuta in patrium quendam modum horrendus armorum crepitus, omnia de industria composita ad terrorem. sed haec, quibus insolita atque insueta sunt, Graeci et Phryges et Cares timeant; Romanis Gallici tumultus adsueti, etiam vanitates notae sunt.

[6] semel primo congressu ad Aliam eos olim fugerunt maiores nostri; ex eo tempore per ducentos iam annos pecorum in modum consternatos caedunt fugantque, et plures prope de Gallis triumphi quani quam de toto orbe terrarum acti sunt. iam usu hoc cognitum est:

[7] si primum impetum, quem fervido ingenio et caeca ira effundunt, sustinueris, fluunt sudore et lassitudine membra, labant arma; mollia corpora, molles, ubi ira consedit, animos sol pulvis sitis, ut ferrum non admoveas, prosternunt.

[8] non legionibus legiones eorum solum experti sumus, sed vir unus cum viro congrediendo T. Manlius, M. Valerius, quantum Gallicam rabiem vinceret Romana virtus, docuerunt.

[9] iam M. Manlius unus agmine scandentis in Capitolium detrusit Gallos. et illis maioribus nostris cum haud dubiis Gallis, in sua terra genitis, res erat; hi iam degeneres sunt, mixti, et Gallograeci vere,

[10] quod appellantur; sicut in frugibus pecudibusque non tantum semina ad servandam indolem valent, quantum terrae proprietas caelique, sub quo aluntur, mutat.

[11] Macedones, qui Alexandriam in Aegypto, qui Seleuciam ac Babyloniam, quique alias sparsas per orbem terrarum colonias habent, in Syros Parthos Aegyptios degenerarunt;

[12] Massilia, inter Gallos sita, traxit aliquantum ab accolis animorum; Tarentinis quid ex Spartana dura illa et horrida disciplina mansit?

[13] est generosius, in sua quidquid sede gignitur; insitum alienae terrae in id, quo alitur, natura vertente se, degenerat. Phrygas igitur Gallicis oneratos armis,

[14] sicut in acie Antiochi cecidistis, victos victores, caedetis. magis vereor, ne parum inde gloriae, quam ne nimium belli sit.

[15] Attalus eos rex saepe fudit fugavitque. nolite existimare beluas tantum recens captas feritatem illam silvestrem primo servare, dein, cum diu fnanibus manibus humanis aluntur, mitescere, in hominum feritate mulcenda non eandem naturam esse.

[16] eosdemne hos creditis esse, qui patres eorum avique fuerunt? extorres inopia agrorum profecti domo per asperrimam Illyrici oram, Paeoniam inde et Thraeciam pugnando cum ferocissimis gentibus emensi, has terras ceperunt.

[17] duratos eos tot malis exasperatosque accepit terra, quae copia omnium rerum saginaret. uberrimo agro, mitissimo caelo, clementibus accolarum ingeniis omnis illa, cum qua venerant, mansuefacta est feritas.

[18] vobis mehercule, Martiis viris, cavenda ac fugienda quam primum amoenitas est Asiae: tantum hae peregrinae voluptates ad extinguendum vigorem animorum possunt; tantum contagio disciplinae morisque accolarum valet.

[19] hoc tamen feliciter evenit, quod sicut vim adversus vos nequaquam, ita famam apud Graecos parem illi antiquae obtinent,

[20] cum qua venerunt, bellique gloriam victores eandem inter socios habebitis, quam si servantis anticum specimen animorum Gallos vicissetis.”

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).) — 43.17 focus

[1]

eo anno postulantibus Aquileiensium legatis, ut numerus colonorum augeretur, ¹ mille et quingentae familiae ex senatus consulto scriptae triumvirique, qui eas deducerent, missi sunt ² T. Annius Luscus, P. Decius Subulo, M. Cornelius Cethegus.

[2] eodem anno C. Popilius et Cn. Octavius legati, qui in Graeciam missi erant, senatus consultum Thebis primum recitatum per omnes Peloponnesi urbes ³ circumtulerunt ne quis ullam rem in bellum magistratibus Romanis conferret praeterquam quod senatus censuisset.

[3] hoc fiduciam in posterum quoque praebuerat levatos se oneribusque ⁴ impensisque ⁵ quibus, alia aliis imperantibus, exhauriebantur.

[4] achaico concilio Aegii iis dato ⁶ benigne locuti auditique, egregia spe futuri status ⁷ fidissima gente relicta, in Aetoliam traiecerunt.

[5] ibi nondum quidem seditio erat, sed omnia suspecta criminumque inter ipsos plena;

[6] ob quae ⁸ obsidibus postulatis neque exitu rei imposito in Acarnaniam inde profecti legati sunt.

[7] thyrrei⁹ concilium legatis Acarnanes dederunt. ibi quoque inter factiones ¹⁰ erat certamen: quidam principum postulare ut praesidia in urbes suas inducerentur adversus amentiam eorum qui ad Macedonas gentem ¹¹ trahebant;

[8] pars recusare ne quod bello captis et hostibus mos esset, id pacatae et sociae civitates ignominiae acciperent.

[9] iusta deprecatio haec visa. Larisam ad Hostilium proconsulem —ab eo enim missi erant —legati redierunt.

[10] Octavium retinuit secum, Popilium cum mille ferme militibus in hiberna Ambraciam misit.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 38.17 focus

[1]

cum hoc hoste, tam terribili omnibus regionis eius, quia ¹ bellum gerendum erat, pro contione milites in hunc maxime modum adlocutus est consul:

[2] “non me praeterit, milites, omnium quae Asiam colunt gentium Gallos fama belli praestare.

[3] inter mitissimum genus hominum ferox natio pervagata bello prope orbem terrarum sedem cepit. procera corpora, promissae et rutilatae comae, vasta scuta, praelongi gladii;

[4] ad hoc cantus inchoantium proelium et ululatus et tripudia,

[5] et quatientium scuta in patrium quendam modum horrendus armorum crepitus, omnia de industria composita ad terrorem, sed haec, quibus insolita atque insueta sunt, Graeci et Phryges et Cares timeant: Romanis Gallici tumultus adsueti, etiam vanitates notae sunt.

[7] iam usu hoc cognitum est: si primum impetum, quem fervido ingenio et caeca ira effundunt, sustinueris, fluunt sudore et lassitudine membra, labant arma; mollia corpora, molles, ubi ira consedit, animos sol pulvis sitis, ut ferrum non admoveas, prosternunt.

[8] non legionibus legiones eorum solum experti sumus, sed vir unus cum viro congrediendo T. Manlius , M. Valerius , quantum Gallicam rabiem vinceret Romana virtus, docuerunt.

[10] sicut in frugibus pecudibusque non tantum semina ad servandam indolem valent, quantum terrae proprietas caelique, sub quo aluntur, mutat.

[11] Macedones, qui Alexandriam in Aegypto, qui Seleuciam ac Babyloniam, quique alias sparsas per orbem terrarum colonias habent, ³ in Syros Parthos Aegyptios degenerarunt;

[12] Massilia, inter Gallos sita, traxit aliquantum ab accolis animorum; Tarentinis quid ex Spartana dura illa et horrida disciplina mansit?

[13] generosius in sua quidquid sede gignitur; insitum alienae terrae in id, quo alitur, natura vertente se, degenerat. Phrygas igitur Gallicis oneratos armis, sicut in acie Antiochi cecidistis, victos victores, caedetis.

[14] magis vereor, ne parum inde gloriae, quam ne nimium belli sit.

[15] Attalus eos rex saepe fudit fugavitque. nolite existimare beluas tantum recens captas feritatem illam silvestrem primo servare, dein, cum diu manibus humanis aluntur, mitescere, in hominum feritate mulcenda non eandem naturam esse.

[18] vobis mehercule, Martiis ⁴ viris, cavenda ac fugienda quam primum amoenitas est Asiae: tantum hae peregrinae voluptates ad extinguendum vigorem animorum possunt; tantum contagio disciplinae morisque accolarum valet.

[19] hoc tamen feliciter evenit, quod sicut vim adversus vos nequaquam, ita famam apud Graecos parem illi antiquae obtinent, cum qua venerunt,

[20] bellique gloriam victores eandem inter socios habebitis, quam si servantis anticum specimen animorum Gallos vicissetis.”

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 38.17 focus

[1]

As the troops were about to act against this enemy, so terrible to all in that part of the world, the consul, in an assembly, addressed the soldiers for the most part to this effect:

[2]

It does not escape me, that, of all the nations inhabiting Asia, the Gauls are pre-eminent for military fame.

[3]

A fierce nation, after overrunning the face of the earth with its arms, has fixed its abode in the midst of a race of men the gentlest in the world.

[4]

Their tall persons, their long red hair, their vast shields, and swords of enormous length; their songs also, when they are advancing to action, their yells and dances, and the horrid clashing of their armour, while they brandish their shields in a peculiar manner, practised in their original country; all these circumstances are preconcerted to inspire terror.

[5]

But let Greeks, and Phrygians, and Carians, to whom these things are unusual and strange, be frightened by such acts: to the Romans, accustomed to Gallic tumults, even these vain efforts to strike terror are known.

[6]

Once our ancestors fled from them, but it was long ago, when they first met them at the Allia. Ever since that time, for, now, two hundred years, the Romans drive them before them in dismay, and kill them like cattle; there have, indeed, been more triumphs celebrated over the Gauls, than over almost all the rest of the world.

[7]

It is now well known by experience, that if you sustain their first onset, which they make with fiery eagerness and blind fury, their limbs are unnerved with sweat and fatigue; their arms flag; and, though you should not employ a weapon on them, the sun, dust, and thirst prostrate their enervated bodies and minds when their fury has ceased. We have tried them, not only with our legions against theirs, but in single combat, man to man.

[8]

Titus Manlius and Marcus Valerius have demonstrated how far Roman valour surpasses Gallic fury. Marcus Manlius, singly, thrust back the Gauls who were mounting the Capitol in a body.

[9]

Our forefathers had to deal with genuine Gauls, born in their own lands; but they are now degenerate, a mongrel race, and, in reality, what they are named, Gallograecians; just as is the case of vegetables and cattle, the seeds are not so efficacious in preserving their original constitution, as the properties of the soil and climate under which they are reared, are in changing it.

[10]

The Macedonians who settled at Alexandria in Egypt, or in Seleucia, or Babylonia, or in any other of their colonies scattered over the world, have sunk into Syrians, Parthians, or Egyptians.

[11]

Marseilles, owing to its situation in the midst of Gauls, has contracted somewhat of the disposition of its adjoining neighbours. What of the hardy, rugged discipline of Sparta hath remained to the Tarentines?

[12]

Every thing is produced in higher perfection in its own native soil; whatever is planted in a foreign land, by a gradual change in its nature, degenerates into that by which it is nurtured.

[13]

Therefore you, victorious, will slay the conquered Phrygians, though laden with Gallic armour, as you slew them in the ranks of Antiochus. I am more apprehensive of our gaining but little honour from the victory, than of the struggle being a severe one. King Attalus often routed and put them to flight.

[14]

Do you think that brutes only, when taken, retain at first their natural ferocity, and subsequently grow tame, after being long fed by the hands of men; and that nature does not exert the same power in softening the savage disposition of men.

[15]

Do you believe these to be of the same kind that their fathers and grandfathers were? Exiles from home through scarcity of land, they marched along the craggy coast of Illyricum, then traversed Paeonia and Thrace, in a continual struggle against the fiercest nations, and took possession of these countries.

[16]

A land which could glut them with plenty of every thing, received them hardened and infuriated by so many evils. By the very great fertility of the soil, the very great mildness of the climate, and the gentle dispositions of the neighbouring nations, all that fierceness with which they came has been quite mollified.

[17]

You, by Hercules, who are the sons of Mars, ought to guard against the seductions of Asia, and shun them from the very first; so great is the power of those foreign pleasures in extinguishing the vigour of the mind, so strong the contagion from the relaxed discipline and manners of the people about you.

[18]

One thing has happened fortunately; that though they will not bring against you a degree of strength by any means equal to what they formerly possessed, yet they still retain a character among the Greeks equal to what they had at their first coming;

[19]

consequently you, when victors, will acquire the same warlike renown, as if you had conquered the Gauls still acting

[20]

up to their ancient standard of 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.) — 38.17 focus

[1]

As it was this enemy, so much dreaded by all the people in that part of the world, that was to be met in war, the consul paraded his soldiers and delivered the following speech to them:

[2] "I am quite aware, soldiers, that of all the nations of Asia the Gauls have the highest military reputation.

[3] This fierce people, after wandering and warring over almost the entire world, have taken up their abode amongst the gentlest and most peaceable race of men.

[4] Their tall stature, their long red hair, their huge shields, their extraordinarily long swords; still more, their songs as they enter into battle, their war-whoops and dances, and the horrible clash of arms as they shake their shields in the way their fathers did before them-all these things are intended to terrify and appal.

[5] But let those fear them to whom they are strange and startling, such as the Greeks and Phrygians and Carians. We Romans are familiar with Gaulish tumults and know how they come to nothing.

[6] Once in the old days when our ancestors met them for the first time, they fled from them at the Alia; from that time for the last 200 years they have routed and slain them like so many herds of cattle, and almost more triumphs have been won over the Gauls than over the rest of the world put together.

[7] Our experience has taught us this-if you withstand their first rush with its wild excitement and blind fury, their limbs become powerless with sweat and fatigue, their weapons hang idly; their flabby bodies and, when their fury has spent itself, their flabby spirits, too, are prostrated by sun and dust and thirst, even though you did not lift a sword against them.

[8] We have made trial of them, not only legions against legions, but man against man. T. Manlius and M. Valerius have shown how steady Roman courage can get the better of Gaulish frenzy. M. Manlius flung down single-handed the Gauls who were climbing the Capitol.

[9] And, besides, those ancestors of ours had to deal with genuine Gauls bred in their own land; these are degenerates, a mongrel race, truly what they are called-Gallograeci. Just as in the case of fruits and cattle, the seed is not so effective in keeping up the strain as the nature of the soil and climate in which they are reared are in changing it.

[10] "The Macedonians who occupy Alexandria, Seleucia, Babylonia and their other colonies throughout the world, have degenerated into Syrians and Parthians and Egyptians.

[11] Massilia, situated amongst Gauls, has contracted something of the temperament of its neighbours. How much of the rough and stern discipline of Sparta has survived amongst the Tarentines?

[12] Everything grows most vigorously in its own home; when planted in an alien soil its nature changes and it deteriorates into that from which it gets its subsistence. As in the battle with Antiochus you slew the Phrygians in spite of their heavy Gaulish arms, so you will slay them now, you the victors, they the vanquished.

[13] I am more afraid of our gaining too little glory in this war than of gaining too much. Antiochus has often routed and scattered them.

[14] Do not imagine that it is only wild beasts which preserve their ferocity when newly-captured but after being fed for some time at the hands of men grow tame.

[15] Nature works in the same way in softening the savagery of men. Do you suppose that these men are the same as their fathers and grandfathers were? Driven from their home by want of room they wandered across the rugged coast of Illyria, and after traversing the whole length of Paeonia and Thrace and fighting their way through warlike nations took possession of these countries.

[16] After becoming hardened and savage by all they had to go through, they have found a home in a land which makes them fat with bountiful supplies of every kind.

[17] All the ferocity which they brought with them has been tamed by a most fertile soil, a most genial climate and the gentle character of the people amongst whom they have settled.

[18] You, sons of Mars, believe me, will have to be on your guard against the attractions of Asia and shun them from the very first; such power have the pleasures of other lands to weaken and destroy your energies, so easily can the habits and practices of the people round you affect you. It is, however, fortunate for us that though they cannot oppose you with anything like the strength they once could, they still enjoy their former reputation amongst the Greeks.

[19] You will therefore gain as much credit with our allies in conquering as if the Gauls you defeat had retained

[20] all the courage of old days."

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 189

2. Tumultus, which became almost technical for uprisings in Gaul (XXXI. x. 1, etc.), is here used in a different sense, as a summary of what has just preceded.

3. The river which was the scene of the defeat which led to the capture of Rome (traditionally dated 390 B.C.); cf. V. xxxvii. —xxxix.

4. The three Romans named were famous for their exploits against the Gauls. The consul is quite willing to have the fact recalled that two of the three were members of his own gens.

5. B.C. 189

6. The characterization given by the Rhodians (XXXVII. liv. 21-22) is quite different and probably more accurate.

7. The Phrygians of Livy's time were proverbially effeminate: cf., e.g., Virgil, Aen. IV. 215-216.

8. B.C. 189

9. Such philosophizing seems hardly consistent with the character of Manlius and doubtfully appropriate to the occasion. Perhaps Livy wishes to prepare the reader for his analysis of Asiatic influence in XXXIX. i. and elsewhere, especially since he holds Manlius responsible for the enervation of his own soldiers and indirectly of Rome. If Polybius had a corresponding speech it is, unfortunately, lost.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 38.17

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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