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), 38.8

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[1] While affairs were in this condition at Ambracia,¹ Phaeneas and Damoteles came to the consul as ambassadors from the Aetolians, with full power to act, by decree of the people.

[2] For their praetor, when he saw that on one side Ambracia was undergoing siege, that on another the sea-coast was endangered by the enemy's ships, that on a third the Amphilochians and Dolopia were being plundered by the Macedonians, and that the Aetolians, rushing here and there to three different wars at the same time, could not hold out, called a council and laid before the chiefs of Aetolia the question of what should be done.

[3] The opinions of all tended in this direction —that peace should be sought, on fair terms if possible, if not, on endurable terms: they argued that they had begun the war because of their reliance on Antiochus;

[4] when Antiochus was beaten on land and sea and driven virtually beyond the bounds of the earth, to the other side of the ridges of Taurus, what² hope was there of continuing the war?

[5] Phaeneas and Damoteles, they said, should do what they judged consistent with the best interests of the Aetolians, considering the straits they were in, and with their own sense of loyalty; for what plan that they could adopt or what choice of action was left them by fortune?

[6] The envoys, sent with these instructions, begged the consul to spare the city and to have compassion on a people, once his ally, now driven to the point of madness, they would not say by their wrongs but at least by their misfortunes;

[7] the Aetolians had not deserved to suffer any ill fortune, by reason of the war with Antiochus, outweighing the good service which they had rendered previously when they had fought against Philip; neither had liberal gratitude been shown them then nor should excessive punishment be imposed upon them now. To this the consul replied that the Aetolians ever sought peace frequently rather than sincerely.

[8] In their plea for peace they should follow the example of Antiochus, whom they had enticed into the war; he had withdrawn not from a few towns about whose liberty there was a question, but from the whole rich land of Asia on this side of the Taurus mountains.

[9] He would not, he said, listen to the Aetolians treating for peace unless they were disarmed;

[10] they must first turn over their weapons and all their horses, then pay a thousand talents of silver to the Roman people, of which sum half must be paid at once if they wanted to have peace. He would, besides, add this clause to the treaty —that they should regard as friends and enemies the same persons whom the Romans so regarded.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.) — 38.8 focus

[1] cum in hoc statu ad Ambraciam res esset, legati ab Aetolis Phaeneas et Damoteles cum liberis mandatis decreto gentis ad consulem venerunt. nam praetor eorum, cum alia parte Ambraciam oppugnari cerneret,

[2] alia infestam oram navibus hostium esse, alia Amphilochos Dolopiamque a Macedonibus vastari, nec Aetolos ad tria simul diversa bella occursantis sufficere, convocato concilio Aetoliae principes, quid agendum esset, consuluit.

[3] omnium eo sententiae decurrererunt, ut pax, si posset, aequis, si minus, tolerandis condicionibus peteretur; Antiochi fiducia bellum susceptum;

[4] Antiocho terra marique superato et prope extra orbem terrae ultra iuga Tauri exacto quam spem esse sustinendi belli?

[5] Phaeneas et Damoteles quod e re Aetolorum, ut in tali casu, fideque sua esse censerent, agerent; quod enim sibi consilium aut cuius rei electionem a fortuna relictam?

[6] cum his mandatis legati missi orare consulem, ut parceret urbi, misereretur gentis quondam sociae, nolle dicere iniuriis,

[7] miseriis certe coactae insanire; non plus mali meritos Aetolos Antiochi bello, quam boni ante, cum adversus Philippum bellatum sit, fecisse; nec tum large gratiam relatam sibi, nec nunc immodice poenam iniungi debere. ad ea consul respondit magis saepe quam vere umquam Aetolos pacem petere. imitarentur Antiochum in petenda pace, quem in bellum traxissent;

[8] non paucis urbibus eum, de quarum libertate certatum sit, sed omni Asia cis Taurum montem, opimo regno,

[9] excessisse. Aetolos nisi inermes de pace agentes non auditurum se;

[10] arma illis prius equosque omnis tradendos esse, deinde mille talentum argenti populo Romano dandum, cuius summae dimidium praesens numeretur, si pacem habere vellent. ad ea adiecturum etiam in foedus esse, ut eosdem quos populus Romanus amicos atque hostis habeant.

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).) — 43.8 focus

[1]

accersere in senatum Lucretium placuit, ut ¹ disceptaret coram purgaretque sese.

[2] ceterum multo plura praesens audivit, quam in absentem iacta erant; et graviores potentioresque accessere accusatores duo tribuni plebis, M'. ² Iuventius Talna et Cn. Aufidius.

[3] ii non in senatu modo eum lacerarunt, sed in contionem etiam pertracto multis obiectis probis diem dixerunt.

[4] senatus iussu Chalcidensibus Q. Maenius praetor respondit, quae bene meritos sese et ante et in eo bello quod geratur de populo Romano dicant, ea et scire vera eos referre senatum et perinde ac debeant grata ³ esse.

[5] quae facta a ⁴ C. Lucretio fierique ab L. ⁵ Hortensio praetoribus Romanis querantur, ea neque facta neque fieri voluntate ⁶ senatus quem non posse existimare,

[6] qui sciat bellum Persei et ante Philippo, patri ⁷ eius, intulisse populum Romanum pro libertate Graeciae, non ut ea a magistratibus suis socii atque amici ⁸ paterentur?

[7] litteras se ad L. Hortensium praetorem daturos esse, quae Chalcidenses querantur acta, ea senatui non placere; si qui in servitutem liberi venissent, ut eos conquirendos ⁹ primo quoque tempore restituendosque in libertatem curaret; ¹⁰ sociorum navalium neminem praeter magistros in hospitia deduci aequum censere.

[8] haec Hortensio iussu senatus scripta. munera binum milium aeris legatis missa et vehicula Micythioni ¹¹ publice locata, quae eum Brundisium commode perveherent.

[9] C. Lucretium, ubi dies quae dicta erat venit, tribuni ad populum accusarunt multamque deciens centum milium aeris dixerunt.

[10] comitiis habitis omnes quinque et triginta tribus eum condemnarunt.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 38.8 focus

[1]

cum in hoc statu ad Ambraciam res esset, legati ab Aetolis Phaeneas et Damoteles cum liberis mandatis decreto gentis ad consulem venerunt. nam praetor eorum, cum alia parte Ambraciam oppugnari cerneret,

[2] alia infestam oram navibus hostium esse, alia Amphilochos Dolopiam que a Macedonibus vastari, nec Aetolos ad tria simul diversa bella occursantis sufficere, ¹ convocato concilio Aetolos principes, quid agendum esset, consuluit.

[3] omnium eo sententiae decurrerunt, ut pax, si posset, aequis, si minus, tolerandis condicionibus peteretur: Antiochi fiducia bellum susceptum;

[4] Antiocho terra marique superato et prope extra orbem terrae ultra iuga Tauri exacto quam spem esse sustinendi belli?

[5] Phaeneas et Damoteles quod e re Aetolorum, ut in tali casu, fideque sua esse censerent, agerent: quod enim sibi consilium aut cuius rei electionem a fortuna relictam?

[6] cum his mandatis legati missi orare consulem, ut parceret urbi, misereretur gentis quondam sociae, nolle dicere iniuriis, miseriis certe coactae insanire;

[7] non plus mali meritos Aetolos Antiochi bello, quam boni ante, cum adversus Philippum bellatum sit, fecisse; nec tum large gratiam relatam sibi, nec nunc immodice poenam iniungi debere. ad ea consul respondit magis saepe quam vere umquam Aetolos pacem petere. imitarentur Antiochum in petenda pace, quem in bellum traxissent;

[8] non paucis urbibus eum, de quarum libertate certatum sit, sed omni Asia cis Taurum montem, opimo regno, excessisse.

[9] Aetolos nisi inermes de pace agentes non auditurum se;

[10] arma illis prius equosque omnis tradendos esse, deinde mille talentum argenti populo Romano dandum, cuius summae dimidium praesens numeretur, si pacem habere vellent. ad ea ² adiecturum etiam in foedus esse, ut eosdem quos populus Romanus amicos atque hostis habeant.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 38.8 focus

[1]

Whilst affairs at Ambracia were in this state, Phaeneas and Damoteles came to the consul, as ambassadors from the Aetolians, invested with full powers by a decree of the general assembly of that nation.

[2] For when their praetor saw on one side Ambracia besieged; on another, the sea-coast infested by the enemy's ships; on a third, Amphilochia and Dolopia ravaged by the Macedonians, and that the Aetolians were incapable of meeting the three enemies at once, having summoned a council, he consulted the chiefs on what was to be done.

[3] The opinions of all tended to one point:

that peace should be solicited on equal terms if possible; if not, on any terms that could be borne. That the war was undertaken in reliance on Antiochus.

[4]

Since Antiochus was vanquished by land and sea, and driven beyond the mountains of Taurus, almost out of the world, what hope remained of their being able to support it?

[5]

That Phaeneas and Damoteles, since the emergency was so great, should do whatever they might judge to tend to the interest of the Aetolians and their own honour. For what counsel, what option had been left them by fortune?

[6] Ambassadors were despatched with instructions, to beseech the consul to

have mercy on the city, and to take compassion on a nation once acknowledged as an ally; and driven to madness, they would not say by ill treatment, but undoubtedly by their sufferings.

[7] That the Aetolians

had not in Antiochus' war deserved a larger share of punishment than they had of reward in that against Philip. That neither then was compensation liberally made them, nor ought punishment now to be inflicted on them in an immoderate degree.

To this the consul answered, that

the Aetolians had sued for peace often, rather than ever with sincere intentions. Let them in soliciting peace imitate Antiochus, whom they had drawn into the war.

[8]

He had ceded, not the few cities whose liberty was the ground of the dispute, but an opulent kingdom, all Asia on this side Mount Taurus. That he (the consul) would not listen to the Aetolians, treating concerning peace, unless they laid down their arms.

[9]

That, in the first place, their arms and all their horses must be delivered up;

[10]

and in the next place, one thousand talents ¹ of silver must be paid to the Roman people; half of which sum must be laid down immediately, if they wished for peace. To these articles he would add when concluding the treaty, that they must have the same allies and the same enemies as the Roman people.

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.) — 38.8 focus

[1]

Whilst this was the state of things in Ambracia, the Aetolians decided to open negotiations with the consul. In view of the fact that on one side Ambracia was undergoing a siege, on another the coast was being threatened by a hostile fleet, whilst on the third side

[2] Amphilochia and Dolopia were being harried by the Macedonians, and that the Aetolians were not strong enough to confront their various enemies collectively, the captain-general convened a meeting of the Aetolian League and consulted the national leaders as to what was to be done.

[3] They were unanimously of opinion that they must sue for peace, on equal terms, if possible; failing that, on any terms, if they were not intolerable.

[4] It was in reliance upon Antiochus, they said, that they had undertaken the war; now that Antiochus had been worsted both on land and sea and driven beyond the Taurus almost to the ends of the world, what hope was there of sustaining the war?

[5] Phaeneas and Damoteles must take such steps as they thought best in the interests of Aetolia, and consistent with their own honour, for what counsel, what choice had their fortunes left them?

[6] Furnished with these instructions, the envoys implored the consul to spare the city and to take pity on a nation which had once been an ally and had been driven to madness-they would not say by their wrongs, but at all events, by the wretched conditions under which they lived.

[7] The punishment they deserved for their share in the war with Antiochus ought not to outweigh the services they had rendered in the war against Philip. At that time no great gratitude had been shown them; they ought not now to pay an excessive penalty. The consul told them in reply that the Aetolians had frequently asked for peace, but seldom with the honest intention of keeping it. They must follow the example of Antiochus whom they had dragged into the war.

[8] He had ceded not only those few cities whose liberty had been the cause of quarrel, but the whole of Asia on this side the Taurus-a rich and fertile realm.

[9] He, the consul, would not listen to any proposals unless the Aetolians laid down their arms.

[10] They must first give up their arms and all their horses; then they must pay 1000 talents; half the sum to be paid down at once, if they wished to have peace. And in addition to these terms it must be stipulated in the treaty that they would have the same friends and the same enemies as Rome.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. The embassy mentioned in XXXVII. xlix (cf. iii. 6 above) is ignored in the following account.

2. B.C. 189

3. It should be noted that this discussion makes no progress towards peace. It was one of the stock grievances of the Aetolians that their services against Philip had been inadequately recognized and rewarded, and this position they still maintain. The final demands of Fulvius are repetitions of those made by Rome in the futile negotiations of 190 B.C. (XXXVII. i. 5), although nothing had been said before about Aetolian disarmament as a condition of peace.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 38.8

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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