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), 38.9

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[1] To these proposals, both because they were¹ severe and because the ambassadors knew that the tempers of their people were fierce and changeable, they made no reply but returned home, that they might again and again consult the praetor and the chiefs as to what was to be done while they were still uncommitted to a decision.

[2] They were received with abusive shouts, being asked how long they would drag things out, and were ordered to bring back any sort of peace whatsoever, but when they were returning to Ambracia they were caught in an ambush set beside the road by the Acarnanians, with whom they were at war, and were taken to Thyrreum for confinement.

[3] This caused a delay to the peace, although ambassadors of the Athenians and the Rhodians, who had come to intercede for them, were now with the consul.

[4] Amynander also, the king of the Athamanians, had come to the Roman camp under a safeguard, more concerned for the city of Ambracia, where he had spent the greater part of his exile, than for the Aetolians.

[5] Being informed by them of the misfortune of the ambassadors, the consul ordered them to be brought from Thyrreum; after their arrival the discussion of peace began.

[6] Amynander, since this was his particular mission, laboured earnestly to induce the Ambraciots to surrender.

[7] When he met with little success in this, approaching the walls and conferring with the chiefs, finally, by permission of the consul, he entered the city, and partly by advice and partly by entreaty he prevailed upon them to entrust themselves to the Romans.

[8] The Aetolians too received notable assistance from Gaius Valerius, son of the Laevinus,² who had concluded the first treaty of friendship with that people, Gaius being the brother of the consul and born of the same mother.³

[9] The Ambraciots, having⁴ first bargained that the Aetolian auxiliaries should be released in safety, opened their gates. Then terms of peace were given to the Aetolians: they were to pay five hundred Euboean⁵ talents, two hundred of these at once and three hundred in equal instalments through six years; they were to restore the prisoners and deserters to the Romans;

[10] they were to bring under their jurisdiction no city which since the time when Titus Quinctius had crossed to Greece had either been captured by force by the Romans or had voluntarily entered into friendship with them; the island of Cephallania⁶ was to be outside the scope of the

[11] treaty.⁷ Although these terms were much lighter than they had anticipated, the request of the Aetolians that they should submit them to their council was

[12] granted. There was a brief dispute about the cities, since they took it hard that towns which had once been under their control should be torn, as it were, from their body, yet all unanimously agreed that the peace should be accepted. The Ambraciots presented the consul with a golden crown of one hundred and fifty pounds'

[13] weight.⁸ The bronze and marble statues and the paintings with which Ambracia was more lavishly adorned than the other cities of this region, because the palace of Pyrrhus had been there, were all removed and carried away; nothing⁹ else was touched or harmed.¹⁰

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.) — 38.9 focus

[1] adversus quae legati, et quia gravia erant, et quia suorum animos indomitos ac mutabiles noverant, nullo reddito responso domum regressi sunt, ut etiam atque etiam, quid agendum esset, re integra praetorem et principes consulerent.

[2] clamore et iurgio excepti, quam diu rem traherent, qualemcumque pacem referre iussi, cum redirent Ambraciam, Acarnanum insidiis prope viam positis, cum quibus bellum erat, circumventi Thyrreum custodiendi deducuntur.

[3] haec mora iniecta est paci, cum iam Atheniensium Rhodiorumque legati, qui ad deprecandum pro iis venerant, apud consulem essent.

[4] Amynander quoque Athamanum rex fide accepta venerat in castra Romana, magis pro Ambracia urbe, ubi maiorem partem temporis exulaverat, quam pro Aetolis sollicitus.

[5] per hos certior factus consul de casu legatorum adduci eos a Thyrreo iussit; quorum post adventum agi coeptum est de pace.

[6] Amynander, quod sui maxime operis erat, impigre agebat, ut Ambracienses compelleret ad deditionem.

[7] ad id cum per colloquia principum succedens murum parum proficeret, postremo consulis permissu ingressus urbem partim consilio partim precibus evicit, ut permitterent se Romanis.

[8] et Aetolos C. Valerius, Laevini filius, qui cum ea gente primum amicitiam pepigerat, consulis frater matre eadem genitus, egregie adiuvit.

[9] Ambracienses prius pacti, ut Aetolorum auxiliares sine fraude emitterent, aperuerunt portas. dein Aetolis condiciones pacis dictae: quingenta Euboica ut darent talenta, ex quibus ducenta praesentia, trecenta per annos sex pensionibus aequis; captivos perfugasque redderent Romanis;

[10] urbem ne quam formulae sui iuris facerent, quae post id tempus, quo T. Quinctius traiecisset in Graeciam, aut vi capta ab Romanis esset aut voluntate in amicitiam venisset; Cephallania insula ut extra ius foederis esset.

[11] haec quamquam spe ipsorum aliquanto leviora erant, petentibus Aetolis, ut ad concilium referrent, permissum est.

[12] parva disceptatio de urbibus tenuit, quae cum sui iuris aliquando fuissent, avelli velut a corpore suo aegre patiebantur; ad unum omnes tamen accipi pacem iusserunt.

[13] Ambracienses coronam auream consuli centum et quinquaginta pondo dederunt. signa aenea marmoreaque et tabulae pictae, quibus ornatior Ambracia, quia regia ibi Pyrrhi fuerat, quam ceterae regionis eius urbes erant, sublata omnia avectaque;

[14] nihil praeterea tactum violatumve.

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).) — 43.9 focus

[1]

in Liguribus eo anno ¹ nihil memorabile gestum. nam nec hostes moverunt arma, neque consul in agrum eorum legiones induxit;

[2] et satis explorata pace eius anni milites duarum legionum Romanarum intra dies sexaginta, quam in provinciam venit, dimisit.

[3] sociorum nominis Latini exercitu mature in hiberna Lunam et Pisas deducto ipse cum equitibus Galliae provinciae pleraque oppida adiit.

nusquam alibi quam in Macedonia bellum erat.

[4] suspectum tamen ² Gentium, Illyriorum regem, habebant.

[5] itaque et octo navis ornatas a Brundisio senatus censuit mittendas ad C. Furium legatum Issam, qui cum praesidio duarum Issensium navium ³

[6] insulae praeerat—duo milia ⁴ militum in eas naves sunt imposita, quae M. Raecius praetor ex senatus consulto ⁵ in ea parte Italiae, quae obiecta Illyrico est, conscripsit —, et consul Hostilius Ap. Claudium in Illyricum cum ⁶ quattuor milibus peditum misit, ut accolas Illyrici tutaretur. ⁷

[7] qui non contentus iis quas adduxerat copiis auxilia ab sociis conrogando ad octo milia hominum ex ⁸ vario genere armavit peragrataque omni ea regione ad Lychnidum ⁹ dassaretiorum consedit.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 38.9 focus

[1]

adversus quae legati, et quia gravia erant, et quia suorum animos indomitos ac mutabiles noverant, nullo reddito responso domum regressi sunt, ut etiam atque etiam, quid agendum esset, re integra praetorem et principes consulerent.

[3] haec mora iniecta est paci, cum iam Atheniensium Rhodiorumque legati, qui ad deprecandum pro iis venerant, apud consulem essent.

[4] Amynander quoque Athamanum rex fide accepta venerat in castra Romana, magis pro Ambracia urbe, ubi maiorem partem temporis exulaverat, quam pro Aetolis sollicitus.

[5] per hos certior factus consul de casu legatorum adduci eos a Thyrreo iussit; quorum post adventum agi coeptum est de pace.

[6] Amynander, quod sui maxime operis erat, impigre agebat, ut Ambracienses compelleret ad deditionem.

[7] id cum per colloquia principum succedens murum parum proficeret, postremo consulis permissu ingressus urbem ¹ partim consilio partim precibus evicit, ut permitterent se Romanis.

[8] et Aetolos C. Valerius , Laevini filius, qui cum ea gente primum amicitiam pepigerat, consulis frater matre eadem genitus, egregie adiuvit.

[9] Ambracienses prius pacti, ut Aetolorum auxiliares sine fraude emitterent, aperuerunt portas. dein quingenta Euboica ut darent talenta, ex quibus ducenta praesentia, trecenta per annos sex pensionibus aequis; captivos perfugasque redderent Romanis;

[10] urbem ne quam formulae sui iuris facerent, quae post id tempus, quo T. Quinctius traiecisset in Graeciam, aut vi capta ab Romanis esset aut voluntate in amicitiam venisset;

[11] Cephallania insula ut extra ius foederis esset. haec quamquam spe ipsorum aliquanto leviora essent, petentibus Aetolis, ut ad concilium referrent, permissum est.

[12] parva disceptatio de urbibus tenuit, quae cum sui iuris aliquando fuissent, avelli velut a corpore suo ² aegre patiebantur; ad unum omnes tamen accipi pacem iusserunt.

[14] nihil praeterea tactum violatumve.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 38.9 focus

[1]

To which demands the ambassadors having made no reply, both because they were severe, and because they knew the spirit of their country to be unbroken and changeable, returned home, that they might again and again, while the thing was undecided, consult the praetor and chiefs as to what was to be done.

[2] They were received with clamour and reproaches, and were asked

how long would they protract the matter, though commanded to bring with them a peace of some kind or other?

But as they were going back to Ambracia, they were caught in an ambuscade, laid near the road by the Acarnanians, with whom they were at war, and carried to Thyrium to be confined.

[3] The delay arising from this incident interrupted the negotiations.

[4] When the ambassadors of the Athenians and Rhodians, who had come to intercede for them, were now with the consul, Amynander also, king of Athamania, having obtained a safe-conduct, had come into the Roman camp, being more concerned for the city of Ambracia, where he had spent the greatest part of his exile, than for the nation of the Aetolians.

[5] When the consul was informed by them of the accident which had befallen the ambassadors, he ordered them to be brought from Thyrium; and on their arrival they began to treat concerning peace.

[6] Amynander, as that was his principal object, laboured assiduously to persuade the Ambracians to capitulate.

[7] When he made but little progress in this, while he was coming under the walls and conferring with their chiefs, he at last, with the consul's permission, went into the city; where, partly by arguments, partly by entreaties, he prevailed on them to surrender themselves to the Romans.

[8] Caius Valerius, the son of Laevinus, who was the first that had made a treaty of alliance with that nation, the brother of the consul, born of the same mother, eminently aided the Aetolians.

[9] The Ambracians, having first stipulated that they might send away the auxiliary Aetolians in safety, opened their gates. Then the Aetolians stipulated that

they should pay five hundred Euboic talents, ¹ two hundred of this sum at present, and three hundred at six equal annual payments; that they should deliver up to the Romans the prisoners and deserters;

[10]

that they should not subject any city to their jurisdiction, which, since the first coming of Titus Quintius into Greece, had either been taken by the arms of the Romans, or voluntarily entered into alliance with them: and that the island of Cephallenia should be excluded from the treaty.

[11] Although these terms were more moderate than they themselves had expected, yet the Aetolians begged permission to lay them before the council, which request was granted. A short discussion about the cities engaged the council.

[12] Since they had been for some time under their laws, they bore with pain that they should be torn off, as it were, from their body. However, they unanimously voted that the terms of peace should be accepted. The Ambracians presented the consul with a golden crown of one hundred and fifty pounds' weight.

[13] The brazen and marble statues and paintings, with which Ambracia was more richly decorated than any other city in that country, since it was the royal residence of Pyrrhus, were all removed and carried away;

[14] but nothing else was injured or even touched.

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.) — 38.9 focus

[1]

The envoys felt these to be onerous terms, and as they knew the fierce and fickle temper of their countrymen they left without giving any decided answer. They wished to discuss the whole position thoroughly with the captain-general and the national leaders and come to some decision as to what ought to be done.

[2] They were received with clamorous protests and reproaches. "How long," they were asked, "were they going to let matters drag on after receiving definite orders to bring back peace at any price?" Their return journey to Ambracia was a disastrous one.

[3] The Acarnanians with whom they were at war had posted an ambush close to the road on which they were travelling; they were made prisoners and conducted to Tyrrhenum for safe keeping. This interrupted the peace negotiations.

[4] The delegates who had been sent from Athens and Rhodes to support the Aetolians were already with the consul, when Amynander, who had obtained a safe-conduct, arrived in the Roman camp.

[5] He was more concerned for the city of Ambracia, where he had passed most of his years of exile, than for the Aetolians.

[6] When the consul learnt from them what had happened to the Aetolian envoys, he sent orders for them to be brought from Tyrrhenum, and on their arrival the negotiations commenced.

[7] Amynander, whose main interest was in Ambracia, did his utmost to induce the place to surrender. He approached the walls and held conversations with the leaders, but finding that he was making no progress, he at last obtained the consul's permission to enter the city and succeeded

[8] by argument and entreaty in persuading them to place themselves in the hands of the Romans. The Aetolians found a strong advocate also in C. Valerius, the son of the Valerius Laevinus who was the first to establish friendly relations with them.

[9] He was also half-brother of the consul.

After stipulating for the safe departure of their auxiliary troops, the Ambracians opened their gates.

[10] Then the Aetolians accepted the following conditions: They were to pay 500 Euboean talents; 200 at once, the remaining 300 to be spread over six years; the prisoners and refugees were to be restored to the Romans; they were not to retain within their League any city which from the day when T. Quinctius landed in Greece had either been taken by or entered into friendly relations with the Romans. Although these conditions were much less onerous than they had expected, they asked to be allowed to lay them before their council.

[11] Here there was a brief debate on the question of the cities which had been confederated with them.

[12] They felt their loss keenly; it was as though they were being torn from their living body; nevertheless they were unanimous in deciding that the terms must be accepted. The Ambracians gave the consul a gold crown 150 lbs. in weight.

[13] The statues in bronze and marble and the paintings with which Ambracia, as the royal residence of Pyrrhus, had been more richly adorned than any other city in that part of the world were all carried away, but beyond these nothing was injured or interfered with.

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. Cf. XXXI. iii. 3, etc.; for the treaty of 211 B.C., XXVI. xxiv. 8.

3. Her name is unknown. She had apparently married Laevinus after the death of the elder Fulvius, since Polybius (XXII. xii) speaks of Gaius as a young man. Cf. Münzer, Röm. Adelsparteien (Stuttgart, 1920), 210.

4. B.C. 189

5. Cf. XXXVII. xlv. 14 and the note.

6. This island, like Zacynthos (XXXVI. xxxi —xxxii), now had a strategic value for the Romans, and, since it did not come under either class of communities just mentioned, is excepted. It had belonged to Aetolia.

7. These conditions are essentially those given by Polybius (XXII. xiii).

8. Polybius ( l.c.) says practically the same thing, although he seems to use ste/fanos to mean any sort of complimentary present. In XXXIX. v. 14 Livy says that Fulvius displayed in his triumph golden crowns weighing one hundred and twelve pounds.

9. B.C. 189

10. Fulvius was later severely criticized for his treatment of Ambracia: cf. xliii. 5 below, and his defence in XXXIX. iv. 11-12. Polybius does not mention this, and Livy may have inferred it from the later debate as to the triumph of Fulvius.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 38.9

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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