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), 39.53

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[1] While these events,¹ from which my narrative turned aside, were occurring in the Peloponnesus, the return of Demetrius and the other ambassadors to Macedonia had made different impressions upon different minds.

[2] The mass of the Macedonians, terrified by the fear of the war which threatened from the Romans, looked with very great favour upon Demetrius as the author of peace, and at the same time marked him with assured hope for the throne after the death of his father.

[3] For although he was younger in years than Perseus, men recalled that Demetrius was born of a legal wife, the other of a concubine; that the elder, the offspring of a body accessible to all, bore no sure mark of his father,² while Demetrius displayed a notable resemblance to Philip.

[4] Besides, they said, the Romans would establish Demetrius upon his father's throne, while Perseus would have no influence with them. Such was the general talk.

[5] Accordingly Perseus, on the one hand, was anxiously afraid that his age by itself would not carry sufficient weight in his behalf, while his brother had the advantage in all other respects, and on the other, Philip himself, believing that

[6] it would hardly be in his power to decide which son, he should leave as heir to his throne, kept saying that his younger son was a³ greater burden to him than he wished.⁴

[7] He was displeased at times by the throngs of Macedonians who visited his son, and was indignant that while he lived there should be a second court.

[8] And there is no doubt that the young man had returned too much puffed up regarding himself,⁵ relying somewhat on the judgments of the senate about him, and on the concessions made to him of what had been refused to his father;

[9] and whatever importance every reference to the Romans brought to him with the rest of the Macedonians, it brought him also exactly as much ill-will,

[10] not only with his brother but even with his father, especially after other⁶ Roman commissioners came and Philip was compelled to evacuate Thrace and withdraw his garrisons and do other things in accordance with either the decisions of previous commissioners or the new arrangements of the senate.

[11] But, although it was with grief and lamentation, the more because he saw his son more frequently in the company of the commissioners than with himself, he nevertheless obeyed the Romans in everything, in order to give them no reason for immediately declaring war.

[12] Thinking also that their thoughts should be diverted from any suspicion of such designs, he led his army through the interior of Thrace against the Odrysae and Dentheleti and Bessi:

[13] he took the city of Philippopolis,⁷ deserted by the flight of its citizens, who with their families had fled to the nearest mountains, and received in surrender the barbarians of the plain, after plundering their farms.

[14] Leaving a garrison in Philippopolis (it was expelled a little later by the Odrysae), he⁸ decided to found a city in Deuriopus —this is a district in Paeonia —near the Erigonus river, which flows from Illyricum through Pelagonia and empties into the Axius river not far from the ancient city of Stobi:

[15] to the new city he ordered the name of Perseis to be given, so as to show honour to his elder son.

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.) — 39.53 focus

[1] dum ea in Peloponneso, a quibus devertit oratio, geruntur, reditus in Macedoniam Demetrii legatorumque aliter aliorum adfecerat animos.

[2] vulgus Macedonum, quos belli ab Romanis imminentis metus terruerat, Demetrium ut pacis auctorem cum ingenti favore conspiciebant, simul et spe haud dubia regnum ei post mortem patris destinabant.

[3] nam etsi minor aetate quam Perseus esset, hunc iusta matre familiae, illum paelice ortum esse; ilium illum ut ex vulgato corpore genitum nullam certi patris notam habere, hunc insignem Philippi similitudinem prae se ferre.

[4] ad hoc Romanos Demetrium in paterno solio locaturos, Persei nullam apud eos gratiam esse.

[5] haec vulgo loquebantur. itaque et Persea cura angebat, ne parum pro se una aetas valeret, cum aliis omnibus rebus frater superior esset;

[6] et Philippus ipse, vix sui arbitrii fore, quem heredem regni relinqueret credens, sibi quoque graviorem esse quam vellet minorem filium aiebat.

[7] offendebatur interdum concursu Macedonum ad eum, et alteram iam se vivo regiam esse indignabatur.

[8] et ipse iuvenis haud dubie inflatior redierat, subnisus erga se iudiciis senatus, concessisque sibi, quae patri negata essent;

[9] et omnis mentio Romanorum quantam dignitatem ei apud ceteros Macedonas, tantam invidiam non apud fratrem modo sed etiam apud patrem conciliabat,

[10] utique postquam legati alii Romani venerunt, et cogebatur decedere Thracia praesidiaque deducere et alia aut ex decreto priorum legatorum aut ex nova constitutione senatus facere.

[11] sed omnia maerens quidem et gemens, eo magis quod filium frequentiorem prope cum illis quam secum cernebat, oboedienter tamen adversus Romanos faciebat, ne quam movendi extemplo belli causam praeberet.

[12] avertendos etiam animos a suspicione talium consiliorum ratus, mediam per Thraciam exercitum in Odrysas et Dentheletos et Bessos duxit:

[13] Philippopolin urbem fuga desertam oppidanorum, qui in proxima montium iuga cum familiis receperant sese, cepit, campestresque barbaros, depopulatus agros eorum, in deditionem accepit.

[14] relicto inde ad Philippopolin praesidio, quod haud multo post ab Odrysis expulsum est, oppidum in Deuriopo condere instituit — Paeoniae ea regio est — , prope Erigonum fluvium,

[15] qui ex Illyrico per Pelagoniam fluens in Axium amnem editur, haud procul Stobis, vetere urbe:

[16] novam urbem Perseida, ut is filio maiori haberetur honos, appellari iussit.

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.) — 39.53 focus

[1]

dum ea in Peloponneso, a quibus devertit oratio, geruntur, reditus in Macedoniam Demetri legatorumque aliter aliorum adfecerat animos.

[2] vulgus Macedonum, quos belli ab Romanis inminentis metus terruerat, Demetrium ut pacis auctorem cum ingenti favore conspiciebant, simul et spe haud dubia regnum ei post mortem patris destinabant.

[3] nam etsi minor aetate quam Perseus esset, hunc iusta matre familiae, illum paelice ortum esse; illum ut ex vulgato corpore genitum nullam certi patris notam habere, hunc insignem Philippi similitudinem prae se ferre;

[4] ad hoc Romanos Demetrium in paterno solio locaturos, Persei nullam apud eos gratiam esse.

[5] haec vulgo loquebantur. itaque et Persea cura augebat, ne parum pro se una aetas valeret, cum ¹ aliis omnibus rebus frater superior esset;

[6] et Philippus ipse, vix sui arbitrii fore, quem heredem regni relinqueret credens, sibi quoque graviorem esse, quam vellet, minorem filium censebat.

[7] offendebatur interdum concursu Macedonum ad eum, et alteram iam se vivo regiam esse indignabatur;

[8] et ipse iuvenis haud dubie inflatior redierat, subnisus erga se iudiciis senatus concessisque sibi, quae patri negata essent;

[9] et omnis mentio Romanorum quantam dignitatem ei apud ceteros Macedonas, tantam invidiam non apud fratrem modo,

[10] sed etiam apud patrem conciliabat, utique postquam legati alii Romani venerunt, et cogebatur decedere Thracia praesidiaque deducere et alia aut ex decreto priorum legatorum aut ex nova constitutione senatus facere. sed omnia maerens quidem et gemens,

[11] eo magis quod filium frequentiorem prope cum illis quam secum cernebat, oboedienter tamen adversus Romanos faciebat, ne quam movendi extemplo belli causam praeberet.

[12] avertendos etiam animos a suspicione talium consiliorum ratus, mediam in Thraciam exercitum in Odrysas et Dentheletos et Bessos duxit; ² Philippopolin urbem fuga desertam oppidanorum,

[13] qui in proxima montium iuga cum familiis receperant sese, cepit, campestresque barbaros, depopulatus agros eorum, in deditionem accepit.

[14] relicto inde ad Philippopolin praesidio, quod haud multo post ab Odrysis expulsum est, oppidum in Deuriopo condere instituit—

[15] Paeoniae ea regio est—prope Erigonum fluvium, qui ex Illyrico per Paeoniam fluens in Axium editur amnem, haud procul Stobis, vetere urbe;

[16] novam urbem Perseida, ut is filio maiori haberetur honos, adpellari iussit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 39.53 focus

[1]

During these transactions in Peloponnesus, from which my narration digressed, the return of Demetrius with the ambassadors into Macedonia, affected people's minds in various manners.

[2] The generality of the Macedonians, whom the apprehension of an impending war with the Romans had struck with terror, looked with the highest esteem on Demetrius, as the promoter of peace; and, at the same time, with confident hope, destined for him the throne, after the demise of his father.

[3] They argued, that

although he was younger than Perseus, yet he was born of a wife, and the other of a concubine; that the latter, born of a mother who prostituted her person, had no likeness to any particular father, whereas the former had a striking resemblance of Philip.

[4]

Besides it was probable that the Romans would place him on the throne of his father, as Perseus had no pretensions to their favour.

Such was the conversation of people in general.

[5] Fear tortured Perseus, lest his age alone might not sufficiently secure his interest, his brother having the advantage of him in every other particular;

[6] while Philip himself, believing that it would scarcely rest with his decision which of them he should leave heir to his dominions, began to think that his younger son encroached on him more than he could wish.

[7] He was sometimes displeased at the numerous attendance of the Macedonians round Demetrius, and chagrined at perceiving that there was a second court during his own life-time.

[8] The young prince no doubt came home much elevated in his own estimation, elated with the honours paid him by the senate, and their having conceded to him, what they had refused to his father;

[9] insomuch that every mention of the Romans, whatever degree of respect it procured him from the rest of the Macedonians, created an equal degree of envy, not only in the breast of his brother, but also in that of his father;

[10] especially after the Roman ambassadors arrived, and the king was obliged to evacuate Thrace, to withdraw his garrisons, and to perform the other articles, either according to the decisions of the former ambassadors or the late regulations made by the senate.

[11] But all this he did with great reluctance, and even with anguish of mind, the more on this account, because he saw his son more frequently in company with them than with himself; nevertheless, to avoid giving any pretence for an immediate commencement of hostilities, he acted submissively towards the Romans.

[12] Thinking it necessary to turn away their thoughts from a suspicion of any such designs, he led an army into the heart of Thrace, against the Odrysians, Dantheletians, and Bessians.

[13] He took the city of Philoppopolis, after it was deserted by the inhabitants, who fled with their families to the tops of the nearest mountains; and, by wasting the country, reduced the barbarians living in the plains to submission.

[14] Then leaving a garrison in Philoppopolis, which was soon after expelled by the Odrysians, he began to build a town in Deuriopus. This is a district of Paeonia, near the river Erigonus, which, flowing from Illyricum through Paeonia, falls into the river Axius.

[15] Not far from the old city of Stobae he built his new one, which he ordered to be called Perseis, that this honour might be conferred on his eldest son.

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.) — 39.53 focus

[1]

During the incidents in the Peloponnese from which I have made a digression, Demetrius and his legation returned to Macedonia. There was much divergence of view as to the results of their embassy.

[2] The bulk of the Macedonian people, appalled at the imminent prospect of a war with Rome, were enthusiastic supporters of Demetrius. They looked upon him as the author of peace and regarded his succession to the throne after his father's death as a certainty.

[3] Although younger than Perseus, he was a legitimate son, the other was the son of a concubine. People said that Perseus, the offspring of a prostitute, had no note or mark of any particular father, whereas Demetrius showed a remarkable likeness to his father;

[4] moreover, Perseus was no favourite with the Romans and they would place Demetrius on his father's throne. Such was the common talk.

[5] Perseus felt himself superior to his brother in everything else, but he was haunted by the thought that his age alone would count but little in his favour.

[6] Philip himself, too, whilst feeling doubtful whether it would be in his power to decide whom he should leave as heir to the throne, considered that his younger son was assuming more authority than he wished him to possess.

[7] He was annoyed at the way in which the Macedonians resorted to Demetrius and he looked upon the existence of a second royal court as an indignity to himself.

[8] The young prince had certainly come home with a much higher sense of his own importance, presuming as he did upon the compliments paid him by the senate and the concessions they had made to him after refusing them to his father.

[9] Every allusion he made to the Romans raised his prestige amongst the Macedonians and evoked a corresponding amount of jealousy and ill-will in his father and brother.

[10] This was particularly the case when the fresh commissioners arrived from Rome and Philip was compelled to evacuate Thrace and withdraw his garrisons and carry out the other measures demanded by the previous commissioners and the fresh orders of the senate.

[11] All these things were a source of grief and bitterness to him, all the more so because he saw him associating with the Romans much more frequently than with himself. Still he acted in obedience to the orders of Rome that there might be no pretext for commencing hostilities.

[12] Thinking to divert any suspicions the Romans might entertain as to his designs, he led his army into the interior of Thrace, against the Odrysae, the Dentheleti and the Bessi.

[13] He took the city of Philippopolis which had been deserted by the inhabitants, who with their families had taken refuge in the nearest mountains. After ravaging the fields of the barbarians who lived in the lowlands, he accepted their surrender.

[14] Leaving a garrison in Philippopolis which was shortly afterwards expelled by the Odrysae, he began to build a town in Deuriopus, a district in Paeonia, near the river Erigonus which, rising in Illyria, flows through Paeonia into the Axius, not far from the ancient city of Stobae.

[15] He ordered the new city to be called Perseis in honour of his eldest son.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Cf. xlviii. 6 above.

2. Plutarch ( Aemilius, viii.) hints that Perseus was not the son of Philip, and in XL. ix. 2 Perseus himself suggests the same possibility.

3. B.C. 183

4. Both thought and language closely parallel those of Antiochus in similar circumstances (XXXV. xv. 4).

5. Livy hints at (xlvii. 3-11 above), and Polybius XXIII. (XXIV.) iii. stresses the harm which the senate did by stimulating the vanity of Demetrius.

6. Probably Marcius is meant (xlviii. 5 above).

7. Probably in the territory of the Odrysae; not the town of the same name mentioned in xxv. 3 above.

8. B.C. 183

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 39.53

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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