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), 40.12

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[1] When Perseus had finished speaking, the eyes of all who were present were turned on Demetrius, as if he would instantly reply.

[2] Then a long silence followed, in which it was clear to all that,¹ choked with tears, he could not speak. At length his grief was overcome by his real necessity, when they commanded him to speak, and he thus began: "All those devices, father, which used to be of assistance to the accused, my accuser has been beforehand in seizing.

[3] With tears forced for the ruin of his opponent he has made my genuine tears suspicious in your sight.²

[4] Although he himself, ever since I returned from Rome, has been plotting day and night in secret conferences with his friends, he has taken the lead and put upon me the appearance, not merely of a conspirator, but of a professed bandit and murderer.

[5] He terrifies you with his own danger, in order that through your help he may hasten the ruin of his innocent brother. He claims that he has no place of refuge anywhere in the world, and so brings it to pass that I have no remnant of hope even in you.

[6] Me, encompassed with foes, abandoned, poor, he loads with the reproach of having influence abroad, which is a hindrance rather than a help. Again, see how like an accuser he was in mingling last night's offence with an indictment of my general mode of life, with the result that

[7] this incident, whose nature you will soon understand, he made suspicious by the conduct of my life in other respects, and that he bolstered up that mass of innuendo about my hopes, desires, plans, by this invented and fictitious dramatization of last night's affair.

[8] At the same time the object that he sought was that his accusation might seem sudden and entirely uncalculated, arising forsooth out of the fear and sudden tumult of last night.

[9] But, Perseus, if I was the betrayer of my father and the kingdom, if I had conspired with the Romans and other enemies of my father, you should³ not have waited for the drama of last night, but should long before have impeached me for treason:

[10] but if, when this recent episode was left out of account, that former accusation was baseless and was likely to prove your ill-will toward me rather than my guilt, you should either have omitted it to-day also or have postponed it to another occasion, so that the question might be investigated independently as to whether I had plotted against you or you against me, employing indeed a new and remarkable form of hatred.⁴

[11] I, nevertheless, so far as I shall be able in this unexpected confusion, shall take apart those things which you have made into one and shall reveal last night's plot, whether yours or mine.

[12] Perseus wishes it to appear that I had formed a conspiracy to kill him, with the apparent design that after removing my elder brother,

[13] to whom the throne was destined to come by the law of nations, by the custom of the Macedonians, and also (so he says) by your decision, I, the younger, might succeed to the place of him whom I had killed. What, then, does that second part of his speech mean, in which he asserts that I have paid court to the Romans and have formed hopes for the throne through reliance on them?

[14] For if I thought that the Romans possessed so much influence that they could make whomever they chose king of Macedonia, and if, moreover, I trusted that my influence with them was so strong, what need was there of murder?

[15] Was it in order that I might wear a crown besprinkled with a brother's blood?

[16] In order that to those very people among whom I have influence, if I have any, gained by an integrity which is either real or at least assumed, I might be the object of execration and hatred?⁵ Unless you think that Titus Quinctius, by whose nod and advice you now accuse me of being ruled, although he himself lives on such terms of devotion with his brother, has counselled me to murder my brother.

[17] This same brother of mine has adduced, not only my influence with the Romans, but also the opinions of the Macedonians and the agreement, almost, of all gods and men, and by reason of all these things he believed that he would not be equal to me in a contest:

[18] at the same time, as if I were inferior in everything else, he charges that I have fled to the last refuge of crime.⁶

[19] Do you wish, Perseus, the rule to be applied to the investigation, that whichever of us fears that the other might seem more worthy of the kingship should be judged to have

[20] formed the plan of killing his brother?

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.) — 40.12 focus

[1] Postquain dicendi finem Perseus fecit, coniecti eorum, qui aderant, oculi in Demetrium sunt, velut confestim responsurus esset.

[2] deinde diu silentium fuit, cum perfusum fletu appareret omnibus loqui non posse. tandem vicit dolorem ipsa necessitas, cum dicere iuberent, atque ita orsus est.

[3] “omnia, quae reorum antea fuerant auxilia, pater, praeoccupavit accusator. simulatis lacrimis in alterius perniciem veras meas lacrimas suspectas tibi fecit.

[4] cum ipse, ex quo ab Roma redii, per occulta cum suis colloquia dies noctesque insidietur, ultro mihi non insidiatoris modo sed latronis manifesti et percussoris speciem induit.

[5] periculo suo te exterret, ut innoxio fratri per eundem te maturet perniciem. perfugium sibi nusquam gentium esse ait, ut ego ne apud te quidem spei quicquam reliqui habeam.

[6] circumventum, solum, inopem invidia gratiae externae, quae obest potius quam prodest, onerat. iam illud quam accusatorie, quod noctis huius crimen miscuit cum cetera insectatione vitae meae,

[7] ut et hoc, quod iam quale sit scies, suspectum alio vitae nostrae tenore faceret, et illam vanam criminationem spei voluntatis consiliorum meorum nocturno hoc ficto et composito argumento fulciret?

[8] simul et illud quaesivit, ut repentina et minime praeparata accusatio videretur, quippe ex noctis huius metu et tumultu repentino exorta.

[9] oportuit autem, Perseu, si proditor ego patris regnique eram, si cum Romanis, si cum aliis inimicis patris inieram consilia, non exspectatam fabulam esse noctis huius, sed proditionis me ante accusatum:

[10] si illa, separata hac, vana accusatio erat invidiamque tuam adversus me magis quam crimen meum indicatura, hodie quoque earn eam aut praetermitti aut in aliud tempus differri,

[11] ut per se quaereretur, utrum ego tibi an tu mihi, novo quidem et singulari genere odii, insidias fecisses.

[12] ego tamen, quantum in hac subita perturbatione potero, separabo ea, quae tu confudisti, et noctis huius insidias aut tuas aut meas detegam.

[13] occidendi sui consilium inisse me videri vult, ut scilicet maiore fratre sublato, cuius iure gentium, more Macedonum, tuo etiam, ut ait, iudicio regnum est futurum, ego minor in eius, quem occidissem, succederem locum. quid ergo illa sibi vult pars altera orationis,

[14] qua Romanos a me cultos ait atque eorum fiducia in spem regni me venisse?

[15] nam si et in Romanis tantum momenti credebam esse, ut quem vellent imponerent Macedoniae regem, et meae tantum apud eos gratiae confidebam, quid opus parricidio fuit?

[16] an ut cruentum diadema fraterna caede gererem? ut illis ipsis, apud quos aut vera aut certe simulata probitate partam gratiam habeo, si quam forte habeo, exsecrabilis et invisus essem?

[17] nisi T. Quinctium credis, cuius nutu et consiliis me nunc arguis regi, cum et ipse tali pietate vivat cum fratre, mihi fraternae caedis fuisse auctorem.

[18] idem non Romanorum gratiam solum, sed Macedonum iudicia ac paene omnium deorum hominumque consensum collegit, per quae omnia se mihi parem in certamine non futurum crediderit:

[19] idem, tamquam in in aliis omnibus rebus inferior essem, ad sceleris ultimam spem confugisse me insimulat.

[20] vis hanc formulam cognitionis esse, ut, uter timuerit, ne alter dignior videretur regno, is consilium opprimendi fratris iudicetur cepisse?

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).) — 43.12 focus

[1]

principio insequentis anni cum consules novi ¹ Q. Marcius et Cn. ² Servilius de provinciis rettulissent, primo quoque tempore aut comparare eos inter se Italiam et Macedoniam aut sortiri placuit;

[2] priusquam id sors cerneret, ³ in incertum, ne quid gratia momenti faceret, in utramque provinciam quod res desideraret

[3] supplementi decerni ⁴ — in Macedoniam peditum Romanorum sex milia, sociorum nominis Latini sex milia, equites Romanos ducentos quinquaginta, socios trecentos — veteres milites dimitti,

[4] ita ut in singulas Romanas legiones ne plus sena milia peditum, treceni equites essent.

[5] alteri consuli nullus ⁵ certus ⁶ finitus numerus civium Romanorum quem in supplementum legeret. id modo finitum, ut duas legiones scriberet, quae quina milia peditum et ducenos ⁷ haberent, equites trecenos.

[6] Latinorum maior quam collegae decretus numerus, peditum ⁸ decem milia et sescenti equites. quattuor praeterea legiones scribi iussae, quae si quo opus esset educerentur.

[7] tribunos iis non permissum ut consules facerent: populus creavit. sociis nominis Latini sedecim milia peditum et mille equites imperati.

[8] hunc exercitum ⁹ parari tantum placuit, ut exiret, si quo res posceret. Macedonia maxime curam praebebat.

[9] in classem mille socii ¹⁰ navales cives Romani libertini ordinis, ex Italia quingenti ¹¹ scribi iussi; totidem ut ex Sicilia scriberentur; et cui ea provincia evenisset, mandatum, ut eos in Macedoniam, ubicumque classis ¹² esset, deportandos curaret.

[10] in Hispaniam tria milia peditum Romanorum in supplementum, trecenti equites decreti. finitus ibi quoque in legiones militum numerus, peditum quina milia duceni et treceni ¹³ equites.

[11] et sociis imperare praetor, cui Hispania obvenisset, iussus quattuor milia peditum et trecentos equites.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 40.12 focus

[1]

postquam dicendi finem Perseus fecit, coniecti eorum, qui aderant, oculi in Demetrium sunt, velut confestim responsurus esset.

[2] deinde diu fuit silentium, cum perfusum fletu adpareret omnibus loqui non posse. tandem vicit dolorem ipsa necessitas, cum dicere iuberent, atque ita orsus est “

[3] omnia, quae reorum antea fuerant auxilia, pater, praeoccupavit accusator. simulatis lacrimis in alterius perniciem veras meas lacrimas suspectas tibi fecit.

[4] cum ipse, ex quo ab Roma redii, per occulta cum suis conloquia dies noctesque insidietur, ultro mihi non insidiatoris modo, sed latronis manifesti et percussoris speciem induit.

[5] periculo suo te exterret, ut innoxio fratri per eundem te maturet perniciem. perfugium sibi nusquam gentium esse ait, ut ego ne apud te ¹ quidem spei quicquam reliquae habeam,

[6] circumventum, solum, inopem, invidia gratiae externae, quae obest potius quam prodest, onerat. iam illud quam accusatorie, quod noctis huius crimen miscuit cum cetera insectatione vitae meae,

[7] ut et hoc, quod iam quale sit scies, suspectum alio vitae nostrae tenore faceret et illam vanam criminationem spei, voluntatis, consiliorum meorum nocturno hoc ficto et composito argumento fulciret?

[8] simul et illud quaesivit, ut repentina et minime praeparata accusatio videretur, quippe ex noctis huius metu et tumultu repentino exorta.

[9] oportuit autem, Perseu, si proditor ego patris regnique eram, si cum Romanis, si cum aliis inimicis patris inieram consilia, non expectatam fabulam esse noctis huius, sed proditionis [meae] ante me accusatum;

[10] si illa, separata ab hac, vana accusatio erat invidiamque ² tuam adversus me magis quam crimen meum indicatura, hodie quoque eam aut praetermitti aut in aliud tempus differri,

[11] ut per se quaereretur, utrum ego tibi an tu mihi, novo quidem et singulari genere odii, insidias fecisses.

[12] ego tamen, quantum in hac subita perturbatione potero, separabo ea, quae tu confudisti, et noctis huius insidias aut tuas aut meas detegam.

[14] quid ergo illa sibi vult pars altera orationis, qua Romanos a me cultos ait atque eorum fiducia in spem regni me venisse?

[15] nam si et in Romanis tantum momenti credebam esse, ut quem vellent inponerent Macedoniae regem, et meae tantum apud eos gratiae confidebam, quid opus parricidio fuit?

[16] an ut cruentum diadema fraterna caede gererem? ut illis ipsis, apud quos aut vera aut certe simulata probitate partam gratiam habeo, si quam forte habeo, exsecrabilis et invisus essem?

[17] nisi T. Quinctium credis, cuius virtute et consiliis me nunc arguis regi, cum et ipse ³ tali pietate vivat cum fratre, mihi fraternae caedis fuisse auctorem.

[18] idem non Romanorum gratiam solum, sed Macedonum iudicia ac paene omnium deorum hominumque consensum conlegit, per quae omnia se mihi parem in certamine non futurum crediderit;

[19] idem, tamquam in aliis omnibus rebus inferior essem, ad sceleris ultimam spem confugisse me insimulat.

[20] vis hanc formulam cognitionis esse, ut uter timuerit, ne alter dignior videretur regno, is consilium obprimendi fratris iudicetur cepisse?”

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 40.12 focus

[1]

When Perseus concluded his speech, the eyes of all present were turned to Demetrius, as if he were going to reply immediately.

[2] Then, when it was evident to all that, bathed in tears, he was unable to speak, silence for a long time reigned: at length necessity itself, inasmuch as they called on him to speak, overcame his grief, and he began thus: "Father, all the aids which heretofore have been the privilege of the accused, my accuser has preoccupied.

[3] By his tears, counterfeited for the purpose of working another's ruin, he has caused my unfeigned tears to be suspected by you.

[4] Although, ever since I returned from Rome, he, by holding secret consultations with his confederates, labours night and day to insnare me, yet nevertheless he represents me in the character, not only of a conspirator, but of an open assassin and murderer. He terrifies you with his danger, in order to hasten, through your means, the ruin of an innocent brother.

[5] He asserts, that he has a place of refuge no where in the world, that I may have no remaining hope even in thee. Circumvented, destitute, and helpless as I am, he loads me with odium arising from foreign favour, which proves detrimental rather than advantageous.

[6] Then how, accuser-like, has he blended that which was the crime of this night with other invectives against my conduct, that he might, by representing the tenor of the rest of my life, throw a colour of guilt both on the late transaction, the true nature of which you shall soon understand;

[7] and that he might support the other groundless insinuations respecting my views, wishes, and designs, by this latter, fictitious, fabricated story.

[8] He had, at the same time, this design, that his accusation might appear to be sudden and by no means premeditated, as if occasioned by sudden fright and disturbance of this night.

[9] But, Perseus, if I were a traitor against my father and his government; if I had formed plans with the Romans, or with other enemies of my father, the tale of last night ought not to have been waited for; I ought to have been long ago brought to answer for my treason.

[10] And if the former charge apart from the latter were unfounded, and tended to discover your hatred towards me, rather than my guilt, it ought on the present day also to be either omitted or postponed to some future period; in order that it might clearly appear, whether I plotted against you; or you, with indeed a strange and singular kind of hatred, against me.

[11] However, I will, as well as I am able in my present unforeseen perturbation of mind, distinguish those matters which you have confounded; and I will unveil the plot of the preceding evening, whether mine or yours.

[12] Perseus wishes it to be believed, that I had formed a design to take his life, with the view, forsooth, that having removed

[13] the elder brother, on whom by the law of nations, by the custom of Macedonia, and likewise by your judgment, as he says, the kingdom was to devolve, I, the younger, should succeed in the room of him whom I had slain. What, then, can be the meaning of that other part of his speech, where he says that the Romans were courted by me, and from my reliance on them that I conceived hopes of the crown?

[14] For, if I believed that the Romans possessed such influence, that they could appoint whomsoever they pleased king of Macedon, and if I had such confidence in my interest with them, what need was there of fratricide?

[15] Could it be my wish to wear a diadem stained with a brother's blood, or to become execrable and odious in the eyes of those very people, with whom whatever interest I may happen to have, has been procured by zeal, or at least affected integrity of conduct?

[16] unless you believe that Titus Quintius, by whose power and advice you allege I am at present governed, though he lives in such cordial affection with his own brother, would recommend to me to murder mine?

[17] He has united for me, not only the favour of the Romans, but the opinions of the Macedonians, and the concurring sentiments almost of all the gods and men, by reason of all which he cannot believe that he would prove equal to me in the competition.

[18] Yet the same man accuses me of having (though I was inferior to him in every mode of proceeding) had recourse to an act of wickedness as my last resource.

[19] Do you wish that the formula of the judicial inquiry should be to this effect, that whichever feared lest the other should seem more worthy of the throne, shall be

[20] deemed guilty of designing his brother's destruction?

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.) — 40.12 focus

[1]

When Perseus had finished, all present looked at Demetrius, expecting him to reply at once. There was a long silence and everybody saw that he was bathed in tears and unable to speak.

[2] At length they told him that he must speak, and he was compelled to stifle his grief. So he began: "Everything, my father, on which those who are accused could rely for their defence has been prejudiced by my accuser.

[3] The tears which he feigned for the purpose of effecting another's ruin have made you suspect the reality of mine.

[4] Ever since my return from Rome he has been hatching secret plots against me day and night with his confederates, and now he deliberately fastens on me the character not only of an intriguer but even of an open assassin. He alarms you with the bugbear of his own danger in order that through you he may hasten the destruction of his unoffending brother.

[5] He says that there is no place of refuge for him in the whole world in order that I may have no hope of safety with you. Beset by foes, deserted by friends, destitute of all resources, he loads me with the odium aroused by the favour shown to me by foreigners, which hurts me more than it benefits.

[6] How like a common prosecutor has he acted in mixing up his account of last night's events with a bitter attack upon the rest of my life so that he put that

[7] incident, which you will see in its true colours, in a suspicious light, by representing the tenor of my life as other than what it is, and bolstering up that false and scandalous description of my hopes and wishes and designs by this fictitious and hollow evidence.

[8] And at the same time he tried to make his accusations appear as though they were uttered without preparation, on the spur of the moment, called forth forsooth by the alarm and tumult of the night.

[9] But, Perseus, if I were a traitor to my father and the realm, if I were scheming with the Romans or with any of my father's enemies, you ought not to have waited for this trumped-up story of last night's doings, you ought to have accused me of treachery before this.

[10] If that accusation as distinct from this one was without any foundation and a proof of your bad feeling towards me, rather than of my guilt, surely it ought to be passed over today and deferred till another occasion, so that the question which of us in a spirit of unheard-of hatred has been intriguing against the other might be decided on its merits.

[11] At all events, so far as I am able to do so in this sudden bewilderment, I shall separate what you have confused together, and

[12] unveil last night's plot, to show whether you or I were the author of it.

"He wants to make it appear that I formed a design against his life in order, forsooth, that

[13] after the removal of the elder brother, to whom by a universally acknowledged right, by the usage of the Macedonians and by your decision, as he says, the future crown belongs, I, the younger son, could step into the place of him whom I had killed. What then is the meaning of that part of his speech in which he says that I curried favour with the Romans and hoped through my reliance on them to come to the throne?

[14] For if I believed that the Romans possessed so much influence that they could impose upon the Macedonians whom

[15] they would as king, and if I trusted so much to my interest with them, what need was there for me to kill my brother? Was it that I might wear a crown stained with a brother's blood?

[16] That I might be execrated and hated by the very men whose favour I have won by a straightforwardness, either sincere or at least assumed, if indeed I have won it? Perhaps you imagine that T. Quinctius, by whose virtuous counsels you say that I am ruled, has instigated me to be my brother's murderer, though he himself lives in such close affection with his own brother.

[17] Perseus has brought together in what he said not only my favourable position with the Romans but also the sentiments of the Macedonians and the all but unanimous judgment of gods and men, and owing to all these advantages he professes to believe that he is no match for me.

[18] And yet, as though in everything else I were inferior to him, he maintains that I have betaken myself to crime as my last hope.

[19] Do you want the issue of the trial to take this form: 'Whichever of the two feared that the other might be thought more worthy of the crown, let him be judged to have

[20] formed the design of crushing his brother?'

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 182

2. Such lamentations were a standard and effective part of the defence-technique: for a striking case see Cicero De oratore I. 228.

3. B.C. 182

4. The remarkable feature of Perseus' hatred for Demetrius appears to be its groundlessness, as Demetrius interprets the facts.

5. B.C. 182

6. Perseus, he says, argues inconsistently, first, that my case is so strong that the throne is practically assured to me; second, that my case is so weak that I can attain the throne only by killing him. Demetrius is discussing the general charge of treason as distinguished from the specific charge based on the affair of the night before.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 40.12

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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