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), 40.39

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[1] The same year, in Spain, Fulvius Flaccus the proconsul,¹ because his successor was slow in arriving in the province, led the army out of winter-quarters and began to devastate the remoter regions of Celtiberia whence the inhabitants had not come to surrender.

[2] By this act he stirred up rather than terrified the spirits of the barbarians; and secretly massing their forces they blocked the Manlian² pass, through which they well knew that the Roman army would march.

[3] Gracchus had entrusted to his colleague Lucius Postumius Albinus, who was going to Farther Spain, a message for Quintus Fulvius, instructing him to conduct the army to Tarraco; there he planned to discharge the veterans and assign the replacements and organize the entire army.

[4] Also the day, and that quite near, was announced to Flaccus, on which his successor would arrive.

[5] The arrival of this news compelled Flaccus, abandoning the plan which he had begun to follow, hastily to lead the army out of Celtiberia, and the barbarians, ignorant of the reason and thinking that he had heard of their revolt and their secret mobilization and was frightened away, on that account occupied the pass more eagerly. When the Roman column at daybreak entered the pass the enemy, suddenly showing themselves on two sides, attacked the Romans.³

[6] When Flaccus saw this he quelled the first excitement in the column by issuing through the centurions orders that

[7] all should halt, each in his own place, and should make ready their arms, and having collected the trains and

[8] the pack-animals in one place, partly by himself, partly through the lieutenants and tribunes of the soldiers, he formed all the forces in line of battle as the time and the place demanded, without any confusion, reminding them that they had to

[9] deal with men who had twice surrendered, that an access of villainy and treachery, not of courage and stoutness of heart, had come to them, and that they furnished the Romans an opportunity to make an ignoble⁴ return home glorious and memorable: for they would carry to Rome for the triumph swords bloody with fresh slaughter of the enemy and spoils dripping with gore.

[10] The time did not permit him to say more: the enemy was charging and on the extreme flanks the battle was already in progress. Then the battle-lines clashed.

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.) — 40.39 focus

[1] eodem anno in Hispania Fulvius Flaccus proconsul, quia successor in provinciam tardius veniebat, educto exercitu ex hibernis ulteriorem Celtiberiae agrum, unde ad deditionem non venerant, institit vastare.

[2] qua re irritavit magis quam conterruit animos barbarorum; et clam comparatis copiis saltum Manlianum, per quem transiturum exercitum Romanum satis sciebant, obsederunt.

[3] in Hispaniam ulteriorem eunti L. Postumio Albino collegae Gracchus mandaverat, ut Q. Fulvium certiorem faceret, Tarraconem exercitum adduceret:

[4] ibi dimittere veteranos supplementaque distribuere et ordinare omnem exercitum sese velle. dies quoque, et ea propinqua, edita Flacco est, qua successor esset venturus.

[5] haec nova adlata res, omissis quae agere instituerat, Flaccum raptim deducere exercitum ex Celtiberia cum coegisset, barbari causae ignari, suam defectionem et clam comparata arma sensisse eum et pertimuisse rati, eo ferocius saltum insederunt. ubi eum saltum prima luce agmen Romanum intravit,

[6] repente ex duabus partibus simul exorti hostes Romanos invaserunt.

[7] quod ubi vidit Flaccus, primos tumultus in agmine per centuriones stare omnes,

[8] suo quemque loco, et arma expedire iubendo sedavit, et sarcinis iumentisque in unum locum coactis copias omnes partim ipse partim per legatos tribunosque militum, ut tempus,

[9] ut locus postulabat, sine ulla trepidatione instruxit, cum bis deditis rem esse admonens, scelus et perfidiam illis, non virtutem nec animum accessisse, reditum ignobilem in patriam clarum ac memorabilem eos sibi fecisse: cruentos ex recenti caede hostium gladios et manantia sanguine spolia Romam ad triumphum delaturos.

[10] plura dici tempus non patiebatur: invehebant se hostes, et in partibus extremis iam pugnabatur. deinde acies concurrerunt.

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.) — 40.39 focus

[1]

eodem anno in Hispania Fulvius Flaccus proconsul, quia successor in provinciam tardius veniebat, educto exercitu ex hibernis ulteriorem Celtiberiae agrum, unde ad deditionem non venerant, institit vastare.

[2] qua re irritavit magis quam conterruit animos barbarorum, et clam comparatis copiis saltum Manlianum, per quem transiturum exercitum Romanum satis sciebant, obsederunt.

[3] in Hispaniam ulteriorem eunti L. Postumio Albino collegae Gracchus mandaverat, ut Q. Fulvium certiorem faceret, Tarraconem exercitum adduceret:

[4] ibi dimitti veteranos, supplementaque distribuere et ordinare omnem exercitum sese velle. dies quoque, et ea propinqua, edita Flacco est, qua successor esset venturus.

[5] haec nova adlata res omissis, quae agere instituerat, Flaccum raptim deducere exercitum ex Celtiberia cum coegisset, barbari causae ignari, suam defectionem et clam comparata arma sensisse eum et pertimuisse rati, eo ferocius saltum insederunt. ¹ ubi eum saltum prima luce agmen Romanum intravit,

[6] repente ex duabus partibus simul exorti hostes Romanos invaserunt.

[7] quod ubi vidit Flaccus, primos tumultus in agmine per centuriones stare omnes suo quemque loco et arma expedire iubendo sedavit,

[8] et sarcinis iumentisque in unum locum coactis copias omnes partim ipse partim per legatos tribunosque militum, ut tempus, ut locus postulabat, sine ulla trepidatione instruxit, cum bis deditis rem esse admonens;

[9] scelus et perfidiam illis, non virtutem nec animum accessisse; reditum ignobilem in patriam clarum ac memorabilem eos sibi fecisse; cruentos ex recenti caede hostium gladios et manantia sanguine spolia Romam ad triumphum delaturos.

[10] plura dici tempus non patiebatur; invehebant se hostes et in partibus extremis iam pugnabatur. deinde acies concurrerunt.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 40.39 focus

[1]

In the same year Fulvius Flaccus, the proconsul in Spain, as his successor did not come to the province at the usual time, having drawn out the troops from their winter quarters, proceeded to lay waste the farther part of Celtiberia, whose inhabitants had not come in to make submission.

[2] But by this proceeding he rather provoked than terrified the spirits of the barbarians; so that, having collected secretly a body of forces, they beset the Manlian pass, through which they knew, with certainty, that the Roman army would march.

[3] Gracchus had commissioned his colleague, Lucius Postumius Albinus, who was going to the Farther Spain, to desire Quintus Fulvius to bring his forces to Tarraco, where he intended to discharge the veterans, to distribute the reinforcements among the respective corps, and reorganize the entire army.

[4] The day also was mentioned to Flaccus, and that not very distant, on which his successor would arrive.

[5] When tidings of this new arrangement had compelled Flaccus to drop the business which he had undertaken, and to lead away the troops in haste out of Celtiberia, the barbarians, unacquainted with the reason, and supposing that he had discovered their revolt and secret assembling of an army, and that he was retreating through fear, beset the pass with the greater determination. When the Roman army entered this defile, at the dawn of day, immediately the enemy starting up attacked it at two sides at once.

[6] And when Flaccus saw this, he put down the confusion arising among

[7] the soldiers by giving orders through the centurions that every man should keep his post, in the order of march, and make ready his arms;

[8] then collecting the baggage and beasts of burden, into one spot, partly by himself, partly by the help of the lieutenants-general, and military tribunes, he formed his troops as the time and place required, without any confusion.

[9] He put them in mind, that they were to engage with men

who had been twice reduced to submission; that guilt and perfidy, not valour or courage, were their only accessions. That these people had put it in their power to make their return to their country which otherwise would have been ignoble, glorious and splendid; for they would now carry home their swords red from the slaughter, and spoils dropping blood.

[10] The time did not allow more to be said, as the enemy were rapidly advancing upon them; the extremities of the wings were already engaged, and quickly after the entire lines.

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.) — 40.39 focus

[1]

As his successor was somewhat late in reaching Spain, Fulvius Flaccus led out his army from winter quarters and began to devastate the more distant parts of Celtiberia, where the inhabitants had not come in to surrender.

[2] By this action he irritated the natives more than he intimidated them, and secretly collecting a force they beset the Manlian Pass, through which they were tolerably certain that the Romans would march.

[3] Gracchus had instructed his colleague, L. Postumius Albinus, who was on his way to Further Spain, to inform Q. Fulvius that he was to bring his army to Tarraco, where he intended to disband the old soldiers, incorporate the reinforcements into the various corps and reorganise the whole army.

[4] Fulvius was also informed of the date of his successor's arrival which was close at hand.

[5] This information compelled Flaccus to abandon his projected operations and withdraw his army hastily from Celtiberia. The barbarians, ignorant of the true reason, and imagining that he had become aware of their rising and secret gathering in arms and was afraid of them, invested the pass all the more closely. When the Roman column entered the pass, the enemy rushed down upon it from both sides.

[6] As soon as Flaccus saw this, he allayed the first symptoms of tumult in the column by giving the order through the centurions for every

[7] man to stand where he was and get his weapons ready.

[8] The packs of the baggage animals were piled up in one place, and partly by his own exertions, partly through his officers, he got the whole force into such fighting order as the time and place required.

[9] He reminded his men that they had to deal with those who had twice made their submission and who were impelled by treachery, not by true courage. His soldiers, he told them, would have returned home without distinguishing themselves; the enemy had given them the chance of a glorious and memorable homecoming. They would carry in triumph through Rome swords reddened with the slaughter of their foes and spoils dripping with their blood.

[10] Time did not allow him to say more; the enemy were upon them and fighting was already begun at the outermost points. Then the two lines closed.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Not the consul of the year; the proper title would be propraetor.

2. Neither its position nor the reason for its name is known.

3. B.C. 180

4. If the text is right it must mean that the soldiers had one final chance to distinguish themselves. It will be noted that Fulvius still speaks of the army's return to Rome, although he knew something of the plan of Gracchus.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 40.39

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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