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), 41.22

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[1] On the Nones of June the ambassadors returned from Africa¹ who, after first interviewing King Masinissa, had gone to Carthage; but they had received much more accurate information as to² what had been going on in Carthage from the king than from the Carthaginians themselves.

[2] Nevertheless they reported it as an ascertained fact that ambassadors had come from King Perseus and had been given an audience by night before the senate, assembled in the temple of Aesculapius. The king, moreover, had asserted that envoys had been sent from Carthage to Macedonia, and the Carthaginians had denied this without very much firmness.

[3] The senate decreed that ambassadors should also be sent to Macedonia. Three were dispatched, Gaius Laelius, Marcus Valerius Messalla, and Sextus Digitius.

[4] Perseus³ about this time, because certain of the Dolopians⁴ were insubordinate and wanted to refer the arbitration of the matters which were in dispute to the Romans instead of to the king, setting out with his army brought the whole district under his sovereignty and sway.

[5] Thence, crossing over the Oetaean mountains, since certain religious difficulties beset his mind, he climbed up to Delphi to consult the oracle. When he had suddenly appeared in the midst of Greece, he not merely roused great terror in the neighbouring cities but even caused the dispatch of excited messages to King Eumenes in Asia.⁵

[6] Having tarried in Delphi not more than three days, he returned through Phthiotic Achaea and Thessaly to his kingdom without doing any⁶ damage or injury to those through whose lands he marched.

[7] Nor was he content with winning the good will of only those states through which he was planning to march;⁷ he sent out either ambassadors or letters, asking that they should no longer remember the quarrels in which they had engaged with his father; for, he said, they had not been so serious that they could not and should not be ended with him; so far as he was concerned at least, everything was in order for a faithful establishment of friendly relations with them;

[8] with the people of the Achaeans especially he was seeking for a way of restoring good feeling.

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.) — 41.22 focus

[1] legati nonis Iuniis ex Africa redierunt, qui convento prius Masinissa rege Carthaginem ierant; ceterum certius aliquanto, quae Carthagine acta essent, ab rege scierant quam ab ipsis Carthaginiensibus.

[2] conpertum tamen adfirmaverunt legatos ab rege Perseo venosse, iisque noctu senatum in aede Aesculapi datum esse. ab Carthagine legatos in Macedoniam missos et rex adfirmaverat et ipsi parum constanter negaverant.

[3] in Macedoniam quoque mittendos legatos senatus censuit. tres missi sunt, C. Laelius M. Valerius Messalla Sex. Digitius.

[4] Perseus per id tempus, quia quidam Dolopum non parebant et, de quibus ambigebatur rebus, disceptationem ab rege ad Romanos revocabant, cum exercitu profectus sub ius iudiciumque suum totam coegit gentem.

[5] inde per Oetaeos montes transgressus, religionibus quibusdam animo obiectis, oraclum aditurus Delphos escendit. cum in media repente Graecia apparuisset, magnum non finitimis modo urbibus terrorem praebuit, sed in Asiam quoque ad regem Eumenen nuntios tumultuosos misit.

[6] triduum non plus Delphis moratus, per Pthiotidem Achaiam Thessaliamque sine damno iniuriaque eorum, per quorum fines iter fecit, in regnum rediit.

[7] nec earum tantum civitatium, per quas iturus erat, satis habuit animos sibi conciliare; aut legatos aut litteras dimisit, petens, ne diutius simultatum, quae cum patre suo fuissent, meminissent; nec enim tam atroces fuisse eas, ut non cum ipso potuerint ac debuerint finiri;

[8] secum quidem omnia illis integra esse ad instituendam fideliter amicitiam; cum Achaeorum maxime gente reconciliandae gratiae viam quaerebat.

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).) — 43.22 focus

[1]

eo die ad finem agri Aetolici ¹ castra posita; inde altero die ad Stratum perventum;

[2] ubi prope Inachum amnem castris positis, ² cum expectaret effusos omnibus portis ³ Aetolos in fidem suam venturos, clausas portas atque ipsa ea nocte qua venerat receptum Romanum praesidium cum C. Popilio legato invenit.

[3] principes , qui praesentis Archidami auctoritate compulsi regem arcessierant, obviam egresso Archidamo segniores facti locum adversae factioni dederant ad Popilium cum mille peditibus ab Ambracia accersendum.

[4] in tempore et Dinarchus, praefectus equitum gentis Aetolorum, cum sescentis peditibus et equitibus centum venit. ⁴

[5] satis constabat ⁵ eum tamquam ad Persea tendentem Stratum venisse, mutato deinde cum fortuna animo Romanis se, adversus quos venerat, iunxisse.

[6] nec Popilius securior quam debebat esse inter tam mobilia ingenia erat. claves portarum custodiamque murorum suae extemplo potestatis fecit;

[7] dinarchum Aetolosque cum iuventute Stratiorum in arcem per praesidii speciem amovit.

[8] Perseus ab imminentibus superiori parti urbis tumulis temptatis colloquiis, cum obstinatos atque etiam telis procul arcentis ⁶⁷ videret, quinque milia passuum ab urbe trans Petitarum amnem posuit castra.

[9] ibi consilio advocato cum Archidamus Epirotarumque transfugae retinerent, Macedonum ⁸ principes non pugnandum cum infesto tempore anni censerent, nullis praeparatis commeatibus,

[10] cum inopiam prius obsidentes quam obsessi sensuri ⁹ essent, maxime quod hostium haud ¹⁰ procul inde hiberna erant, territus in Aperantiam castra movit.

[11] aperanti aperantii eum ¹¹ propter Archidami magnam in ea gente gratiam auctoritatemque consensu omnium acceperunt; is ipse cum octingentorum militum ¹² praesidio his est praepositus.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 41.22 focus

[1]

legati nonis Juniis ex Africa redierunt, qui convento prius Masinissa rege Carthaginem ierant; ceterum certius aliquanto, quae Carthagine acta essent, ab rege scierant quam ab ipsis Carthaginiensibus.

[2] conpertum tamen adfirmaverunt legatos ab rege Perseo venisse, iisque noctu senatum in aede Aesculapi datum esse. ab Carthagine legatos in Macedoniam missos et rex adfirmaverat et ipsi parum constanter negaverant.

[3] in Macedoniam quoque mittendos legatos senatus censuit. tres missi sunt, C. Laelius M. Valerius Messala Sex. Digitius . ¹

[4] Perseus per id tempus, quia quidam Dolopum non parebant et de quibus ambigebatur rebus disceptationem ab rege ad Romanos revocabant, cum exercitu profectus sub ius iudiciumque suum totam coegit gentem.

[5] inde per Oetaeos montes transgressus, religionibus quibusdam animo obiectis, oraclum aditurus Delphos escendit. cum in media repente Graecia apparuisset, magnum non finitumis modo urbibus terrorem praebuit, sed in Asiam quoque ad regem Eumenen nuntii tumultuosi missi.

[6] triduum non plus Delphis moratus per Phthiotidem Achaiam Thessaliamque sine damno iniuriaque ullorum, per quos iter fecit, in regnum rediit.

[7] nec earum tantum civitatium, per quas iturus erat, satis habuit animos sibi conciliare; aut legatos aut litteras dimisit, petens, ne diutius simultatum, quae cum patre suo ² fuissent, meminissent, nec enim tam atroces fuisse eas, ut non cum ipso potuerint ac debuerint finiri;

[8] secum quidem omnia illis integra esse ad instituendam fideliter amicitiam; cum Achaeorum maxime gente reconciliandae gratiae viam quaerebat.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 41.22 focus

[1]

On the nones of June, ¹ the ambassadors returned from Africa, who having first had an interview with king Masinissa, proceeded to Carthage; but they received much more certain information respecting what had taken place in Carthage from the king than from the Carthaginians themselves.

[2] They said they had sufficient proof that ambassadors had come from king Perseus, and that an audience of the senate was given to them by night, in the temple of Aesculapius; and the king asserted, that the Carthaginians had sent ambassadors to Macedon, which they themselves did not positively deny.

[3] The senate, hereupon, resolved to send an embassy to Macedonia. They made choice of Caius Laelius, Marcus Valerius Messala, and Sextus Digitius, who accordingly proceeded thither.

[4] About this time, Perseus, because some of the Dolopians were refractory, and in the matters in dispute were for referring the decision from the king to the Romans, marched an army into their country, and reduced the whole nation under his jurisdiction and dominion.

[5] Thence he passed through the mountains of Œta, and on account of some religious scruples affecting his mind, went up to Delphi, to apply to the oracle. His sudden appearance in the middle of Greece caused a great alarm, not only in the neighbouring states, but also caused alarming intelligence to be brought into Asia to king Eumenes.

[6] He staid only three days at Delphi, and then returned to his own dominions, through Phthiotis, Achaia, and Thessaly, without doing the least injury or damage to those countries.

[7] He did not think it sufficient to conciliate the esteem of the several states through which his road lay; but despatched either ambassadors or letters to every one of the Grecian powers, requesting that they would

think no more of the animosities which had subsisted between them and his father; that the disputes had not been so violent that they might not, and ought not, to cease with regard to himself. On his part, there was no kind of obstacle to the forming of a cordial friendship.

[8] Above all, he wished particularly to find some way of ingratiating himself with the Achaean nation.

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.) — 41.22 focus

[1]

The commission who had gone to Carthage, after interviewing Masinissa, returned on June 7. They had been more accurately informed as to what was going on in Carthage by the king than by the Carthaginians themselves.

[2] It was an ascertained fact, so they asserted, that envoys from Perseus had gone to Carthage, and that the senate there had given them audience at a nocturnal session in the temple of Aesculapius. Masinissa had stated that envoys had been sent from Carthage to Macedonia, and this the Carthaginians did not directly deny.

[3] The Roman senate decided that they too must send envoys to Macedonia. Three were sent-C. Laelius, M. Valerius Messala, and Sextus Digitius.

[4] A certain section of the Dolopes refused to obey Perseus' orders and appealed from him to the Romans to settle the differences between them. He advanced against them with an army and reduced the whole nation to complete submission.

[5] Then he crossed Mount Oeta and went up to Delphi to consult the oracle about religious matters which were disquieting his mind. His sudden appearance in the middle of Greece created general alarm, not only amongst the neighbouring States, but in Asia as well, where information of what was happening was hurriedly sent to Eumenes.

[6] Perseus did not stay more than three days at Delphi, and passing through Phthiotis, Achaia and Thessaly, returned to his kingdom without damaging or injuring the districts through which he passed. Nor did he consider it sufficient to conciliate those States through which his route lay; he sent either letters or envoys to the different Greek peoples, asking them to dismiss from their minds the hostile feelings which had existed between them and his father.

[7] They were not, he urged, so bitter that they could not, and ought not, to be put an end to in his case. As far as he was concerned there was nothing to disturb their relations or to prevent the growth of an honest and sincere friendship.

[8] With the Achaeans, especially, he was anxious to find some way of ingratiating himself.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. The sending of this embassy has not been mentioned, and it clearly had nothing to do with the boundary dispute of XL. xvii. The emendation which gives the exact date of the return of the embassy may well be wrong.

2. B.C. 174

3. Livy here turns to affairs in the east and follows Polybius as his source.

4. The Dolopians had been liberated in 196 B.C. (XXXIII. xxxiv. 6), reconquered by Philip with Roman consent in 191 B.C. (XXXVI. xxxiii. 7), while their status after the settlement of 185 B.C. (XXXIX. xxvi. 14) was somewhat uncertain. Perseus obviously claimed some sort of authority over them, and from XLII. xli. 14 it would seem that their

disobedience

amounted to actual revolt. In 185 B.C. Rome had ordered Philip to stay inside the ancient boundaries of Macedonia, and the conduct of Perseus now is in fact, if not literally, a defiance of Rome.

5. I take the liberty of translating misit thus rather than venture on further emendation, since the loss of text in V is small.

6. B.C. 174

7. The tense would indicate that these negotiations had preceded his visit to Delphi, but this conclusion seems to be contradicted by the account in sect. 5 of the effect actually produced on the Greeks. Perhaps something has been lost from the text to indicate that Perseus was planning to unite all Greece against the Romans.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 41.22

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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