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), 43.19

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[1]

After placing a garrison in Uscana, Perseus took the whole mass of prisoners, which almost ¹ equalled his army in numbers, ² to Stuberra.

[2] There, after assigning the Romans —of whom there were four thousand ³ —, except the chief officers, to various cities to guard, and selling the people of Uscana and the Illyrians, he led the army back among the Penestae in order to bring

[3] under his control the town of Oaeneum, which was in many ways strategically situated, particularly in that the route to the Labeates, where Gentius was king, passes this way.

[4] As he was passing a populous fort, Draudacum by name, one who knew this region said that there was no use of capturing Oaeneum unless Draudacum too was under his control; for it was even more strategically situated for all purposes.

[5] On his bringing up his army, all at once surrendered.

Encouraged by this surrender, more prompt than he had hoped, after he noticed how great was the fear caused by his column, -he brought under his control eleven other forts because of this same dread.

[6] At only a very few was there need of force; the rest were voluntarily surrendered; and in these there were taken prisoner fifteen hundred ⁴ Roman soldiers who had been distributed among the garrisons.

[7] Carvilius of Spoletium was most useful in the parleys, in saying that no harshness had been used against him and his comrades. Next, Perseus arrived at Oaeneum, which could not be taken without a regular siege.

[8] The city was strong both because of a somewhat ⁵ larger force of young men than the others had had and because of its walls; moreover, on the one side a river, Artatus by name, on the other a very high mountain, difficult to ascend, girt the city about.

[9] These defences gave the people of the city hope of holding out. Perseus, after encircling the town with earthworks, began to build up a mound on the higher side, high enough to bring him above the wall.

[10] While this work was in progress, the frequent battles which meanwhile took place, as the townspeople resorted to sallies to protect their walls and to hinder the siege-works of the enemy, caused a great wastage in casualties of one kind or another, while those townspeople who survived were incapacitated by daily and nightly toil and by wounds.

[11] As soon as the mound was joined to the wall, the royal company, whom they call the Conquerors, ⁶ passed over it, and also at the same time an attack was made with ladders against many parts of the city.

[12] All the adult males were killed; their wives and children Perseus put under guard; the other items of booty fell to the soldiers.

[13] Returning thence victoriously to Stuberra, he sent as envoys to Gentius, Pleuratus the Illyrian, who was in exile at his court, and Adaeus, a Macedonian from Beroea; ⁷ he instructed them to relate his achievements of that summer and winter against the Romans and Dardanians;

[14] they were to add the ⁸ recent operations of his winter march into Illyricum; and they were to urge Gentius to join in friendship with Perseus and the Macedonians.

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.) — 43.19 focus

[1] Perseus praesidio Uscanae inposito multitudinem omnem deditorum, quae prope numero exercitum aequabat, Stuberram abducit.

[2] ibi Romanis — quattuor milia autem hominum erant — praeter principes in custodiam civitatum divisis, Uscanensibus Illyriisque venditis, in Penestas exercitum reducit ad Oaeneum oppidum in potestatem redigendum,

[3] et alioqui opportune situm, et transitus ea est in Labeates, ubi Gentius regnabat.

[4] praetereunti frequens castellum, Draudacum nomine, peritorum quidam regionis eius nihil Oaeneo capto opus esse ait, nisi in potestate et Draudacum sit;

[5] opportunius etiam ad omnia positum esse. admoto exercitu omnes extemplo dediderunt sese. ad quam spe celeriorem deditionem erectus postquam animadvertit, quantus agminis sui terror esset, undecim alia castella eodem metu in potestatem redigit.

[6] ad perpauca vi opus fuit, cetera voluntate dedita; et in his recepti mille et quingenti dispositi per praesidia milites Romani.

[7] magno usui Carvilius Spoletinus erat in conloquiis dicendo nihil in ipsos saevitum. deinde Oaeneum perventum est, quod sine iusta oppugnatione capi non poterat. et maiore aliquanto, quam cetera, iuventute et validum oppidum moenibus erat,

[8] et hinc amnis, Artatus nomine, hinc mons praealtus et aditu difficilis cingebat.

[9] haec spem ad resistendum oppidanis dabant. Perseus circumvallato oppido aggerem a parte superiore ducere instituit, cuius altitudine muros superaret.

[10] quod opus dum perficitur, crebris interim proeliis, quibus per excursiones et moenia sua oppidani tutabantur et opera hostium inpediebant, magna eorum multitudo variis casibus absumpta est, et qui supererant, labore diurno nocturnoque et volneribus inutiles erant.

[11] ubi primum agger iniunctus muro est, et cohors regia, quos Nicatoras appellant, transcendit, et scalis multis simul partibus inpetus in urbem est factus.

[12] puberes omnes interfecti sunt; coniuges liberosque eorum in custodiam dedit;

[13] praedae alia militum cessere. Stuberram inde victor revertens ad Gentium legatos Pleuratum Illyrium, exulantem apud se, et Adaeum Macedonem a Beroea mittit;

[14] iis mandat, ut exponerent aestatis eius hiemisque acta sua adversus Romanos Dardanosque; adicerent recentia in Illyrico hibernae expeditionis opera; hortarentur Gentium in amicitiam secum et cum Macedonibus iungendam.

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).) — 43.19 focus

[1]

Perseus praesidio Uscanae imposito multitudinem omnem deditorum, quae prope numero ¹ exercitum aequabat, Stuberram abducit.

[2] ibi Romanis - quattuor milia autem hominum erant - praeter principes in custodiam civitatum ² divisis, Uscanensibus Illyriisque venditis, in Penestas ³ exercitum reducit ad Oaeneum ⁴ oppidum in potestatem redigendum,

[3] et alioqui opportune situm et transitus ea est in Labeates, ubi Gentius regnabat.

[4] praetereunti frequens castellum, Draudacum nomine, peritorum quidam regionis eius nihil Oaeneo ⁵ capto opus esse ait, nisi in potestate et Draudacum sit; opportunius etiam ad omnia positum esse.

[5] admoto exercitu omnes ⁶ extemplo dediderunt sese. ad⁷ quam spe celeriorem deditionem ⁸ erectus, postquam animadvertit quantus agminis sui terror esset, undecim alia castella eodem metu in potestatem redigit.

[6] ad perpauca vi opus fuit, cetera voluntate dedita; et in his recepti mille et quingenti dispositi per praesidia milites Romani.

[7] magno usui Carvilius Spoletinus erat in colloquiis dicendo nihil in ipsos saevitum. deinde⁹ Oaeneum perventum est, quod sine iusta oppugnatione capi non poterat. et maiore aliquanto quam cetera iuventute et ¹⁰ validum oppidum moenibus erat,

[8] et hinc amnis Artatus nomine, hinc mons praealtus et aditu difficilis cingebat.

[9] haec spem ad resistendum oppidanis dabant. Perseus circumvallato oppido aggerem a parte superiore ducere instituit, cuius altitudine muros superaret.

[10] quod opus dum perficitur, crebris interim proeliis, quibus per excursiones et moenia sua oppidani tutabantur et opera hostium impediebant, magna eorum multitudo multitude variis casibus absumpta est, et qui supererant labore diurno nocturnoque et ¹¹ volneribus inutiles erant.

[11] ubi primum agger iniunctus muro est, et cohors regia, quos Nicatoras appellant, transcendit et scalis multis simul partibus impetus in urbem est factus.

[12] puberes omnes interfecti sunt; coniuges liberosque eorum in custodiam dedit; praedae alia militum cessere.

[13] Stuberram inde victor revertens ad Gentium ¹² legatos Pleuratum illyrium llyrium , exulantem apud se, et Adaeum ¹³ Macedonem a Beroea ¹⁴ mittit;

[14] iis mandat, ut exponerent aestatis eius hiemisque acta sua adversus Romanos Dardanosque; adicerent ¹⁵¹⁶ recentia in Illyrico hibernae expeditionis opera; hortarentur Gentium in amicitiam secum et cum Macedonibus iungendam.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 43.19 focus

[1]

Perseus praesidio Uscanae inposito multitudinem omnem deditorum, quae prope numero exercitum aequabat, Stuberram abducit.

[2] ibi Romanis—quattuor milia autem hominum erant—praeter principes in custodiam civitatum divisis, Uscanensibus ¹ Illyriisque venditis in Penestiam exercitum reducit ad Oaeneum oppidum in potestatem redigendum et alioqui opportune situm,

[3] et transitus ea est in Labeates, ubi Gentius regnabat.

[4] praetereunti frequens castellum, Draudacum nomine, peritorum quidam regionis eius nihil Oaeneo capto opus esse ait, nisi in potestate et Draudacum sit; opportunius etiam ad omnia positum esse.

[5] admoto exercitu omnes extemplo dediderunt sese. qua spe celeriore deditione erectus postquam animadvertit, quantus agminis sui terror esset, undecim alia castella eodem metu in potestatem redigit.

[6] ad perpauca vi opus fuit, cetera voluntate dedita; et in his recepti mille et quingenti dispositi per praesidia milites Romani.

[7] magno usui Carvilius Spoletinus erat in conloquiis dicendo, nihil in ipsos saevitum. ad Oaeneum perventum est, quod sine iusta oppugnatione capi non poterat. et maiore aliquanto, quam ² cetera,

[8] iuventute et validum oppidum moenibus erat, et hinc amnis, Artatus nomine, hinc mons praealtus et aditu difficilis cingebat.

[9] haec spem ad resistendum oppidanis dabant. Perseus circumvallato oppido aggerem a parte superiore ducere instituit, cuius altitudine muros superaret.

[11] ubi primum agger iniunctus muro est, et cohors regia, quos nicatoras appellant, transcendit et scalis multis simul partibus impetus in urbem est factus.

[12] puberes omnes interfecti sunt; coniuges liberosque eorum in custodiam dedit;

[13] praedae alia militum cessere. Stuberram inde victor revertens ad Gentium legatos Pleuratum Illyricum, exulantem apud se, et Adaeum Macedonem a Beroea mittit.

[14] iis ³ mandat, ut exponerent aestatis eius hiemisque acta sua adversus Romanos Dardanosque, adicerent recentia in Illyrico hibernae expeditionis opera; hortarentur Gentium in amicitiam secum et cum Macedonibus iungendam.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 43.19 focus

[1]

Perseus, placing a garrison in Uscana, carried away to Stubera the whole multitude of prisoners, almost equal to his army in number.

[2] He then distributed the Romans, who amounted to four thousand, besides officers, among several cities, to be kept in custody; and, having sold the Uscanians and Illyrians, led back his army to Penestia, to reduce the city of Oaeneus:

[3] the town is advantageously situated in other respects, and besides, in that direction there is a passage into the country of the Labeatians, where Gentius was king.

[4] As he passed by a fort, named Draudacum, which was full of men, one of the persons, well acquainted with the country, told him that

there was no use in taking Oaeneus unless he had Draudacum in his power; for the latter was situated more advantageously in every respect.

[5] When his army was brought against it, the garrison surrendered unanimously and at once. Encouraged by the surrender of this place, which was earlier than he hoped, and perceiving what terrors his march diffused, by taking advantage of the like fears, he reduced eleven other forts to submission.

[6] Against a very few he had occasion to use force; the rest submitted voluntarily; among whom one thousand five hundred Roman soldiers were taken, who had been divided among the Roman garrisons.

[7] Carvilius Spoletinus was very serviceable to him in his conferences with the garrison, by declaring that no severity had been shown to his own party. At length he arrived at Oaeneus, which could not be taken without a regular siege. The town possessed a much greater number of young men than the others, and was strong in its fortifications.

[8] It was enclosed on one side by a river called Artatus, and on another by a very high mountain of difficult access; these circumstances gave the inhabitants courage to make resistance.

[9] Perseus, having drawn lines of circumvallation, began, on the higher ground, to raise a mound, which he intended should exceed the wall in height.

[10] By the time that this work was completed, the besieged, in their many actions, when sallying out to defend their works, or to obstruct those of the enemy, had lost great numbers by various chances; while the survivors were rendered useless by wounds, and by continual labour both in the day and night.

[11] As soon as the mound was brought close to the wall, the royal cohort (the men of which are called Nicators) rushed from it into the town, while an assault was made by scalade in many places at once.

[12] All the males, who had reached the age of puberty, were put to the sword, their wives and children were thrown into confinement, and every thing else was given as booty to the soldiers.

[13] Returning thence victorious to Stubera, he sent, as ambassadors to Gentius, —Pleuratus, an Illyrian, who lived in exile at his court, and Adaeus, a Macedonian, from Berœa.

[14] He gave them instructions to represent his exploits against the Romans and Dardanians during the preceding summer and winter, and to add the recent operations of his winter campaign in Illyria, and to exhort Gentius to unite with him and the Macedonians in a treaty of friendship.

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.) — 43.19 focus

[1]

After this he led his army back to Oaeneus with the intention of becoming master of the place, as its

[2] situation would be a convenience to him as affording amongst other things a passage to Libeates, where Gentius had his seat of government.

[3] Whilst he was marching past a strongly held fort called Daudracum, some who knew the country assured him that nothing would be gained by the capture of Oaeneus if Daudracum was not in his power; its position was more advantageous in every way.

[4] When he had brought up his army, the whole of the garrison surrendered. He was much elated at gaining the place so much more quickly than he had expected, and as he saw what terror the approach of his army created, he went to reduce eleven other fortified posts in the same way.

[5] Very few had to be stormed; the rest surrendered voluntarily, and 1500 Roman soldiers who were stationed in these forts were made prisoners.

[6] Carvilius Spoletinus had been most useful to him in negotiating the surrenders by asserting that he and his men had not been treated cruelly or harshly. Then he arrived before Oaeneus.

[7] This place could only be taken by a regular siege; it was considerably stronger than the other places both in the number of its defenders and in the strength of its fortifications. It is encircled on one side by the river Artatus, and on the other by a very lofty and almost impassable mountain. These advantages gave the townsmen courage to resist.

[8] Perseus completely invested the town and began to construct a raised way against the upper part of it which was to overtop the walls.

[9] While this work was being completed there was continual fighting and sorties in which the townsmen tried to defend their own walls and at the same time impede the progress of the enemy's siege-works.

[10] A large part of the population were carried off by the various accidents of war, and the survivors were rendered useless through their wounds and the incessant toil and exertions by day and night alike.

[11] As soon as the raised way was connected to the walls the king's cohort, who bear the title of "nicatores," passed over it, and at the same time the walls were scaled at many points and a simultaneous assault was delivered on all sides of the city. All the adult males were put to the sword, their wives and children were placed under guard and the rest of the booty went to the soldiers.

[12] After this victory he returned to Stuberra and sent Pleuratus, the Illyrian,

[13] who was a refugee in his suite, and Adaeus, a Macedonian from Beroea, on a mission to Gentius. Their instructions were to give an account of Perseus's summer and winter campaigns against the Romans and the Dardanians, and also the results of his winter expedition in Illyria.

[14] They were to urge Gentius to form a league of friendship with him and the Macedonians.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 169

2. According to ch. x. above, the population of Uscana was 10,000.

3. In view of the numbers given elsewhere for garrison details (XLII. xxxvi. 9, forts of Dassaretii and Illyrians, 2000 Romans; lxvii. 9, Ambracia, 2000 men; XLIII. ix. 6, force of Claudius, 4000 Romans, 4000 local levies, to protect Illyricum in general), this number seems exaggerated.

4. In view of the numbers given elsewhere for garrison details (XLII. xxxvi. 9, forts of Dassaretii and Illyrians, 2000 Romans; lxvii. 9, Ambracia, 2000 men; XLIII. ix. 6, force of Claudius, 4000 Romans, 4000 local levies, to protect Illyricum in general), this number seems exaggerated.

5. B.C. 169

6. It is not clear to what sort of unit Livy is referring; one would suppose a corps d'élite, and the reference, in XXVIII. v. 15, to a royal company kept by Philip as a mobile reserve under his personal command, would seem to confirm this; so also the royal company of Antiochus, called the Silver- Shields, in XXXVII. xl. 7; but the royal company mentioned in XL. vi. 3, at a review of the Macedonian army, would seem to be the group of young nobles described in XLV. vi. 7, as serving as royal pages or squires, cf. Arrian IV. xiii. 1, Diodorus XVII. 65, Curtius Rufus VIII. vi. 2-7, and X. vii. 16. The only other reference to the name

Conquerors

is Hesychius' definition:

the most excellent in the units

( nikath=res oi( a)kmaio/tatoi e)n tai=s ta/cesi )

7. Taken from Polybius XXVIII. 8; who adds the Epirotes to the list of Perseus' opponents, cf. above, xviii. 2.

8. B.C. 169

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 43.19

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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