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), 44.2

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[1]

After the consul had aroused the ardour of ¹ the soldiers by a speech to this effect, he began to hold councils on strategy. Gaius Marcius the praetor, after picking up the fleet at Chalcis, arrived in camp.

[2] It was decided not to waste more time by lingering in Thessaly, but to break camp at once and proceed thence into Macedonia, while

[3] the praetor was to make sure that the fleet should simultaneously attack the hostile coast-line.

[4] After the praetor's departure, the consul ordered his soldiers to take with them grain for a month and broke camp nine days after having assumed command;

[5] after a day's march, he summoned the guides for various routes, bade each explain before the council the route by which he would guide them, and then, after dismissing the guides, laid before the council the question of which route to choose.

[6] Some preferred the road via Pythoüs; others the one over the Cambunian Mountains used the preceding year by the consul Hostilius; others, a route past Lake Ascuris. ²

[7] For a certain distance yet there was no divergence in the routes; therefore the discussion as to this choice was postponed until they should encamp near the point of separation of the roads.

[8] Thence the consul led his army into Perrhaebia and settled down between Azorus and Doliche ³ for further conference as to the road to take.

[9] During the same time Perseus, knowing that the enemy was approaching, but unaware which route he would choose, ⁴ decided to occupy all the passes with forces.

[10] To the summit of the Cambunian Mountains (which the Macedonians themselves call Volustana) he sent ten thousand light-armed young men ⁵ under the command of Asclepiodotus; near the fort above Lake Ascuris —Lapathus is the name of the place —Hippias

[11] was ordered to hold the pass with a force of twelve thousand Macedonians. ⁶

[12] The king himself with the rest of his forces remained in camp near Dium; later, so planlessly that he seemed to have lost his mind, he would dash with some unencumbered cavalry along the shore, now to Heracleum, now to Phila, returning without halt to Dium. ⁷

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.) — 44.2 focus

[1] huius generis adhortatione accensis militum animis consultare de summa gerendi belli coepit. eo et C. Marcius praetor a Chalcide classe accepta venit.

[2] placuit non ultra morando in Thessalia tempus terere, sed movere extemplo castra atque inde pergere in Macedoniam,

[3] et praetorem dare operam, ut eodem tempore classis quoque invehatur hostium litoribus.

[4] praetore dimisso consul menstruum frumentum iusso milite secum ferre profectus decumo post die, quam exercitum acceperat, castra movit;

[5] et unius diei progressus iter convocatis itinerum ducibus cum exponere in consilio iussisset, qua quisque ducturus esset, summotis iis, quam potissimum viam peteret, rettulit ad consilium.

[6] aliis per Pythoum placebat via, aliis per Cambunios montes, qua priore anno duxerat Hostilius consul, aliis praeter Ascuridem paludem.

[7] restabat aliquantum viae communis; itaque in id tempus, quo prope divortium itinerum castra posituri erant, deliberatio eius rei differtur.

[8] in Perrhaebiam inde ducit, et inter Azorum et Dolichen stativa habuit ad consulendum rursus, quam potissimum capesseret viam.

[9] per eosdem dies Perseus cum adpropinquare hostem sciret, quod iter petiturus esset, ignarus, omnis saltus insidere praesidiis statuit.

[10] in iugum Cambuniorum montium — Volustana ipsi vocant — decem milia levis armaturae † iuvenum cum duce Asclepiodoto mittit;

[11] ad castellum, quod super Ascuridem paludem erat — Lapathus vocatur locus — , Hippias tenere saltum cum duodecim milium Macedonum praesidio iussus.

[12] ipse cum reliquis copiis primo circa Dium stativa habuit; deinde adeo inops consilii, ut obtorpuisse videretur, cum equitibus expeditis litore nunc Heracleum, nunc Philam percurrebat, eodem inde cursu Dium repetens.

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).) — 44.2 focus

[1]

huius generis adhortatione accensis militum ¹ animis consultare de summa gerendi belli coepit. eo et C. Marcius praetor a Chalcide classe accepta venit.

[2] placuit non ultra morando in Thessalia tempus terere, sed movere extemplo castra atque inde pergere in ² Macedoniam,

[3] et praetorem dare operam, ut eodem tempore classis quoque invehatur hostium litoribus.

[4] praetore dimisso consul menstruum frumentum ³ iusso milite secum ferre profectus decumo post die, quam exercitum acceperat,

[5] castra movit; et unius diei progressus iter convocatis itinerum ducibus cum exponere in consilio ⁴ iussisset, qua quisque ducturus esset, summotis iis, quam potissimum viam ⁵ peteret, rettulit ad consilium.

[6] aliis per Pythoum placebat via, aliis per Cambunios montes, qua priore anno duxerat Hostilius consul, aliis praeter Ascuridem paludem.

[7] restabat aliquantum viae communis; itaque in id tempus, quo prope divortium itinerum castra posituri erant, deliberatio eius rei differtur.

[8] in Perrhaebiam inde ducit, et inter Azorum et Dolichen stativa habuit ad consulendum rursus, quam potissimum capesseret viam.

[9] per eosdem dies Perseus cum adpropinquare hostem sciret, quod iter petiturus esset, ignarus, omnis saltus insidere ⁶ praesidiis statuit.

[10] in iugum Cambuniorum montium —Volustana ipsi vocant—decem milia levis armaturae iuvenum ⁷ cum duce Asclepiodoto mittit;

[11] ad castellum, quod super Ascuridem paludem erat—Lapathus vocatur locus—, Hippias tenere saltum cum duodecim milium Macedonum praesidio iussus.

[12] ipse cum reliquis copiis primo circa Dium stativa habuit; deinde adeo inops consilii, ⁸ ut obtorpuisse videretur, cum equitibus expeditis litore nunc Heracleum, ⁹ nunc Philam percurrebat, eodem inde cursu Dium repetens.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 44.2 focus

[1]

huius generis adhortatione accensis militum animis consultare de summa gerendi belli coepit. eo et C. Marcius praetor a Chalcide classe accepta venit.

[2] placuit non ultra morando in Thessalia tempus terere, sed movere extemplo castra atque pergere inde in Macedoniam,

[3] et praetorem dare operam, ut eodem tempore classis quoque invehatur hostium litoribus.

[4] praetore dimisso consul menstruum iusso milite secum ferre profectus decumo post die,

[5] quam exercitum acceperat, castra movit et unius diei progressus iter convocatis itinerum ducibus cum exponere in consilio iussisset, qua quisque ducturus esset, summotis iis, quam viam potissimum peteret, rettulit ad ¹ consilium.

[6] aliis per Pythoum placebat via, aliis per Cambunios montes, qua priore anno duxerat Hostilius consul, aliis praeter Ascuridem paludem.

[7] restabat aliquantum viae communis; itaque in id tempus, quo prope divortium itinerum castra posituri erant, deliberatio eius rei differtur.

[8] in Perrhaebiam inde ducit, et inter Azorum et Dolichen stativa habuit ad consulendum rursus, quam potissimum capesseret viam.

[9] per eosdem dies Perseus cum adpropinquare hostem sciret, quod iter petiturus esset, ignarus, omnis saltus insidere praesidiis statuit.

[10] in iugum Cambuniorum montium — Volustana ipsi vocant — decem milia levis armaturae iuvenum cum duce Asclepiodoto mittit;

[11] ad castellum, quod super Ascuridem paludem erat ² — Lapathus vocatur locus —, Hippias tenere saltum cum duodecim milium Macedonum praesidio iussus.

[12] ipse cum reliquis copiis primo circa Dium stativa habuit; deinde a Dio, ut obtorpuisse inops consilii videretur, cum equitibus expeditis litore nunc Heracleum, nunc Philam percurrebat, eodem inde cursu Dium repetens.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 44.2 focus

[1]

Having animated the minds of his soldiers by such exhortations, he began to consult on a general plan of operations for the campaign; being joined by the praetor, Caius Marcius, who, after receiving the command of the fleet, came thither from Chalcis.

[2] It was resolved not to waste time by delaying longer in Thessaly; but to decamp immediately, and advance thence into Macedonia;

[3] and that the praetor should exert himself to the utmost, that the fleet might appear, at the same time, on the enemy's coasts.

[4] The praetor then having been sent away, the consul, having ordered the soldiers to carry with them a month's provisions, struck his tents, on the tenth day after he received the command of the army, and proceeded one day's march.

[5] He then called together his guides, and ordered them to explain, in the presence of the council, by what road each of them proposed to lead him; then, having dismissed them, he asked the opinion of the council, as to what route he should prefer.

[6] Some advised the road through Pythium; others, that over the Cambunian mountains, by which the consul Hostilius had marched the year before; while others, again, preferred that which passed by the side of the Lake Ascuris.

[7] There was yet before him a considerable length of road common to each of these routes; the further consideration of this matter was therefore postponed until they should encamp near the place where the roads diverged.

[8] He then marched into Perrhaebia, and posted himself between Azorus and Doliche, in order to consider again which was the preferable road.

[9] In the mean time, Perseus, understanding that the enemy was marching towards him, but unable to guess what route he might take, resolved to secure all the passes by guards.

[10] To the top of the Cambunian mountains, called by the natives Volustana, he sent ten thousand light infantry, under the command of Asclepiodotus; ordering Hippias, with a detachment of twelve thousand Macedonians, to guard the pass called Lapathus, near a fort which stood over the Lake Ascuris.

[11] He himself, with the rest of his forces, lay for some time in camp at Dium;

[12] but afterwards, as if he had lost the use of his judgment, and was incapable of forming any plan, he used to gallop along the coast, with a party of light horse, sometimes to Heracleum, sometimes to Phila, and then return with the same speed to Dium.

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.) — 44.2 focus

[1]

After kindling the spirits of his men by speeches of this kind, he consulted his staff on the strategy of the war. C. Marius, the praetor, who had taken over the command of the fleet, was also present.

[2] They decided not to waste any more time in Thessaly, but to go forward at once into Macedonia, and the praetor was to make

[3] a naval attack on the enemy's coast at the same time.

[4] The consul issued orders for the soldiers to take a month's supply of corn. Ten days after taking over the command of the army he broke up the camp, and at the end of the first

[5] day's march he called the guides together and told them to explain to the council what route each of them would choose. After they had withdrawn he asked the council to say which they thought best.

[6] Some preferred the route through the Pythian Pass; others were in favour of the road over the Cambunian Range which the consul Hostilius had taken the previous year; others again chose the road by Lake Ascuris.

[7] All these routes had a considerable section in common; the further discussion was therefore adjourned until they reached the point where they began to diverge.

[8] From there he marched into Perrhaebia and went into camp between Azorus and Doliche, to hold a second consultation as to the best route to take. During this time Perseus had heard that the enemy were approaching, but did not know which route they were taking.

[9] He decided to occupy all the passes, and sent 10,000 light infantry under Asclepiodotus to hold a peak in the Cambunian Range-its local name is Volustana.

[10] At a fortified place above Lake Ascuris, called Lapathus, Hippias with 12,000 Macedonians was posted to defend the pass.

[11] Perseus himself with the rest of his force formed an entrenched camp at Dium. And here it would almost seem as if his reasoning faculties were benumbed and he

[12] was destitute of all resource, for he used to start from his camp at Dium with an escort of light cavalry, and gallop to Heraclea or to Phila, returning at the same speed to Dium.

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. For Pythoüs, cf. XLII. liii. 6 and below, xxxii. 9 and xxxv. 15. Perseus entered Thessaly by the Cambunian Mountain route, cf. XLII. liii. 6; Livy's account of the march of Hostilius seems to have disappeared in one of the lacunae, cf. p. 14 n. 7. Volustana, mentioned below, sec. 10, is at the north-east end of this route, next to Mt. Olympus. Lake Ascuris is the modern Nezeros.

3. This seems to have been farther west than necessary for the Ascuris route.

4. B.C. 169

Young men

seems superfluous, and editors are inclined to substitute an expression suggesting whence the troops came.

6. Asclepiodotus is mentioned in XLII. li. 7 as a commander of Gauls; Hippias appears in XLII. li. 3 and lix. 7 as a commander of phalanx-men.

7. This patrolling may not have been as senseless as Livy would have it; Livy seems to be convinced that the gods made Perseus mad, preparatory to destroying him; but if Perseus had happened upon the Romans when they actually came down from the mountains, it would have been to his advantage. Cf. Diodorus XXX. 10 for the same view of Perseus' folly; ibid. 2 elaborates the incident told below, vi. 1.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 44.2

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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