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), 44.37

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[1]

After Paulus saw that the camp had been laid out and the baggage placed, he quietly withdrew the

[2] rear formation first from behind the battle-line, next the chief formation, while the forward ¹ formation stood its ground at the front of the battle-line, in case the enemy should make a move; last of all he withdrew the forward formation, taking the soldiers of one maniple at a time, starting with the right wing.

[3] In this way, while the cavalry and the light-armed troops faced the enemy from in front of the battle-line, the infantry were withdrawn without confusion, and the cavalry were not called away from their posts until the facade of the rampart and the ditch facing the enemy had been completed.

[4] Although the king would have been prepared to fight that day without reluctance, he was satisfied to let it be seen that the delay was due to the enemy, and he too withdrew his forces into camp.

[5] After the fortification of the camp was complete, Gaius Sulpicius Gallus, ² tribune of the soldiers with the second legion, who had been praetor the year before, summoned the soldiers to an assembly, by permission of the consul, and announced that no one should regard it as a bad omen when on the following night an eclipse of

[6] the moon would take place from the second to the fourth hour of the night.

[7] Since this occurred in the regular order of nature at certain times, said Sulpicius, it could be calculated ahead of time and foretold. Therefore just as they were not surprised —inasmuch as both the risings and the settings of the sun and moon are well understood —when they saw the moon shining now full, now during its wane with a narrow arc, no more ought they to count it a prodigy that the moon is darkened whenever it is hidden in the shadow of the earth. ³

[8] On the night preceding the 4th of September, when the moon was eclipsed at the predicted hour, the Roman soldiers regarded the wisdom of Gallus as almost divine;

[9] the Macedonians took it as a dire portent, foretelling the downfall of the kingdom and the nation, and no soothsayer shook their conviction. There was uproar and wailing in the Macedonian camp until the moon emerged to shine as usual.

[10] On the following day, so great was the eagerness of both armies for battle that some of their followers blamed both the king and the consul for separating without a fight.

[11] The king had a rejoinder ready at hand: not only that the enemy had taken the lead in openly declining battle and leading his men back to camp, but that he had posted his forces in a position to which the phalanx could not be advanced, since even slightly unfavourable terrain makes a phalanx useless.

[12] As for the consul, besides his seeming loss of an opportunity for battle on the previous day and his giving the enemy a chance of withdrawing by night if they wished, he seemed on this day too to be wasting time on the pretext of offering sacrifice, although he should have given the signal at dawn and gone out to battle. ⁴

[13] At the third hour, after due completion of the sacrifice, he at last called a council, and in doing so seemed to some to be expending in talk and untimely advisement the time needed for carrying out action. In reply to such talk the consul delivered the following speech:

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.) — 44.37 focus

[1] Paulus postquam metata castra impedimentaque conlocata animadvertit, ex postrema acie triarios primos subducit,

[2] deinde principes, stantibus in prima acie hastatis, si quid hostis moveret, postremo hastatos, ab dextro primum cornu singulorum paulatim signorum milites subtrahens.

[3] ita pedites equitibus cum levi armatura ante aciem hosti oppositis sine tumultu abducti, nec ante, quam prima frons valli ac fossa perducta est, ex statione equites revocati sunt.

[4] rex quoque, cum sine detractatione paratus pugnare eo die fuisset, contentus eo, quod per hostem moram fuisse scirent, et ipse in castra copias reduxit.

[5] castris permunitis C. Sulpicius Gallus, tribunus militum secundae legionis, qui praetor superiore anno fuerat, consulis permissu ad contionem militibus vocatis pronuntiavit, nocte proxima, ne quis id pro portento acciperet, ab hora secunda usque ad quartam horam noctis lunam defecturam esse.

[6] id quia naturali ordine statis temporibus fiat, et sciri ante et praedici posse.

[7] itaque quem ad modum, quia certi solis lunaeque et ortus et occasus sint, nunc pleno orbe, nunc senescentem exiguo cornu fulgere lunam non mirarentur, ita ne obscurari quidem, cum condatur umbra terrae, trahere in prodigium debere.

[8] nocte, quam pridie nonas Septembres insecuta est dies, edita hora luna cum defecisset, Romanis militibus Galli sapientia prope divina videri;

[9] Macedonas ut triste prodigium, occasum regni perniciemque gentis portendens, movit nec aliter vates. clamor ululatusque in castris Macedonum fuit, donec luna in suam lucem emersit.

[10] postero die — tantus utrique ardor exercitui ad concurrendum fuerat, ut et regem et consulem suorum quidam, quod sine proelio discessum esset, accusarent —

[11] regi prompta defensio erat, non eo solum, quod hostis prior aperte pugnam detractans in castra copias reduxisset, sed etiam quod eo loco signa constituisset, quo phalanx, quam inutilem vel mediocris iniquitas loci efficeret, promoveri non posset.

[12] consul ad id, quod pridie praetermisisse pugnandi occasionem videbatur et locum dedisse hosti, si nocte abire vellet, tunc quoque per speciem immolandi terere videbatur tempus, cum luce prima ad signum propositum pugnae exeundum in aciem fuisset.

[13] tertia demum hora sacrificio rite perpetrato ad consilium vocavit; atque ibi, quod rei gerendae tempus esset, loquendo et intempestive consultando videbatur quibusdam extrahere. adversus eos sermones talem consul orationem habuit.

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).) — 44.37 focus

[1]

Paulus postquam metata castra impedimentaque conlocata animadvertit, ex postrema acie triarios primos subducit,

[2] deinde principes, stantibus in ¹ prima acie hastatis, si quid hostis moveret, postremo hastatos, ab dextro primum cornu singulorum paulatim signorum milites subtrahens.

[3] ita pedites equitibus cum levi armatura ante aciem hosti oppositis sine tumultu abducti, nec ante quam prima frons valli ac fossa perducta est, ex statione equites revocati sunt.

[4] Rex quoque, cum sine detractatione paratus pugnare eo die fuisset, contentus eo quod ² per hostem moram fuisse scirent, et ipse in castra copias reduxit.

[5] castris permunitis C. Sulpicius Gallus, tribunus militum secundae legionis, qui praetor superiore anno fuerat, consulis permissu ad contionem militibus vocatis pronuntiavit,

[6] nocte proxima, ne quis id pro portento acciperet, ab hora secunda usque ad quartam horam noctis lunam defecturam esse. id quia naturali ordine statis temporibus fiat, et sciri ante et praedici posse.

[7] itaque quem ad modum, quia certi solis lunaeque et ortus et occasus sint, nunc pleno orbe, nunc senescentem ³ exiguo cornu fulgere ⁴ lunam non mirarentur, ita ne obscurari quidem, cum condatur umbra terrae, trahere in prodigium debere.

[8] nocte⁵ quam pridie nonas Septembres insecuta est dies, edita hora luna cum defecisset, Romanis militibus Galli sapientia prope divina videri;

[9] Macedonas ut triste prodigium, occasum regni perniciemque gentis portendens, movit nec aliter vates. clamor ululatusque in castris Macedonum fuit, donec done luna in suam lucem emersit.

[10] postero die—tantus utrique ardor exercitui ad concurrendum fuerat, ut et regem et consulem suorum quidam, quod sine proelio discessum esset, accusarent —regi prompta defensio erat,

[11] non eo solum quod hostis prior aperte pugnam detractans in castra copias reduxisset, sed etiam quod eo loco signa constituisset, quo phalanx, quam inutilem vel mediocris iniquitas loci efficeret, promoveri non posset.

[12] Consul ad id quod pridie praetermisisse pugnandi occasionem videbatur et locum dedisse hosti, si nocte abire vellet, tunc tune quoque per speciem immolandi terere videbatur tempus, cum luce prima ad signum propositum pugnae exeundum ⁶ in aciem fuisset.

[13] tertia demum hora sacrificio rite perpetrato ad consilium vocavit; atque ibi quod rei gerendae tempus esset loquendo Ioquendo et intempestive consultando videbatur quibusdam extrahere. adversus eos sermones talem ⁷ consul orationem habuit.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 44.37 focus

[1]

Paulus postquam metata castra impedimentaque conlocata animadvertit, ex postrema acie triarios primos subducit,

[2] deinde principes stantibus in prima acie hastatis, si quid hostis moveret, postremo hastatos, ab dextro primum cornu singulorum paulatim signorum milites subtrahens.

[3] ita pedites equitibus cum levi armatura ante aciem hosti oppositis sine tumultu abducti, nec ante, quam prima frons valli ac fossa perducta est, ex statione equites revocati sunt.

[4] rex quoque, cum sine detractatione paratus pugnare eo die fuisset, contentus eo, quod per hostem moram fuisse pugnae scirent, et ipse in castra copias reduxit.

[5] castris permunitis C. Sulpicius Gallus , tribunus militum secundae legionis, qui praetor superiore anno fuerat, consulis ¹ permissu ad contionem militibus vocatis, pronuntiavit nocte proxima, ne quis id pro portento acciperet,

[6] ab hora secunda usque ad quartam horam noctis lunam defecturam esse. id quia naturali ordine statis temporibus fiat, et sciri ante et praedici posse.

[7] itaque quem ad modum, quia certi solis lunaeque et ortus et ² occasus sint, nunc pleno orbe, nunc senescentem exiguo cornu fulgere lunam non mirarentur, ita ne obscurari quidem, cum condatur umbra terrae, trahere in prodigium debere.

[8] nocte, quam pridie nonas Septembres insecuta est dies, edita hora cum luna defecisset, Romanis militibus Galli sapientia prope divina videri;

[9] Macedonas ut triste prodigium occasum regni perniciemque gentis portendens movit, nec aliter vates. clamor ululatusque in castris Macedonum fuit, donec luna in suam lucem emersit. ³

[10] postero die — tantus utrique ardor exercitui ad concurrendum fuerat, ut et regem et consulem suorum quidam, quod sine proelio discessum esset, accusarent — regi prompta defensio erat non eo solum,

[11] quod hostis prior, aperte pugnam detractans, in castra copias reduxisset, sed etiam quod eo loco signa constituisset, quo phalanx, quam inutilem vel mediocris iniquitas loci efficeret, promoveri non posset.

[13] tertia demum hora sacrificio rite perpetrato ad consilium vocavit atque ibi, quod rei gerendae tempus esset, loquendo et intempestive consultando videbatur quibusdam extrahere. sermones tamen consul orationem habuit. ⁴

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 44.37 focus

[1]

Paullus, as soon as he saw the camp marked out, and the baggage laid up, drew off,

[2] first, the veterans from the rear line, then the first-rank men, while the spear-men stood in the front, lest the enemy might make any attempt; and lastly, the spear-men, beginning at the right wing, and leading them away, gradually, by single companies.

[3] Thus were the infantry drawn off without tumult; and, in the mean time, the cavalry and light infantry faced the enemy; nor were the cavalry recalled from their station, until the rampart and trench were finished.

[4] The king, though he was disposed to have given battle that day, was yet satisfied; since his men knew, that the delay was owing to the enemy: and he led back his troops to their station.

[5] When the camp had been thoroughly fortified, Caius Sulpicius Gallus, a military tribune of the second legion, who had been praetor the year before, with the consul's permission collected the soldiers in assembly, and gave them notice, lest they should any of them consider the matter as a prodigy, that,

on the following night, the moon would be eclipsed, from the second hour to the fourth.

[6] He mentioned that,

as this happened in the course of nature, at stated times, it could be known, and foretold.

[7]

As, therefore, they did not wonder at the regular rising and setting of the sun and moon, or at the moon's sometimes shining with a full orb, and sometimes in its wane, showing only small horns, so neither ought they to construe as a portent, its being obscured when covered with the shadow of the earth.

[8] When on the night preceding the day before the nones of September, at the hour mentioned, the eclipse took place, the Roman soldiers thought the wisdom of Gallus almost divine; but the Macedonians were shocked, as at a dismal prodigy, foreboding the fall of their kingdom and the ruin of their nation; nor did their soothsayers explain it otherwise.

[9] There was shouting and yelling in the camp of the Macedonians, until the moon emerged forth into its full light.

[10] Both armies had been so eager for an engagement, that, next day, both the king and the consul were censured by many of their respective men for having separated without a battle.

[11] The king could readily excuse himself, not only as the enemy had led back his troops into camp, openly declining a battle; but, also, as he had posted his men on ground of such a nature, that the phalanx (which even a small inequality of surface renders useless) could not advance on it.

[12] The consul, besides appearing to have neglected an opportunity of fighting, and to have given the enemy room to go off in the night, if he were so inclined, was thought to waste time at the present, under pretence of offering sacrifice, though the signal had been displayed, at the first light, for going out to the field.

[13] At last, about the third hour, the sacrifices being duly performed, he summoned a council, and there, too, he was deemed by several to spin out, in talking and unseasonable consultation, the time that ought to be employed in action; after the conversation, however, the consul addressed to them the following speech.

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.) — 44.37 focus

[1]

When Aemilius Paulus saw that the site of the camp had been marked out and the baggage

[2] collected, he first quietly withdrew the triarii from the back of the line, then the principes, leaving the hastati standing in front, in case the enemy made any movement. Finally he retired these also, withdrawing those on the right first, maniple by maniple.

[3] In this way the infantry were withdrawn without creating any confusion, leaving the cavalry and light infantry facing the enemy. The cavalry were not recalled from their position until the rampart and fosse in front of the camp were carried their full length.

[4] The king was quite ready to give battle that day, but as his men were aware that the delay was due to the enemy he was quite content, and he too led his men back to camp.

[5] When the fortification of the camp was completed, C. Sulpicius Gallus, a military tribune attached to the second legion, who had been a praetor the year before, obtained the consul's permission to call the soldiers on parade. He then explained that on the following night the moon would lose her light from the second hour to the fourth, and no one must regard this as a portent, because this

[6] happened in the natural order of things at stated intervals, and could be known beforehand and predicted.

[7] Just in the same way, then, as they did not regard the regular rising and setting of the sun and moon or the changes in the light of the moon from full circle to a thin and waning crescent as a marvel, so they ought not to take its obscuration when it is hidden in the shadow of the earth for a supernatural portent.

[8] On the next night-September 4-the eclipse took place at the stated hour, and the Roman soldiers thought that Gallus possessed almost divine wisdom. It gave a shock to the Macedonians as portending the fall of their kingdom and the ruin of their nation, nor could their soothsayers give any other explanation.

[9] Shouts and howls went on in the Macedonian camp until the moon emerged and gave her light.

[10] So keen had both sides been to encounter one another that on the morrow both Perseus and the consul were alike blamed by some of their own men for having retired without a battle The king was at no loss for his defence-the enemy had openly declined battle and was the first to withdraw his troops into camp;

[11] and, besides, the position which he had chosen was such that the phalanx could not be brought up to it, even a slightly uneven ground would make it useless.

[12] As to the consul, not only did it look as if he had let slip the opportunity of fighting the previous day and given the enemy a chance, if he wished, of going away in the night, but even now he seemed to be wasting time on the pretext of offering sacrifice, although the signal for battle had been hoisted at dawn and he ought to have taken the field.

[13] It was not till the third hour after the sacrifices had been duly performed that he summoned a council of war and even then he was thought by some to be wasting the time, which ought to have been spent on the battlefield, in unseasonable speeches and discussions.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 168

2. He is mentioned by Cicero, De Senectute xiv. 49 as a geometer and astronomer. For his praetorship, see XLIII. ii. 5. Pliny, Nat. Hist. II. xii. 53, Frontinus I. xii. 8, and Zonaras 9. 23 speak of a prediction by Sulpicius; Justinus 33. 1. 7, Cicero, De Republica I. xv. 23, Valerius Maximus 8. 11. 1, and Plutarch, Aemilius xvii say that the explanation followed the eclipse. A fragment of Polybius XXIX. 16 (6) states that the eclipse was interpreted as portending the fall of a king; therefore it cheered the Romans and discouraged the Macedonians, see below, sec. 9. Modern reckoning sets the date of the eclipse as June 21, which would mean that the calendar was at least 70 days ahead of time, cf. p. 87, Appendix.

3. B.C. 168

4. Plutarch, Aemilius xvii. 6, says that the consul's sacrifice to Heracles obtained good omens only with the twenty-first victim; also that the consul waited till the afternoon so that the sun would not be in the eyes of his troops.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 44.37

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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