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), 44.5

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[1]

The toil of the descent and the damage to baggage-animals and their loads cannot be put into words. After they had advanced a mere four miles, they would have given anything to return as they had come, if they but could.

[2] The confusion of an attack by an enemy was caused by the elephants, which on arriving at the pathless places cast off their mahouts and with horrible trumpetings caused a great panic, especially among the horses, until a plan was devised for getting them through.

[3] On the steep hillside the slope was marked off, and at the lower end two long strong posts were set in the ground, separated by a distance slightly greater than the width of one of the beasts;

[4] on a cross-beam laid upon these posts, planks, each thirty feet long, were ¹ fastened together to form a runway, and earth thrown on top of them. ²

[5] Next, at a slight interval below, a second runway of the same sort was built, then a third, and others one after the other, where the cliffs were sheer.

[6] From firm ground an elephant would advance on to the runway; before he could proceed to its end, the posts were cut and the tilting of the runway forced the animal to slide gently to the head of the next runway.

[7] Some of the elephants would slide standing erect, others would squat on their haunches. Whenever they were met with the level expanse of another runway, they were again carried down by a like collapse of the lower structure, until they arrived at the more passable valley.

[8] The Romans advanced on that day hardly more than seven miles. Very little of the journey did they accomplish on their feet. Usually they advanced by casting themselves down, arms, baggage, and all, while meeting with every kind of difficulty, so that even the leader who had chosen the route could not deny that a small force could have destroyed the whole army.

[9] By nightfall they reached a scant level area, nor did men who had unexpectedly at long last found a place which offered sure footing, have the leisure to observe the unfriendly nature of the place, hemmed in as it was on all sides.

[10] For the next day as well they were compelled to wait in the depths of this valley for Popilius and the troops left behind with him. These troops too, though threatened from ³ no direction by the enemy, were harassed as by an enemy by the ruggedness of the terrain.

[11] On the third day, they proceeded with the united forces through the pass called Callipeuce ⁴ by the natives.

[12] On the fourth day, they descended through country as pathless as before, but their skill was greater through practice, and their morale was higher, since the enemy had not showed himself anywhere and they were reaching the sea. On reaching the plains between Heracleum and Libethrum they pitched a camp, most of which occupied hills.

[13] This was the infantry camp; they embraced part of the plain too within the rampart, where the cavalry might encamp.

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.) — 44.5 focus

[1] inenarrabilis labor descendentibus cum ruina iumentorum sarcinarumque. progressis vixdum quattuor milia passuum nihil optabilius esse quam redire, qua venerant, si possent.

[2] hostilem prope tumultum agmini elephanti praebebant, qui, ubi ad invia venerant, deiectis rectoribus cum horrendo stridore pavorem ingentem, equis maxime, incutiebant, donec traducendi eos ratio inita est.

[3] per proclive sumpto fastigio longi duo validi asseres ex inferiore parte in terra defigebantur, distantes inter se paulo plus, quam quanta beluae latitudo est;

[4] in eos transverso incumbente tigno asses tricenos longi pedes, ut pons esset, iniungebantur humusque insuper iniciebatur.

[5] modico deinde infra intervallo similis alter pons, dein tertius et plures ex ordine, qua rupes abscisae erant, fiebant.

[6] solido procedebat elephantus in pontem; cuius priusquam in extremum procederet, succisis asseribus conlapsus pons usque ad alterius initium pontis prolabi eum leniter cogebat.

[7] alii elephanti pedibus insistentes, alii clunibus subsidentes prolabebantur. ubi planities altera pontis excepisset eos, rursus simili ruina inferioris pontis deferebantur, donec ad aequiorem vallem perventum est.

[8] paulo plus septem milia eo die Romani processerunt; minimum pedibus itineris confectum. plerumque provolventes se simul cum armis aliisque oneribus cum omni genere vexationis processerunt, adeo ut ne dux quidem et auctor itineris infitiaretur parva manu deleri omnem exercitum potuisse.

[9] nocte ad modicam planitiem pervenerunt; nec, quam infestus is locus esset saeptus undique, circumspiciendi spatium fuit vix tandem ex insperato stabilem ad insistendum nanctis locum.

[10] postero quoque die in tam cava valle opperiri Popilium ac relictas cum eo copias necesse fuit; quos et ipsos, cum ab nulla parte hostis terruisset, locorum asperitas hostiliter vexavit.

[11] tertio die coniunctis copiis eunt per saltum, quem incolae Callipeucen appellant.

[12] quarto inde die per aeque invia, sed adsuetudine peritius et meliore cum spe, quod nec hostis usquam apparebat et mari adpropinquabant, degressi in campos inter Heracleum et Libethrum posuerunt castra peditum, quorum pars maior tumulos tenebat.

[13] ibi pedes tendebat. vallo campi quoque partem, ubi eques tenderet, amplectebantur.

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).) — 44.5 focus

[1]

inenarrabilis labor descendentibus cum ruina iumentorum sarcinarumque. progressis vixdum quattuor milia passuum nihil optabilius esse ¹ quam redire, qua venerant, si possent.

[3] per proclive sumpto fastigio longi duo validi asseres ex inferiore parte in terra defigebantur, distantes inter se paulo plus quam quanta beluae ² latitudo est;

[4] in eos transverso incumbente tigno asses ³ tricenos ⁴ longi pedes, ut pons esset, iniungebantur humusque insuper iniciebatur.

[5] modico deinde infra intervallo similis alter pons, dein tertius et plures ex ordine, qua rupes abscisae erant, fiebant.

[6] solido procedebat ⁵ elephantus in pontem; cuius priusquam in extremum procederet, ⁶ succisis asseribus conlapsus pons usque ad ⁷ alterius initium pontis prolabi eum leniter cogebat.

[8] Paulo plus septem milia eo die ⁸ Romani processerunt; minimum pedibus itineris confectum. plerumque provolventes se simul cum armis aliisque oneribus cum omni genere vexationis processerunt, adeo ut ⁹ ne dux quidem et auctor itineris infitiaretur parva manu deleri omnem exercitum potuisse.

[9] nocte ad modicam planitiem pervenerunt; nec quam infestus ¹⁰ is locus esset saeptus undique circumspiciendi spatium fuit vix tandem ex insperato stabilem ad insistendum nanctis locum.

[10] postero quoque die in tam cava valle opperiri Popilium ac relictas cum eo copias necesse fuit; quos et ipsos, cum ab nulla parte ¹¹ hostis terruisset, locorum asperitas hostiliter vexavit.

[11] tertio die coniunctis copiis eunt per saltum, quem incolae Callipeucen appellant.

[12] quarto¹² inde die per aeque invia, sed adsuetudine peritius et meliore cum spe, quod nec hostis usquam ¹³ apparebat et mari adpropinquabant, degressi in campos inter Heracleum ¹⁴ et Libethrum posuerunt castra quorum pars maior tumulos tenebat.

[13] ibi pedes tendebat. vallo campi ¹⁵ quoque partem, ubi eques tenderet, amplectebantur.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 44.5 focus

[1]

inenarrabilis labor descendentibus cum ruina iumentorum sarcinarumque. progressis vixdum quattuor milia passuum nihil optabilius esse quam redire, qua venerant, si possent.

[2] hostilem prope tumultum agmini elephanti praebebant, qui ubi ad invia venerant, deiectis rectoribus cum horrendo stridore pavorem ¹ ingentem equis maxime incutiebant, donec traducendi eos ratio inita est.

[3] per proclive sumpto fastigio longi duo validi asseres ex inferiore parte in terra defigebantur, distantes inter se paulo plus, quam quanta beluae latitudo est;

[4] in eos transverso incumbente tigno tricenos longi pedes, ut pons esset, iniungebantur humusque insuper iniciebatur.

[5] modico deinde infra intervallo similis alter pons, dein tertius et plures ex ordine, qua rupes abscisae erant, fiebant.

[6] solido procedebat elephantus in pontem; cuius priusquam in extremum pro cederet, succisis asseribus conlapsus ² pons usque ad alterius initium pontis prolabi eum leniter cogebat.

[8] paulo plus septem milia eo die Romani processerunt. minimum pedibus itineris confectum; plerumque provolventes se simul cum armis aliisque oneribus cum omni genere vexationis processerunt, adeo ut ne dux quidem et auctor itineris infitiaretur parva manu deleri omnem exercitum potuisse.

[9] nocte ad modicam planitiem pervenerunt, nec quam infestus is locus esset saeptus undique,

[10] circumspiciendi spatium fuit vix tandem ex insperato stabilem ad insistendum nanctis locum. postero quoque die in tam cava valle opperiri Popilium ac relictas cum eo copias necesse fuit; quos et ipsos, cum ab nulla parte hostis terruisset, locorum asperitas hostiliter vexavit.

[11] tertio die coniunctis copiis eunt per saltum, quem incolae ³ Callipeucen appellant.

[13] peditum, quorum pars maior tumulos tenebat, ibi vallo campi quoque partem, ubi eques tenderet, amplectebantur.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 44.5 focus

[1]

In descending the mountain, the men suffered inexpressible fatigue, besides the frequent falling of the cattle and their loads, so that, before they had advanced quite four miles, they began to think that their most eligible plan would be to return, if they could, by the way they had come.

[2] The elephants caused almost as much confusion among the troops as an enemy could; for, when they came to impassable steeps, they threw off their riders, and set up such a hideous roar, as spread terror through all, especially among the horses, until a method was contrived for bringing them down.

[3] They fastened in the earth, in the line of descent, some way from the top, two long, strong posts, distant from each other a little more

[4] than the breadth of the animal, on which were fastened beams thirty feet long, so as to form a kind of bridge, and covered it with earth;

[5] after a little intermediate space, a second and similar bridge was formed; then a third bridge, with several others one after another, where the rocks were precipitous.

[6] The elephant walked forward on solid footing upon the bridge; but, before he came to the end, the posts underneath were cut, and the bridge falling, obliged him to slide down gently to the beginning of the next bridge, which some of them performed standing, others on their haunches.

[7] When they arrived at the level of another bridge, they were again carried down, by its falling in like manner; and so on until they came to more level ground. The Romans advanced that day scarcely more than seven miles; and even of this journey little was performed on foot.

[8] Their method of proceeding in general was rolling themselves down, together with their arms and other encumbrances, with every kind of discomfort; insomuch, that even their commander, who led them such a march, did not deny, but that the whole army might have been cut off by a small party.

[9] During the night, they arrived at a small plain; but, as it was hemmed in on every side, there was no opportunity of discover- ing whether it was a position of danger or not. However, as they had, beyond their expectation, at length found good footing, they judged it necessary to wait, during the next day, in that deep valley for Popilius, and the forces left behind with him;

[10] who, though the enemy gave them no disturbance from any quarter, suffered severely from the difficulties of the ground, — as if they had been harassed by an enemy.

[11] These having joined the main body, the whole proceeded, on the third day, through a pass called by the natives Callipeuce.

[12] On the fourth day they marched down through places equally trackless, but more cleverly in consequence of their experience, and with more comfortable hopes, as they saw no enemy any where, and as they were coming nearer to the sea, into the plains, where they pitched their camp of infantry between Heracleum and Libethrus, the greater part being posted on hills, the rest occupying a valley and part of the plain where

[13] the cavalry encamped.

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.) — 44.5 focus

[1]

It is impossible to describe the toil and difficulty they experienced in descending the mountain, with the baggage and animals and their packs perpetually falling.

[2] They had hardly gone four miles when the one thing they desired above all else was to return if possible to their starting point. The elephants caused almost as much confusion in the line as the enemy might have done; when they came to places which could not be crossed they flung their drivers off and created great alarm, especially among the horses, by their appalling roar, until a plan was devised for getting them across.

[3] The steepness of the slope was measured and two long stout poles were firmly fastened in the ground at the bottom of it somewhat wider apart than the breadth of the animal.

[4] On the top of the poles a cross-beam was fastened and with their ends resting on this beam, balks 30 feet long were fastened together so as to form a bridge, and then covered with earth.

[5] A short distance away another similar bridge was constructed, and then a third, and so on wherever the descent was precipitous.

[6] The elephant went from the solid ground on to the bridge, and just before he reached the lower end of it the poles were cut away and the bridge subsided down to the beginning of the next bridge below it.

[7] The elephants were thus compelled to slide quietly down, some on their feet, some on their haunches. When the level of the next bridge was reached. the lower end was made to fall in the same way and the elephants were carried down until they reached more level ground.

[8] The Romans advanced little more than seven miles that day. Very little of this was done on their feet; their mode of progression was for the most part to roll down with their arms and the other things they had to carry in a most uncomfortable and painful manner; so much so indeed that even their general himself who was responsible for the expedition admitted that the entire army could have been annihilated by a small body of assailants.

[9] At nightfall they came to a small plain shut in on all sides. They had at last reached a place which afforded them a sure foothold, but they had not much time for looking round and seeing how exposed the position was.

[10] The next day they had to wait in this valley for Popilius and the detachment left with him, and these men, though the enemy nowhere threatened them, found a most troublesome enemy in the difficulties of the descent.

[11] The army, once more united, marched the next day through the pass called by the natives Callipeuce. From there the march was as rough and difficult as before, but they had learnt by experience and were in a more hopeful mood because the enemy nowhere showed himself, and they were approaching the sea.

[12] When they had descended into the level country between Heracleum and Libethrum, they formed their camp.

[13] The greater part of the infantry were on rising ground; that part of the plain where the cavalry had their tents was enclosed with the rest by the rampart.

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. As with Hannibal's use of vinegar for breaking rock (XXI. xxxvii. 2), this passage leaves several questions unanswered, including the question of whether it ever happened. We can say that either Livy or a copyist left out of the account of the runway a mention of the stringers which would be necessary; the

thirty-foot planks

somehow have replaced these stringers and the transverse planks which presumably would provide the flooring.

3. B.C. 169

4. The name (Fair Pines) suggests a forested area.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 44.5

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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