Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, D. Spillan, A.M., M.D. (Translator), Cyrus Edmonds (Translator), William A. McDevitte (Translator), 45.14

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[1]

Masgaba was answered, that

his father, Masinissa, acted as became a prince of a benevolent and grateful disposition; to such a degree that, by acknowledging the kindness of his friends, he added value and dignity to it.

[2]

The Roman people had been assisted by him in the Carthaginian war with exertions at once faithful and brave; by the favour of the Roman people he had obtained his kingdom, and had afterwards, in the successive wars with the three kings, discharged with his usual readiness every duty. That it was not surprising, that a king who had so intimately blended his own interests, and those of his kingdom, with the interests of the Romans, should be delighted at the victory of the Roman people.

[3]

That he should return thanks to the immortal gods for the victory of the Roman people, before the tutelary deities of his family; that his son could return thanks in his stead at Rome; as he had already said enough in the way of congratulation, both in his own name and in his father's. But that the senate were of opinion, that his leaving his own kingdom, and going out of Africa, besides being inconvenient to himself, was detrimental to the Roman people.

On Masgaba making a request that Hanno, son of Hamilcar, might be brought to Rome as a hostage in the place of some other, the senate replied, that they could not reasonably require hostages from the Carthaginians, at the choice of any other person.

[4] The quaestor was ordered, by a vote of the senate, to purchase presents for the young prince to the value of one hundred pounds' weight of silver, to accompany him to Puteoli, to defray all his expenses while he staid in Italy, and to hire two ships to carry him and the retinue of the king to Africa; clothes were given to every one of his attendants, both freemen and slaves.

[5] Soon after this a letter was brought concerning Masinissa's other son, Misagenes, stating that, after the conquest of Perseus, he was sent by Lucius Paullus, with his horsemen, to Africa; and that while he was on his voyage in the Adriatic Sea, his fleet was dispersed, and himself, in a bad state of health, driven into Brundusium with only three ships. Lucius Stertinius, the quaestor, was sent to him to Brundusium, with presents of the same kind as those given to his brother at Rome, and he was ordered to provide lodgings for the prince and his retinue, and ¹

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). D. Spillan, A.M., M.D. (Translator), Cyrus Edmonds (Translator), William A. McDevitte (Translator). Medford, MA. .

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's 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.) — 45.14 focus

[1] responsum regulo est facere patrem eius Masinissam, quod virum gratum bonumque facere deceat, ut pretium honoremque debito beneficio addat.

[2] et populum Romanum ab eo bello Punico forti fidelique opera adiutum, et illum favente populo Romano regnum adeptum; aequatis iis postea trium regum bellis deinceps omnibus eum functum officiis.

[3] victoria vero populi Romani laetari eum regem mirum non esse, qui sortem omnem fortunae regnique sui cum rebus Romanis miscuisset. grates deis pro victoria apud suos penates ageret;

[4] Romae filium pro eo acturum. gratulatum quoque satis suo ac patris nomine esse. ipsum relinquere regnum et Africa excedere, praeterquam quod illi inutile esset, non esse e re publica populi Romani senatum censere.

[5] petenti Masgabae, ut Hanno, Hamilcaris filius, obses in locum exigeretur, responsum est haud aequum videri senatum a Carthaginiensibus obsides arbitrio Masinissae exigere.

[6] munera ex senatus consulto emere regulo quaestor iussus ex centum pondo argenti et prosequi eum Puteolos omnemque sumptum, quoad in Italia esset, praebere et duas naves conducere, quibus ipse comitesque eius in Africam deveherentur;

[7] et comitibus omnibus, liberis servisque, vestimenta data.

[8] haud ita multo post de altero Masinissae filio Misagene litterae adlatae sunt, missum cum ab L. Paulo post devictum Persea in Africam cum equitibus suis; navigantem dispersa classe in Hadriatico mari Brundisium tribus navibus aegrum delatum.

[9] ad eum cum isdem muneribus, quae data Romae fratri eius erant, L. Stertinius quaestor Brundisium missus iussusque curare, ut aedes hospitio

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).) — 45.14 focus

[1]

responsum regulo est facere patrem eius Masinissam, quod virum gratum bonumque facere deceat, ut pretium honoremque debito beneficio ¹ addat.

[2] et populum Romanum ab eo bello Punico forti fidelique opera adiutum, et illum ilium favente populo Romano regnum adeptum; aequatis ² iis postea trium regum bellis deinceps omnibus eum functum officiis.

[3] victoria vero populi Romani laetari eum regem mirum non esse, qui sortem omnem fortunae regnique sui cum rebus Romanis miscuisset. ³ grates deis pro ⁴ victoria apud suos penates ageret; Romae filium pro eo acturum.

[4] gratulatum quoque satis suo ac patris nomine esse. ipsum relinquere regnum et Africa excedere, praeterquam quod illi inutile esset, non esse e re publica populi Romani senatum censere.

[5] petenti Masgabae, ut Hanno, Hamilcaris filius, obses ⁵ in locum . . . exigeretur, responsum est haud aequum videri senatum a Carthaginiensibus obsides arbitrio Masinissae ⁶ exigere.

[7] liberis servisque, vestimenta data.

[9] ad⁹ eum cum isdem muneribus, quae data Romae fratri eius erant, L. Stertinius quaestor Brundisium missus iussusque ¹⁰ curare, ut aedes hospitio . .. ¹¹

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 45.14 focus

[1]

responsum regulo est facere patrem eius Masinissam, quod virum gratum bonumque facere deceat, ut pretium honoremque debito beneficio addat.

[2] et populum Romanum ab eo bello Punico forti fidelique opera adiutum, et illum favente populo Romano regnum adeptum; aequatis iis postea trium regum bellis deinceps omnibus eum functum officiis.

[3] ¹ victoria vero populi Romani laetari eum regem mirum non esse, qui sortem omnem fortunae regnique sui cum rebus Romanis miscuisset. grates deis pro victoria apud suos penates ageret; Romae filium pro eo acturum.

[4] gratulatum quoque satis suo ac patris nomine esse. ipsum relinquere regnum et Africa excedere, praeterquam quod illi inutile esset, non esse e re publica populi Romani senatum censere.

[5] petenti Masgabae, ut Hanno, Hamilcaris filius, obses in locum exigeret.

[7] et comitibus omnibus, liberis servisque, vestimenta data.

[8] haud ita multo post de altero Masinissae filio Misagene litterae adlatae sunt, missum eum ab L. Paulo post devictum Persea in Africam cum equitibus suis; navigantem dispersa classe in Hadriatico mari Brundisium tribus navibus aegrum delatum.

[9] ad eum cum iisdem muneribus, quae data Romae fratri eius erant, L. Stertinius quaestor Brundisium missus iussusque curare, ut aedes hospi tio ²

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (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)) — 45.14 focus

[1]

The answer was given to the prince that his father Masinissa was acting as was proper for a good and grateful man, in that he attached to payment due for kindness such credit and honour.

[2] On the one hand ¹ the Roman People had profited by his brave and loyal aid in the Punic War, and on the other, he had secured his kingdom through the good will of the Roman People; after this balancing of favours, he had performed every possible act of friendship in wars against three kings successively.

[3] Joy over the victory of the Roman People was not surprising in a king who had linked with the fortunes of the Romans the whole hazard of his personal fortunes and those of his realm.

[4] As for thanks to the gods for the victory, let him offer them in his own home; his son would serve as his representative at Rome. The son had also offered sufficient congratulations on his own and his father's behalf. That Masinissa himself should leave his kingdom and go outside of Africa, apart from the fact that it was against his own interests, was also contrary to the public welfare of the Roman People, the senate believed.

[5] When Masgaba requested that Hanno, son of Hamilcar, be demanded as hostage in place of . .., the answer was given that the senate considered it by no means just to exact hostages from the Carthaginians according to the judgment of Masinissa.

[6] The quaestor was ordered to buy gifts for the prince, in accordance with a resolution of the senate, to the amount of one hundred pounds of silver, and to escort him to Puteoli, to provide for all his expenses while he was in Italy, and to hire two ships to convey

[7] him and his suite to Africa. Garments were presented to all his suite, both free and slave.

[8] Not very much later dispatches were brought from Masinissa's other son Misagenes, stating that he had been sent with his cavalry to Africa by Lucius Paulus after the defeat of Perseus, that on his voyage his ² fleet had been scattered in the Adriatic, and he had arrived in ill heath with three ships at Brundisium.

[9] Lucius Stertinius the quaestor was sent to him with the same gifts which had been given at Rome to his brother, and was instructed to see to it that a house for entertainment . . . ³

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.) — 45.14 focus

[1]

In reply the prince was told that Masinissa had acted as became an honourable and grateful man in enhancing the value and dignity of benefits which were justly due to him.

[2] The people of Rome had received from him loyal and powerful assistance in the Punic War, and it was through their good offices that he had gained his crown. In this equal interchange of benefits he had subsequently rendered every possible assistance in the successive wars against three kings.

[3] It was not surprising that the victory of Rome should give the king pleasure, seeing how he had associated his own fortunes and those of his kingdom with the cause of Rome.

[4] Let him offer his thanksgivings for the victory to the gods at home; his son would do this for him in Rome. He had done quite enough in offering congratulations in his own and his father's name.

[5] The senate did not think it would be to the interest of Rome for him to leave his kingdom and come away from Africa, especially as he would gain no advantage by it.

[6] The quaestor received instructions to spend 100 pounds of silver in presents for the prince, to escort him to Puteoli and defray all his expenses as long as he was in Italy, and also to hire two vessels in which he and his suite were to be conveyed to Africa. Presents of apparel were made to all his attendants, including the slaves.

[7] Not long after a communication was received from Misagenes, the

[8] second son of Masinissa, stating that after Perseus' defeat he had been sent by L. Paulus with his cavalry back to Africa, that the fleet had been scattered during the voyage in the Hadriatic, and that he had been carried down to Brundisium and was ill.

[9] L. Stertinius was sent to Brundisium with presents of equal value to those given to his brother in Rome, and was instructed to place a house at his disposal.

. . . .

Notes on the current edition

History of Rome, books 1-10, 21-45

1. Crevier supplement: 6

every thing necessary for his health and convenience; and that the expenses of himself and his en- tire retinue should be paid liberally; that he should look out for ships by which the prince might pass over into Africa with ease and safety. The quaestor was ordered to give to each of the horsemen a pound of silver, and five hundred sesterces. The assemblies, for the election of consuls for the ensuing year, were held by Caius Licinius the consul. Quintus Aelius Paetus, Marcus Junius Pennus, were appointed consuls. Then Quintus Cassius Longinus, Manius Juventius Thalna, Ti- berius Claudius Nero, Aulus Manlius Torquatus, Cneius Fulvius Gillo, C. Licinius 7?? Nerva, were made praetors. In the same year the censors, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus and Caius Claudius Pulcher, at length united in passing 8?? a decree on a matter, which had been for a long time discussed among themselves in different disputes. Gracchus, when the freed- men, after being repeatedly confined within the four city tribes, had once more spread themselves through them all, wished to pluck up by the root the evil which was alway send- ing fresh shoots, and to exclude from enrolment all who had ever been slaves. Claudius struggled energetically against him, and made frequent references to the institutions of their ancestors, who had often tried to restrain the freed-men, but never to totally exclude them from the rights of citizens. He said that some relaxation of the former strictness had been conceded even by the censors, Caius Flaminius and Lucius Aemilius. And 9?? indeed, although even at that time those dregs of the people had spread themselves through all the tribes, and it appeared requisite to reduce them again within what might be considered their original settlement, still at the time some important concessions were made to several of that rank.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 45.14

D. Spillan, A.M., M.D. (Translator), Cyrus Edmonds (Translator), William A. McDevitte (Translator)

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