Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 30.31

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[1]

adversus haec imperator Romanus in hanc fere sententiam respondit: " non me fallebat, ¹ Hannibal, adventus ² tui spe Carthaginienses et praesentem indutiarum fidem et spem pacis turbasse;

[2] neque tu id sane dissimulas, qui de condicionibus superioribus ³ pacis omnia subtrahas praeter ea quae iam pridem in nostra potestate sunt.

[3] ceterum ut ⁴ tibi curae est sentire cives tuos quanto per te onere leventur, sic mihi laborandum est ne ⁵ quae tum ⁶ pepigerunt hodie subtracta ex condicionibus pacis praemia perfidiae habeant.

[4] indigni quibus eadem pateat condicio, etiam ut prosit vobis fraus petitis. neque patres nostri priores de Sicilia, neque nos de Hispania fecimus bellum; et tunc ⁷ Mamertinorum sociorum periculum et nunc Sagunti excidium nobis pia ac iusta induerunt arma.

[5] vos lacessisse et tu ipse fateris et dei testes sunt, qui et illius belli exitum secundum ius fasque dederunt et huius dant et dabunt.

[6]

quod ad me attinet, et humanae infirmitatis memini et vim Fortunae reputo et omnia quaecumque agimus subiecta esse mille casibus scio;

[7]

ceterum, quem ad modum superbe et violenter me faterer facere, si, priusquam in Africam traiecissem, te tua voluntate cedentem Italia et inposito in naves exercitu ipsum venientem ad pacem petendam aspernarer,

[8]

sic nunc, cum prope manu conserta ⁸ restitantem ac tergiversantem in Africam ⁹ adtraxerim, ¹⁰ nulla sum tibi verecundia obstrictus.

[9]

proinde si quid ad ea in quae tum pax conventura videbatur, quasi ¹¹ multa navium cum commeatu per indutias expugnatarum ¹² legatorumque violatorum, adicitur, est quod referam ad consilium; sin illa quoque gravia videntur, bellum parate, quoniam pacem pati non potuistis.

[10] ita infecta pace ex conloquio ad suos cum se recepissent, frustra verba iactata ¹³ renuntiant: armis decernendum esse habendamque eam earn fortunam quam dei dedissent.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (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

Ab urbe condita (Latin) (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).)

Editions (2)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 30.31 focus

[1] adversus haec imperator Romanus in hanc fere sententiam respondit: “non me fallebat, Hannibal, adventus tui spe Carthaginienses et praesentem indutiarum fidem et spem pacis turbasse;

[2] neque tu id sane dissimulas, qui de condicionibus superioribus pacis omnia subtrahas praeter ea, quae iam pridem in nostra potestate sunt.

[3] ceterum ut tibi curae est sentire cives tuos, quanto per te onere leventur, sic mihi laborandum est, ne, si quae tune tum pepigerunt, hodie subtracta ex condicionibus pacis praemia perfidiae habeant.

[4] indigni, quibus eadem pateat condicio, etiam ut prosit vobis fraus petitis. neque patres nostri priores de Sicilia, neque nos de Hispania fecimus bellum; et tune tum Mamertinorum sociorum periculum et nunc Sagunti excidium nobis pia ac iusta induerunt arma:

[5] vos lacessisse et tu ipse fateris et dei testes sunt, qui et illius belli exitum secundum ius fasque dederunt et huius dant et dabunt.

[6] quod ad me attinet, et humanae infirmitatis memini et vim fortunae reputo et omnia, quaecumque agimus, subiecta esse mille casibus scio;

[7] ceterum, quem ad modum superbe et violenter me faterer facere, si, priusquam in Africam traiecissem, te tua voluntate cedentem Italia et inposito in naves exercitu ipsum venientem ad pacem petendam aspernarer,

[8] sic nunc, cum prope manu consertum restitantem ac tergiversantem in Africam adtraxerim, nulla sum tibi verecundia obstrictus.

[9] proinde si quid ad ea, in quae tum pax conventura videbatur, quasi multa navium cum commeatu per indutias expugnatarum legatorumque violatorum, adicitur, est quod referam ad consilium; sin illa quoque gravia videntur, bellum parate, quoniam pacem pati non potuistis.”

[10] ita infecta pace ex conloquio ad suos cum se recepissent, frustra verba praelata renuntiant: armis decernendum esse habendamque ear eam fortunam, quam dei dedissent.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 30.31 focus

[1]

aduersus haec imperator Romanus in hanc fere sententiam respondit: 'non me fallebat, Hannibal, aduentus tui spe Carthaginienses et praesentem indutiarum fidem et spem pacis turbasse;

[2] neque tu id sane dissimulas qui de condicionibus superioribus pacis omnia subtrahas praeter ea quae iam pridem in nostra potestate sunt.

[3] ceterum ut tibi curae est sentire ciues tuos quanto per te onere leuentur, sic mihi laborandum est ne quae tum pepigerunt hodie subtracta ex condicionibus pacis praemia perfidiae habeant.

[4] indigni quibus eadem pateat condicio, etiam ut prosit uobis fraus petitis. neque patres nostri priores de Sicilia neque nos de Hispania fecimus bellum; et tunc Mamertinorum sociorum periculum et nunc Sagunti excidium nobis pia ac iusta induerunt arma.

[5] uos lacessisse et tu ipse fateris et di testes sunt qui et illius belli exitum secundum ius fasque dederunt et huius dant et dabunt.

[6] 'quod ad me attinet, et humanae infirmitatis memini et uim fortunae reputo et omnia quaecumque agimus subiecta esse mille casibus scio;

[7] ceterum quemadmodum superbe et uiolenter me faterer facere si priusquam in Africam traiecissem te tua uoluntate cedentem Italia et imposito in naues exercitu ipsum uenientem ad pacem petendam aspernarer,

[8] sic nunc cum prope manu conserta restitantem ac tergiuersantem in Africam attraxerim nulla sum tibi uerecundia obstrictus.

[9] proinde si quid ad ea in quae tum pax conuentura uidebatur, quasi multa nauium cum commeatu per indutias expugnatarum legatorumque uiolatorum, adicitur, est quod referam ad consilium: sin illa quoque grauia uidentur, bellum parate quoniam pacem pati non potuistis.' ita infecta pace ex conloquio ad suos cum se recepissent, frustra uerba temptata renuntiant:

[10] armis decernendum esse habendamque eam fortunam quam di dedissent.

Translations (3)

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)) — 30.31 focus

[1]

To these pleas the Roman general replied somewhat to this effect: "I was not unaware, ¹ Hannibal, that the Carthaginians, anticipating your arrival, showed no respect either for present obligations to the armistice or for the peace in prospect;

[2] and you surely make no concealment of that fact when you omit from the earlier terms of peace everything except what has long been in our possession. ²

[3] But just as you are concerned to have your citizens appreciate how great is the burden of which they are relieved by you, so I must exert myself that they do not have as the reward of perfidy any relaxation of the terms of peace to which they at that time agreed.

[4] Unworthy to have the same terms open to you as before, you Carthaginians are asking to have your dishonesty profit you. Our fathers were not aggressors in making war for Sicily; no more were we for Spain. In the former case the peril of our allies, the Mamertines, as in the latter instance the destruction of Saguntum, armed us with the weapons of duty and justice.

[5] That your people were the aggressors you yourself admit, and the gods as well are our witnesses, who gave for that war and are giving and will give for this one an outcome in accordance with justice and the right.

[6]

So far as I am concerned, I am mindful of human weakness, and I reflect upon the might of Fortune and know that everything that we do is exposed to a thousand chances.

[7]

But, just as I should admit that I were acting with arrogance and violence if, before I had crossed over to Africa, I were to reject you when you were voluntarily withdrawing from Italy and, while your army was already on shipboard, you were coming in person to sue for peace, so now, when I have dragged you to Africa, resisting

[8]

and ³ shifting ground as we almost came to blows, I am under no obligation to respect you.

[9]

Therefore, if to the terms upon which peace was formerly about to be made, ⁴ as it seemed, you are adding some kind of compensation for the ships loaded with supplies that were taken by force during the armistice, and for violence done to my envoys, I have reason to bring it before the council. But if that addition also seems too severe, prepare for war, since you have been unable to endure a peace.

[10] Accordingly without making peace they returned from the conference to their armies, reporting that words had been of no avail; that arms must decide the issue and they must accept whatever lot the gods should give them.

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 30.31 focus

[1]

In answer to these things the Roman general spoke nearly to the following effect:

I was aware that it was in consequence of the expectation of your arrival, that the Carthaginians violated the existing faith of the truce and broke off all hope of a peace.

[2]

Nor, indeed, do you conceal the fact; inasmuch as you artfully withdraw from the former conditions of peace every concession except what relates to those things which have for a long time been in our own power.

[3]

But as it is your object, that your countrymen should be sensible how great a burden they are relieved from by your means, so it is incumbent upon me to endeavour that they may not receive, as the reward of their perfidy, the concessions which they formerly stipulated, by expunging them now from the conditions of the peace.

[4]

Though you do not deserve to be allowed the same conditions as before, you now request even to be benefited by your treachery. Neither did our fathers first make war respecting Sicily, nor did we respecting Spain. In the former case the danger which threatened our allies the Mamertines, and in the present the destruction of Saguntum, girded us with just and pious arms.

[5]

That you were the aggressors, both you yourselves confess, and the gods are witnesses, who determined the issue of the former war, and who are now determining and will determine the issue of the present according to right and justice.

[6]

As to myself, I am not forgetful of the instability of human affairs, but consider the influence of fortune, and am well aware that all our measures are liable to a thousand casualties.

[7]

But as I should acknowledge that my conduct would savour of insolence and oppression, if I rejected you on your coming in person to solicit peace, be- fore I crossed over into Africa, you voluntarily retiring from Italy, and after you had embarked your troops; so now, when I have dragged you into Africa almost by manual force, notwithstanding your resistance and evasions, I am not bound to treat you with any respect.

[8]

Wherefore, if in addition to those stipulations on which it was considered that a peace would at that time have been agreed upon, and what they are you are informed, a compensation is proposed for having seized our ships, together with their stores, during a truce, and for the violence offered to our ambassadors, I shall then have matter to lay before my council.

[9]

But if these things also appear oppressive, prepare for war, since you could not brook the conditions of peace.

[10] Thus, without effecting an accommodation, when they had returned from the conference to their armies, they informed them that words had been bandied to no purpose, that the question must be decided by arms, and that they must accept that fortune which the gods assigned them.

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.) — 30.31 focus

[1]

To these arguments the Roman commander made the following reply: "I was quite aware, Hannibal, that it was the hope of your arrival that led the Carthaginians to break the truce and cloud all prospect of peace.

[2] In fact, you yourself admit as much, since you are eliminating from the terms formerly proposed all that has not already been long in our power.

[3] However, as you are anxious that your countrymen should realise what a great relief you are bringing them, I must make it my care that they shall not have the conditions they formerly agreed to struck out today as a reward for their perfidy. You do not deserve to have the old proposals still open and yet you are seeking to profit by dishonesty!

[4] Our fathers were not the aggressors in the war for Sicily, nor were we the aggressors in Spain, but the dangers which threatened our Mamertine allies in the one case and the destruction of Saguntum in the other made our case a righteous one and justified our arms.

[5] That you provoked the war in each case you yourself admit, and the gods bear witness to the fact; they guided the former war to a just and righteous issue, and they are doing and will do the same with this one.

[6] As for myself, I do not forget what weak creatures we men are; I do not ignore the influence which Fortune exercises and the countless accidents to which all our doings are liable.

[7] Had you of your own free will evacuated Italy and embarked your army before I sailed for Africa and then come with proposals for peace, I admit that I should have acted in a high-handed and arbitrary spirit if I had rejected them.

[8] But now that I have dragged you to Africa like a reluctant and tricky defendant I am not bound to show you the slightest consideration.

[9] So then, if in addition to the terms on which peace might have been concluded previously, there is the further condition of an indemnity for the attack on our transports and the ill-treatment of our envoys during the armistice, I shall have something to lay before the councils. If you consider this unacceptable. then prepare for war as you have been unable to endure peace." Thus, no understanding was arrived at and the commanders rejoined their armies.

[10] They reported that the discussion had been fruitless, that the matter must be decided by arms, and the result left to the gods.

Notes on the current edition

Ab urbe condita

1. A.U.C. 552

2. adventus A3 N3 VJK Aldus, Froben, Eds. : avere (habere CDAN ) adventus CBDAN: ab adventus Alschefski : aura adventus conj. Madvig .

3. superioribus CBDAN Aldus, Froben, Eds. : superioris N3 VJK (

perhaps correct

Conway ).

4. ut CBDVJK: sicut AN Aldus, Froben.

5. ne Aldus , Froben: ne si CBDANVJK.

6. tum CBDAN: tunc N 2 or N3 VJK Aldus, Froben.

7. tunc N3 VJK Froben 2: tum CBDAN Aldus.

8. conserta z: -tum ( supine ) CBDANVJK.

9. A.U.C. 552

10. adtraxerim ( or at-) CBDAN Aldus, Froben: traduxerim N3 VJK Froben 2.

11. quasi A 5 conj. Gronovius , Eds. : quae si CBA? : que si A?N: quae sit Alschefski : que sunt A3 VJK: si D.

12. expugnatarum BDAN Aldus, Froben, Eds. : -gnarum C: oppugnatarum ( or ob-) A3 VJK Riemann.

13. iactata Gronovius , many Eds. : temptata x Conway: praelata Alschefski : praecata (prec-) BD: p_cata CN? : pcata A: pacata A3 N3 VJK Aldus, Froben.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 30.31

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

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