Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 45.38

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Section

← Previous Next →

[1]

" equidem ipse aliter adfectus animo sum, qui apud exercitum mihi loqui videar, quam paulo ante eram, cum ad plebem urbanam spectabat oratio.

[2] quid enim ¹ dicitis, milites? aliquis est Romae, praeter Persea, qui triumphari de Macedonibus nolit, et eum non isdem manibus discerpitis, quibus Macedonas vicistis? vincere vos prohibuisset, si potuisset, qui triumphantis urbem inire prohibet.

[3] erratis , milites, si triumphum imperatoris tantum et non militum quoque et universi populi Romani esse decus censetis.

[4] non unius in hoc Pauli honos agitur. ²

" multi etiam, qui ab senatu non impetrarunt ³ triumphum, in monte Albano triumpharunt; nemo L. Paulo magis eripere decus perfecti belli Macedonici potest quam C. Lutatio primi Punici belli, quam P. Cornelio secundi, quam illis, qui post eos ⁴ triumphaverant;

[5] nec L. Paulum minorem aut maiorem imperatorem triumphus faciet; militum magis in hoc universique populi Romani fama agitur,

[6] primum ne invidiae et ingrati animi adversus clarissimum quemque civem opinionem habeat et imitari in hoc populum Atheniensem lacerantem invidia principes suos videatur.

[7] satis peccatum in Camillo a maioribus vestris est, quem tamen ante receptam per eum a Gallis urbem violarunt; satis nuper a ⁵ vobis in P. Africano. literni domicilium et sedem fuisse domitoris Africae, Literni sepulcrum ostendi erubescamus.

[8] gloria sit ⁶ par illis viris L. Paulus, iniuria vestra ne exaequetur. ⁷

" haec igitur primum infamia deleatur, foeda apud alias gentes, damnosa apud nostros.

[9] quis enim aut Africani aut Pauli similis esse in tam ⁸ ingrata et inimica bonis civitate velit?

[10] si infamia nulla esset et de gloria tantum ageretur, qui tandem triumphus non communem nominis Romani gloriam habet?

[11] tot de Gallis triumphi, tot de Hispanis, tot de Poenis ipsorum tantum imperatorum an populi Romani ⁹ dicuntur? quemadmodum non de Pyrrho modo nec de Hannibale, sed de Epirotis Carthaginiensibusque ¹⁰ triumphi acti sunt, sic non M'. Curius tantum nec P. Cornelius, sed Romani triumpharunt. militum quidem propria est causa,

[12] qui et ipsi laureati et quisque donis, quibus donati sunt, insignes Triumphum nomine cientes ¹¹ suasque et imperatoris laudes canentes per urbem incedunt.

[13] si quando non deportati ex provincia milites ad triumphum sunt, ¹² fremunt; et tamen tum ¹³ quoque se absentis, quod suis manibus parta victoria sit, triumphare credunt.

[14] si quis vos interroget, milites, ad quam rem in Italiam deportati et non statim confecta provincia dimissi sitis, quid Romam frequentes sub signis veneritis, quid moremini hic et non diversi domos quisque abeatis vestras, quid aliud respondeatis, quam vos triumphantis videri velle? vos certe victores conspici velle debebatis.

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.) — 45.38 focus

[1] “equidem ipse aliter adfectus animo sum, qui apud exercitum mihi loqui videar, quam paulo ante eram, cum ad plebem urbanam spectabat oratio.

[2] quid autem dicitis, milites? aliquis est Romae, praeter Persea, qui triumphari de Macedonibus nolit: et eum non isdem manibus discerpitis, quibus Macedonas vicistis? vincere vos prohibuisset, si potuisset, qui triumphantis urbem inire prohibet.

[3] erratis, milites, si triumphum imperatoris tantum et non militum quoque et universi populi Romani esse decus censetis.

[4] non unius in hoc Pauli . multi etiam, qui ab senatu non inpetrarunt triumphum, in monte Albano triumpharunt; nemo L. Paulo magis eripere decus perfecti belli Macedonici potest quam C. Lutatio primi Punici belli, quam P. Cornelio secundi, quam illi, qui triumphaverant;

[5] nec L. Paulum minorem aut maiorem imperatorem triumphus faciet — , militum magis in hoc universique populi Romani fama agitur,

[6] primum ne invidiae et ingrati animi adversus clarissimum quemque civem opinionem habeat et imitari in hoc populum Atheniensem lacerantem invidia principes suos videatur.

[7] satis peccatum in Camillo a maioribus vestris est, quem tamen ante receptam per eum a Gallis urbem violarunt; satis nuper a vobis in P. Africano. Literni domicilium et sedem fuisse domitoris Africae, Literni sepulcrum ostendi erubescamus.

[8] gloria sit par illis viris L. Paulus, iniuria vestra ne exaequetur. haec igitur primum infamia deleatur, foeda apud alias gentes, damnosa apud nostros.

[9] quis enim aut Africani aut Pauli similis esse in tam ingrata et inimica bonis civitate velit?

[10] si infamia nulla esset et de gloria tantum ageretur, qui tandem triumphus non communem nominis Romani gloriam habet?

[11] tot de Gallis triumphi, tot de Hispanis, tot de Poenis ipsorum tantum imperatorum an populi Romani dicuntur? quemadmodum non de Pyrrho modo nec de Hannibale, sed de Epirotis Carthaginiensibusque et Macedonibus triumphi acti sunt, sic non M’. Curius tantum nec P. Cornelius, sed Romani triumpharunt.

[12] militum quidem propria est causa, qui et ipsi laureati et quisque donis, quibus donati sunt, insignes Triumphum nomine cientes suasque et imperatoris laudes canentes per urbem incedunt.

[13] si quando non deportati ex provincia milites ad triumphum sunt, fremunt; et tamen tum quoque se absentis, quod suis manibus parta victoria sit, triumphare credunt.

Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn Perseus (Weissenborn, W.; Müller, H. J., editors. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1873-1883.) — 45.38 focus

[1]

equidem ipse aliter adfectus animo sum, qui apud exercitum mihi loqui videar, quam paulo ante eram, cum ad plebem urbanam spectabat oratio. quid enim dicitis, milites?

[2] aliquis est Romae praeter Persea, qui triumphari de Macedonibus nolit; et eum non iisdem manibus discerpitis, quibus Macedonas vicistis? vincere vos prohibuisset, si potuisset, qui triumphantis urbem inire prohibet.

[3] erratis, milites, si triumphum imperatoris tantum et non militum quoque et universi populi Romani esse decus censetis.

[4] non unius in hoc Pauli — multi, etiam qui ab senatu non inpetrarunt triumphum, in monte ¹Albano triumpharunt; nemo L. Paulo magis eripere decus perfecti belli Macedonici potest quam C. Lutatio primi Punici belli, quam P. Cornelio secundi; quam illi, qui triumphaverant;

[5] nec L. Paulum minorem aut maiorem imperatorem triumphus faciet —, militum magis in hoc universi que populi Romani fama agitur,

[6] primum ne invidiae et ingrati animi adversus clarissimum quemque civem opinionem habeat et imitari in hoc populum Atheniensem lacerantem invidia principes suos videatur.

[8] gloria sit par illis viris L. Paulus, iniuria vestra ne exaequetur. haec igitur primum infamia deleatur foeda apud alias gentes, damnosa ² apud nostros.

[9] quis enim aut Africani aut Pauli similis esse in ingrata et inimica bonis civitate velit?

[10] si infamia nulla esset et de gloria tantum ageretur, qui tandem triumphus non communem nominis Romani gloriam habet?

[11] tot de Gallis triumphi, tot de Hispanis, tot de Poenis ipsorum tantum imperatorum an populi Romani dicuntur? quem ad modum non de Pyrrho modo nec de Hannibale, sed de Epirotis Carthaginiensibusque [et Macedonibus] triumphi acti sunt, sic non M'. Curius tantum nec P. Cornelius, sed Romani triumpharunt.

[12] militum quidem propria est causa, qui et ipsi laureati et quisque donis, quibus donati sunt, insignes triumphum nomine cient suasque et imperatoris laudes canentes per urbem incedunt.

[13] si quando non deportati ex provincia milites ad triumphum sunt, fremunt; et tamen tum quoque se absentis, quod suis manibus parta victoria sit, triumphare credunt.

[14] si quis vos interroget, milites, ad quam rem in Italiam deportati et non statim confecta provincia ³ dimissi sitis, quid Romam frequentes sub signis veneritis, quid moremini hic et non diversi domos quisque abeatis vestras, quid aliud respondeatis, quam vos triumphantis videri velle? vos certe

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)) — 45.38 focus

[1]

"Indeed the state of my own feelings is different, when I picture myself speaking before the army, than it was previously, when my speech was directed toward the people of the city.

[2] For what do you mean, soldiers? Is there anyone in Rome except Perseus who does not want the triumph over Macedonia to be celebrated? And are you not ready to tear such an objector to pieces with the same hands with which you conquered the Macedonians? He who prevents you from entering the city in triumph would have prevented you from winning the victory, had he been able.

[3] You are wrong, soldiers, if you suppose that a triumph is an honour only to the general, and not also to the soldiers and to the Roman People as a whole.

[4] It is not the glory of Paulus alone which is at stake in this matter.

"Furthermore, many who did not secure a triumph ¹ from the senate celebrated their triumph on the Alban Mount. No one can deprive Lucius Paulus of the glory of bringing the Macedonian war to an end any more than he can deprive Gaius Lutatius of credit for the First Punic War, or Publius Cornelius of that for the Second, or the others who have more recently celebrated triumphs.

[5] A triumph will make Lucius Paulus neither greater nor less as a general;

[6] rather it is the reputation of the soldiers and that of the Roman People as a whole which is at stake in this matter, in the first place that Rome may not gain a reputation for a jealous and ungrateful spirit toward her most distinguished citizens, and seem in this respect to be imitating the people of Athens who in their envy buffet their leading men.

[7] Enough of a crime was committed by your ancestors against Camillus —though they wronged him before his recovery of the city from the Gauls; enough was done by yourselves against Publius Africanus. Let us blush that the home and abode of the conqueror of Africa was at Liternum, and that it is at Liternum that his tomb is displayed. ²

[8] Let Lucius Paulus rival these men in glory, but let him not be their equal in suffering injustice at your hands.

[9] "Let therefore this disgrace be in the first place blotted out —a disgrace odious before other peoples, and harmful to ourselves. For who would want to emulate either Africanus or Paulus in a city so ungrateful and so hostile to excellence?

[10] If there were no question of disgrace, and only glory were at stake, what possible triumph does not embody the glory of the Roman name which we all share?

[11] Are the many triumphs which have been celebrated over the Gauls, over the Spaniards, over the Carthaginians spoken of ³ as pertaining merely to the generals themselves, or to the Roman People? Just as triumphs are celebrated, not merely over Pyrrhus or Hannibal, but over the people of Epirus or Carthage, so not Manius Curius or Publius Cornelius alone, ⁴ but the Romans celebrated the triumph.

[12] Soldiers indeed are directly interested in the matter, for they too are crowned with laurel, while each man is adorned with the decorations he has been given; they parade through the city invoking the spirit of Triumph by name and singing their own praises and those of their general.

[13] If on some occasion the soldiers are not brought back from the field for the triumph, they grumble; and yet even on such an occasion they believe that they are included in the triumph, though absent, because the victory has been won by their hands.

[14] If someone should ask you, soldiers, for what purpose you were transported to Italy, and were not dismissed at once when your mission had been completed, if he should ask why you had come to Rome in complete military units, why you were lingering here and were not dispersing, each to his own home, what would you answer but that you wished to be seen celebrating your triumph? Certainly you yourselves ought to have wanted to make a public appearance as conquerors.

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 45.38 focus

[1]

"Let us now pass to the other assembly; and here I am not to address you as citizens, but as soldiers, if, indeed, this name can cause a blush, and inspire you with shame, for your injurious treatment of your general.

[2] And I for my part feel my own mind affected in a very different manner, when I suppose myself speaking to an army, from what it was, just now, when my speech was addressed to the commons of the city.

[3] For what say you, soldiers, is there any man in Rome, except Perseus, that wishes there should be no triumph over Macedon; and are you not tearing him in pieces with the same hands with which you subdued the Macedonians?

[4] That man, who would hinder you from entering the city in triumph, would, if it had been in his power, have hindered you from conquering. Soldiers, you are mistaken, if you imagine that a triumph is an honour to the general only, and not to the soldiers also, as well as to the whole Roman people. This honour does not belong to Paullus alone. Many who failed of obtaining a triumph from the senate, have triumphed on the Alban Mount.

[5] No man can wrest from Lucius Paullus the honour of having brought the Macedonian war to a conclusion, any more than he can from Caius Lutatius, that of putting an end to the first Punic war, or from Publius Cornelius, that of finishing the second; or from those who, since those generals, have triumphed.

[6] Neither will a triumph add to, or diminish, the honour of Lucius Paullus as a commander:

[7] the character of the soldiers, and of the whole Roman people, is more immediately concerned therein, lest they should incur the imputation of envy and ingratitude towards one of their most illustrious citizens, and appear to imitate, in this respect, the Athenians, who have persecuted their distinguished men by exciting the hatred of the populace. Sufficient error was committed by your ancestors in the case of Camillus, whom they treated injuriously, before the city was recovered from the Gauls through his means; error sufficient, and more than sufficient, was committed by you in the case of Publius Africanus.

[8] How must we blush, when we reflect that the habitation and house of the conqueror of Africa was at Liternum; that his tomb is shown at Liternum!

[9] And shall Lucius Paullus, equal to any of those men in renown, receive from you an equal share of ill-treatment?

[10] Let then this infamy be first blotted out, which is shameful in the eyes of other nations, and injurious to ourselves; for who will wish to resemble either Africanus, or Paullus, in a state ungrateful and inimical to the virtuous?

[11] If there were no disgrace in the case, and the question merely concerned glory, what triumph does not imply the general glory of the Roman race? Are all the numerous triumphs over the Gauls, the Spaniards, and the Carthaginians, called the triumphs of the generals only, or of the Roman people? As the triumphs were celebrated not merely over Pyrrhus, or Hannibal, or Philip, but over the Epirotes and Carthaginians; so it was not the individual Manius Curius, or Publius Cornelius, nor Titus Quinctius, but the Romans, that triumphed.

[12] This, indeed, is the peculiar case of the soldiers, who, themselves both crowned with laurel, and conspicuous for the presents each one has received, proclaim the triumph by name, and march in procession through the city, singing their own and their commander's praises.

[13] If, at any time, soldiers are not brought home from a province to such honours, they murmur; and yet, even in that case, they consider themselves distinguished, even in their absence, because by their hands the victory was obtained.

[14] Soldiers, if it should be asked, for what purpose you were brought home to Italy, and not disbanded immediately, when the business of the province was finished; why you came to Rome, in a body, round your standards; why you loiter here, and do not repair to your several homes: what other answer can you give, than that you wished to be seen triumphing? And, certainly, you have a right to show yourselves as conquerors.

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.) — 45.38 focus

[1]

"While I fancy myself addressing the army, I am in a very different state of mind from what I was in a few moments ago, when my words were addressed to the citizens.

[2] What do you say, soldiers? Is there a single man in Rome besides Perseus who would object to a triumph over the Macedonians, and you do not tear him in pieces with the same arms with which you conquered the Macedonians? The man who prevents you from entering the City in triumph would have prevented you, had it been in his power, from winning the war.

[3] You are mistaken, soldiers, if you think that a triumph is an honour to the general alone, and not to the soldiers also, and to the whole people of Rome.

[4] It is not the glory of Paulus alone that is at stake here-many who failed to obtain the senate's sanction have triumphed on the Alban Mount; no one can snatch from Paulus the glory of bringing the Macedonian war to a close any more than he could deprive C. Lutatius of his glory in the first Punic war, or P. Cornelius of his glory in the second.

[5] A triumph will not diminish or enhance L. Paulus' greatness as a commander-it is the fair fame of the soldiers and the people of Rome that is in question.

[6] Take care that this action be not looked upon as an instance of jealousy and ingratitude towards all our noblest citizens, copying the example of the Athenians, who persecuted their foremost men because they were jealous of their greatness.

[7] Enough wrong was done by your ancestors in the case of Camillus, whom they treated with injustice-it was, however, before he rescued the City from the Gauls-enough, too, by yourselves in the case of P. Africanus. We must blush with shame when we remember that the domicile and home of the man who subjugated Africa was at Liternum; that it is at Liternum we are shown his tomb.

[8] If the glory of L. Paulus is on a par with theirs, do not let the injustice you are showing to him equal what was shown to them.

[9] Let us begin then by effacing this infamy so ugly in the eyes of other nations, so disastrous to our own people; for who would wish to resemble either Africanus or Paulus in a community which was ungrateful and hostile to its good citizens?

[10] If there were no question of disgrace, if it were only one of glory, what triumph, pray, does not bring with it a glory in which every Roman has a share?

[11] All those triumphs over the Gauls, all those over the Spaniards; all those over the Carthaginians, are they spoken of as the triumphs of the commanders only, and not rather of the people of Rome as a whole? As it was not over Pyrrhus or Hannibal personally but over the Epirots and the Carthaginians, so it was not Manlius Curius or P. Cornelius alone who celebrated them but the Romans.

[12] Especially is this true of the soldiers. With their laurel wreaths, each wearing his decorations, they shout their 'Io Triumphe' and make their progress through the City, hymning their commander's praises.

[13] If at any time the soldiers have not been brought back from the province for their triumph they murmur, yet even then they consider that they are taking their part in it because it was by their hands that the victory was won.

[14] If any one were to ask you soldiers for what object you were brought back to Italy and not disbanded as soon as the province was brought into order; why you have come to Rome in your thousands and under your standards; why you remain here and do not disperse each of you to your homes; what answer would you give except that you want to appear in the triumph? You, at all events, ought to wish to be seen as victors.

Notes on the current edition

Ab urbe condita

1. enim muretus : etiam V.

2. honos agitur add Madvig om. V.

3. A.U.C. 587

4. illis, qui post eos Sigonius : illi qui V.

5. nuper a Madvig : insuper V.

6. sit Madvig : sic V.

7. ne exaequetur Madvig : exsequetur V.

8. in tam add. bas : om. V.

9. A.U.C. 587

10. Carthaginiensibusque Fr : Carthaginiensibus et Macedonibus V.

11. cientes Madvig : cient V.

12. sunt Madvig : sint V.

13. tum gruter : suum V.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 45.38

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

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers