Missions of the Commissioners and Advice to Philip — Livy, History of Rome Book 33 (33.35.1–33.35.12), Latin & English

§33.35.1

dimisso conventu decem legati, partiti munia inter se, ad liberandas suae quisque regionis civitates discesserunt, P. Lentulus Bargylias, L. Stertinius Hephaestiam¹ et Thasum et Thraeciae urbes, P. Villius et L. Terentius ad regem Antiochum, Cn. Cornelius ad Philippum. qui de minoribus rebus editis mandatis² percunctatus, si consilium non utile solum sed etiam salutare admittere auribus posset,³ cum rex gratias quoque se acturum diceret, si quid, quod in rem suam esset, expromeret, magno opere ei suasit, quoniam pacem impetrasset, ad societatem amicitiamque petendam mitteret Romam legatos,⁴ ne, si quid Antiochus moveret, expectasse et temporum opportunitates captasse ad rebellandum videri posset.

When the assembly was dismissed, the ten commissioners, having divided their duties among themselves, departed to set free the cities of each one’s respective region: Publius Lentulus to Bargylia, Lucius Stertinius to Hephaestia and Thasos and the cities of Thrace, Publius Villius and Lucius Terentius to King Antiochus, Gnaeus Cornelius to Philip. He, after issuing instructions regarding minor matters, inquired whether he could lend his ears to advice that was not only useful but even salutary; when the king said that he would even be grateful if he would bring forward anything that was to his advantage, Cornelius strongly urged him that, since he had obtained peace, he should send ambassadors to Rome to seek an alliance and friendship, lest, if Antiochus should make any move, he might seem to have waited for and watched the opportunities of the times for rebelling.

§33.35.7

ad Tempe Thessalica Philippus est conventus. qui cum se missurum extemplo legatos respondisset, Cornelius Thermopylas, ubi frequens Graeciae statis diebus esse solet conventus — Pylaicum appellant —, venit; Aetolos praecipue monuit, constanter et fideliter in amicitia populi Romani permanerent.

Philip was met at Thessalian Tempe. When he had answered that he would send ambassadors immediately, Cornelius went to Thermopylae, where a crowded assembly of Greece is accustomed to meet on stated days—they call it the Pylaic [assembly]—; there he especially warned the Aetolians that they should remain constantly and faithfully in the friendship of the Roman people.

§33.35.10

Aetolorum principes alii leniter questi sunt, quod non idem erga suam gentem Romanorum animus esset post victoriam, qui in bello fuisset, alii ferocius incusarunt exprobraruntque non modo vinci sine Aetolis Philippum, sed ne transire quidem⁵ in Graeciam Romanos potuisse.

Some of the leaders of the Aetolians complained gently that the mind of the Romans toward their nation after the victory was not the same as it had been during the war; others more fiercely accused and reproached them, asserting that not only could Philip not have been conquered without the Aetolians, but the Romans could not even have crossed into Greece.

§33.35.12

adversus ea respondere, ne in altercationem excederet res, cum supersedisset Romanus,⁶ omnia eos aequa impetraturos, si Romam misissent, dixit. itaque ex auctoritate eius decreti legati sunt. hunc finem bellum cum Philippo habuit.

Since the Roman, lest the matter should degenerate into a quarrel, had refrained from replying to these charges, he simply said that they would obtain all fair demands if they sent to Rome. Therefore, on his advice, ambassadors were voted. This was the end of the war with Philip.

Syntax notes6 items

33.35.2Bargylias, L. Stertinius Hephaestiam
The verb of motion (such as profecti sunt) is omitted, continuing the sense of discesserunt from the previous clause. The names of towns (Bargylias, Hephaestiam, Thasum) are in the accusative of place whither without a preposition, whereas personal names (regem Antiochum, Philippum) are preceded by the preposition ad. Bargylias is the accusative plural of Bargylia.
33.35.3editis mandatis
This is an ablative absolute structure, meaning 'after instructions had been issued concerning minor matters,' with de minoribus rebus modifying mandatis. Alternatively, percunctatus could take de minoribus rebus ('having inquired about minor matters') with editis mandatis as a parenthetical ablative absolute ('having issued instructions').
33.35.3si consilium ... admittere auribus posset
An indirect question introduced by si ('whether') depending on the participle percunctatus ('having inquired'). The verb posset is in the imperfect subjunctive.
33.35.5mitteret Romam legatos
An indirect command (substantive clause of purpose) depending on the verb of urging, suasit. The conjunction ut is omitted, which is common in classical prose, and the verb mitteret is in the imperfect subjunctive.
33.35.11non modo vinci sine Aetolis Philippum, sed ne transire quidem
An instance of the idiom non modo [non] ... sed ne ... quidem. When both clauses share a common verb (here, potuisse), the negative non in the first clause is regularly omitted, meaning 'not only could Philip not have been defeated without the Aetolians, but the Romans could not even have crossed...' The accusative and infinitive clauses (vinci... Philippum and transire... Romanos) depend on potuisse as indirect speech introduced by incusarunt exprobraruntque.
33.35.12adversus ea respondere ... cum supersedisset Romanus
The verb supersedere ('to refrain from, dispense with') takes the infinitive respondere to mean 'to refrain from replying.' The word order is a hyperbaton, where respondere is placed before the cum-clause and the subject Romanus is placed after the verb supersedisset.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:33.35.1-33.35.12