- Source
- Titi Livi ab urbe condita libri editionem priman, Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:40.15.1-40.15.16
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Demetrius exposes the true nature of Perseus's accusations as jealousy and ambition concerning the succession. He defends his ties to Rome, protests the unfairness of being forced to plead his case without preparation, and appeals to his father's mercy.
quin tu omissa ista nocturna fabula ad id, quod doles, quod invidia urit, reverteris? “cur usquam tui mentio fit, Demetri?
Why do you not, leaving aside that nocturnal fable, return to that which pains you, which envy burns? “Why is there mention of you anywhere, Demetrius?
cur dignior patris fortunae successor quibusdam videris quam ego? cur spem meam, quae, si tu non esses, certa erat, dubiam et sollicitam facis?”
Why do you seem to some to be a successor more worthy of your father’s fortune than I? Why do you make my hope, which, if you were not, was certain, doubtful and anxious?”
haec sentit Perseus, etsi non dicit; haec istum inimicum, haec accusatorem faciunt; haec domum, haec regnum tuum criminibus et suspicionibus replent.
These things Perseus feels, even if he does not say them; these things make him your enemy, these make him your accuser; these things fill your house, these fill your kingdom with accusations and suspicions.
ego autem, pater, quem ad modum nec nunc sperare regnum nec ambigere umquam de eo forsitan debeam, quia minor sum, quia tu me maiori cedere vis, sic1 illud nec debui facere nec debeo, ut indignus te patre omnibus videar.
But I, father, just as I perhaps ought neither now to hope for the kingdom nor ever to dispute about it, because I am the younger, because you wish me to yield to the elder, so I neither ought to have done nor ought to do that which makes me seem to all unworthy of you as a father.
id enim vitiis meis, non cedendi, cui ius fasque est, modestia2 consequar. Romanos obicis mihi, et ea, quae gloriae esse debent, in crimen vertis.
For that I would achieve by my own vices, not by the modesty of yielding to him to whom right and divine law belong. You object the Romans to me, and turn those things which ought to be to my glory into a charge.
ego nec obses Romanis ut traderer nec ut legatus mitterer Romam, petii. a te missus ire non recusavi. utroque tempore ita me gessi, ne tibi pudori, ne regno tuo, ne genti Macedonum essem.
I neither asked to be delivered to the Romans as a hostage, nor to be sent to Rome as an ambassador. Sent by you, I did not refuse to go. At both times I conducted myself in such a way that I was not a shame to you, nor to your kingdom, nor to the Macedonian people.
itaque mihi cum Romanis, pater, amicitiae causa tu fuisti. quoad tecum illis pax manebit, mecum quoque gratia erit: si bellum esse coeperit, qui obses, qui legatus pro patre non inutilis fui, idem hostis illis acerrimus ero.
Therefore, father, you were the cause of my friendship with the Romans. As long as peace remains between you and them, favor will also remain with me: if war begins to be, I, who as hostage and as ambassador was not useless for my father, will likewise be their fiercest enemy.
nec hodie ut prosit mihi gratia Romanorum, postulo: ne obsit, tantum deprecor. nec in bello coepit nec ad bellum reservatur: pacis pignus fui, ad pacem retinendam legatus missus sum: neutra res mihi nec gloriae nec crimini sit.
Nor do I demand today that the favor of the Romans should benefit me: I only pray that it may not harm me. It neither began in war nor is it reserved for war: I was a pledge of peace, I was sent as an ambassador to retain peace: let neither thing be to me either for glory or for blame.
ego si quid impie in te, pater, si quid scelerate in fratrem admisi, nullam deprecor poenam: si innocens sum, ne invidia conflagrem, cum crimine non possim,3 deprecor.
If I have committed anything impious against you, father, or anything wicked against my brother, I pray for no escape from punishment: if I am innocent, I pray that I may not be consumed by envy, since I cannot be by a charge.
non hodie me primum frater accusat, sed hodie primum aperte, nullo meo in se merito. si mihi pater suscenseret, te maiorem fratrem pro minore deprecari oportebat, te adulescentiae, te errori veniam impetrare meo. ubi praesidium esse oportebat, ibi exitium est.
My brother does not accuse me today for the first time, but today for the first time openly, with no merit of mine toward him. If my father were angry with me, it would behoove you, as the elder brother, to intercede for the younger, and for you to obtain pardon for my youth and error. Where there ought to have been protection, there is destruction.
e convivio et comisatione prope semisomnus raptus sum ad causam parricidii dicendam. sine advocatis, sine patronis ipse pro me dicere cogor.
From the banquet and the revel, almost half-asleep, I was snatched to plead my cause against a charge of parricide. Without advocates, without patrons, I am forced to speak for myself.
si pro alio dicendum esset, tempus ad meditandum et componendam orationem sumpsissem, cum quid aliud quam ingenii fama periclitarer? ignarus, quid arcessitus essem, te iratum et iubentem dicere causam, fratrem accusantem audivi.
If I had had to speak for another, I would have taken time for reflecting and composing my speech, when what else but the reputation of my talent would be at risk? Ignorant of why I had been summoned, I heard you angry and commanding me to plead my cause, and my brother accusing me.
ille diu ante praeparata ac meditata in me oratione est usus: ego id tantum temporis, quo accusatus sum, ad cognoscendum, quid ageretur, habui.
He used a speech against me prepared and meditated long before: I had only that amount of time in which I was accused to understand what was going on.
utrum momento illo horae accusatorem audirem an defensionem meditarer? attonitus repentino atque inopinato malo, vix, quid obiceretur, intellegere potui, nedum satis sciam,4 quo modo me tuear.
Was I, in that moment of an hour, to listen to the accuser or to meditate on my defense? Stunned by a sudden and unexpected evil, I could scarcely understand what was being charged, let alone know sufficiently how to defend myself.
quid mihi spei esset, nisi patrem iudicem haberem? apud quem etiam si caritate a fratre maiore vincor, misericordia certe reus vinci non debeo.
What hope would I have, if I did not have my father as judge? Before whom, even if I am surpassed in affection by my elder brother, I certainly as the accused ought not to be surpassed in mercy.
ego enim ut me mihi tibique serves, precor; ille ut me in securitatem suam occidas, postulat. quid eum, cum regnum ei tradideris, facturum credis in me esse, qui iam nunc sanguinem meum sibi indulgeri aequum censet?”
For I pray that you preserve me for myself and for you; he demands that you kill me for his own security. What do you believe he will do to me when you have handed over the kingdom to him, who even now thinks it right that my blood should be granted to him?
- 40.15.4quem ad modum ... sic
The correlation of 'quem ad modum' and 'sic' structures a comparison between the two parallel thoughts: just as Demetrius ought not to hope for the kingdom, so he ought not to behave in a way that makes him appear unworthy of his father. The 'ut' clause expresses result.
- 40.15.5cedendi, cui ius fasque est, modestia
The relative pronoun 'cui' refers to an implied dative antecedent (such as 'ei' or 'illi'), meaning 'to him to whom right and divine law belong.' 'cedendi' is the genitive of the gerund modifying 'modestia', with 'cui' serving as the dative object governed by the verb of yielding.
- 40.15.9cum crimine non possim
The conjunction 'cum' expresses cause ('since'). In 'non possim', a passive or intransitive verb of destruction (such as 'conflagrare', supplied from 'conflagrem' in the previous clause) is omitted. The meaning is 'since I cannot be destroyed by a real charge'.
- 40.15.14nedum satis sciam
The conjunction 'nedum' with the subjunctive ('sciam') means 'much less' or 'let alone'. It follows the negative assertion that he could barely understand what was being charged, emphasizing that he is even less capable of knowing how to defend himself.