- 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-lat2:42.39.1-42.39.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
King Perseus and the Roman commissioners meet at the Peneus River. After discussions regarding protocol and the size of the retinue, the king gives hostages, crosses the river, and the conference begins in a friendly atmosphere.
et tum quidem ab Dio Perseus in interiora regni recepit se, levi aura spei obiecta, quod Marcius ipsius causa suscepisse se legationem dixisset;1
And at that time, indeed, Perseus withdrew from Dium into the interior of his kingdom, presented with a slight breeze of hope, because Marcius had said that he had undertaken the embassy for his sake;
post dies paucos ad constitutum locum venerunt. magnus comitatus fuit regius cum amicorum tum satellitum turba stipante. non minore agmine legati venerunt2 et ab Larisa multis prosequentibus et legationibus civitatium, quae convenerant Larisam et renuntiare domum certa, quae audissent, volebant.
after a few days they came to the appointed place. The royal retinue was large, thronged by a crowd of both friends and bodyguards. The commissioners came with no smaller train, both with many accompanying them from Larisa, and with the embassies of the cities which had assembled at Larisa and wished to report back home certain things they had heard.
inerat cura insita mortalibus videndi congredientis nobilem regem et populi principis terrarum omnium legatos.
There was an interest inherent in mortals to see the meeting of a famous king and the ambassadors of the sovereign people of all lands.
ut in conspectu steterunt, dirimente amni, paulisper internuntiando cunctatio fuit, utri transgrederentur. aliquid illi regiae maiestati, aliquid hi populi Romani nomini, cum praesertim Perseus petisset conloquium, existumabant deberi.
When they stood in sight of each other, with the river dividing them, there was a brief hesitation during the exchange of messengers as to which of them should cross over. The former thought that something was due to the royal majesty, the latter to the name of the Roman people, especially since Perseus had requested the conference.
ioco etiam Marcius cunctantis movit. “minor” inquit “ad maiores et” — quod Philippo ipsi cognomen erat3 — “filius ad patrem transeat.” facile persuasum id regi est.
Marcius also moved those who were hesitating with a jest. “Let the younger,” he said, “cross over to the older, and” — since Philippus was his own surname — “the son to the father.” This was easily persuaded to the king.
aliud deinde ambigebatur, cum quam multis transiret. rex cum omni comitatu transire aecum censebat; legati vel cum tribus venire iubebant vel, si tantum agmen traduceret, obsides dare, nihil fraudis fore in conloquio.4
Then another matter was disputed, with how many he should cross. The king thought it fair to cross with his entire retinue; the commissioners ordered him either to come with three, or, if he brought over so great a train, to give hostages that there would be no treachery in the conference.
Hippian et Pantauchum, quos et legatos miserat, principes amicorum, obsides dedit. nec tam in pignus fidei obsides desiderati erant, quam ut appareret sociis nequaquam ex dignitate pari congredi regem cum legatis.
He gave as hostages Hippias and Pantauchus, the chief of his friends, whom he had also sent as ambassadors. And the hostages had not been desired so much as a pledge of faith, but rather so that it might appear to the allies that the king was by no means meeting with the commissioners on equal dignity.
salutatio non tamquam hostium, sed hospitalis ac benigna fuit, positisque sedibus consederunt.
The greeting was not as of enemies, but hospitable and friendly, and after seats were placed, they sat down.
- 42.39.1quod Marcius ipsius causa suscepisse se legationem dixisset
The subjunctive verb dixisset in the quod clause indicates a subjective reason (in indirect discourse), representing either what Perseus believed or what Marcius claimed, rather than an objective fact presented by the author.
- 42.39.2non minore agmine legati venerunt
"non minore agmine" is an ablative of manner or accompaniment, meaning "with a train no smaller than [the king's]," contrasting with the king's large comitatus mentioned in the previous sentence.
- 42.39.5quod Philippo ipsi cognomen erat
"Philippo" is a dative referring to Marcius himself (Quintus Marcius Philippus). Since the Roman commissioner's cognomen was "Philippus," it creates a pun with the name of Perseus' father, Philip (Philippus), implying "the son (Philippus) should cross to the father (Philip)."
- 42.39.6nihil fraudis fore in conloquio
An accusative with infinitive clause with "fore" (futurum esse) acting in apposition to or defining the purpose of "obsides" ("hostages to guarantee that there would be no treachery..."), or as an indirect discourse construction dependent on the implied promise of "dare".