Deportation of Royalists and the Games at Amphipolis — Livy, History of Rome Book 45 (45.32.1–45.32.11), Latin & English

§45.32.1

his rerum externarum cognitionibus interpositis Macedonum rursus advocatum concilium;

With these inquiries into foreign affairs having been interposed, the council of the Macedonians was summoned again;

§45.32.2

pronuntiatum, quod ad statum Macedoniae pertinebat, senatores, quos synhedros vocant, legendos esse, quorum consilio res publica administraretur.

it was announced, as for what pertained to the state of Macedonia, that senators, whom they call synhedroi, were to be chosen, by whose counsel the republic might be administered.

§45.32.3

nomina deinde sunt recitata principum Macedonum, quos cum liberis maioribus quam quindecim annos natis praecedere in Italiam placeret.¹

Then the names of the leading men of the Macedonians were read out, whom it was decided should proceed beforehand to Italy with their children who were more than fifteen years old.

§45.32.4

id, prima specie saevom, mox apparuit multitudini Macedonum pro libertate sua esse factum. nominati sunt enim regis amici purpuratique, duces exercituum, praefecti navium aut praesidiorum, servire regi humiliter, aliis superbe imperare adsueti;

This, harsh at first sight, soon appeared to the multitude of the Macedonians to have been done for the sake of their own liberty. For the friends and purple-clad courtiers of the king, the commanders of the armies, the prefects of the ships or garrisons were named, who were accustomed to serve the king submissively, and to rule over others proudly;

§45.32.5

praedivites alii, alii, quos fortuna non aequarent,² his sumptibus pares; regius omnibus victus vestitusque, nulli civilis animus, neque legum neque libertatis aequae patiens.

some were exceedingly wealthy, others, whom fortunes did not equal to them, were yet equal to these expenses; all had royal living habits and clothing, and none had a citizen’s mind, capable of enduring neither the laws nor equal liberty.

§45.32.6

omnes igitur, qui in aliquis ministeriis regiis, etiam qui in legationibus fuerant, iussi Macedonia excedere atque in Italiam ire: qui non paruisset imperio, mors denuntiata.

All therefore who had been in any royal services, even those who had been in embassies, were ordered to depart from Macedonia and go to Italy: to anyone who did not obey the command, death was threatened.

§45.32.7

leges Macedoniae dedit cum tanta cura, ut non hostibus victis, sed sociis bene meritis dare videretur, et quas ne usus quidem longo tempore, qui unus est legum corrector, experiendo argueret.³

He gave laws to Macedonia with such great care that he seemed to give them not to vanquished enemies, but to well-deserving allies, and such laws that not even usage over a long period of time, which is the sole corrector of laws, would refute through experience.

§45.32.8

ab seriis rebus ludicrum, quod ex multo ante praeparato et in Asiae civitates et ad reges missis, qui denuntiarent, et, cum circumiret ipse Graeciae civitates, indixerat principibus, magno apparatu Amphipoli fecit.

From serious matters, he held a spectacle at Amphipolis with great preparation, which he had proclaimed to the leading men from preparation made long before, both by sending messengers to the states of Asia and to the kings to announce it, and when he himself went around the states of Greece.

§45.32.9

nam et artificum omnis generis, qui ludicram artem faciebant, ex toto orbe terrarum multitudo et athletarum et nobilium equorum convenit et legationes cum victimis et quidquid aliud deorum hominumque causa fieri magnis ludis in Graecia solet, ita factum est, ut non magnificentiam tantum, sed prudentiam in dandis spectaculis, ad quae rudes tum Romani erant, admirarentur.

For a multitude both of artists of every kind, who practiced the scenic art, from the whole world, and of athletes and of noble horses assembled, as well as embassies with sacrificial victims, and whatever else is accustomed to be done for the sake of gods and men at the great games in Greece. Thus it happened that they admired not only the magnificence, but also the prudence in presenting spectacles, in which the Romans were at that time unrefined.

§45.32.11

epulae quoque legationibus paratae et opulentia et cura eadem. vulgo dictum ipsius ferebant et convivium instruere et ludos parare eiusdem esse, qui vincere bello sciret.⁴

Banquets were also prepared for the embassies with the same wealth and care. They commonly repeated a saying of his: that to arrange a banquet and to prepare games belonged to the same person who knew how to conquer in war.

Syntax notes4 items

45.32.3quos cum liberis maioribus quam quindecim annos natis praecedere in Italiam placeret
The relative pronoun quos (with principum Macedonum as its antecedent) is not the subject of the impersonal verb placeret ('it was resolved/decided'), but rather functions as the subject (in the accusative case) of the infinitive praecedere which depends on placeret.
45.32.5quos fortuna non aequarent
The antecedent is alii. The plural subjunctive verb aequarent reflects either a variant reading with the plural subject fortunae ('fortunes') or an agreement reflecting the plural sense of the context. It expresses the idea that 'their fortunes/assets did not equal' those of the very rich.
45.32.7et quas ne usus quidem longo tempore, qui unus est legum corrector, experiendo argueret
The relative pronoun quas refers to leges as its antecedent, and the verb argueret is in the subjunctive (of characteristic or result). The clause qui unus est legum corrector is an appositive parenthetical clause explaining usus ('usage') as the sole corrector of laws.
45.32.11eiusdem esse, qui vincere bello sciret
eiusdem is a possessive genitive denoting characteristic or property ('it is characteristic of the same person'). The antecedent to the relative pronoun qui is omitted, meaning 'it belongs to (the same person) who knows how to conquer in war.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:45.32.1-45.32.11