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Livy · History of Rome §31.16.1-31.16.8

Philip's Thracian Campaign and Siege of Abydos

Passage 1043 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Philip sent plundering forces to Attica and personally captured strategic positions such as Maronea and Aenus. As the Abydenes closed their gates, Philip laid siege to the city, while Attalus and the Rhodians failed to provide effective assistance.

§31.16.1Philippus magis regio animo est usus; qui cum Attalum Rhodiosque hostis non sustinuisset, ne Romano quidem, §31.16.2quod imminebat, bello territus Philocle quodam ex praefectis suis cum duobus milibus peditum, equitibus ducentis ad populandos Atheniensium agros misso, §31.16.3classe tradita Heraclidi, ut Maroneam peteret, ipse terra eodem cum expeditis duobus milibus peditum, equitibus ducentis pergit.
Philip displayed a more kingly spirit; although he had not withstood Attalus and the Rhodians as enemies, not even terrified by the Roman war which was impending, having sent a certain Philocles, one of his prefects, with two thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry to ravage the lands of the Athenians, and having handed over the fleet to Heraclides so that he might head for Maronea, he himself proceeded by land to the same place with two thousand light-armed infantry and two hundred cavalry.
§31.16.4et Maroneam quidem primo impetu expugnavit; Aenum inde cum magno labore nequiquam oppugnasset, postremo per proditionem Callimedis, praefecti Ptolomaei, cepit.
And indeed he captured Maronea at the first assault; although he had besieged Aenus with great effort in vain, he finally captured it through the treachery of Callimedes, a prefect of Ptolemy.
deinceps alia castella, Cypsela et Doriscon et Serrheum, occupat.
Next, he occupied other strongholds: Cypsela, Doriscus, and Serrheum.
§31.16.5inde progressus ad Chersonesum Elaeunta et Alopeconnesum tradentibus ipsis recipit; Callipolis quoque et Madytos dedita et castella quaedam ignobilia;
Having advanced from there to the Chersonese, he received Elaeus and Alopeconnesum, as they surrendered of themselves; Callipolis also and Madytos were surrendered, and certain obscure strongholds.
§31.16.6Abydeni ne legatis quidem admissis regi portas clauserunt.
The Abydenes, not even admitting envoys, shut their gates against the king.
ea oppugnatio diu Philippum tenuit, eripique ex obsidione, ni cessatum ab Attalo et Rhodiis foret, potuerunt.
That siege delayed Philip for a long time, and they could have been rescued from the siege, if there had not been inactivity on the part of Attalus and the Rhodians.
§31.16.7Attalus trecentos tantum milites in praesidium, Rhodii quadriremem unam ex classe, cum ad Tenedum staret, miserunt.
Attalus sent only three hundred soldiers as a garrison, and the Rhodians sent only one quadrireme from their fleet, while it was stationed at Tenedos.
§31.16.8eodem postea, cum iam vix sustinerent obsidionem, et ipse Attalus cum traiecisset, spem tantum auxilii ex propinquo ostendit neque terra neque mari adiutis sociis.
Later, when they were already scarcely withstanding the siege, and Attalus himself had crossed over to the same place, he only displayed a hope of assistance from nearby, without helping his allies either by land or by sea.

Notes

  1. 31.16.1qui cum — The relative pronoun `qui` (nominative singular masculine) is a relative connection (connecting relative) referring back to Philippus, and `cum` introduces a concessive clause with the subjunctive pluperfect `sustinuisset` ('although he had not withstood').
  2. 31.16.6potuerunt — In the apodosis of a contrary-to-fact conditional sentence (with the protasis `ni ... foret` in the subjunctive), the indicative perfect `potuerunt` of the verb of ability `possum` is used. In Latin, verbs expressing ability, duty, or necessity regularly stand in the indicative in the apodosis of contrary-to-fact conditions.
  3. 31.16.8adiutis sociis — Ablative absolute construction, where the past participle `adiutis` functions passively, meaning 'their allies not having been helped' (i.e., without helping his allies).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §31.16.1-31.16.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:31.16.1-31.16.8

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