§31.7.1consul in campo Martio comitiis, priusquam centurias in suffragium mitteret, §31.7.2contione advocata “ignorare” inquit “mihi videmini, Quirites, non, utrum bellum an pacem habeatis, vos consuli — neque enim liberum id vobis Philippus permittet, qui terra marique ingens bellum molitur —, sed, utrum in Macedoniam legiones transportetis, an hostes in Italiam accipiatis.
The consul, in the assembly in the Campus Martius, before he sent the centuries to vote, called an assembly and said: “You seem to me, Quirites, not to know that it is not being consulted of you whether you have war or peace—for Philip, who is preparing a huge war by land and sea, will not allow you that choice—but whether you are to transport your legions into Macedonia, or receive the enemy into Italy.
§31.7.3hoc quantum intersit, si numquam alias, Punico proximo certe bello experti estis.
How great a difference this makes, you have certainly experienced in the last Punic War, if never at any other time.
quis enim dubitat, quin, si Saguntinis obsessis fidemque nostram inplorantibus inpigre tulissemus opem, sicut patres nostri Mamertinis tulerant, totum in Hispaniam aversuri bellum fuerimus, quod cunctando cum summa clade nostra in Italiam accepimus?
For who doubts that, if we had actively brought help to the besieged Saguntines who were imploring our faith, just as our fathers had brought it to the Mamertines, we would have diverted the whole war to Spain, which by delaying we received into Italy to our greatest disaster?
§31.7.4ne illud quidem dubium est, quin hunc ipsum Philippum, pactum iam per legatos litterasque cum Hannibale, ut in Italiam traiceret, misso cum classe Laevino, qui ultro ei bellum inferret, in Macedonia continuerimus.
Nor is there any doubt of this either, that we kept this very Philip in Macedonia, though he had already agreed with Hannibal through envoys and letters to cross over into Italy, by sending Laevinus with a fleet to carry the war to him of our own accord.
§31.7.5et quod tunc fecimus, cum hostem Hannibalem in Italia haberemus, id nunc pulso Italia Hannibale, devictis Carthaginiensibus cunctamur facere?
And what we did then, when we had the enemy Hannibal in Italy, do we now hesitate to do, when Hannibal has been driven from Italy and the Carthaginians have been utterly defeated?
§31.7.6patiamur expugnandis Athenis, sicut Sagunto expugnando Hannibalem passi sumus, segnitiam nostram experiri regem: §31.7.7non quinto inde mense, quem ad modum ab Sagunto Hannibal, sed quinto die, quam ab Corintho solverit naves, in Italiam perveniet.
Let us allow the king to test our slothfulness by capturing Athens, just as we allowed Hannibal to do by capturing Saguntum; he will arrive in Italy not in the fifth month from then, in the manner of Hannibal from Saguntum, but on the fifth day after he sets sail from Corinth.
§31.7.8ne aequaveritis Hannibali Philippum nec Carthaginiensibus Macedonas; Pyrrho certe aequabitis.
Do not equate Philip to Hannibal, nor the Macedonians to the Carthaginians; you will certainly equate him to Pyrrhus.
aequabitis dico? quantum vel vir viro vel gens genti praestat!
Equate, do I say? How much either man surpasses man or nation surpasses nation!
§31.7.9minima accessio semper Epirus regno Macedoniae fuit et hodie est.
Epirus was always a very small appendage to the kingdom of Macedonia, and is so today.
Peloponnesum totam in dicione Philippus habet Argosque ipsos, non vetere fama magis quam morte Pyrrhi nobilitatos.
Philip has the whole Peloponnesus in his power, and Argos itself, made famous not more by its ancient renown than by the death of Pyrrhus.
§31.7.10nostra nunc compara.
Now compare our situation.
quanto magis florentem Italiam, quanto magis integras res, salvis ducibus, salvis tot exercitibus, quos Punicum postea bellum absumpsit, adgressus Pyrrhus tamen concussit et victor prope ad ipsam urbem Romanam venit!
Although Pyrrhus attacked an Italy that was much more flourishing, and our affairs much more intact, with our generals safe and so many armies safe which the Punic war later destroyed, yet he shook us and came as a victor almost to the very city of Rome!
§31.7.11nec Tarentini modo oraque illa Italiae, quam maiorem Graeciam vocant, ut linguam, ut nomen secutos crederes, sed Lucanus et Bruttius et Samnis ab nobis defecerunt.
And not only the Tarentines and that coast of Italy which they call Magna Graecia, whom you might believe followed a common language and name, but the Lucanian, the Bruttian, and the Samnite revolted from us.
§31.7.12haec vos, si Philippus in Italiam transmiserit, quietura aut mansura in fide creditis? manserunt enim Punico postea bello.
Do you believe that these peoples will remain quiet or continue in their loyalty if Philip crosses over into Italy? They remained loyal, forsooth, in the subsequent Punic war!
numquam isti populi, nisi cum deerit, §31.7.13ad quem desciscant, ab nobis non deficient.
Never will those peoples fail to revolt from us, except when there is no one to whom they can defect.
si piguisset vos in Africam traicere, hodie in Italia Hannibalem et Carthaginiensis hostis haberetis.
If you had shrunk from crossing over into Africa, today you would have Hannibal and the Carthaginian enemies in Italy.
Macedonia potius quam Italia bellum habeat; hostium urbes agrique ferro atque igni vastentur;
Let Macedonia rather than Italy have the war; let the cities and fields of the enemy be laid waste with fire and sword.
§31.7.14experti iam sumus foris nobis quam domi feliciora potentioraque arma esse.
We have already experienced that our arms are more successful and powerful abroad than at home.
ite in suffragium bene iuvantibus divis et, quae patres censuerunt, vos iubete.
Go to vote, with the gods kindly helping, and order what the senate has decreed.
§31.7.15huius vobis sententiae non consul modo auctor est sed etiam dii immortales, qui mihi sacrificanti precantique, ut hoc bellum mihi, senatui vobisque, sociis ac nomini Latino, classibus exercitibusque nostris bene ac feliciter eveniret, laeta omnia prosperaque portendere. ”
Of this decision not only am I, the consul, the author to you, but also the immortal gods, who, when I was sacrificing and praying that this war might turn out well and happily for me, the senate, and you, for the allies and the Latin name, and for our fleets and armies, portended that all things would be joyful and prosperous.”