§32.21.1tum Aristaenus praetor rursus: “non magis consilium vobis, principes Achaeorum, deest quam lingua; sed suo quisque periculo in commune consultum non vult.
Then the praetor Aristaenus said again: "Leaders of the Achaeans, counsel is no more lacking to you than tongue; but each one, at his own peril, does not wish that measures be taken for the common good.
forsitan ego quoque tacerem, si privatus essem; nunc praetori video aut non dandum concilium legatis fuisse, §32.21.2aut non sine responso eos dimittendos esse; respondere autem nisi ex vestro decreto qui possum? et quoniam nemo vestrum, qui in hoc concilium advocati estis, pro sententia quicquam dicere vult aut audet, orationes legatorum hesterno die ut pro sententiis dictas percenseamus perinde ac non postulaverint, §32.21.3quae e re sua essent, sed suaserint, quae nobis censerent utilia esse.
Perhaps I too would be silent if I were a private citizen; as it is, I see that either the council ought not to have been granted to the ambassadors by the praetor, or they ought not to be dismissed without a reply; but how can I reply except in accordance with your decree? And since no one of you, who have been summoned to this council, wishes or dares to say anything as his opinion, let us review the speeches of the ambassadors delivered yesterday as if they had been spoken as opinions, just as if they had not demanded what was to their own interest, but had advised what they thought would be useful to us.
§32.21.4Romani Rhodiique et Attalus societatem amicitiamque nostram petunt et in bello, quod adversus Philippum gerunt, se a nobis adiuvari aequum censent.
The Romans and the Rhodians and Attalus seek our alliance and friendship, and they think it fair that they be aided by us in the war which they are waging against Philip.
§32.21.5Philippus societatis secum admonet et iuris iurandi et modo postulat, ut secum stemus, modo, ne intersimus armis, contentum ait se esse.
Philip reminds us of his alliance and oath with him, and at one time demands that we stand with him, and at another time says he is content if we do not take part in the war.
§32.21.6nulline venit in mentem, cur, qui nondum socii sunt, plus petant quam socius? non fit hoc neque modestia Philippi neque impudentia Romanorum, Achaei: §32.21.7fortuna et dat fiduciam postulantibus et demit.
Does it occur to no one why those who are not yet allies demand more than an ally? This does not happen, O Achaeans, either through the modesty of Philip or the impudence of the Romans: fortune both gives confidence to those who demand and takes it away.
Philippi praeter legatum videmus nihil; Romana classis ad Cenchreas stat urbium Euboeae spolia prae se ferens, consulem legionesque eius, exiguo maris spatio diiunctas, Phocidem ac Locridem pervagantis videmus: §32.21.8miramini, cur diffidenter Cleomedon, legatus Philippi, ut pro rege arma caperemus adversus Romanos, modo egerit?
We see nothing of Philip's except his ambassador; the Roman fleet lies at Cenchreae, displaying the spoils of the cities of Euboea, and we see the consul and his legions, separated by only a narrow space of sea, overrunning Phocis and Locris: do you wonder why Cleomedon, the ambassador of Philip, lately acted so diffidently in urging that we should take up arms for the king against the Romans?
§32.21.9qui, si ex eodem foedere ac iure iurando, cuius nobis religionem iniciebat, rogemus eum, ut nos Philippus et ab Nabide ac Lacedaemoniis et ab Romanis defendat, non modo praesidium, quo tueatur nos, §32.21.10sed ne quid respondeat quidem nobis sit inventurus, non hercule magis quam ipse Philippus priore anno, qui pollicendo se adversus Nabidem bellum gesturum cum temptasset nostram iuventutem hinc in Euboeam extrahere, §32.21.11postquam nos neque decernere id sibi praesidium neque velle illigari Romano bello vidit, oblitus societatis eius, quam nunc iactat, vastandos populandosque Nabidi ac Lacedaemoniis reliquit.
Who, if we should ask him, according to the very treaty and oath, the religious obligation of which he was trying to impress upon us, that Philip should defend us both from Nabis and the Lacedaemonians and from the Romans, would not only fail to find a garrison with which to protect us, but would not even find anything to reply to us—no more, by Heracles, than Philip himself did in the previous year, who, by promising that he would wage war against Nabis, when he had attempted to draw our youth away from here into Euboea, after he saw that we neither decreed that protection for him nor wished to be entangled in a Roman war, forgetting that alliance which he now boasts of, left us to be wasted and plundered by Nabis and the Lacedaemonians.
§32.21.12ac mihi quidem minime conveniens inter se oratio Cleomedontis visa est.
And indeed to me the speech of Cleomedon seemed least consistent with itself.
elevabat Romanum bellum eventumque eius eundem fore, qui prioris belli, §32.21.13quod cum Philippo gesserint, dicebat.
He was belittling the Roman war and saying that its outcome would be the same as that of the former war, which they waged with Philip, he said.
cur igitur nostrum ille auxilium absens petit potius quam praesens nos, socios veteres, simul ab Nabide ac Romanis tueatur? nos dico? quid ita passus est Eretriam Carystumque capi? quid ita tot Thessaliae urbes? quid ita Locridem Phocidemque?
Why then does he, being absent, seek our aid, rather than present in person protect us, his old allies, at once from Nabis and the Romans? "Us," do I say? Why did he thus allow Eretria and Carystus to be taken? Why so many cities of Thessaly? Why Locris and Phocis?
§32.21.14quid ita nunc Elatiam oppugnari patitur? cur excessit faucibus Epiri claustrisque illis inexpugnabilibus super Aoum amnem relictoque, quem insidebat, saltu penitus in regnum abiit? aut vi aut metu aut voluntate.
Why does he now allow Elatia to be besieged? Why did he depart from the passes of Epirus and those impregnable barriers over the river Aous, and, leaving the defile which he occupied, go deep into his kingdom? Either by force or by fear or of his own free will.
§32.21.15si sua voluntate tot socios reliquit hostibus diripiendos, qui recusare potest, quin et socii sibi consulant? si metu, nobis quoque ignoscat timentibus; si victus armis cessit, Achaei Romana arma sustinebimus, Cleomedon, quae vos Macedones non sustinuistis?
If of his own free will he left so many allies to be plundered by enemies, how can he object to the allies taking counsel for themselves? If through fear, let him forgive us also for being afraid; if he yielded, overcome by arms, shall we Achaeans, Cleomedon, withstand the Roman arms, which you Macedonians did not withstand?
§32.21.16an tibi credamus Romanos non maioribus copiis nec viribus nunc bellum gerere, quam antea gesserint, potius quam res ipsas intueamur?
Or should we believe you that the Romans are not now carrying on the war with greater forces or strength than they did before, rather than look at the facts themselves?
§32.21.17Aetolos tum classe adiuverunt; nec duce consulari nec exercitu bellum gesserunt; sociorum Philippi maritimae tum urbes in terrore ac tumultu erant; mediterranea adeo tuta ab armis Romanis fuerunt, ut Philippus Aetolosnequiquam opem — Romanorumimplorantisdepopularetur;
They then aided the Aetolians only with a fleet; they waged the war neither with a consular commander nor with an army; the maritime cities of Philip's allies were then in terror and confusion; the inland parts were so safe from Roman arms that Philip could plunder the Aetolians who were in vain imploring the help of the Romans;