Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §33.25.1-33.25.11

Ratification of Peace with Philip and Assignment of Commands

Passage 1143 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Amidst the grand celebrations of the Roman and Plebeian Games, the new consul Marcellus attempts to gain Macedonia as his province by arguing that the peace is deceptive, but the tribunes intervene and the plebeians vote to confirm the peace with Philip, while sad news of a defeat in Spain prompts adjustments to the consular and Flamininus's commands.

§33.25.1ludi Romani eo anno in circo scaenaque ab aedilibus curulibus P. Cornelio Scipione et Cn. Manlio Vulsone et magnificentius quam alias facti et laetius propter res bello bene gestas spectati, totique ter instaurati.
The Roman Games in that year were celebrated in the circus and on the stage by the curule aediles Publius Cornelius Scipio and Gnaeus Manlius Vulso, both more magnificently than on other occasions, and were watched with greater joy because of the successful operations in the war, and they were repeated three times in their entirety.
§33.25.2plebei septiens instaurati; M’. Acilius Glabrio et C. Laelius eos ludos fecerunt; §33.25.3et de argento multaticio tria signa aenea, Cererem Liberumque que et Liberam, posuerunt.
The Plebeian Games were repeated seven times; Manius Acilius Glabrio and Gaius Laelius celebrated these games; and from the money collected from fines they set up three bronze statues, of Ceres, Liber, and Libera.
§33.25.4L. Furius et M. Claudius Marcellus consulatu inito, cum de provinciis ageretur et Italiam utrique provinciam senatus decerneret, ut Macedoniam cum Italia sortirentur tendebant.
Lucius Furius and Marcus Claudius Marcellus, having entered upon their consulship, when the question of the provinces was being discussed and the senate was decreeing Italy as the province for both, strove to have Macedonia put to the lot along with Italy.
§33.25.5Marcellus, provinciae cupidior, pacem simulatam ac fallacem dicendo et rebellaturum, si exercitus inde deportatus esset, regem, §33.25.6dubios sententiae patres fecerat.
Marcellus, who was more eager for the province, by saying that the peace was pretended and deceptive, and that the king would renew the war if the army were withdrawn from there, had made the senators waver in their opinion.
et forsitan obtinuisset consul, ni Q. Marcius Ralla et C. Atinius Labeo tribuni plebis se intercessuros dixissent, ni prius ipsi ad plebem tulissent, vellent iuberentne cum rege Philippo pacem esse.
And the consul would perhaps have carried his point, had not Quintus Marcius Ralla and Gaius Atinius Labeo, tribunes of the plebs, declared that they would interpose their veto unless they themselves first brought a proposal before the plebeians, asking whether they wished and ordered that there should be peace with King Philip.
§33.25.7ea rogatio in Capitolio ad plebem lata est; omnes quinque et triginta tribus “uti rogas” iusserunt.
That proposal was brought before the plebeians on the Capitol; all thirty-five tribes voted "as you propose" in favor.
§33.25.8et quo magis pacem ratam esse in Macedonia vulgo laetarentur, tristis ex Hispania adlatus nuntius effecit vulgataeque litterae §33.25.9“C. Sempronium Tuditanum proconsulem in citeriore Hispania proelio victum, exercitum eius fusum fugatumque, multos inlustris viros in acie cecidisse, Tuditanum cum gravi vulnere relatum ex proelio haud ita multo post expirasse. ” §33.25.10consulibus ambobus Italia provincia cum iis legionibus, quas superiores consules habuissent, decreta, et ut quattuor legiones novas scriberent, duas urbanas, duas, quae quo senatus censuisset mitterentur; §33.25.11et T. Quinctius Flamininus provinciam eodem exercitu obtinere iussus; imperium ei prorogatum satis iam ante videri esse.
And that people might rejoice all the more that peace was established in Macedonia, a sad message brought from Spain and the publication of a letter contributed to this effect: "Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus, the proconsul, has been defeated in battle in Nearer Spain, his army routed and put to flight, many illustrious men have fallen in the field, and Tuditanus, carried from the battle with a severe wound, expired not long afterwards." To both consuls, the province of Italy was decreed, with those legions which the preceding consuls had commanded, and they were ordered to enroll four new legions, two for the city and two to be sent wherever the senate should determine; and Titus Quinctius Flamininus was ordered to hold his province with the same army; his command was considered to have been already sufficiently prorogued before.

Notes

  1. 33.25.3argento multaticio — Meaning "from money collected as fines." An ablative of source showing that public funds obtained from penalties were used to set up the statues. `multaticius` is an adjective modifying `argentum`.
  2. 33.25.5pacem simulatam ac fallacem dicendo et rebellaturum, si exercitus inde deportatus esset, regem — An accusative and infinitive structure (indirect discourse) depending on the gerund `dicendo`. `esse` is omitted after `rebellaturum`, of which `regem` is the subject. The conditional clause `si... deportatus esset` represents a future perfect indicative in direct speech, shifted to the pluperfect subjunctive after a historical main verb.
  3. 33.25.6ni... ni prius... — A double use of the conditional conjunction `ni` (unless/if not). The second `ni` clause (`ni prius ipsi...`) is not an independent condition for the main verb, but is nested as an internal condition within the tribunes' declaration (`dixissent`), i.e., "had they not said that they would veto, unless they themselves first..."
  4. 33.25.8quo magis... tristis ex Hispania adlatus nuntius effecit — The conjunction `quo` with the comparative `magis` introduces a clause of purpose or result ("that they might rejoice all the more"), with the subjunctive `laetarentur`. The main clause has `tristis... nuntius` and `vulgatae... litterae` as subjects, and `effecit` as the verb ("brought it about that...").

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §33.25.1-33.25.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:33.25.1-33.25.11

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