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Livy · History of Rome §33.3.1-33.3.12

Philip's Levy and Preparations for the Decisive Battle

Passage 1121 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Philip recruits soldiers despite a severe shortage of youth and awaits the enemy at Dium, while Quinctius reaches Thermopylae and gathers allied reinforcements, including Aetolians. Upon learning of the Roman advance, Philip prepares a speech to encourage his soldiers for the decisive conflict.

§33.3.1Philippus quoque primo vere, postquam legati ab Roma nihil pacati rettulerant, §33.3.2dilectum per omnia oppida regni habere instituit in magna inopia iuniorum.
Philip also, at the beginning of spring, after the ambassadors had brought back nothing of a peaceful nature from Rome, resolved to hold a levy throughout all the towns of his kingdom, in a great scarcity of young men.
absumpserant enim per multas iam aetates continua bella Macedonas; §33.3.3ipso quoque regnante et navalibus bellis adversus Rhodios Attalumque et terrestribus adversus Romanos ceciderat magnus numerus.
For continuous wars over many generations by now had consumed the Macedonians; under his own reign as well, both in naval wars against the Rhodians and Attalus, and in land wars against the Romans, a great number had fallen.
§33.3.4ita et tirones ab sedecim annis milites scribebat, et emeritis quidam stipendiis, quibus modo quicquam reliqui roboris erat, ad signa revocabantur.
Thus he was enrolling as soldiers even recruits from sixteen years of age, and certain men of completed service, in whom only any of remaining strength was left, were recalled to the standards.
§33.3.5ita suppleto exercitu secundum vernum aequinoctium omnis copias Dium contraxit ibique stativis positis exercendo cotidie milite hostem opperiebatur.
Having thus reinforced his army, around the spring equinox he concentrated all his forces at Dium, and having established a permanent camp there, he awaited the enemy, training his soldiers daily.
§33.3.6et Quinctius per eosdem ferme dies ab Elatia profectus praeter Thronium et Scarpheam ad Thermopylas pervenit.
And Quinctius, setting out from Elatia about the same days, arrived at Thermopylae past Thronium and Scarphea.
§33.3.7ibi concilium Aetolorum Heracleam indictum tenuit consultantium, §33.3.8quantis auxiliis Romanum ad bellum sequerentur.
There he held the council of the Aetolians, which had been summoned to Heraclea, who were deliberating with how large auxiliary forces they should follow the Roman to the war.
cognitis sociorum decretis tertio die ab Heraclea Xynias praegressus in confinio Aenianum Thessalorumque positis castris Aetolica auxilia opperiebatur.
Having learned the decrees of his allies, on the third day he advanced from Heraclea to Xyniae, and having pitched camp on the border of the Aenianes and Thessalians, he awaited the Aetolian auxiliary forces.
§33.3.9nihil morati Aetoli sunt; Phaenea duce † sescenti pedites cum equitibus quadringentis venerunt.
The Aetolians did not delay at all; under the leadership of Phaeneas, six hundred infantry and four hundred cavalry arrived.
ne dubium esset, quid expectasset, confestim Quinctius movit castra.
Lest there be any doubt as to what he had been waiting for, Quinctius immediately moved his camp.
§33.3.10transgresso in Phthioticum agrum quingenti Gortynii Cretensium duce Cydante et trecenti Apolloniatae haud dispari armatu se coniunxere nec ita multo post Amynander cum Athamanum peditum ducentis et mille.
When he had crossed into the Phthiotic territory, five hundred Gortynians of the Cretans under the leadership of Cydas, and three hundred Apolloniates with not dissimilar armor, joined him, and not so long after, Amynander with twelve hundred of the Athamanian infantry.
§33.3.11Philippus cognita profectione ab Elatia Romanorum, ut cui de summa rerum adesset certamen, §33.3.12adhortandos milites ratus, multa iam saepe memorata de maiorum virtutibus simul de militari laude Macedonum cum disseruisset, ad ea, quae tum maxime animos terrebant quibusque erigi ad aliquam spem poterant, venit.
Philip, having learned of the departure of the Romans from Elatia, as one for whom a contest for the supreme power was at hand, thinking that his soldiers must be encouraged, after he had discussed many things already often mentioned concerning the virtues of their ancestors and at the same time the military glory of the Macedonians, came to those matters which then most terrified their minds and by which they could be raised to some hope.

Notes

  1. §33.3.1nihil pacati — A partitive genitive qualifying the neuter pronoun nihil. Literally 'nothing of a peaceful character', it is a characteristic Livian idiom emphasizing that no peaceful settlement or concession was brought back from Rome.
  2. §33.3.2in magna inopia iuniorum — The preposition in with the ablative expressing the surrounding circumstances or the difficult background under which the action takes place ('amidst a great scarcity of men of military age').
  3. §33.3.4emeritis... stipendiis — An ablative phrase meaning 'with completed services (or campaigns)'. It refers to veterans who had completed their required years of service (stipendia) but were recalled to the standards because they still possessed some remaining strength.
  4. §33.3.11ut cui de summa rerum adesset certamen — A causal relative clause introduced by ut cui with the subjunctive adesset, explaining the subject's (Philip's) subjective motivation ('as one for whom...'). The phrase de summa rerum is an idiom meaning 'for the supreme issue' or 'for the very existence of the state'.
  5. §33.3.12adhortandos milites ratus, multa iam saepe memorata de maiorum virtutibus simul de militari laude Macedonum cum disseruisset, ad ea, quae tum maxime animos terrebant quibusque erigi ad aliquam spem poterant, venit — The core of this sentence is Philippus... venit ('Philip came to/turned to...'). Ratus is a participle governing the accusative and infinitive adhortandos [esse] milites ('thinking that his soldiers must be encouraged'), expressing the motive. Cum disseruisset is a cum-clause with the pluperfect subjunctive expressing a preceding action ('after he had discussed...'). The destination of venit is ad ea, which is qualified by two parallel relative clauses, quae... and quibus...

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §33.3.1-33.3.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:33.3.1-33.3.12

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