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Livy · History of Rome §35.20.1-35.20.14

Preparations and Province Assignments for War with Antiochus

Passage 1249 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The military and administrative preparations in Rome for the war against Antiochus. It details the assignment of provinces to consuls and praetors, the enlistment of legions, and the senate's temporary restriction on the consul's departure awaiting the return of the legates.

§35.20.1Romae destinabant quidem sermonibus hostem Antiochum, sed nihildum ad id bellum praeter animos parabant.
At Rome, they were indeed designating Antiochus as an enemy in their conversations, but they were as yet preparing nothing for that war except their minds.
§35.20.2consulibus ambobus Italia provincia decreta est, ita ut inter se compararent sortirenturve, §35.20.3uter comitiis eius anni praeesset; ad utrum ea non pertineret cura, ut paratus esset, si quo eum extra Italiam opus esset ducere legiones.
To both consuls, Italy was decreed as their province, in such a way that they should arrange between themselves or draw lots as to which of them should preside over the elections of that year; and that the one to whom that care did not fall should be ready, if there should be any need for him to lead the legions anywhere outside Italy.
§35.20.4huic consuli permissum, ut duas legiones scriberet novas et socium Latini nominis viginti milia et equites octingentos; §35.20.5alteri consuli duae legiones decretae, quas L. Cornelius consul superioris anni habuisset, et socium ac Latini nominis ex eodem exercitu quindecim milia et equites quingenti.
This consul was permitted to enlist two new legions, and twenty thousand infantry of the Latin allies, and eight hundred cavalry; to the other consul were decreed the two legions which L. Cornelius, the consul of the preceding year, had commanded, and fifteen thousand infantry of the allies and Latin name from the same army, and five hundred cavalry.
§35.20.6Q. Minucio cum exercitu, quem in Liguribus habebat, prorogatum imperium; additum, in supplementum ut quattuor milia peditum Romanorum scriberentur, centum quinquaginta equites, et sociis eodem quinque milia peditum imperarentur, ducenti quinquaginta equites.
To Q. Minucius, his command was prolonged with the army which he had among the Ligurians; it was added that, as a reinforcement, four thousand Roman infantry and one hundred and fifty cavalry should be enlisted, and five thousand infantry of the allies and two hundred and fifty cavalry should be requisitioned for the same destination.
To Cn.
Domitio extra Italiam, quo senatus censuisset, provincia evenit, L. Quinctio Gallia et comitia habenda.
Domitius fell the province outside Italy, wherever the senate should decide, and to L. Quinctius fell Gaul and the holding of the elections.
§35.20.8praetores deinde provincias sortiti, M. Fulvius Centumalus urbanam, L. Scribonius Libo peregrinam, L. Valerius Tappo Siciliam, Q. Salonius Sarra Sardiniam, M. Baebius Tamphilus Hispaniam citeriorem, A. Atilius Serranus ulteriorem.
Then the praetors drew lots for their provinces: M. Fulvius Centumalus obtained the urban jurisdiction, L. Scribonius Libo the jurisdiction over foreigners, L. Valerius Tappo Sicily, Q. Salonius Sarra Sardinia, M. Baebius Tamphilus Nearer Spain, A. Atilius Serranus Farther Spain.
§35.20.9sed his duobus primum senatus consulto, deinde plebei etiam scito permutatae provinciae sunt: §35.20.10Atilio classis et Macedonia, Baebio Brutti decreti.
But for these last two, their provinces were exchanged, first by a decree of the senate, and then also by a vote of the plebs: to Atilius the fleet and Macedonia were decreed, to Baebius the Bruttii.
§35.20.11Flaminio Fulvioque in Hispaniis prorogatum imperium.
For Flaminius and Fulvius, their command in the Spains was prolonged.
Atilio in Bruttios duae legiones decretae, quae priore anno urbanae fuissent, et ut sociis eodem milia peditum quindecim imperarentur et quingenti equites.
To Atilius were decreed for the Bruttii the two legions which in the previous year had been the urban legions, and that fifteen thousand infantry of the allies and five hundred cavalry should be requisitioned for the same destination.
§35.20.12Baebius Tamphilus triginta naves quinqueremes facere iussus et ex navalibus veteres deducere, si quae utiles essent, et scribere navalis socios; et consulibus imperatum, ut ei duo milia socium ac Latini nominis et mille Romanos darent pedites.
Baebius Tamphilus was ordered to build thirty quinqueremes, to launch from the dockyards any old ones that were serviceable, and to enlist naval allies; and the consuls were ordered to give him two thousand infantry of the allies and Latin name, and one thousand Roman infantry.
§35.20.13hi duo praetores et duo exercitus, terrestris navalisque, adversus Nabim aperte iam oppugnantem socios populi Romani dicebantur parari; §35.20.14ceterum legati ad Antiochum missi expectabantur, et priusquam ii redissent, vetuerat Cn.
These two praetors and the two armies, land and naval, were said to be prepared against Nabis, who was now openly attacking the allies of the Roman people; but the ambassadors sent to Antiochus were still expected, and before they returned, the senate had forbidden the consul Cn.
Domitium consulem senatus discedere ab urbe.
Domitius to depart from the city.

Notes

  1. §35.20.3si quo eum extra Italiam opus esset ducere legiones — The adverb quo (whither) is used in the sense of the indefinite aliquo, accompanying the impersonal verb phrase opus esset (it should be necessary) and the infinitive phrase ducere legiones (to lead the legions) functioning as its subject.
  2. §35.20.6additum, in supplementum ut — With the impersonal passive additum [est] (it was added), the ut-clause (ut... scriberentur) functions as the noun clause subject. The phrase in supplementum is a prepositional phrase expressing purpose (for reinforcement).
  3. §35.20.11Atilio — Due to the contextual inconsistency with the preceding 35.20.10 (where Atilius is assigned the fleet and Baebius the Bruttii) and the succeeding 35.20.12, there is a very high probability that the names of Atilius and Baebius have been switched in the manuscript tradition; this translation, however, adheres strictly to the transmitted text Atilio (to Atilius).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §35.20.1-35.20.14. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:35.20.1-35.20.14

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