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Livy · History of Rome §35.44.1-35.44.7

Speech of Antiochus to the Aetolian Council

Passage 1273 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

King Antiochus addresses the Aetolian council, explaining the small size of his current forces, promising to bring a massive army to liberate Greece in the spring, and asking for immediate provisions.

§35.44.1in concilium ut ventum est, aegre a Phaenea praetore principibusque aliis introductus facto silentio dicere orsus rex.
When they had come into the council, the king, having been introduced with difficulty by the praetor Phaeneas and other leading men, and silence being made, began to speak.
§35.44.2prima eius oratio fuit excusantis, quod tanto minoribus spe atque opinione omnium copiis venisset.
His first speech was that of one apologizing because he had come with forces so much smaller than the expectation and opinion of everyone.
§35.44.3id suae impensae erga eos voluntatis maximum debere indicium esse, quod nec paratus satis ulla re et tempore ad navigandum immaturo vocantibus legatis eorum haud gravate obsecutus esset credidissetque, cum se vidissent Aetoli, omnia vel in se uno posita praesidia existimaturos esse.
This, he said, ought to be the greatest proof of his extraordinary goodwill towards them, because, though not sufficiently prepared in any respect and at a season premature for sailing, he had complied without reluctance with the invitation of their envoys, and had believed that when the Aetolians saw him, they would consider all their defenses to be placed in him alone.
§35.44.4ceterum eorum quoque se, quorum expectatio destituta in praesentia videatur, spem abunde expleturum: §35.44.5nam simul primum anni tempus navigabile praebuisset mare, omnem se Graeciam armis viris equis, omnem oram maritimam classibus completurum, §35.44.6nec impensae nec labori nec periculo parsurum, donec depulso cervicibus eorum imperio Romano liberam vere Graeciam atque in ea principes Aetolos fecisset.
But, he added, he would also abundantly satisfy the hope of those whose expectation appeared for the present to have been disappointed; for as soon as the season of the year should render the sea navigable, he would fill all Greece with arms, men, and horses, and the entire seacoast with fleets, and would spare neither expense, nor labor, nor danger, until, having driven the Roman empire from their necks, he should make Greece truly free and the Aetolians the leaders in it.
§35.44.7cum exercitibus commeatus quoque omnis generis ex Asia venturos; in praesentia curae esse Aetolis debere, ut copia frumenti suis et annona tolerabilis rerum aliarum suppeditetur.
Together with the armies, provisions also of every kind would come from Asia; for the present, it ought to be the care of the Aetolians to supply a sufficiency of corn for his men and a tolerable price for other provisions.

Notes

  1. §35.44.2excusantis — Genitive singular of the present participle excusans (one who apologizes). It modifies oratio as an attributive, or is used as a possessive/characteristic genitive meaning 'was that of one apologizing' (i.e., its purpose was to apologize).
  2. §35.44.3id ... quod — The demonstrative pronoun id (accusative subject) anticipates the following quod ... obsecutus esset credidissetque clause (a noun clause of fact), forming an apposition. The structure means 'that [namely, the fact that he complied and believed] ought to be the greatest proof.'
  3. §35.44.3existimaturos esse — Future infinitive in indirect speech. Its accusative subject, Aetolos (the Aetolians), is omitted, being easily supplied from the subject Aetoli of the preceding clause cum se vidissent Aetoli.
  4. §35.44.7curae esse Aetolis — Double dative construction consisting of curae (dative of purpose/service) and Aetolis (dative of interest). It translates literally as 'it ought to be for a care to the Aetolians,' with the actual content of the care introduced by the ut clause.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §35.44.1-35.44.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:35.44.1-35.44.7

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