Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §36.13.1-36.13.9

Joint Campaign of Baebius and Philip in Thessaly

Passage 1293 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Marcus Baebius and King Philip launch a joint spring campaign in Thessaly, capturing and recovering numerous towns, including Phacium and Malloea. They then besiege Pellinaeum, where the garrison leader Philip of Megalopolis refuses to surrender to King Philip, prompting them to divide their forces to assault Limnaeum simultaneously.

§36.13.1sub idem tempus M. Baebius et Philippus rex, iam ante per hiemem in Dassaretiis congressi, cum Ap. Claudium, ut obsidione Larisam eximeret, in Thessaliam misissent, §36.13.2quia id tempus rebus gerendis immaturum erat, in hiberna regressi, principio veris coniunctis copiis in Thessaliam descenderunt.
About the same time, Marcus Baebius and King Philip, who had already met during the winter in the country of the Dassaretii, having sent Appius Claudius into Thessaly to relieve Larisa from siege, because that season was premature for active operations, returned to winter quarters, and at the beginning of spring, having united their forces, marched down into Thessaly.
§36.13.3in Acarnania tum Antiochus erat.
At that time Antiochus was in Acarnania.
advenientes Philippus Malloeam Perrhaebiae, Baebius Phacium est adgressus;
On their arrival, Philip attacked Malloea in Perrhaebia, and Baebius attacked Phacium.
§36.13.4quo primo prope impetu capto Phaestum eadem celeritate capit.
When this place was taken almost at the first assault, he took Phaestum with the same speed.
inde Atracem cum se recepisset, Cyretias hinc et Eritium occupat, praesidiisque per recepta oppida dispositis Philippo rursus obsidenti Malloeam se coniungit.
Having then withdrawn to Atrax, from there he occupied Cyretiae and Eritium, and after stationing garrisons throughout the recovered towns, he rejoined Philip, who was again besieging Malloea.
§36.13.5sub adventum Romani exercitus seu ad metum virium seu ad spem veniae cum dedidissent sese, ad ea recipienda oppida, quae Athamanes occupaverant, uno agmine ierunt.
At the approach of the Roman army, when they had surrendered themselves, whether through fear of their strength or in hope of pardon, they marched in a single column to recover those towns which the Athamanes had occupied.
§36.13.6erant autem haec: Aeginium Ericinium Gomphi Silana Tricca Meliboea Phaloria.
Now these were: Aeginium, Ericinium, Gomphi, Silana, Tricca, Meliboea, and Phaloria.
§36.13.7inde Pellinaeum, ubi Philippus Megalopolitanus cum quingentis peditibus et equitibus quadraginta in praesidio erat, circumsidunt et, priusquam oppugnarent, mittunt ad Philippum qui monerent, ne vim ultimam experiri vellet.
Thence they surrounded Pellinaeum, where Philip of Megalopolis was in garrison with five hundred infantry and forty cavalry, and before they assaulted it, they sent messengers to Philip to warn him not to choose to experience the extreme of force.
§36.13.8quibus ille satis ferociter respondit vel Romanis vel Thessalis se crediturum fuisse, in Philippi se potestatem commissurum non esse.
To them he replied with sufficient fierceness that he would have trusted either the Romans or the Thessalians, but would not commit himself into the power of Philip.
§36.13.9postquam apparuit vi agendum, quia videbatur et Limnaeum eodem tempore oppugnari posse, regem ad Limnaeum ire placuit, Baebius restitit ad Pellinaeum oppugnandum.
After it became clear that force must be used, since it seemed that Limnaeum also could be besieged at the same time, it was decided that the king should go to Limnaeum, while Baebius remained to besiege Pellinaeum.

Notes

  1. 36.13.5cum dedidissent sese — The subject of the clause introduced by the conjunction cum is the garrisons or inhabitants of the towns mentioned in the previous sections (such as Malloea). On the other hand, the subject of the main verb ierunt is the Roman commander Baebius and King Philip, representing a shift in subject without explicit nominatives.
  2. 36.13.8crediturum fuisse — This represents the apodosis of a conditional sentence (contrary to fact) in indirect discourse. What would have been the pluperfect subjunctive credidissem ('I would have trusted') in direct discourse is expressed here by the future active participle with fuisse, dependent on the main verb respondit. The following commissurum non esse (future infinitive) corresponds to non committam ('I will not commit') in direct discourse.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §36.13.1-36.13.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:36.13.1-36.13.9

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.