§36.17.1consul postquam insessa superiora loca ab Aetolis vidit, M. Porcium Catonem et L. Valerium Flaccum consularis legatos cum binis milibus delectorum peditum ad castella Aetolorum, Flaccum in Rhoduntiam et Tichiunta, Catonem in Callidromum mittit.
When the consul saw the higher ground occupied by the Aetolians, he sent Marcus Porcius Cato and Lucius Valerius Flaccus, consular legates, with two thousand selected infantry each, to the strongholds of the Aetolians—Flaccus to Rhoduntia and Tichiuns, Cato to Callidromon.
§36.17.2ipse, priusquam ad hostem copias admoveret, vocatos in contionem milites paucis est adlocutus. “plerosque omnium ordinum, milites, inter vos esse video, qui in hac eadem provincia T. Quincti ductu auspicioque militaveritis.
He himself, before he advanced his forces against the enemy, called his soldiers to an assembly and addressed them with a few words: "I see, soldiers, that among you are the majority of all ranks who served in this very province under the command and auspices of Titus Quinctius.
§36.17.3Macedonico bello inexsuperabilior saltus ad amnem Aoum fuit quam hic; §36.17.4quippe portae sunt hae, et unus inter duo maria clausis omnibus velut naturalis transitus est; munitiones et locis opportunioribus tunc fuerunt et validiores impositae; exercitus hostium ille et numero maior et militum genere aliquanto melior; §36.17.5quippe illic Macedones Thracesque et Illyrii erant, ferocissimae omnes gentes, hic Syri et Asiatici Graeci sunt, vilissima genera hominum et servituti nata; §36.17.6rex ille bellicosissimus et exercitatus iam inde ab iuventa finitimis Thracum atque Illyriorum et circa omnium accolarum bellis, hic, ut aliam omnem vitam sileam, §36.17.7is est, qui cum ad inferendum populo Romano bellum ex Asia in Europam transisset, nihil memorabilius toto tempore hibernorum gesserit, quam quod amoris causa ex domo privata et obscuri etiam inter popularis generis uxorem duxit, et novus maritus, §36.17.8velut saginatus nuptialibus cenis, ad pugnam processit.
In the Macedonian War, the pass at the river Aous was more insurmountable than this one; for these are 'gates', and there is, as it were, a single natural passage between two seas while all other places are closed; the fortifications then were both in more advantageous positions and constructed to be stronger; that army of the enemy was both larger in number and somewhat better in the quality of its soldiers; for there were Macedonians, Thracians, and Illyrians, all most ferocious peoples, while here are Syrians and Asiatic Greeks, the most worthless races of men and born for slavery; that king was most warlike and trained from his very youth in wars with the neighboring Thracians and Illyrians and all the surrounding inhabitants, but this one—to say nothing of the rest of his life— is one who, although he crossed from Asia into Europe to wage war on the Roman people, did nothing more memorable during the entire winter season than, for the sake of love, to marry a wife from a private family and of an obscure origin even among her own people, and as a new bridegroom, as if fattened by wedding feasts, went forth to battle.
summa virium speique eius in Aetolis fuit, gente vanissima et ingratissima, ut vos prius experti estis, nunc Antiochus experitur.
The supreme strength of his forces and his hope rested on the Aetolians, a most vain and ungrateful nation, as you have previously experienced and Antiochus now experiences.
§36.17.9nam nec venerunt frequentes, nec contineri in castris potuerunt, et in seditione ipsi inter sese sunt, et, cum Hypatam tuendam Heracleamque depoposcissent, neutram tutati refugerunt in iuga montium, pars Heracleae incluserunt sese.
For they neither came in large numbers, nor could they be kept in camp, and they are in mutiny among themselves; and, although they had demanded to defend Hypata and Heraclea, they defended neither and fled back to the mountain ridges, and a part shut themselves up in Heraclea.
§36.17.10rex ipse confessus nusquam aequo campo non modo congredi se ad pugnam audere, sed ne castra quidem in aperto ponere, relicta omni ante se regione ea, quam se nobis ac Philippo ademisse gloriabatur, condidit se intra rupes, ne ante fauces quidem saltus, §36.17.11ut quondam Lacedaemonios fama est, sed intra penitus retractis castris;
The king himself, having confessed by his deeds that he never dares not only to join battle on level ground, but not even to pitch his camp in the open, having abandoned all that region before him which he boasted he had taken from us and Philip, hid himself among the rocks, not even in front of the mouth of the pass, as there is a report that the Lacedaemonians once did, but with his camp withdrawn deep inside.
quod quantum interest ad timorem ostendendum, an muris urbis alicuius obsidendum sese incluserit?
And how much does this differ, in showing fear, from having shut himself up to be besieged within the walls of some city?
§36.17.12sed neque Antiochum tuebuntur angustiae, nec Aetolos vertices illi, quos ceperunt.
But neither the narrow pass will protect Antiochus, nor those summits which they have taken, the Aetolians.
satis undique provisum atque praecautum est, ne quid adversus vos in pugna praeter hostis esset.
Sufficient provision and precaution have been made on all sides, so that there should be nothing against you in battle except the enemy.
§36.17.13illud proponere animo vestro debetis, non vos pro Graeciae libertate tantum dimicare, quamquam is quoque egregius titulus esset, liberatam a Philippo ante nunc ab Aetolis et ab Antiocho liberare, neque ea tantum in praemium vestrum cessura, §36.17.14quae nunc in regiis castris sunt, sed illum quoque omnem apparatum, qui in dies ab Epheso expectatur, praedae futurum, Asiam deinde Syriamque et omnia usque ad ortum solis ditissima regna Romano imperio aperturos.
You ought to bear this in mind, that you are not fighting merely for the liberty of Greece—although that too would be a noble title, to free now from the Aetolians and Antiochus what was previously freed from Philip—nor will those things alone turn to your reward which are now in the royal camp, but all that equipment also, which is daily expected from Ephesus, will be your booty, and you will then open to the Roman empire Asia and Syria and all the richest kingdoms up to the rising of the sun.
§36.17.15quid deinde aberit, quin ab Gadibus ad mare rubrum Oceano finis terminemus, qui orbem terrarum amplexu finit, et omne humanum genus secundum deos nomen Romanum veneretur?
What then will be wanting, for us to bound our empire with the Ocean, which limits the world in its embrace, from Gades to the Red Sea, and for all mankind to venerate the Roman name next to the gods?
§36.17.16in haec tanta praemia dignos parate animos, ut crastino die bene iuvantibus diis acie decernamus. ”
Prepare minds worthy of these great rewards, so that tomorrow, with the gods kindly helping, we may decide the matter in battle."