Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §37.36.1-37.36.9

Failed Bribery of Scipio and Antiochus' War Preparations

Passage 1361 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Failing to obtain peace terms in the council, the ambassador privately attempts to win over P. Scipio, but Scipio firmly rejects the bribery, pointing out the king's unrealistic view of his situation. The peace effort is abandoned, and King Antiochus prepares for war.

§37.36.1legatus postquam nihil aequi in consilio impetrare se censebat, privatim — sic enim imperatum erat — P. Scipionis temptare animum est conatus.
When the ambassador perceived that he could obtain nothing reasonable in the council, he attempted privately — for so he had been ordered — to sound the mind of P. Scipio.
§37.36.2omnium primum filium ei sine pretio redditurum regem dixit; deinde ignarus et animi Scipionis et moris Romani, auri pondus ingens est pollicitus, et nomine tantum regio excepto societatem omnis regni, si per eum pacem impetrasset.
First of all, he said that the king would restore his son to him without ransom; then, ignorant of both Scipio’s mind and Roman customs, he promised a vast weight of gold, and, with only the title of king excepted, a partnership in the whole kingdom, if he should obtain peace through his means.
§37.36.3ad ea Scipio: “quod Romanos omnis, quod me, ad quem missus es, ignoras, §37.36.4minus miror, cum te fortunam eius, a quo venis, ignorare cernam.
To this Scipio replied: “That you are ignorant of all the Romans, and of me, to whom you have been sent, I wonder the less, when I see that you are ignorant of the fortune of him from whom you come.
Lysimachia tenenda erat, ne Chersonesum intraremus, aut ad Hellespontum obsistendum, §37.36.5ne in Asiam traiceremus, si pacem tamquam ab sollicitis de belli eventu petituri eratis; concesso vero in Asiam transitu et non solum frenis, sed etiam iugo accepto quae disceptatio ex aequo, cum imperium patiendum sit, relicta est?
Lysimachia ought to have been held, that we might not enter the Chersonesus, or you should have opposed us at the Hellespont, to prevent our crossing into Asia; but now, when the passage into Asia has been conceded, and not only the bit but even the yoke has been accepted, what discussion on equal terms is left, when you must submit to our command?
§37.36.6ego ex munificentia regia maximum donum filium habebo; aliis, deos precor, ne umquam fortuna egeat mea; animus certe non egebit.
I shall receive my son as the greatest gift from the king’s munificence; for other things, I pray the gods that my fortune may never stand in need of them; my mind certainly will not.
§37.36.7pro tanto in me munere gratum me in se esse sentiet, si privatam gratiam pro privato beneficio desiderabit; publice nec habebo quicquam ab illo nec dabo.
For so great a favor to me, he shall find me grateful to him, if he shall desire private gratitude for a private benefit; publicly, I will neither receive anything from him, nor will I give anything.
§37.36.8quod in praesentia dare possim, fidele consilium est.
What I can give at present is loyal advice.
abi, nuntia meis verbis, bello absistat, pacis condicionem nullam recuset. ” §37.36.9nihil ea moverunt regem, tutam fore belli aleam ratum, quando perinde ac victo iam sibi leges dicerentur.
Go, tell him in my name, let him desist from war, and refuse no condition of peace.” These things moved the king not at all, as he thought that the hazard of war would be safe, since laws were dictated to him just as if he were already defeated.
omissa igitur in praesentia mentione pacis totam curam in belli apparatum intendit.
Therefore, dropping for the present all mention of peace, he directed his whole attention to preparation for war.

Notes

  1. §37.36.1nihil aequi — The neuter singular genitive adjective `aequi` qualifies the neuter pronoun `nihil` as a partitive genitive, meaning "nothing of what is fair" or "no reasonable terms".
  2. §37.36.4ad Hellespontum obsistendum — Parallel to `Lysimachia tenenda erat` (a passive periphrastic conjugation), this is an impersonal passive periphrastic construction using the neuter of the gerundive of the intransitive verb `obsisto` with `erat` understood, meaning "or resistance ought to have been made at the Hellespont".
  3. §37.36.5concesso vero in Asiam transitu — An ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun `transitu` and the perfect participle `concesso`. The following phrase `frenis, sed etiam iugo accepto` is also an ablative absolute, contributing to the concessive force of the clause under the present reality.
  4. §37.36.6aliis... ne umquam fortuna egeat mea — `aliis` is a neuter plural ablative (referring to `aliis donis` in contrast to `maximum donum`) governed by the verb `egeat` (which takes the ablative of separation/want), placed at the beginning of the clause for emphasis.
  5. §37.36.9perinde ac victo iam sibi — `perinde ac` ("just as if") modifies the perfect participle `victo`, which is in the dative agreement with `sibi` (referring to King Antiochus), the indirect object of `leges dicerentur` ("laws were dictated to him").

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §37.36.1-37.36.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:37.36.1-37.36.9

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