§37.53.1reductus a praetore in templum rex et dicere iussus “perseverassem” inquit “tacere, patres conscripti, nisi Rhodiorum legationem mox vocaturos vos scirem, et illis auditis mihi necessitatem fore dicendi. §37.53.2quae quidem eo difficilior oratio erit, quod ea postulata eorum futura sunt, ut non solum nihil, quod contra me sit, sed ne quod ad ipsos quidem proprie pertineat, petere videantur. §37.53.3agent enim causam civitatium Graecarum, et liberari eas dicent debere.
The king, having been brought back into the temple by the praetor and ordered to speak, said: "I should have persisted in keeping silence, conscript fathers, had I not known that you would soon call in the embassy of the Rhodians, and that, after they had been heard, there would be a necessity for me to speak. Indeed, this speech of mine will be all the more difficult because their demands are going to be of such a nature that they may seem to ask for nothing that is against me, nor indeed even anything that particularly concerns themselves. For they will plead the cause of the Greek cities, and will say that they ought to be set free.
quo impetrato, cui dubium est, quin et a nobis aversuri sint non eas modo civitates, quae liberabuntur, sed etiam veteres stipendiarias nostras, §37.53.4ipsi autem tanto obligatos beneficio verbo socios, re vera subiectos imperio et obnoxios habituri sint? §37.53.5et, si dis placet, cum has tantas opes affectabunt, dissimulabunt ulla parte id ad se pertinere; vos modo id decere et convenient esse ante factis dicent. §37.53.6haec vos ne decipiat oratio, providendum vobis erit, neve non solum inaequaliter alios nimium deprimatis ex sociis vestris, alios praeter modum extollatis, sed etiam ne, qui adversus vos arma tulerint, §37.53.7in meliore statu sint, quam socii et amici vestri.
If this is granted, who can doubt that they will alienate from us not only those cities which shall be liberated, but also our ancient tributary cities, and that they themselves will hold as subjects, bound to them by so great a benefit, those who are allies in name but in reality subject to their authority and dependent on them? And, if it please the gods, while they affect such great power, they will dissemble that it concerns them in any degree; they will only say that it is becoming to you and consistent with your past actions. You must take care that this speech does not deceive you, and that you do not not only unequally depress some of your allies too much and exalt others beyond measure, but also that those who have borne arms against you may not be in a better condition than your allies and friends.
quod ad me attinet, in aliis rebus cessisse intra finem iuris mei cuilibet videri malim, quam nimis pertinaciter in obtinendo eo tetendisse; in certamine autem amicitiae vestrae, benevolentiae erga vos, honoris, qui ab vobis habebitur, minime aequo animo vinci possum.
As for me, in other matters I would rather be seen by anyone to have yielded within the limits of my right than to have contended too obstainately in maintaining it; but in the contest of your friendship, of goodwill towards you, and of the honor which shall be held by you, I can by no means contentedly be outdone.
hanc ego maximam hereditatem a patre accepi, qui primus omnium Asiam Graeciamque incolentium in amicitiam venit vestram eamque perpetua §37.53.8et constanti fide ad extremum vitae finem perduxit; §37.53.9nec animum dumtaxat vobis fidelem ac bonum praestitit, sed omnibus interfuit bellis, quae in Graecia gessistis, terrestribus navalibus, omni genere commeatuum, ita ut nemo sociorum vestrorum ulla parte aequari posset, vos adiuvit; §37.53.10postremo, cum Boeotos ad societatem vestram hortaretur, in ipsa contione intermortuus haud multo post exspiravit. §37.53.11huius ego vestigia ingressus voluntati quidem et studio in colendis vobis adicere — etenim inexsuperabilia haec erant — nihil potui; §37.53.12rebus ipsis meritisque et impensis officiorum ut superare possem, fortuna tempora Antiochus et bellum in Asia gestum praebuerunt materiam. §37.53.13rex Asiae et partis Europae Antiochus filiam suam in matrimonium mihi dabat; restituebat extemplo civitates, quae defecerant a nobis; spem magnam in posterum amplificandi regni faciebat, §37.53.14si secum bellum adversus vos gessissem.
This greatest inheritance I received from my father, who, first of all the inhabitants of Asia and Greece, entered into your friendship, and maintained it with uninterrupted and constant fidelity to the very end of his life; nor did he merely show a faithful and good mind towards you, but he took part in all the wars which you waged in Greece, by land and sea, and assisted you with every kind of provisions, so that none of your allies could be equaled to him in any respect; at last, while he was exhorting the Boeotians to your alliance, he collapsed in the middle of the assembly, and expired not long after. Treading in his footsteps, I could indeed add nothing to his willingness and zeal in honoring you—for these were insurmountable— but that I might surpass him in actual deeds, merits, and costly services, fortune, the times, Antiochus, and the war waged in Asia provided me with the opportunity. Antiochus, the king of Asia and of a part of Europe, offered me his daughter in marriage; he offered to restore immediately the cities which had revolted from us; he held out great hopes of amplifying my kingdom in the future, if I had waged war with him against you.
non gloriabor eo, quod nihil in vos deliquerim; illa potius, quae vetustissima domus nostrae vobiscum amicitia digna sunt, referam.
I will not boast of having committed no offense against you; I will rather relate those things which are worthy of the very ancient friendship of our house with you.