Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §38.30.1-38.30.9

Fulvius's Crossing to the Peloponnesus and Achaean Disputes

Passage 1417 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The consul Fulvius crosses over to the Peloponnesus and attempts to mediate a dispute between Aegium and Philopoemen regarding the meeting place of the Achaean assembly, but is subsequently diverted by Lacedaemonian conflicts involving coastal exiles.

§38.30.1consul compositis rebus Cephallaniae, praesidio Samae imposito, in Peloponnesum iam diu accersentibus Aegiensibus maxime ac Lacedaemoniis traiecit.
The consul, having settled affairs in Cephallania and placed a garrison at Same, crossed over into the Peloponnesus, as the Aegians and especially the Lacedaemonians had already for a long time been inviting him.
§38.30.2Aegium a principio Achaici concilii semper conventus gentis indicti sunt, seu dignitati urbis id seu loci opportunitati datum est.
From the beginning of the Achaean league, the assemblies of the nation had always been summoned to Aegium, whether this was granted to the dignity of the city or to the convenience of its location.
§38.30.3hunc morem Philopoemen eo primum anno labefactare conatus legem parabat ferre, ut in omnibus civitatibus, quae Achaici concilii essent, in vicem conventus agerentur.
Philopoemen, in his first year, attempting to overthrow this custom, was preparing to propose a law that the assemblies should be held in turn in all the cities that belonged to the Achaean league.
§38.30.4et sub adventum consulis damiurgis civitatium, qui summus est magistratus, Aegium evocantibus Philopoemen — praetor tum erat — Argos conventum edixit.
And just before the arrival of the consul, when the damiurgi of the cities, who are the highest magistrates, were summoning the people to Aegium, Philopoemen — who was then praetor — appointed the assembly to meet at Argos.
§38.30.5quo cum appareret omnes ferme conventuros, consul quoque, quamquam Aegiensium favebat causae, Argos venit; ubi cum disceptatio fuisset, et rem inclinatam cerneret, incepto destitit.
When it became clear that almost everyone would assemble there, the consul also, although he favored the cause of the Aegians, came to Argos; where, after a discussion had taken place and he saw that the matter was turning against him, he desisted from his attempt.
§38.30.6Lacedaemonii deinde eum in sua certamina averterunt.
Then the Lacedaemonians diverted him to their own disputes.
sollicitam eam civitatem exules maxime habebant, quorum magna pars in maritimis Laconicae orae castellis, quae omnis adempta erat, habitabant.
The exiles kept that state in constant anxiety, a large part of whom lived in the maritime fortresses of the Laconian coast, all of which had been taken away from Sparta.
§38.30.7id aegre patientes Lacedaemonii, ut aliqua liberum ad mare haberent aditum, si quando Romam aliove quo mitterent legatos, simul ut emporium et receptaculum peregrinis mercibus ad necessarios usus esset, nocte adorti vicum maritimum nomine Lan improviso occupaverunt.
The Lacedaemonians, bearing this with indignation, in order that they might have some free access to the sea if ever they should send ambassadors to Rome or elsewhere, and at the same time that there might be a market and a receptacle for foreign goods for their necessary uses, made an attack by night and unexpectedly seized a maritime village named Las.
§38.30.8vicani quique ibi exules habitabant primo inopinata re territi sunt; deinde sub lucem congregati levi certamine expulerunt Lacedaemonios.
The villagers and the exiles who lived there were at first terrified by the unexpected event; then, gathering together near dawn, they expelled the Lacedaemonians in a brief struggle.
§38.30.9terror tamen omnem maritimam oram pervasit, legatosque communiter et castella omnia vicique et exules, quibus ibi domicilia erant, ad Achaeos miserunt.
Nevertheless, panic spread through the entire maritime coast, and all the fortresses, villages, and the exiles who had their homes there jointly sent ambassadors to the Achaeans.

Notes

  1. 38.30.1accersentibus Aegiensibus maxime ac Lacedaemoniis — An ablative absolute construction with the present participle `accersentibus` and the logical subjects `Aegiensibus` and `Lacedaemoniis`, expressing the reason or temporal background for the main verb `traiecit`.
  2. 38.30.2Aegium — Accusative of direction (accusativus directivus). As a town name (neuter singular), it is used without a preposition, modifying the verb `indicti sunt` to mean 'were summoned to Aegium'.
  3. 38.30.4damiurgis civitatium ... evocantibus — An ablative absolute clause setting up the situation alongside the preceding `sub adventum consulis`. It is placed in contrast with the main clause `Philopoemen ... Argos conventum edixit`, showing that while the high magistrates were summoning the people to Aegium, Philopoemen appointed the meeting at Argos.
  4. 38.30.6quae omnis adempta erat — Relative clause. The antecedent is the feminine singular noun phrase `Laconicae orae` (the Laconian coast); the relative pronoun `quae` and the adjective `omnis` agree with it in gender and number (feminine singular).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §38.30.1-38.30.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:38.30.1-38.30.9

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