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Livy · History of Rome §39.24.1-39.24.14

Philip's Recovery of Power and Complaints to Rome

Passage 1471 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Philip, the King of Macedonia, strives to recover his kingdom's resources and population, but renewed complaints from neighbouring tribes and King Eumenes regarding his territorial expansions prompt the Roman senate to send envoys for arbitration.

§39.24.1his sedata in praesentia regis ira in Romanos est.
By these measures the king’s anger against the Romans was for the moment appeased.
numquam tamen remisit animum a colligendis in pace viribus, quibus, quandoque data fortuna esset, ad bellum uteretur.
Yet he never relaxed his mind from gathering strength in time of peace, which he might use for war whenever fortune should afford an opportunity.
§39.24.2vectigalia regni non fructibus tantum agrorum portoriisque maritimis auxit, sed metalla etiam et vetera intermissa recoluit et nova multis locis instituit.
He increased the revenues of his kingdom not only from the produce of the lands and the coastal harbour-dues, but he also reopened old, disused mines and established new ones in many places.
§39.24.3ut vero antiquam multitudinem hominum, quae belli cladibus amissa erat, restitueret, non subolem tantum stirpis parabat cogendis omnibus procreare atque educare liberos, §39.24.4sed Thracum etiam magnam multitudinem in Macedoniam traduxerat, quietusque aliquamdiu a bellis omni cura in augendas regni opes intentus fuerat.
And in order to restore the former population, which had been lost in the disasters of the war, he not only prepared to increase the offspring of the native stock by compelling everyone to beget and rear children, but he had also brought a great multitude of Thracians into Macedonia, and having been quiet for some time from wars, he had been intent with all care on increasing the resources of his kingdom.
§39.24.5rediere deinde causae, quae de integro iram moverent in Romanos.
Then reasons returned which would stir up his anger against the Romans anew.
§39.24.6Thessalorum et Perrhaeborum querellae de urbibus suis ab eo possessis, et legatorum Eumenis regis de Thraciis oppidis per vim occupatis traductaque in Macedoniam multitudine, ita auditae erant, ut eas non neglegi satis appareret.
The complaints of the Thessalians and Perrhaebians concerning their cities held by him, and those of the envoys of King Eumenes concerning the Thracian towns seized by force and the multitude carried off into Macedonia, had been heard in such a way that it was sufficiently clear they were not being neglected.
maxime moverat senatum, §39.24.7quod iam Aeni et Maroneae adfectari possessionem audierant; minus Thessalos curabant.
The senate was chiefly moved by the fact that they had heard that the possession of Aenus and Maronea was already being aimed at; they cared less for the Thessalians.
§39.24.8Athamanes quoque venerant legati, non partis amissae, non finium iacturam querentes, sed totam Athamaniam sub ius iudiciumque regis venisse; et Maronitarum exsules venerant, §39.24.9pulsi, quia libertatis causam defendissent ab regio praesidio: ii non Maroneam modo sed etiam Aenum in potestate narrabant esse Philippi.
Envoys from the Athamanes also had come, not complaining of the loss of a part or of boundaries, but that all Athamania had come under the law and jurisdiction of the king; and exiles from Maronea had come, who had been expelled because they had defended the cause of liberty against the royal garrison: these reported that not only Maronea but also Aenus was in the power of Philip.
§39.24.10venerant et a Philippo legati ad purganda ea, qui nihil nisi permissu Romanorum imperatorum factum adfirmabant: §39.24.11civitates Thessalorum et Perrhaeborum et Magnetum et cum Amynandro Athamanum gentem in eadem causa qua Aetolos fuisse; §39.24.12Antiocho rege pulso occupatum oppugnandis Aetolicis urbibus consulem ad recipiendas eas civitates Philippum misisse; §39.24.13armis subactos parere.
Envoys had also come from Philip to clear up these matters, who affirmed that nothing had been done except by permission of the Roman commanders: that the states of the Thessalians, Perrhaebians, Magnetes, and, along with Amynander, the nation of the Athamanes, had been in the same case as the Aetolians; that after King Antiochus had been driven out, the consul, occupied in besieging the Aetolian cities, had sent Philip to recover those states; and that, being subdued by arms, they were now obedient.
senatus, ne quid absente rege statueret, legatos ad eas controversias disceptandas misit Q. Caecilium Metellum M. Baebium Tamphilum Ti. Sempronium.
The senate, so that it might not decide anything in the absence of the king, sent envoys to arbitrate those disputes, namely Quintus Caecilius Metellus, Marcus Baebius Tamphilus, and Tiberius Sempronius.
§39.24.14quorum sub adventum ad Thessalica Tempe omnibus iis civitatibus, quibus cum rege disceptatio erat, concilium indictum est.
Near their arrival, a council was summoned at Thessalian Tempe for all those states which had a dispute with the king.

Notes

  1. 39.24.3cogendis omnibus procreare atque educare liberos — cogendis omnibus is a gerundive construction in the ablative expressing means, where omnibus is the logical object. procreare and educare are infinitives depending on the force of cogo. The entire phrase means 'by compelling everyone to beget and rear children,' modifying the main verb parabat.
  2. 39.24.6querellae ... et legatorum ... , ita auditae erant, ut — The subjects are querellae (complaints) and an implied querellae with legatorum (the complaints of the envoys). Each is accompanied by de + ablative (noun + perfect passive participle), forming an 'ab urbe condita' construction meaning 'concerning the seizure of...' and 'concerning the transfer of...'. The main verb auditae erant is separated from the subjects, leading into a consecutive ut clause.
  3. 39.24.8non partis amissae, non finium iacturam querentes, sed totam Athamaniam sub ius iudiciumque regis venisse — A non-symmetrical construction in the objects of the present participle querentes (complaining). In the first part (non... non...), the direct object is the accusative noun iacturam, whereas in the second part (sed...), the object is an accusative with infinitive clause (totam Athamaniam... venisse), coordinating a noun with a clause.
  4. 39.24.11fuisse — The beginning of the indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive) introduced by adfirmabant (they affirmed) in §39.24.10. Starting with fuisse, a series of infinitive clauses (including misisse in §39.24.12 and parere in §39.24.13) continues to represent the claims of the envoys.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §39.24.1-39.24.14. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:39.24.1-39.24.14

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