Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §40.26.1-40.26.8

Panic in Rome and Mobilization to Relieve Paullus

Passage 1529 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Upon hearing of Aemilius's siege by the Ligurians, Rome fell into panic; finding that the army in Gaul could not be redirected, the senate urged the consuls to set out immediately and ordered extensive emergency mobilization of troops and naval forces.

§40.26.1Romae magnam trepidationem litterae Baebii fecerunt, §40.26.2eo maiorem, quod paucos post dies Marcellus, tradito exercitu Fabio Romam cum venisset, spem ademit eum, qui in Gallia esset, exercitum in Ligures posse traduci, quia bellum cum Histris esset prohibentibus coloniam Aquileiam deduci: §40.26.3eo profectum Fabium, neque inde regredi bello inchoato posse.
At Rome, the letter of Baebius caused great alarm, which was all the greater because a few days later Marcellus, having arrived at Rome after handing over his army to Fabius, took away the hope that the army which was in Gaul could be transferred to the Ligurians, since there was a war with the Histrians who were preventing the founding of the colony of Aquileia: Fabius had set out thither and, the war having begun, could not return from there.
§40.26.4una, et ea ipsa tardior quam tempus postulabat, subsidii spes erat, si consules maturassent in provinciam ire.
The only hope of reinforcement, and that itself slower than the emergency demanded, was if the consuls should hasten to go to their province.
id ut facerent, pro se quisque patrum vociferari.
That they should do so, each of the senators clamoured for his part.
§40.26.5consules nisi confecto dilectu negare se ituros, nec suam segnitiem sed vim morbi in causa esse, quo serius perficeretur.
The consuls declared that they would not go unless the levy were completed, and that not their own slackness but the violence of the epidemic was the cause why it was being completed more slowly.
§40.26.6non tamen potuerunt sustinere consensum senatus, quin paludati exirent et militibus, quos conscriptos haberent, diem edicerent, quo Pisas convenirent.
They could not, however, withstand the consensus of the senate so far as not to set out in military attire and proclaim a day for the soldiers whom they had already enlisted to assemble at Pisa.
permissum, ut, qua irent, protinus subitarios milites scriberent ducerentque secum.
Permission was granted that, along the route they took, they might immediately enlist emergency soldiers and lead them with them.
§40.26.7et praetoribus Q. Petilio et Q. Fabio imperatum est, ut Petilius duas legiones civium Romanorum tumultuarias scriberet et omnes minores quinquaginta annis sacramento rogaret, Fabio, ut sociis Latini nominis quindecim milia peditum, octingentos equites imperaret.
And the praetors Quintus Petilius and Quintus Fabius were ordered, Petilius to enlist two emergency legions of Roman citizens and administer the oath to all under fifty years of age, and Fabius to requisition fifteen thousand infantry and eight hundred cavalry from the allies of the Latin name.
§40.26.8duumviri navales creati C. Matienus et C. Lucretius, navesque iis ornatae sunt, Matienoque, cuius ad Gallicum sinum provincia erat, imperatum est, ut classem primo quoque tempore duceret in Ligurum oram, si quo usui esse L. Aemilio atque exercitui eius posset.
Gaius Matienus and Gaius Lucretius were appointed naval commissioners, and ships were equipped for them; and Matienus, whose province was near the Gallic gulf, was ordered to lead his fleet to the coast of the Ligurians as soon as possible, in case he could be of any use to Lucius Aemilius and his army.

Notes

  1. 40.26.2eo maiorem — `eo` is an ablative of degree of difference modifying the comparative `maiorem`. It means 'by so much the greater,' with the reason explained in the subsequent `quod` clause.
  2. 40.26.2prohibentibus — A present participle in the ablative plural agreeing with `Histris`, which is governed by the preposition `cum`. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as an ablative absolute (`Histris prohibentibus`). In either case, it describes the Histrians as those who are preventing the founding of the colony at Aquileia.
  3. 40.26.3eo profectum Fabium — A continuation of the indirect discourse (accusative and infinitive) implicitly introduced by the context of Marcellus's report in the previous sentence. The infinitive `profectum esse` has its `esse` omitted, with `Fabium` as its subject. The adverb `eo` ('thither') refers to the region of the war with the Histrians.
  4. 40.26.4vociferari — A historical infinitive, functioning as the main verb of the sentence equivalent to an imperfect indicative (`vociferabantur`). The subject is `pro se quisque patrum` ('each of the senators on his own behalf').
  5. 40.26.5quo serius — The conjunction `quo` introducing a purpose (or result) clause containing the comparative `serius` ('more slowly'). In purpose clauses, `quo` is regularly used instead of `ut` when the clause contains a comparative. It governs the subjunctive `perficeretur` (imperfect passive).
  6. 40.26.6quin — A conjunction used after a negatived verb of hindering or preventing (here `non potuerunt` with `sustinere`, meaning 'they could not withstand...'), introducing a clause meaning 'without...' or 'from...' (i.e., 'they could not withstand the senate, so they set out...'). It governs the subjunctives `exirent` and `edicerent`.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §40.26.1-40.26.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:40.26.1-40.26.8

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.