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Livy · History of Rome §41.1.1-41.1.8

Manlius' War on Istria and Advance to Timavus

Passage 1563 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The consul Aulus Manlius Vulso decided to launch an immediate war against Istria without consulting the senate, marched from Aquileia to Lake Timavus, and established a well-fortified camp.

§41.1.1a patre in pace habitam armasse eoque iuventuti praedandi cupidae pergratus esse dicebatur.
He was said to have armed [his country], which had been held in peace by his father, and for that reason to be highly popular with the youth who were eager for plunder.
consilium de Histrico bello cum haberet consul, alii gerendum extemplo, antequam contrahere copias hostes possent, alii consulendum prius senatum censebant.
When the consul held a council concerning the Istrian war, some thought that it should be waged immediately, before the enemy could collect their forces, while others believed that the senate should be consulted first.
vicit sententia, quae diem non proferebat.
The opinion that did not postpone the matter won.
§41.1.2profectus ab Aquileia consul castra ad lacum Timavi posuit; imminet mari is lacus.
The consul, having set out from Aquileia, pitched camp by Lake Timavus; that lake lies close to the sea.
eodem decem navibus C. Furius duumvir navalis venit.
To the same place came Gaius Furius, the naval commissioner, with ten ships.
§41.1.3adversus Illyriorum classem creati duumviri navales erant, qui tuendae viginti navibus maris superi orae Anconam velut cardinem haberent; inde L. Cornelius dextra litora usque ad Tarentum, C. Furius laeva usque ad Aquileiam tueretur.
Naval commissioners had been appointed to oppose the fleet of the Illyrians, who, for the protection of the coast of the Upper Sea with twenty ships, were to have Ancona as their pivot; from there Lucius Cornelius was to protect the right coast as far as Tarentum, and Gaius Furius the left as far as Aquileia.
§41.1.4eae naves ad proximum portum in Histriae fines cum onerariis et magno commeatu missae, secutusque cum legionibus consul quinque ferme milia a mari posuit castra.
These ships, together with transports and a great supply of provisions, were sent to the nearest harbor in the territory of Istria, and the consul, following with the legions, pitched camp about five miles from the sea.
§41.1.5in portu emporium brevi perfrequens factum, omniaque hinc in castra supportabantur.
In the harbor, a very busy trading-post was soon established, and everything was transported from here to the camp.
et, quo id tutius fieret, stationes ab omnibus castrorum partibus circumdatae sunt: §41.1.6in Histriam versum praesidium stativum, repentina cohors Placentina opposita; inter mare et castra et, ut idem aquatoribus ad fluvium esset praesidium, M. Aebutius tribunus militum secundae legionis duos manipulos militum ducere iussus est; §41.1.7T. et C. Aelii tribuni militum legionem tertiam, quae pabulatores et lignatores tueretur, via, quae Aquileiam fert, duxerant.
And in order that this might be done more safely, outposts were placed around all sides of the camp: facing Istria, a permanent outpost was stationed, with the newly arrived cohort from Placentia opposed to it; between the sea and the camp, and so that the same protection might be available for those fetching water from the river, Marcus Aebutius, a military tribune of the second legion, was ordered to lead two maniples of soldiers; Titus and Gaius Aelius, military tribunes, had led the third legion along the road which leads to Aquileia, in order to protect the foragers and wood-gatherers.
§41.1.8ab eadem regione mille ferme passuum castra erant Gallorum: Catmelus regulus praeerat tribus haud amplius milibus armatorum.
About a mile away from the same region was the camp of the Gauls; Catmelus, a petty king, was in command of no more than three thousand armed men.

Notes

  1. §41.1.1habitam armasse — The direct object of the transitive infinitive armasse (= armavisse) and the head noun modified by the feminine singular participle habitam (such as patria or gens, meaning 'country' or 'nation') is omitted but clear from the context. The subject of this infinitive clause, dependent on dicebatur, is King Epulo of Istria mentioned in the preceding lost context.
  2. §41.1.1quae diem non proferebat — The phrase diem proferre is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to postpone' or 'to defer.' The relative clause describes the opinion that advocated immediate action without putting off the decision.
  3. §41.1.3tuendae ... orae Anconam velut cardinem haberent — The phrase tuendae ... orae is a dative of gerundive expressing purpose ('for the purpose of protecting'). The terms dextra (right) and laeva (left) refer to the defense assignments along the Adriatic coast, split to the south (towards Tarentum) and to the north (towards Aquileia) with Ancona as the central pivot (cardinem).
  4. §41.1.6ut idem aquatoribus ad fluvium esset praesidium — A double dative construction with the dative of reference/interest aquatoribus ('for those fetching water') and the dative of purpose praesidium ('as a protection'). The pronoun idem ('the same force') is the subject of esset.
  5. §41.1.8tribus haud amplius milibus — Although the comparative particle quam is omitted after amplius, the case of the following nouns remains in the dative (tribus milibus), as governed by the verb praeerat. The phrase haud amplius functions virtually as an adverb meaning 'no more than.'

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §41.1.1-41.1.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:41.1.1-41.1.8

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