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Livy · History of Rome §41.19.1-41.19.11

Pacification of Liguria and Defeat of the Dardanians

Passage 1581 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

While the Ligurian tribes around the Apennines surrender to Rome, ending the local conflict, concerns arise over King Perseus of Macedon and the war in Dardania. The Dardanians split their forces to attack the Bastarnae but are defeated and besieged in a nearby city.

§41.19.1cis Appenninum Garuli et Lapicini et Hergates, trans Appenninum Friniates fuerant, intra Audenam amnem.
On this side of the Apennines had been the Garuli, the Lapicini, and the Hergates; on the other side of the Apennines, within the river Audena, the Friniates.
P. Mucius cum iis, qui Lunam Pisasque depopulati erant, bellum gessit, omnibusque in dicionem redactis arma ademit.
Publius Mucius waged war with those who had plundered Luna and Pisae, and having reduced them all under subjection, disarmed them.
§41.19.2ob eas res in Gallia Liguribusque gestas duorum consulum ductu auspicioque senatus in triduum supplicationes decrevit et quadraginta hostiis sacrificari iussit.
On account of these things achieved in Gaul and Liguria under the leadership and auspices of the two consuls, the senate decreed a thanksgiving for three days, and ordered sacrifices to be made with forty victims.
§41.19.3et tumultus quidem Gallicus et Ligustinus, qui principio eius anni exortus fuerat, haud magno conatu brevi oppressus erat; §41.19.4belli Macedonici subibat iam cura, miscente Perseo inter Dardanos Bastarnasque certamina.
And indeed, the Gallic and Ligurian tumult, which had arisen at the beginning of that year, was suppressed in a short time with no great effort; now anxiety about a Macedonian war was stealing in, as Perseus was stirring up conflicts between the Dardanians and the Bastarnae.
et legati, qui missi ad res visendas in Macedoniam erant, iam reverterant Romam renuntiaverantque bellum in Dardania esse.
And the ambassadors, who had been sent to Macedonia to inspect affairs, had already returned to Rome and reported that there was war in Dardania.
§41.19.5simul venerant et ab rege Perseo oratores, qui purgarent nec accitos ab eo Bastarnas nec auctore eo quidquam facere.
At the same time, envoys also came from King Perseus to clear him, stating that the Bastarnae had not been summoned by him, nor were they doing anything at his instigation.
§41.19.6senatus nec liberavit eius culpae regem neque arguit; moneri eum tantum modo iussit, ut etiam atque etiam curaret, ut sanctum habere foedus, quod ei cum Romanis esset, videri posset.
The senate neither cleared the king of this blame nor accused him; they merely ordered that he should be warned to take care again and again that he might appear to hold sacred the treaty which he had with the Romans.
§41.19.7Dardani cum Bastarnas non modo non excedere finibus suis, quod speraverant, sed graviores fieri in dies cernerent, subnixos Thracum accolarum et Scordiscorum auxiliis, audendum aliquid vel temere rati, omnes undique armati ad oppidum, quod proximum castris Bastarnarum erat, conveniunt.
When the Dardanians saw that the Bastarnae, so far from leaving their territories as they had hoped, were daily becoming more oppressive, supported by the auxiliary forces of the neighboring Thracians and the Scordisci, thinking that they must risk something, even if rashly, they assembled from all sides in arms at the town which was nearest to the camp of the Bastarnae.
§41.19.8hiems erat, et id anni tempus elegerant, ut Thraces Scordiscique in fines suos abirent.
It was winter, and they had chosen that season of the year so that the Thracians and Scordisci might depart to their own territories.
quod ubi ita factum et solos iam esse Bastarnas audierunt, bifariam dividunt copias, pars ut recto itinere ad lacessendum ex aperto iret, pars devio saltu circumducta ab tergo adgrederetur.
When they heard that this had so happened, and that the Bastarnae were now alone, they divided their forces into two parts: one part was to go by the direct route to attack them openly, the other part, led around by an out-of-the-way pass, was to attack from the rear.
§41.19.9ceterum priusquam circumire castra hostium possent, pugnatum est; victique Dardani compelluntur in urbem, quae fere duodecim milia ab castris Bastarnarum aberat.
But before they could surround the camp of the enemy, the battle was joined; and the defeated Dardanians were driven into the city, which was about twelve miles distant from the camp of the Bastarnae.
§41.19.10victores confestim secuti circumsidunt urbem, haud dubie postero die aut metu dedituris se hostibus aut vi expugnaturi.
The victors immediately followed and blockaded the city, intending without doubt on the following day either to have the enemy surrender out of fear or to take it by storm.
§41.19.11interim Dardanorum altera manus, quae circumducta erat, ignara cladis suorum, castra Bastarnarum sine praesidio relicta. * * *
Meanwhile, the other division of the Dardanians, which had been led around, ignorant of the disaster of their own men, [found] the camp of the Bastarnae left without a guard [...]

Notes

  1. 41.19.5purgarent nec accitos ab eo Bastarnas nec auctore eo quidquam facere — The relative clause of purpose `qui purgarent` (imperfect subjunctive) governs the indirect discourse with accusative and infinitive construction: `nec accitos [esse]... nec ... facere`. `esse` is omitted in the perfect passive infinitive `accitos [esse]`. `auctore eo` is an ablative absolute consisting of a noun and a pronoun ("with him as the instigator").
  2. 41.19.7subnixos Thracum accolarum et Scordiscorum auxiliis — The participle `subnixos` is accusative plural masculine, agreeing with and modifying `Bastarnas`, the object of `cernerent`. The adjective/participle `subnixus` ("supported by", "relying on") governs the ablative of means `auxiliis`.
  3. 41.19.10aut metu dedituris se hostibus aut vi expugnaturi — An asymmetrical coordinate structure. The phrase `aut metu dedituris se hostibus` is an ablative absolute with `hostibus` as the subject and the future participle `dedituris` as the predicate ("with the enemy about to surrender out of fear"). On the other hand, `aut vi expugnaturi` uses the nominative plural future participle `expugnaturi` agreeing with the subject of the main clause `victores` ("intending to take it by storm"), expressing their intention.
  4. 41.19.11castra Bastarnarum sine praesidio relicta — Due to a lacuna in the manuscript, the main verb of this sentence (such as `cepit` or `invasit`, meaning "captured" or "invaded") is lost. `relicta` is a perfect passive participle modifying `castra` (neuter plural accusative).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §41.19.1-41.19.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:41.19.1-41.19.11

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