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Livy · History of Rome §41.25.1-41.25.8

Civil Strife in Aetolia and Slaughter of Hypata Exiles

Passage 1587 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The narrative describes the disastrous civil strife among the Aetolians, focusing on the treacherous slaughter of the returning Hypataean exiles and the failed mediation by Roman envoys. After touching upon internal conflicts in Crete and Lycia, the author declares his intention to concentrate on Roman history.

§41.25.1per haec tempora Aetolorum in semet ipsos versus furor mutuis caedibus ad internecionem adducturus videbatur gentem.
Around this time, the madness of the Aetolians turned against themselves seemed likely to bring the nation to destruction through mutual slaughter.
§41.25.2fessi deinde et Romam utraque pars miserunt legatos et inter se ipsi de reconcilianda concordia agebant; quae novo facinore discussa res veteres etiam iras excitavit.
Exhausted at last, both parties sent ambassadors to Rome and were also treating among themselves for the restoration of harmony; but this prospect, shattered by a new crime, revived even their old animosities.
§41.25.3exulibus Hypataeis, qui factionis Proxeni erant, cum reditus in patriam promissus esset fidesque data per principem civitatis Eupolemum, octoginta inlustres homines, quibus redeuntibus inter ceteram multitudinem Eupolemus etiam obvius exierat, cum salutatione benigna excepti essent dextraeque datae, ingredientes portam, fidem datam deosque testis nequiquam invocantes interfecti sunt.
When return to their country had been promised to the exiled Hypataeans who belonged to the faction of Proxenus, and a pledge had been given by Eupolemus, the chief man of the state, eighty illustrious men—to meet whom as they returned Eupolemus himself had even gone out among the rest of the crowd—after they had been received with a friendly greeting and hands had been pledged, were slain as they entered the gate, in vain invoking the pledged word and the gods as witnesses.
§41.25.4inde gravius de integro bellum exarsit.
Thereupon a more violent war flared up afresh.
§41.25.5C. Valerius Laevinus et Ap. Claudius Pulcher et C. Memmius et M. Popilius et L. Canuleius missi ab senatu venerant.
Gaius Valerius Laevinus, Appius Claudius Pulcher, Gaius Memmius, Marcus Popilius, and Lucius Canuleius, having been sent by the senate, arrived.
§41.25.6apud eos cum Delphis utriusque partis legati magno certamine agerent, Proxenus maxime cum causa, tum eloquentia praestare visus est; qui paucos post dies ab Orthobula uxore veneno est sublatus; damnataque eo crimine in exilium abiit.
Before them, when the ambassadors of both parties disputed at Delphi with great contention, Proxenus seemed to excel most, both in his cause and in his eloquence; but a few days later he was taken off by poison by his wife Orthobula, who, being convicted of that crime, went into exile.
§41.25.7idem furor et Cretenses lacerabat.
The same madness was also tearing the Cretans apart.
adventu deinde Q. Minuci legati, qui cum decem navibus missus ad sedanda eorum certamina erat, ad spem pacis venerant.
Subsequently, upon the arrival of the envoy Quintus Minucius, who had been sent with ten ships to quiet their disputes, they had come to hope for peace.
ceterum indutiae tantum sex mensum fuerunt; §41.25.8inde multo gravius bellum exarsit.
However, the truce lasted for only six months; after which a far more violent war broke out.
Lycii quoque per idem tempus ab Rhodiis bello vexabantur.
The Lycians also, around the same time, were being harassed in war by the Rhodians.
sed externorum inter se bella, quo quaeque modo gesta sint, persequi non operae est satis superque oneris sustinenti res a populo Romano gestas perscribere.
But to follow out the wars of foreign nations among themselves, in what manner each was conducted, is not worth the trouble, since to write in detail the achievements of the Roman people is a sufficient and more than sufficient burden for one who is sustaining it.

Notes

  1. §41.25.1adducturus videbatur — The future active participle `adducturus`, in combination with the imperfect verb `videbatur`, expresses an imminent outcome or a strong, progressing tendency ('seemed on the point of bringing' or 'looked as if it would bring').
  2. §41.25.2fessi — The masculine plural adjective `fessi` agrees with the grammatically feminine singular subject `utraque pars` based on the collective plural meaning of 'both parties' (agreement according to sense, or *constructio ad sensum*). This also explains the plural verbs `miserunt` and `agebant`.
  3. §41.25.3exulibus Hypataeis — The dative plural `exulibus Hypataeis` ('to the exiled Hypataeans') at the opening of the sentence depends on the passive verbs `promissus esset` and `data [esset]` within the temporal `cum` clause. The main subject of the entire sentence is `octoginta inlustres homines`, which governs the main verb `interfecti sunt` at the very end.
  4. §41.25.8non operae est — An abbreviated form of the idiom `non operae pretium est` ('it is not worth the trouble/labor'). The dative singular present participle `sustinenti` refers to the author ('for one who is sustaining...'), explaining that writing the history of the Roman people is already a more than sufficient burden.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §41.25.1-41.25.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:41.25.1-41.25.8

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