§42.26.1nihil magnopere, quod memorari adtineat, rei publicae eo anno consules gesserant.
The consuls of that year had performed nothing of public business that was particularly worth mentioning.
magis e re publica visum erat, conprimi ac sedari exasperatos Ligures.
It had seemed more to the interest of the state that the irritated Ligurians should be subdued and pacified.
§42.26.2cum Macedonicum bellum expectaretur, Gentium quoque, Illyriorum regem, suspectum Issaei legati fecerunt, simul questi fines suos eum depopulatum, simul nuntiantes uno animo vivere Macedonum atque Illyriorum regem; communi consilio parare Romanis bellum; §42.26.3et specie legatorum Illyrios speculatores Romae esse Perse auctore missos, ut, quid ageretur, scirent.
While the Macedonian war was expected, the ambassadors of Issa made Gentius also, the king of the Illyrians, suspect, complaining at the same time that he had ravaged their territories, and at the same time reporting that the king of the Macedonians and the king of the Illyrians were acting with one mind, and were preparing war against the Romans by common counsel; and that under the guise of ambassadors, Illyrian spies had been sent to Rome at the instigation of Perseus, so that they might know what was being done.
§42.26.4Illyrii vocati in senatum; qui cum legatos se esse missos ab rege dicerent ad purganda crimina, si qua de rege Issaei deferrent, quaesitum est, quid ita non adissent magistratum, ut ex instituto loca, lautia acciperent, sciretur denique venisse eos et super qua re venissent?
The Illyrians were summoned into the senate; and when they said that they had been sent as ambassadors by the king to clear away the charges, if any were brought by the Issaeans against the king, it was asked why they had not thus approached the magistrate, so that, according to custom, they might receive free quarters and entertainment, and that, finally, it might be known that they had come and on what business they had come.
§42.26.5haesitantibus in responso, ut curia excederent, dictum; §42.26.6responsum tamquam legatis, qui ut adirent senatum non postulassent, dari non placuit; mittendosque ad regem legatos censuerunt, qui nuntiarent, quid socii quererentur; senatum existumare non aecum eum facere, qui ab sociis suis non abstineret iniuriam.
Since they hesitated in their reply, they were ordered to leave the senate-house; it was resolved that an answer should not be given to them as if to ambassadors who had not requested to approach the senate; and they voted that ambassadors should be sent to the king to report what the allies were complaining of, and that the senate thought he was not acting justly in not keeping injury away from their allies.
§42.26.7in hanc legationem missi A. Terentius Varro C. Plaetorius C. Cicereius.
Sent on this embassy were Aulus Terentius Varro, Gaius Plaetorius, and Gaius Cicereius.
ex Asia, qui circa socios reges missi erant, redierunt legati, qui rettulerunt Eumenen Aeginae, Antiochum in Syria, Ptolemaeum Alexandriae sese convenisse.
The ambassadors who had been sent around the allied kings returned from Asia, and reported that they had met Eumenes at Aegina, Antiochus in Syria, and Ptolemy at Alexandria.
omnes sollicitatos legationibus Persei, sed egregie in fide permanere pollicitosque omnia, quae populus Romanus imperasset, praestaturos.
All had been solicited by the embassies of Perseus, but they remained remarkably loyal and promised that they would perform everything that the Roman people should command.
§42.26.8et civitates socias adisse: ceteras satis fidas, Rhodios fluctuantis et inbutos Persei consiliis invenisse.
And they had visited the allied states: they found the others loyal enough, but the Rhodians wavering and infected with the designs of Perseus.
§42.26.9venerant Rhodii legati ad purganda ea, quae volgo iactari de civitate sciebant; ceterum senatum iis non prius dari, quam novi consules magistratum inissent, placuit.
Rhodian ambassadors had come to clear away those charges which they knew were commonly being bandied about concerning their state; however, it was resolved that an audience in the senate should not be granted to them until the new consuls had entered upon office.