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Livy · History of Rome §42.6.1-42.6.12

Eumenes' Report and Renewal of Alliance with Syria

Passage 1596 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Marcellus stirs up Roman hostility against Perseus at the Achaean assembly, while King Eumenes arrives in Rome with a memorandum on Macedonia's war preparations. Meanwhile, Apollonius, the envoy of King Antiochus of Syria, is warmly received in Rome and their alliance is renewed.

§42.6.1A Delphis et Aetolico concilio Marcellus in Peloponnesum traiecit Aegium, quo Achaeis edixerat conventum.
Marcellus crossed over from Delphi and the Aetolian council into the Peloponnese to Aegium, where he had summoned a meeting of the Achaeans.
§42.6.2ubi conlaudata gente, quod constanter vetus decretum de arcendis aditu finium regibus Macedonum tenuissent, insigne adversus Persea odium Romanorum fecit; §42.6.3quod ut maturius erumperet, Eumenes rex commentarium ferens secum, quod de apparatibus belli omnia inquirens fecerat, Romam venit.
Where, after praising the nation because they had constantly maintained their old decree concerning keeping the kings of the Macedonians from approaching their borders, he made the conspicuous hatred of the Romans against Perseus clear; and so that this might break out more speedily, King Eumenes came to Rome, bringing with him a memorandum which he had made by inquiring into all things concerning the preparations for war.
§42.6.4per idem tempus quinque legati ad regem missi, qui res in Macedonia aspicerent.
Around the same time, five envoys were sent to the king to look into the state of affairs in Macedonia.
Alexandriam iidem ad Ptolemaeum renovandae amicitiae causa proficisci iussi.
The same men were ordered to proceed to Alexandria to Ptolemy for the sake of renewing friendship.
§42.6.5legati erant hi: C. Valerius C. Lutatius Cerco Q. Baebius Sulca M. Cornelius Mammula M. Caecilius Denter.
The envoys were these: Gaius Valerius, Gaius Lutatius Cerco, Quintus Baebius Sulca, Marcus Cornelius Mammula, Marcus Caecilius Denter.
§42.6.6et ab Antiocho rege sub idem tempus legati venerunt; quorum princeps Apollonius in senatum introductus multis iustisque causis regem excusavit, quod stipendium serius quam ad diem praestaret; §42.6.7id se omne advexisse, ne cuius nisi temporis gratia regi fieret.
And around the same time, envoys came from King Antiochus; the chief of whom, Apollonius, being introduced into the senate, excused the king on many and just grounds because he was paying the tribute later than the appointed day; stating that he had brought it all, so that no indulgence except that of time might be granted to the king.
§42.6.8donum praeterea afferre, vasa aurea quingentum pondo. petere regem, ut, quae cum patre suo societas atque amicitia fuisset, ea secum renovaretur, imperaretque sibi populus Romanus, quae bono fidelique socio regi essent imperanda; §42.6.9se in nullo usquam cessaturum officio. ea merita in se senatus fuisse, cum Romae esset, eam comitatem iuventutis, ut pro rege, non pro obside omnibus ordinibus fuerit.
Furthermore, they brought a gift, golden vessels of five hundred pounds in weight; and the king requested that the alliance and friendship which had existed with his father might be renewed with himself, and that the Roman people would command him such things as ought to be commanded to a good and faithful allied king; and that he would never fail in any duty; that such had been the merits of the senate towards him when he was in Rome, and such the courtesy of the youth, that he had been regarded by all classes as a king, not as a hostage.
§42.6.10legatis benigne responsum, et societatem renovare cum Antiocho, quae cum patre eius fuerat, A. Atilius praetor urbanus iussus.
A kind answer was given to the envoys, and Aulus Atilius, the urban praetor, was ordered to renew the alliance with Antiochus which had existed with his father.
§42.6.11quaestores urbani stipendium, vasa aurea censores acceperunt, eisque negotium datum est, ut ponerent ea, in quibus templis videretur; legato centum milium aeris munus missum et aedes liberae hospitio datae sumptusque decretus, donec in Italia esset.
The urban quaestors received the tribute, and the censors the golden vessels, and to them was assigned the task of placing them in whichever temples seemed appropriate; a gift of one hundred thousand asses was sent to the envoy, free lodgings were provided for his hospitality, and his expenses were decreed for as long as he should be in Italy.
§42.6.12legati, qui in Syria fuerant, renuntiaverant, in maximo eum honore apud regem esse amicissimumque populo Romano.
The envoys who had been in Syria had reported that he was held in the highest honor by the king and was very friendly to the Roman people.

Notes

  1. §42.6.3quod ut maturius erumperet — The relative pronoun 'quod' acts as a connecting relative (relative connection), referring back to 'odium' (hatred) in the preceding sentence, and serves as the subject of 'erumperet' in the purpose clause introduced by 'ut'.
  2. §42.6.7ne cuius nisi temporis gratia regi fieret — Following the negative conjunction 'ne', the genitive form 'cuius' of the indefinite pronoun 'quis' modifies the nominative noun 'gratia' (here meaning 'favor, indulgence'). The clause literally means 'lest any favor except that of time should be granted to the king.'
  3. §42.6.8petere regem, ut, quae cum patre suo societas atque amicitia fuisset, ea secum renovaretur — An accusative and infinitive construction in indirect speech. The antecedent 'societas atque amicitia' is incorporated into the relative clause 'quae... fuisset', and is referred back to by the demonstrative pronoun 'ea' (nominative feminine singular) in the 'ut' clause.
  4. §42.6.12in maximo eum honore apud regem esse — The accusative pronoun 'eum' refers to Apollonius, the chief envoy mentioned in §42.6.6, rather than to King Antiochus.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §42.6.1-42.6.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:42.6.1-42.6.12

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