Humanitext Reader

Livy · History of Rome §42.60.1-42.60.10

Battle Casualties and the Roman Retreat Across the Peneus

Passage 1650 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

The casualties of both sides in the battle of Callicinus are detailed, and the Romans retreat across the river Peneus. Perseus regrets missing the opportunity to destroy them during the crossing, while the Romans blame the Aetolians for the flight and praise the Thessalians.

§42.60.1cedidere eo die ab Romanis ducenti equites, duo milia haud minus peditum; capti sescenti ferme.
On that day, there fell on the side of the Romans two hundred cavalry and no less than two thousand infantry; about six hundred were captured.
ex regiis autem viginti equites, quadraginta pedites interfecti.
On the king's side, however, twenty cavalry and forty infantry were killed.
§42.60.2postquam rediere in castra victores, omnes quidem laeti, ante alios Thracum insolens laetitia eminebat; cum cantu enim superfixa hastis capita hostium portantes redierunt.
When the victors returned to the camp, although all indeed were joyful, the insolent joy of the Thracians was conspicuous above the others; for they returned singing, carrying the heads of the enemies fixed upon their spears.
§42.60.3apud Romanos non maestitia tantum ex male gesta re, sed pavor etiam erat, ne extemplo castra hostis adgrederetur.
Among the Romans, there was not only sadness from the failed engagement, but also fear lest the enemy should immediately attack the camp.
Eumenes consuli suadere, ut trans Peneum transferret castra, ut pro munimento amnem haberet, dum perculsi milites animos colligerent.
Eumenes urged the consul to transfer the camp across the Peneus, so that he might have the river as a defense, while the stricken soldiers recovered their spirits.
§42.60.4consul moveri flagitio timoris fatendi; victus tamen ratione, silentio noctis transductis copiis, castra in ulteriore ripa communivit.
The consul was moved by the disgrace of confessing fear; yet, overcome by reason, having crossed his troops over in the silence of the night, he fortified the camp on the further bank.
§42.60.5rex postero die ad lacessendos proelio hostes progressus, postquam trans amnem in tuto posita castra animadvertit, fatebatur quidem peccatum, quod pridie non institisset victis, sed aliquanto maiorem culpam esse, quod nocte foret cessatum; §42.60.6nam, ut neminem alium suorum moveret, levi armatura inmissa, trepidantium in transitu fluminis hostium deleri magna ex parte copias potuisse.
The king, having advanced the next day to provoke the enemy to battle, after he noticed that their camp was placed in safety across the river, admitted indeed that it was a mistake that he had not pressed hard upon the defeated on the previous day, but said that it was a considerably greater fault that they had remained inactive during the night; for, even if he had moved no one else of his own men, by sending in the light-armed troops, the forces of the enemy, thrown into confusion during the crossing of the river, could have been destroyed for the most part.
§42.60.7Romanis quidem praesens pavor demptus erat, in tuto castra habentibus; damnum inter cetera praecipue famae movebat.
To the Romans indeed, since they had their camp in safety, the immediate fear had been removed; but among other losses, that of their reputation especially troubled them.
§42.60.8et in consilio apud consulem pro se quisque in Aetolos conferebant causam: ab iis fugae terrorisque principium ortum; §42.60.9secutos pavorem Aetolorum et ceteros socios Graecorum populorum.
And in the council before the consul, each one for his part laid the blame on the Aetolians, saying that the beginning of the flight and terror had arisen from them; and that the other allies of the Greek nations had followed the panic of the Aetolians.
quinque principes Aetolorum, qui primi terga vertentes conspecti dicebantur, Romam missi.
Five chiefs of the Aetolians, who were said to have been seen first turning their backs, were sent to Rome.
Thessali pro contione laudati, ducesque eorum etiam virtutis causa donati.
The Thessalians were praised before the assembly, and their leaders were also rewarded for their valor.

Notes

  1. §42.60.3suadere — Historical infinitive. Used with a subject in the nominative case (Eumenes) to describe an action in past narrative, equivalent to an imperfect or perfect indicative.
  2. §42.60.4timoris fatendi — Genitive of the gerundive construction. The gerundive fatendi agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun timoris, expressing 'of confessing fear' in an objective relation.
  3. §42.60.5foret cessatum — foret is an alternative form for esset. cessatum is the impersonal passive of the intransitive verb cesso. Together they form a pluperfect subjunctive impersonal passive, used in a quod-clause expressing a subjective reason, meaning 'that inactivity had prevailed (during the night)'.
  4. §42.60.6ut neminem alium suorum moveret — Concessive clause with the subjunctive (ut + imperfect subjunctive), expressing a hypothetical concession: 'even if he had moved no one else of his own men'.
  5. §42.60.6deleri... potuisse — Perfect infinitive in indirect speech. The present passive infinitive deleri ('to be destroyed') depends on potuisse (perfect active infinitive of possum, 'could have'), expressing a past possibility in a subordinate clause governed by fatebatur.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §42.60.1-42.60.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:42.60.1-42.60.10

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.