§44.19.1L. Aemilio Paulo C. Licinio consulibus, idibus Martiis, principio insequentis anni, cum in expectatione patres fuissent, maxime quidnam consul de Macedonia, cuius ea provincia esset, referret, nihil se habere Paulus, quod referret, nondum cum legati redissent, dixit.
In the consulship of Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Gaius Licinius, on the Ides of March, at the beginning of the following year, although the senators had been in expectation, especially as to what the consul would propose concerning Macedonia, which was his province, Paulus said that he had nothing to propose, since the legates had not yet returned.
§44.19.2ceterum Brundisi legatos iam esse, bis ex cursu Dyrrachium reiectos.
But he said that the legates were already at Brundisium, having been twice driven back to Dyrrachium during their voyage.
§44.19.3cognitis mox, quae nosci prius in rem esset, relaturum; id fore intra perpaucos dies.
As soon as those things were known which it was useful to know beforehand, he would make his proposal; this would be within a very few days.
§44.19.4et ne quid profectionem suam teneret, pridie idus Apriles Latinis esse constitutam diem.
And so that nothing might delay his departure, the day for the Latin festival had been set for the day before the Ides of April.
sacrificio rite perfecto et se et Cn. Octavium, simul senatus censuisset, exituros esse.
Once the sacrifice was properly completed, both he and Gnaeus Octavius would set out as soon as the senate should so decree.
§44.19.5C. Licinio collegae suo fore curae se absente, ut, si qua parari mittique ad id bellum opus sit, parentur mittanturque. interea legationes exterarum nationum audiri posse.
His colleague Gaius Licinius would take care in his absence that, if anything needed to be prepared and sent for that war, it should be prepared and sent; meanwhile, the embassies of foreign nations could be heard.
§44.19.6primi Alexandrini legati ab Ptolemaeo et Cleopatra regibus vocati sunt.
First, the Alexandrian legates sent by the rulers Ptolemy and Cleopatra were admitted.
§44.19.7sordidati, barba et capillo promisso, cum ramis oleae ingressi curiam procubuerunt, et oratio quam habitus fuit miserabilior.
Clad in mourning, with long hair and beard, they entered the Senate House carrying olive branches and prostrated themselves; and their speech was even more pitiful than their appearance.
§44.19.8Antiochus Syriae rex, qui obses Romae fuerat, per honestam speciem maioris Ptolemaei reducendi in regnum, bellum cum minore fratre eius, qui tum Alexandriam tenebat, §44.19.9gerens et ad Pelusium navali proelio superior fuerat et tumultuario opere ponte per Nilum facto transgressus cum exercitu obsidione ipsam Alexandream terrebat, nec procul abesse, quin poteretur regno opulentissimo, videbatur.
Antiochus, king of Syria, who had been a hostage at Rome, under the honorable pretext of restoring the elder Ptolemy to his kingdom, was waging war against his younger brother, who then held Alexandria; having been superior in a naval battle at Pelusium, and having crossed the Nile with his army by a bridge built of temporary materials, he was terrifying Alexandria itself with a siege, and it seemed that he was not far from making himself master of that most wealthy kingdom.
§44.19.10ea legati querentes orabant senatum, ut opem regno regibusque amicis impigre ferrent.
Lamenting these things, the legates begged the senate to bring aid without delay to a friendly kingdom and its kings.
§44.19.11ea merita populi Romani in Antiochum, eam apud omnes reges gentesque auctoritatem esse, ut, si legatos misissent, qui ei nuntiarent non placere senatui sociis regibus bellum fieri, extemplo abscessurus a moenibus Alexandreae abducturusque exercitum in Syriam esset.
They said that such were the services of the Roman people to Antiochus, and such their authority among all kings and nations, that if they sent legates to announce to him that the senate did not approve of war being waged against allied kings, he would immediately withdraw from the walls of Alexandria and lead his army back into Syria.
§44.19.12quod si cunctentur facere, brevi extorres regno Ptolemaeum et Cleopatram Romam venturos, cum pudore quodam populi Romani, quod nullam opem in ultimo discrimine fortunarum tulissent.
But if they should hesitate to do so, Ptolemy and Cleopatra, driven from their kingdom, would soon come to Rome, bringing a certain shame upon the Roman people for having given no aid in the ultimate crisis of their fortunes.
§44.19.13moti patres precibus Alexandrinorum extemplo C. Popilium Laenatem et C. Decimium et C. Hostilium legatos ad finiendum inter reges bellum miserunt.
Moved by the prayers of the Alexandrians, the senators immediately sent Gaius Popilius Laenas, Gaius Decimius, and Gaius Hostilius as legates to end the war between the kings.
§44.19.14prius Antiochum, dein Ptolemaeum adire iussi et nuntiare, ni absistatur bello, per utrum stetisset, eum non pro amico nec pro socio habituros esse.
They were ordered to go first to Antiochus and then to Ptolemy, and to announce that, unless they desisted from the war, whichever of the two was responsible for its continuance would no longer be held as a friend or an ally.