§45.22.1“est.
"...is.
peccaverimusne adhuc dubium est; poenas, ignominias omnes iam patimur.
Whether we have sinned is as yet doubtful; we are already suffering all punishments and ignominies.
antea, Carthaginiensibus victis, Philippo, Antiocho superatis, cum Romam venissemus, ex publico hospitio in curiam gratulatum vobis, patres conscripti, ex curia in Capitolium ad deos vestros dona ferentes escendebamus; nunc ex sordido deversorio, §45.22.2vix mercede recepti ac prope hostium more extra urbem manere iussi, in hoc squalore venimus in curiam Romanam Rhodii, quos provinciis nuper Lycia atque Caria, quos praemiis atque honoribus amplissumis donastis.
Previously, when the Carthaginians had been defeated and Philip and Antiochus overcome, and we had come to Rome, we used to go up from the public guest-house into the Senate-house to congratulate you, conscript fathers, and from the Senate-house to the Capitol to carry gifts to your gods; now from a mean lodging, scarcely received even for a price, and ordered to remain outside the city almost in the manner of enemies, we, the Rhodians, have come in this squalor into the Roman Senate-house—we whom you recently presented with the provinces of Lycia and Caria, and with the most ample rewards and honors.
§45.22.3et Macedonas Illyriosque liberos esse, ut audimus, iubetis, cum servierint, antequam vobiscum bellarent — §45.22.4nec cuiusquam fortunae invidemus, immo agnoscimus clementiam populi Romani —: Rhodios, qui nihil aliud quam quieverunt hoc bello, hostes ex sociis facturi estis?
And you order, as we hear, the Macedonians and Illyrians to be free, although they were in servitude before they waged war with you— nor do we envy anyone's fortune, indeed we recognize the clemency of the Roman people—: but are you going to make the Rhodians, who did nothing else than remain quiet in this war, enemies instead of allies?
§45.22.5certe iidem vos estis Romani, qui ideo felicia bella vestra esse, quia iusta sint, prae vobis fertis, nec tam exitu eorum, quod vincatis, quam principiis, quod numquam sine causa suscipiatis, gloriamini.
Surely you are the same Romans who make it your boast that your wars are successful because they are just, and who glory not so much in their outcome, in that you conquer, as in their beginnings, in that you never undertake them without cause.
§45.22.6Messana in Sicilia oppugnata Carthaginienses, Athenae oppugnatae et Graecia in servitutem petita et adiutus Hannibal pecunia auxiliis Philippum hostem fecerunt.
The attack on Messana in Sicily made the Carthaginians your enemies; the attack on Athens, the attempt to reduce Greece to servitude, and the assistance given to Hannibal with money and troops, made Philip your enemy.
§45.22.7Antiochus ipse ultro, ab Aetolis, hostibus vestris, accersitus, ex Asia classe in Graeciam traiecit; Demetriade et Chalcide et saltu Thermopylarum occupato de possessione imperii vos deicere est conatus.
Antiochus himself, of his own accord, summoned by the Aetolians, your enemies, crossed with a fleet from Asia into Greece; and having occupied Demetrias, Chalcis, and the pass of Thermopylae, he attempted to cast you down from the possession of your empire.
§45.22.8cum Perseo socii vestri oppugnati, aut interfecti reguli principesque gentium aut populorum causa belli vobis fuere.
In the war with Perseus, the fact that your allies were attacked, or that minor kings and leaders of tribes or peoples were slain, was the cause of war for you.
§45.22.9quem tandem titulum nostra calamitas habitura est, si perituri sumus? nondum segrego civitatis causam a Polyarato et Dinone, civibus nostris, et iis, quos ut traderemus vobis, adduximus.
What title, pray, will our calamity have if we are to perish? I do not yet separate the cause of our state from Polyaratus and Dino, our citizens, and those whom we have brought to hand over to you.
si omnes Rhodii aeque noxii essemus, quod nostrum in hoc bello crimen esset?
If all we Rhodians were equally guilty, what would be our crime in this war?
§45.22.10Persei partibus favimus et, quemadmodum Antiochi Philippique bello pro vobis adversus reges, sic nunc pro rege adversus vos stetimus.
Did we favor the cause of Perseus? And just as in the war with Antiochus and Philip we stood on your side against the kings, did we now stand on the king's side against you?
§45.22.11quemadmodum soleamus socios iuvare et quam inpigre capessere bella, C. Livium, L. Aemilium Regillum interrogate, qui classibus vestris in Asia praefuerunt.
How we are accustomed to help allies and how vigorously we enter upon wars, ask Gaius Livius and Lucius Aemilius Regillus, who commanded your fleets in Asia.
§45.22.12numquam vestrae naves pugnavere sine nobis.
Never did your ships fight without us.
nos nostra classe pugnavimus semel ad Samum, iterum in Pamphylia adversus Hannibalem inperatorem; §45.22.13quae victoria nobis eo gloriosior est, quod, cum ad Samum magnam partem navium adversa pugna et egregiam iuventutem amisissemus, ne tanta quidem clade territi iterum ausi sumus regiae classi ex Syria venienti obviam ire.
We fought with our own fleet once at Samos, and a second time in Pamphylia against Hannibal as commander; which victory is the more glorious for us because, though we had lost a large part of our ships in an adverse battle at Samos and the flower of our youth, not even terrified by so great a disaster did we dare to go again to meet the royal fleet coming from Syria.
§45.22.14haec non gloriandi causa rettuli — neque enim ea nunc nostra est fortuna —, sed ut admonerem, quemadmodum adiuvare socios solerent Rhodii. ”
I have not related these things for the sake of boasting—for indeed that is not our fortune now—but to remind you in what manner the Rhodians were accustomed to help their allies."