Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 42

+Terms of Peace+, 196 B.C. Macedonia to remain an independent state, but, like Carthage, to lose all her foreign possessions, and to be sunk to the level of a va.s.sal state.

C41

SECOND MACEDONIAN WAR, 200-196 B.C. (2)

_Flamininus proclaims the Freedom of Greece, 196 B.C._

Isthmiorum statum ludicrum aderat, semper quidem et alias frequens c.u.m propter spectaculi studium insitum genti, quo certamina omnis generis artium viriumque et pernicitatis visuntur, tum quia propter opportunitatem loci, per duo diversa maria {5} omnium rerum usus ministrantis humano generi, concilium Asiae Graeciaeque is mercatus erat; tum vero non ad solitos modo usus undique convenerant, sed exspectatione erecti, qui deinde status futurus Graeciae, quae sua fortuna esset. Ad spectaculum {10} consederant, et praeco c.u.m tubicine, ut mos est, in mediam aream, unde sollemni carmine ludicrum indici solet, processit et, tuba silentio facto, ita p.r.o.nuntiat: 'Senatus Roma.n.u.s et T. Quinctius imperator, Philippo rege Macedonibusque devictis, {15} liberos, immunes, suis legibus esse iubet Corinthios, Phocenses, Locrensesque omnes et insulam Euboeam et Magnetas, Thessalos, Perrhaebos, Achaeos Phthiotas.' ... Esse aliquam in terris gentem, quae sua impensa, suo labore ac periculo bella gerat pro {20} libertate aliorum. Una voce praeconis liberatas omnes Graeciae atque Asiae urbes; hoc spe concipere audacis animi fuisse, ad effectum adducere et virtutis et fortunae ingentis.

LIVY, x.x.xiii. 32, 33 (sel.)

[Linenotes: 1. +Isthmiorum statum ludicrum+ = _time fixed_ (+statum+) _for the Isthmian Games_ (celebrated at Corinth every two years).

3-4. +quo certamina ... visuntur+ = _which makes them go to see contests of every kind of artistic performance_ (+artium+) _and of feats of strength and agility_. --Rawlins.

7. +concilium is mercatus erat ...+ = _that gathering was the general rendezvous_ (+mercatus+) _of_ ... +mercatus+ = i. _trade_, or _mart_; ii. _a festival a.s.semblage_ (pa???????).

11. +in mediam aream+ = _into the centre of the open s.p.a.ce (of the stadium)_.

17. +Locrensesque omnes+, i.e. E. & W. Locris.

18. +Perrhaebos+, N. of Thessaly.

+Achaeos Phthiotas+ = the Achaeans who inhabited Phthiotis (S.E. of Thessaly).

19-24. +Esse aliquam ... ingentis:+ in these words the Greeks express their astonishment and grat.i.tude at the greatness of the boon conferred upon them.]

+The Freedom of Greece.+ 'The Greeks believed with a childlike simplicity that the Romans really cared for their freedom, and that they had crossed the sea with no other object than to deliver Greece from a foreign yoke. . . . Flamininus was a skilful diplomatist, and particularly qualified to sift and settle the affairs of Greece; for he understood the Greek character, and was not inaccessible, like so many other Romans, to Greek views and opinions.' --Ihne.

C42

WAR WITH ANTIOCHUS OF SYRIA, 191-190 B.C.

A. _Battle of Thermopylae, 191 B.C. Victory due to Cato._

Acilius Glabrio consul adversus Antiochi regis aciem, quam is in Achaia pro angustiis Thermopylarum direxerat, iniquitatibus loci non irritus tantum, sed c.u.m iactura qnoque repulsus esset, nisi circ.u.mmissus ab eo Porcius Cato, qui tum, iam {5} consularis, tribunus militum a populo factus in exercitu erat, deiectis iugis Callidromi mentis Aetolis, qui praesidio ea tenebant, super imminentem castris regiis collem a tergo subitus apparuisset: quo facto perturbatis Antiochi copiis utrimque irrupere Romani {10} et fusis fugatisque castra ceperunt.

FRONTINUS, _Strategemata_, ii. 4. 4.

+Context.+ In 192 B.C. Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, accepted the invitation of the Aetolians, who, since the Peace of 196 B.C., had been snubbed by the Romans, to come to liberate Greece from the tyranny of Rome.

B. _Battle of Magnesia, 190 B.C._

Tum consule Scipione, cui frater, ille modo victor Carthaginis Africa.n.u.s, aderat voluntaria legatione, debellari regem placet. Et iam toto cesserat mari, sed nos imus ulterius. Maeandrum {15} ad amnem montemque Sipylum castra ponuntur. Hic rex, incredibile dictu quibus auxiliis, quibus copiis, consederat. Trecenta milia peditum, equitum falcatorumque curruum non minor numerus. Elephantis ad hoc immensae magnitudinis, auro purpura {20} argento et suo ebore fulgentibus aciem utrimque vallaverat. Sed haec omnia praepedita magnitudine sua, ad hoc imbre, qui subito superfusus mira felicitate Persicos arcus corruperat.

Primum trepidatio, mox fuga, deinde triumphus fuerunt. {25}

FLORUS, i. 24. 14-18.

+Context.+ In 190 B.C. Lucius Scipio was appointed to carry the war into Asia. Scipio Africa.n.u.s, who accompanied his brother as Chief of Staff, fell ill at Elaea, the port of Pergamum. His place was taken by Cn.

Domitius, an experienced officer.

[Linenotes: 14-15. +Et iam toto cesserat mari+, as the result of the decisive defeat, in 190 B.C., of the Syrian fleet off +Myonnesus+.

15-16. +Maeandrum ... ponuntur.+ The battle was fought near Magnesia (N.W. of Lydia) at the foot of Mt. Sipylus.]

+Parallel Pa.s.sage.+ Livy, x.x.xvii. 39-44, 'The +Battle of Magnesia+ decided the fate of the Syrian Empire, as the battles of +Zama+ and +Cynoscephalae+ had decided the fate of Carthage and Macedonia.' --Ihne.

C43

_Deaths of Three Great Men, 183 B.C._

Hannibal, postquam est nuntiatum milites regios in vestibulo esse, postico fugere conatus, ut id quoque occursu militum obsaeptum sensit et omnia circa clausa custodiis dispositis esse, venenum, quod multo ante praeparatum ad tales habebat casus, {5} poposcit. 'Liberemus,' inquit, 'diuturna cura populum Romanum, quando mortem senis exspectare longum censent. Nec magnam nec memorabilem ex inermi proditoque Flamininus victoriam feret.' Exsecratus deinde in caput regnumque {10} Prusiae, et hospitales deos violatae ab eo fidei testes invocans, poculum exhausit. . . . Trium clarissimorum suae cuiusque gentis virorum non tempore magis congruente comparabilis mors videtur esse, quam quod nemo eorum satis dignum splendore {15} vitae exitum habuit. Nam primum omnes non in patrio solo mortui nec sepulti sunt. Veneno absumpti Hannibal et Philopoemen; exsul Hannibal, proditus ab hospite, captus Philopoemen in carcere et in vinculis exspiravit. Scipio etsi non exsul neque {20} d.a.m.natus, die tamen dicta, ad quam non adfuerat reus, absens citatus, voluntarium non sibimet ipse solum sed etiam funeri suo exsilium indixit.

LIVY, x.x.xix, 51, 52 (sel.)

+Context.+ After Zama Hannibal held the highest office (_Suffete_ = L.

_praetura_) at Carthage, and effected useful democratic reforms.

However, his political enemies denounced him to Rome _as making plans for a new war_, and in 195 B.C. he was forced to flee from Carthage and took refuge with Antiochus. After Magnesia, H. found for seven years a safe asylum with Prusias, king of Bithynia; but the Romans could not be at ease so long as H. lived, and Flamininus the Liberator of Greece undertook the inglorious quest of demanding the surrender of Hannibal.

[Linenotes: 13-15. +non tempore magis congruente quam+ = _not so much in coincidence of_ (+congruente+, lit. _agreeing with_) _date as_. --R.

18. +Philopoemen+, the heroic chief of the Achaean League, was taken prisoner by Dinocrates, imprisoned in a dungeon at Messene (+in carcere+, l. 19), and compelled to drink poison.

20-23. +Scipio+ was accused, at the instigation of Cato, by the tribune Naevius (185 B.C.) of having been bribed by Antiochus to procure for him favourable conditions of peace. Too proud to defend himself against such a charge, Scipio retired to his country-seat at Liternum, where _by a voluntary act he consigned both himself and his grave to exile_ (+voluntarium ... indixit+).

'_Ingrata patria, ne ossa quidem mea habes._'

Epitaph of Scipio, written by himself.]

C44

_M. Porcius Cato, 234-149 B.C._ (1)

At Cato, censor c.u.m L. Valerio Flacco, severe praefuit ei potestati. Nam et in complures n.o.biles animadvert.i.t et multas res novas in edictum addidit, qua re luxuria reprimeretur, quae iam tum incipiebat pullulare.

Circiter annos octoginta, usque ad extremam {5} aetatem ab adolescentia, rei publicae causa suscipere inimicitias non dest.i.tit. A multis tentatus non modo nullum detrimentum existimationis fecit, sed, quoad vixit, virtutum laude crevit.

In omnibus rebus singulari fuit industria: nam {10} et agricola sollers et peritus iuris consultus et magnus imperator et probabilis orator et cupidissimus litterarum fuit. Quarum studium etsi senior arripuerat, tamen tantum progressum fecit, ut non facile reperiri posset neque de Graecis neque de {15} Italicis rebus, quod ei fuerit incognitum. Ab adulescentia confecit orationes. Senex historias scribere inst.i.tuit.

Earum sunt libri vii. Primus continet res gestas regum populi Romani, secundus et tertius unde quaeque civitas orta sit Italica, ob quam rem omnes {20} Origines videtur appella.s.se.

NEPOS, _Cato_, ii., iii.

[Linenotes: 1. +Censor+, 184 B.C., with L. Valerius Flaccus, his great friend and patron, by whom he was introduced to political life.

3. +in edictum.+ The Censors, on their entrance upon office, issued a _proclamation_ or _edict_, setting forth the principles upon which they intended to act. Cato set forth in his edict that he intended to use his power for the suppression of luxury.

5. +pullulare+ = _to spread, increase_; lit. _to put forth_, of plants and animals. Cf. _pull-us_ (our _pullet_), _pu-er_, p????

(= _a foal_).]

+octoginta.+ This is an exaggeration. He was only eighty-five when he died 149 B.C.

6-7. +rei publicae ... non dest.i.tit.+ Seneca says: _Scipio c.u.m hostibus nostris bellum, Cato c.u.m moribus gessit._ 7-9. Cato was accused no less than 44 times, but each time acquitted.

11. +iuris consultus+ = _lawyer_.

12. +magnus imperator+, e.g. in the 2nd Punic War, and the decisive victory at Thermopylae (191 B.C.) was mainly due to Cato.

+probabilis orator+ = _a tolerable, acceptable orator_. Oscar Browning.

17-21. His two great works were his treatise +De Re Rustica+ (or +De Agri Cultura+), the earliest extant work in Latin prose, and his +Origines+, or accounts of the rise and growth of the Italian nation, the earliest history in Latin prose. 'It was Cato's great merit that he a.s.serted the rights of his native language for literary prose composition.' --Ihne.]

+Cato the Censor.+ 'He deserves our highest respect for the defiant and manly spirit that animated him in his untiring contest with the vices of the age.' --Ihne.