15. Iterum in Macedoniā Pseudopersēs, quī sē Perseī fīlium esse dīcēbat, collēctīs servitiīs rebellāvit et, cum sēdecim mīlia armātōrum habēret, ā Tremelliō quaestōre superātus est.
16. (1) Eōdem tempore Metellus in Celtiberiā apud Hispānōs rēs ēgregiās gessit. Successit eī Q. Pompēius.
(2) Nec multō post Q. quoque Caepiō ad idem bellum missus est, quod quīdam Viriāthus contrā Rōmānōs in Lūsitāniā gerēbat. Quō metū Viriāthus ā suīs interfectus est, cum quattuordecim annīs Hispāniās adversus Rōmānōs mōvisset. Pāstor prīmō fuit, mox latrōnum dux, postrēmō tantōs ad bellum populōs concitāvit, ut adsertor contrā Rōmānōs Hispāniae putārētur.
(3) Et cum interfectōrēs eius praemium ā Caepiōne cōnsule peterent, responsum est numquam Rōmānīs placuisse imperātōrēs ā suīs mīlitibus interficī.
notes
Ch. 15: Slave revolt under Pseudo-Perses (142 BCE)
For details, see Livy, Epitome 53.e; Varro, On Agriculture 2.4.1.
Perseī fīlium: Like Pseudo-Philip in Brev. 4.13, this pretender also claimed to be the son of Perseus.
collēctīs servitiīs: ablative absolute that uses perfect passive participle (AG 419)
cum sēdecim mīlia armātōrum habēret: cum here is concessive (AG 549)
sēdecim mīlia armātōrum: supply hominum
ā Tremelliō quaestōre: i.e., Lucius Tremellius Scrofa. His cognomen Scrofa means "breeding sow," and he acquired it on this campaign. See Varro, On Agriculture 2.4.1. A quaestor was an officer in charge of the treasury. Two remained in the city while the others accompanied the provincial governors and managed the finances of the provinces (Hazzard).
Ch. 16: War with Viriathus (146–141 BCE)
For details, see Appian, The Spanish Wars 60–79.
(1) Eōdem tempore: 143 BCE
Metellus: Q. Caecilius Metellus, called Macedonicus, was the son of Caecilius mentioned in Brev. 3.19. He was consul in 143 BCE, and received the province of Hither Spain, where he carried on war with success for two years against the Celtiberi. His brother, L. Caecilius, was consul in 142 BCE (Brev. 4.21, 4.23) (Hazzard).
Successit eī: compound verb successit takes a dative object (AG 370)
Q. Pompēius: see Quintus Pompeius
(2) Viriāthus: Between 146–141 BCE Viriathus, benefitting from Rome's campaign in Greece and Africa and his knowledge of the terrain, defeated several Roman generals including Q. Fabius Maximus Servilianus, from whom he wrung a favorable peace (141 BCE). The following year Q. Caepio persuaded the Senate to disavow the treaty and had Virathus assassinated. The Lusitanians, now leaderless, surrendered soon afterwards (139 BCE) (Bird).
Quō metū: i.e., fear of the Romans
ut ... putārētur: result clause following the adjective tantōs (AG 537).
adsertor: "restorer of liberty," "champion"
(3) numquam Rõmānīs placuisse imperātōrēs ā suīs mīlitibus interficī: Rōmānīs is the dative object of placuisse (LS placeo II.A). Caepio's response is a typical piece of Roman propaganda during a shameful period in Roman history. Supposedly the assassins of Viriathus were driven from Roman unrewarded (Livy, Epitome 55; Orosius, Against the Pagans 5.4) (Bird).
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| Pseudopersēs, eī, m. |
a pretended son of Perseus, king of Macedonia |
| praeferō, —ferre, —tulī, —lātum |
to carry before; put before, prefer |
| Perseus, eī, m. |
the last king of Macedonia, 178—168 B.C. |
| servitium, ī [servus], n. | slavery; slaves |
| rebellō, āre, āvī, ātus |
to wage war again, rebel |
| armātus, i, m. |
an armed man, a solier, = miles |
| quaestor, ōris [orig. quaesitor; cf. quaerō, quaesō], m. |
quaestor, quartermaster, a name given to certain magistrates who had the care of public moneys and military supplies, both at Rome and in the provinces |
| Metellus, ī, m. |
(1) C. Caecilius Metellus, consul 113 B.C.; (2) L. Caecilius Metellus, consul 251 B.C.; (3) L. Caecilius Metellus, consul 123 B.C.; (4) (Q. Caecilius) Metellus Macedonicus, consul 143 B.C.; (5) Q. Caecilius Metellus (Numidicus), consul 109 B.C.; (6) Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus, consul 69 B.C.; (7) L. (Caecilius) Metellus, carried on war against Mithradates; (8) M. (Caecilius) Metellus |
| Celtiberia, ae, f. |
a mountainous country in the central part of Spain |
| succēdō, ere, cessī, cessus |
to come up, advance; succeed, follow |
| Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
| Q. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Quīntus |
| Pompēius, ī, m. |
(1) Cn. Pompēius, consul 89 B.C.; (2) Cn. Pompēius, surnamed Magnus, the triumvir, consul 70 B.C.; (3) Cn. Pompēius, son of the triumvir; (4) Q. Pompēius, consul 141 B.C.; (5) Sex. Pompēius, younger son of the triumvir |
| Caepiō, ōnis, m. |
the name of a Roman family, Cn. Servīlius Caepiō, consul 253 B.C., Q. (Cn.) Servīlius Caepiō, consul 140 B.C., Q. (Servilius) Caepiō, consul 106 B.C. |
| Viriāthus, ī, m. |
a celebrated Lusitanian chief who maintained a separate command against the Romans for several years |
| Lūsitānia, ae, f. |
a province in the southwest of Spain |
| Viriāthus, ī, m. |
a celebrated Lusitanian chief who maintained a separate command against the Romans for several years |
| Hispānus, a, um, adj. |
Spanish; as subst., Hispānus, ī, m., a Spaniard |
| pāstor, ōris, m. | shepherd |
| latrō, ōnis, m. |
a robber, brigand |
| postrēmō [posterus], adv. | at last, finally |
| concitō, āre, āvī, ātus |
to arouse, urge, excite |
| adsertor, ōris [from adserō], m. | a claimant |
| interfector, ōris [interflciō], m. |
a slayer, murderer |