4.6

(1) Philippō rēge Macedoniae mortuō, quī et adversum Rōmānōs bellum gesserat et posteā Rōmānīs contrā Antiochum auxilium tulerat, fīlius eius Perseus in Macedoniā rebellāvit, ingentibus cōpiīs ad bellum parātīs.

(2) Nam adiūtōrēs habēbat Cotyn Thraciae rēgem et rēgem Īllyricī Gentium nōmine. Rōmānīs autem auxiliō erant Eumenēs Asiae rēx, Ariarātus Cappadociae, Antiochus Syriae, Ptolemaeus Aegyptī, Masinissa Numidiae. Prūsiās autem Bīthȳniae, quamquam sorōrem Perseī uxōrem habēret, utrīsque sē aequum praebuit.

(3) Dux Rōmānōrum P. Licinius cōnsul contrā eum missus est et ā rēge gravī proeliō victus. Neque tamen Rōmānī quamquam superātī rēgī petentī pācem praestāre voluērunt nisi hīs condiciōnibus, ut sē et suōs senātuī et populō Rōmānō dēderet.

(4) Mox missus contrā eum L. Aemilius Paulus cōnsul et in Īllyricum C. Anicius praetor contrā Gentium, sed Gentius facile ūnō proeliō victus mox sē dēdidit. Māter eius et uxor et duo fīliī, frāter quoque simul in potestātem Rōmānōrum vēnērunt. Ita bellō intrā XXX diēs perfectō, ante cognitum est Gentium victum quam coeptum bellum nūntiārētur.

    Third Macedonian War, 176–168 BCE

    For details, see Plutarch, Life of Aemilius; Livy, Books 42–45.

    (1) Philippō, rēge Macedoniae, mortuō: ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419). For Rome's involvement with Philip V, King of Macedonia, see Brev. 4.1–2.

    contrā Antiochum: for Rome's war against Antiochus, see Brev. 4.3 and 4.4

    fīlius eius Perseus: In 179 BCE Perseus replaced his father as King of Macedon (Bird).

    ingentibus cōpiīs ad bellum parātīs: ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419)

    (2) adiūtōrēs habēbat: Perseus' allies included Cotys, King of Thrace and Gentius, King of Illyricum.

    Thraciae: Thrace was the name given originally to the whole region north of the Aegean Sea. Afterwards it was confined to the valley of the Hebrus. It became a Roman province in 46 CE (Hazzard).

    Īllyricī: Illyricum was on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea. Its rocky coasts were infested with pirates until it was conquered by the Romans in the second century BCE. It was made a province afterwards and known as Dalmatia (Hazzard).

    Rōmānīs autem auxiliō: "The Romans' allies were." Eutropius seldom uses the double dative constuction (AG 382 n.1). Roman allies included Eumenes II of Pergamum, Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia, Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt, and Masinissa of Numidia.

    Prūsiās: Prusias II of Bithynia, married to Apame IV. He is not to be confused with his father, Prusias I of Bithynia, who shelters Hannibal in Brev. 4.5.

    utrīsque sē aequum praebuit: lit., "furnished himself equal to both" = "remained neutral" (Hazzard).

    (3) Dux Rōmānōrum P. Licinius: Publius Licinius Crassus, consul in 171. See Livy 42.57–62.

    contrā eum: Perseum

    gravī proeliō victus: near Larisa. If Perseus had possessed the energy to follow up this victory, the result might have been different (Hazzard).

    hīs condiciōnibus: listed in the subsequent purpose clause (AG 563)

    (4) Mox missus contrā eum: Eutropius does not mention the two campaigns under Aulus Hostilius and Quintius Marcius Philippus, in both of which the Romans were unsuccessful (Hazzard). eum refers to Perseus.

    L. Aemilius Paulus cōnsul: L. Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus was the son of the consul who fell at CannaeBrev. 3.10 (Hazzard).

    C. Anicius praetor: In 168 BCE Anicius ended the Illyrian War in less than a month, capturing Scodra and King Gentius, whom he sent to Rome together with his family (Polybius 30.14; Livy 44.31–32) (Bird).

    Ita bellō intrā XXX diēs perfectō ante cognitum est Gentium victum quam coeptum bellum nūntiārētur: order: ita bellō perfectō intrā XXX diēs, Gentius victus est antequam coeptum bellum nūntiārētur. 

    ante: with quam, = antequam

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

    Philippus, ī, m.

    (1) Philip V., king of Macedonia 220—178 B.C.; (2) (M. Iūlius) Philippus I., Roman emperor 244–249 A.D.; (3) (M. Iūlius) Philippus II., son of (2); (4) L. Mārcius Philippus, consul 91 B.C.; (5) Q. Mārcius Philippus, consul 186 B.C.

    Numidia, ae, f.

    a country of northern Africa, west of Carthage

    adversus and adversum, prep. with accus., facing, in opposition to, against

     

    P.

    abbreviation of the praenomen or nomen Publius

    C.

    abbreviation of the praenomen Gaius

    Antiochus, ī, m.

    kings of Syria: Antiochus II., called Theos, 261–246 B.; Antiochus III., called the Great, 223–187 B.C.; Antiochus IV., called Epiphanes, 175–164 B.C.

    Perseus, eī, m.

    the last king of Macedonia, 178—168 B.C.

    Macedonia, ae, f.

    an extensive country north of Greece, between Thessaly and Thrace

    rebellō, āre, āvī, ātus

    to wage war again, rebel

    Gentius, ī, m.

    a king of the Illyrians

    Macedonia, ae, f.

    an extensive country north of Greece, between Thessaly and Thrace

    adiūtor, ōris [adiūvō, to assist], m.

    a helper, assistant, confederate

    Cotys, yis, m.

    a Thracian king

    Thrācia, ae, f.

    a large district in the southeastern part of Europe, between the Aegean Sea, Macedonia, and the Black Sea

    Īllyricum, ī, n.

    a country east of the Adriatic Sea

    Eumenēs, is, m.

    king of Pergamus, 197–159 B.C.

    Asia, ae, f.

    Asia; the Roman province of Asia Minor

    Ariarātus, ī, m.

    called Cappadox, king of Cappadocia, 220–162 B.C.

    Cappadocia, ae, f.

    a province in Asia Minor.

    Syria, ae, f.

    Syria, a country of Asia, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea

    Masinissa, ae, m.

    a king of Numidia and an ally of the Romans

    Prūsiās, ae, m.

    king of Bithynia 228—180 B.C.

    Bīthȳnia, ae, f.

    a country in Asia Minor, on the Propontis and Black Sea

    Aegyptus, ī, m.

    Egypt

    Licinius, ī, m. the name of a Roman gens.

    (1) C. Fabius Licinius, consul 273 B.C.; (2) (P. Flavius) Licinius, Roman emperor 307–324 A.D.

    Ptolemaeus, ī, m.

    a name borne by the kings of Egypt after the time of Alexander the Great; (1) Ptolemaeus Philadelphius, 285—247 B.C.; (2) Ptolemaeus Euergetēs, 247—222 B.C.; (3) Ptolemaeus Philometor, 181—146 B.C.; (4) Ptolemaeus Aulētēs, 47—43 B.C.

    dēdō, dere, didī, ditus

    to give up, surrender; devote

    facile [facilis, easy], adv., comp. facilius

    easily; readily

    Aemilius, ī, m.

    the name of a Roman gens; Lūcius Aemilius, consul 224 B.C.; Mārcus Aemilius (Mamercus), dictator

    Paulus, ī, m.

    the name of a Roman family; (1) L. Aemilius Paulus, consul 216 B.C.; (2) L. Aemilius Paulus, surnamed Macedonicus, consul 168 B.C.; (3) M. Aemilius Paulus, consul 255 B.C.

    Īllyricum, ī, n.

    a country east of the Adriatic Sea

    Anicius, ī, m.

    C. Anicius, praetor in the Third Macedonian war, 176–168 B.C.

    dēdō, dere, didī, ditus

    to give up, surrender; devote

    perficiō, ere, fēci, fectus

    to complete, accomplish

    nūntiō, āre, āvī, ātus [nūntius]

    to tell, announce, report

    article nav
    Previous
    Next