19.
The Garuli, the Lapicini and the Hergates1 had lived on this side of the Apennines, the Friniates beyond them and on this side of the river Audena.2 Publius Mucius waged war on the tribes that had ravaged Luna and Pisa and disarmed them when all had been reduced to surrender.
[2]
By reason of the [p. 245]successes in Gaul and among the Ligurians under the3 leadership and auspices of the two consuls, the senate decreed a thanksgiving for three days and ordered the sacrifice of forty victims.
[3]
And indeed the Gallic and Ligurian uprising, which had broken out in the beginning of the year, was quickly suppressed with no great effort; now the anxiety as to the Macedonian War beset them, since Perseus was stirring up conflicts between the Dardanians and the Bastarnae.4
[4]
And the ambassadors5 who had been sent to investigate the situation in Macedonia had already returned to Rome and had reported that war in Dardania was now in progress.
[5]
At the same time envoys had also arrived from King Perseus, who were to explain on his behalf6 that he had neither invited the Bastarnae nor was he instigating any of their actions.
[6]
The senate neither absolved him of this blame nor charged him with it; they merely ordered that he be warned to take redoubled care to make it appear that he was respecting the treaty which was in force between him and the Romans.7
[7]
When the Dardanians saw that the Bastarnae were not only not leaving their territory, as they had hoped, but were growing more troublesome every day, and were relying on the aid of the neighbouring Thracians and the Scordisci, they decided that they must venture something, even rashly, and all from all sides met in arms at the town which was nearest to the camp of the Bastarnae. It was winter, [p. 247]and they had chosen that season in order that the8 Thracians and Scordisci might then depart to their own countries.
[8]
When they learned that this had occurred as they had expected and that the Bastarnae were now alone, they divided their forces into two columns, one to march by the straight road to assail openly, the other, led around by an out-of-theway pass, to attack from the rear.
[9]
But before they could surround the camp of the enemy the battle took place; and the defeated Dardanians were driven back into the town, which was about twelve miles distant from the camp of the Bastarnae.
[10]
The victors followed in haste and invested the city, expecting confidently that the next day either the enemy would surrender on account of fear or they would take the town by storm.
[11]
Meanwhile the other column of the Dardanians, which had followed the circuitous route, being ignorant of the defeat of their comrades, captured the camp of the Bastarnae, which had been left without a guard.9
1 B.C. 175
2 These tribes were perhaps those transported to new homes: see the preceding note. If the Friniates are the tribe mentioned in XXXIX. ii. 1, they seem to have lived cis Appenninum, although the flight of some of them beyond the mountains is reported in that chapter. The river Audena has not been identified.
3 B.C. 175
4 Cf. especially XL. lvii. for Philip's plan to profit by the wars of these peoples.
5 This embassy has not been mentioned, since Livy has said little about Macedonian affairs since 178 B.C. He now proceeds to fill up that gap.
6 Appian, Macedonian Wars IX. xi. 1 refers to this embassy, which Livy has not mentioned before: ὁδὲ περσευς ἐτέρους ἔπεμπε πρέσβεις τὴν ὑπόνοιαν ἐκλύων.
7 Cf. XL. lviii. 9. It would seem that the senate was satisfied with a show of observance of the treaty.
8 B.C. 175
9 At this point begins the other large lacuna, due to the loss of almost an entire quaternion of V. The narrative may have included an account of the tragic fate of the Bastarnae, who, returning home after the capture of their camp, were almost all drowned when the ice in the Danube broke while they were crossing (Orosius IV. xx). It must also have introduced Antiochus Epiphanes, long a hostage at Rome, who succeeded his brother on the throne of their father, Antiochus the Great.
Livy. Books XL-XLII With An English Translation. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1938: published without copyright notice.
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