Loeb are in the process of replacing their aging editions of Livy’s History of Rome, and this volume was only published in 2017. It has a much fresher translation of Livy’s text, and the text itself has been amended based on continuing research into the various surviving manuscripts discovered in assorted monasteries and museums. Amazing to think that people can make their life’s work out of poring over dusty old manuscripts, trying to make sense of the errors and idiosyncrasies of long-forgotten scribes and monks.
This volume covers the immediate aftermath of the war with Hannibal and the subsequent wars in Greece, mainly involving Philip of Macedon, who had been Hannibal’s ally a few years previously. Compared to some other surviving bits of Livy, these books are pretty exciting. You can see how the Greeks were masters of their own downfall. With so much rivalry and infighting between the various cities there was no chance that they could ever put up a united front against Roman domination. In fact the Romans could plausibly present themselves as “liberators”, freeing the Greeks from the tyrants, oligarchs and petty kings who had overthrown whatever democracy the Greeks (well, the male citizens at any rate) had enjoyed in earlier centuries.
A couple of passages stand out for me. One is the exchange between two Roman politicians over how to deal with women engaging in political protest. In this case, the women are protesting the continuation of sumptuary laws controlling how much bling a woman could wear. The sumptuary laws were originally passed as a form of taxation during the war against Hannibal, but some conservatives wanted them to be retained in peace time as a moral issue, to control extravagance and ostentation. So we have Marcus Cato tearing his hair out at the inability of tough Roman chaps to control their wives (i.e. keep them off the streets) and wondering how the state can possibly survive. His opponent is more relaxed, arguing that women have been on the streets before and nothing bad came of it, so don’t stress…..
The other passage concerns Hannibal. Of course Livy detests Hannibal but following his sources he tells how after the Second Punic War had ended, the great general reinvented himself as an elected politician. Despite his hatred of Rome, Hannibal is committed to making the reparations demanded by the Roman Senate. He undertakes a thorough review of Carthage’s tax system and concludes that he can make the reparations without imposing new taxes on the poor. The answer is to tackle the widespread tax evasion of the upper classes. In response, the upper classes send envoys to Rome claiming that Hannibal is planning an alliance with King Antiochus of Syria to drive the Romans out of Greece. The Romans may or may not have believed the allegation but they use it as an opportunity to dispose of Hannibal once and for all. Hannibal is then forced to make a dramatic escape from Carthage, and he makes his way to Antiochus to offer his services as a military adviser. It’s a reminder that Hannibal might well have defeated Rome if he hadn’t been stabbed in the back by his own side.