Polybius, Histories
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Book 36 - Chapter 2

1
<w lemma="%2Apa%2Flai">Πάλαι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="kekurwme%2Fnou">κεκυρωμένου</w> <w lemma="bebai%2Fws">βεβαίως</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstwn">ἑκάστων</w> <w lemma="gnw%2Fmais">γνώμαις</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29zh%2Ftoun">ἐζήτουν</w> <w lemma="e%29pith%2Fdeion">ἐπιτήδειον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Ffasin">πρόφασιν</w> <w lemma="eu%29sxh%2Fmona">εὐσχήμονα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%2Fs">ἐκτός</w>.
2
<w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Frous">μέρους</w> <w lemma="e%29fro%2Fntizon">ἐφρόντιζον</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w>, <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="fronou%3Dntes:">φρονοῦντες·</w>
3
<w lemma="e%29%2Fnstasis">ἔνστασις</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmou">πολέμου</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Adhmh%2Ftrion">Δημήτριον</w> <w lemma="dikai%2Fa">δικαία</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="dokou%3Dsa">δοκοῦσα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="nikh%2Fmata">νικήματα</w> <w lemma="poiei%3D">ποιεῖ</w> <w lemma="mei%2Fzw">μείζω</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29poteu%2Fceis">ἀποτεύξεις</w> <w lemma="a%29sfaleste%2Fras">ἀσφαλεστέρας</w>, <w lemma="a%29sxh%2Fmwn">ἀσχήμων</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fau%2Flh">φαύλη</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon">τοὐναντίον</w> <w lemma="a%29perga%2Fzetai:">ἀπεργάζεται·</w>
4
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="dialh%2Fyews">διαλήψεως</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flous">ἀλλήλους</w> <w lemma="diafero%2Fmenoi">διαφερόμενοι</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgon">ὀλίγον</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fsthsan">ἀπέστησαν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmou">πολέμου</w>. —
They had long ago made up their minds to act thus, but they were looking for a suitable opportunity and a pretext that would appeal to foreign nations.
For the Romans very rightly paid great attention to this matter, since, as Demetrius says, when the inception of a war seems just, it makes victory greater and ill-success less perilous, while if it is thought to be dishonourable and wrong it has the opposite effect.
So on this occasion their disputes with each other about the effect on foreign opinion very nearly made them desist from going to war.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
36.2.1 - 36.2.4
<p rend="Plain Text">The Romans seek a pretext before going to war</p> <p rend="Plain Text">This passage, which follows 1. 1–7 in the exc. de sent., belongs here (cf. pp. 43–44) in res Italiae; an echo of it is to be found in Diod. xxxii. 5 (quoted, § 4 n.). P.'s argument contains a certain ambiguity, since a conviction that one's cause is just (that is what Demetrius is talking about) is not the same thing as having a plausible argument which will appeal to the world at large; in the one case the advantage is to one's morale, in the other it lies in the sphere of public relations. The two need not of course clash. Not every <w lang="el-GR">πρόφασις</w> is merely specious, and there is reason to think that P. regarded the Roman case against <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> as convincing (cf. 9. 1–17). On the other hand, fg. 99, which may belong here, clearly refers to public relations; it asserts that the Romans took special care not to give the impression of beginning an unjust war or moving on from success in one war to lay hands on their neighbour, but always to seem to be defending themselves and to be compelled to go to war. Clearly, then, P. recognizes that the reason alleged will not always be the true one (cf. xxxii. 13. 9). It is possible that P. (and so indirectly Appian) has exaggerated the firmness of the Senate's determination to go to war in the late 150's, just as in his account of the events leading up to the Second Punic War he discounts any suggestion of a divided Senate (iii. 20. 1 ff.); cf. JRS, 1965, 7.</p> <p rend="Plain Text"> Events leading to the Third Punic War. In 161 the Senate had resolved a dispute between <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> and Masinissa in the latter's favour (cf. xxxi. 21. 8), and he obtained a further favourable decision c. 158–6 (Livy, ep. 47). In 153, when the Romans were involved in Celtiberia (xxxv. 2. 1–4. 14 n.) and Masinissa in Lusitania, the Carthaginians initiated raids on Numidian territory, and these were ended by a Roman commission which, once again, decided in Masinissa's favour <milestone unit="page" n="653">[653]</milestone> (App. Lib. 68; Livy, ep. 47, second embassy). A further commission, including Cato, was sent out in 152; and, when the Carthaginians refused to accept Roman arbitration with an enforceable decision, he returned to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> determined on war (App. Lib. 68; Livy, ep. 48; Zon. ix. 26; Plut. Cato mai. 26. 1). According to Zon. ix. 26 Scipio Nasica was sent out to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>; if this is true he probably accompanied Cato, though a separate mission is not impossible; cf. Walsh, JRS, 1965, 159. Later in 152 or early in 151 complaints from Masinissa that <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> was rearming caused a further commission to be sent, and war came nearer; the Senate resolved to abstain from war if the Carthaginians burnt their fleet and demobilized (Livy, ep. 48). However, in winter 151/0 the Carthaginians again clashed with Masinissa who, after the expulsion of some of his supporters from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a>, attacked the town of Oroscopa; Hasdrubal, with a force of 25,000, defeated his forces and pursued them into Numidia (App. Lib. 70). There the Carthaginians were defeated in a full-scale battle witnessed by Scipio Aemilianus (16. 12 n.), whom L. Lucullus had sent to Masinissa to obtain elephants (cf. xxxi. 16. 2 n.). Scipio called a conference to negotiate a settlement, but this broke down; and it was only after a further Roman embassy and an epidemic in the Carthaginian army that Hasdrubal agreed to terms (App. Lib. 72–73). Thus by 150 the Romans had a pretext to declare war. See, for the chronology, Kahrstedt, iii. 614 ff., 620 ff.; Gsell, iii. 320 ff.; Gelzer, Kl. Schr. ii. 39–72; Kienast, 127 ff.; Rossetti, Parola del Passato, 1960, 336 ff.; Astin, 49–51, 270–2. </p> <p rend="Plain Text">P. introduced the war in xxxvi since the war-decision was taken in 150, and the declaration made in 149 (3. 9; App. Lib. 74; Livy, ep. 49; below, 3. 1–6. 6).</p>
Specifics
36.2.1 - 36.2.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πάλαι δὲ τούτου κεκυρωμένου κτλ</w>:</emph> cf. App. Lib. 74, <w lang="el-GR">ἡ δὲ βουλή, πάλαι διεγνωκυῖα πολεμῆσαι, καὶ προφάσεις ἐρεσχελοῦσα κτλ</w>. How long before 150 the Senate had resolved on war is not clear; according to App. Lib. 69, immediately after Cato's return in 152: <w lang="el-GR">ἔκρινε μὲν πολεμεῖν. ἔτι δ᾽ ἔχρῃζε προφάσεων καὶ τὴν</w> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Κ</w></emph> <w lang="el-GR">ρίσιν ἀπόρρητον εἶχον</w>. Gelzer, Kl. Schr. ii. 45, suggests that the words <w lang="el-GR">ἐν ταῖς ἑκάστων γνώμαις</w> indicate that all sententiae were for a declaration of war, provided a satisfactory pretext arose; but, as a result of Nasica's opposition, the decision taken in 151 was 'ut bello abstinerent, si Carthaginienses classem exussissent et exercitum dimisissent' (Livy, ep. 48). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πρόφασιν εὐσχήμονα πρὸς τοὺς ἐκτό?ς</w>:</emph> 'a pretext that would appeal to the world at large'. <w lang="el-GR">οἱ ἐκτό?ς</w> is not only 'foreign nations', but people generally outside the governmental circles where the decision was taken; cf. § 3, xxxii. 13. 9 and passim; Petzold, Studien, 45–46. The need to have a sound pretext is a commonplace both in actual wars (cf. Thuc. ii. 74) and in reports of them (cf. Xen. Cyrop. i. 5. 13–14); <milestone unit="page" n="654">[654]</milestone> it was implicit in the Roman fetial procedure (Dion. Hal. ii. 72). See § 3 n. for Onasander. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καλῶς φρονοῦντες</w>:</emph> P. approves this concern for public relations as a policy; cf. 2. 1–4 n. </p>
36.2.3 - 36.2.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κατὰ τὸν Δημήτριον</w>:</emph> on Demetrius of Phalerum see x. 24. 7 n., xii. 13. 8 n., xxix. 21. 1; von Scala, 156, attributed this passage (Wehrli, Demetrios, fg. 124 = FGH, 228 F 29) to his <w lang="el-GR">Δίκαια</w> (Diog. Laert. v. 81). But the close parallelism with Onasander, Strategikos, 4 (a section entitled <w lang="el-GR">Περὶ τοῦ ὅτι δεῖ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ πολέμου ἐξ εὐλόγου αἰτίας ἐπάγειν)</w> suggests that it is from his Strategica, a work with which P. was certainly familiar (cf. x. 24. 7 n.). See Wehrli, Demetrios, 70 (and, generally, RE, Suppl.-B. xiv, 'Demetrios von Phaleron', cols. 514–22); Martini, RE, 'Demetrios (85)', col. 2832; Wunderer, ii. 76, who postulates the use of a florilegium by P. (unlikely if his source was the Strategica). For P.'s interest in Demetrius see Pdech, Mthode, 198 n. 495. </p>
36.2.4 - 36.2.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐκτὸς διαλήψεως</w>:</emph> 'about the effect on outside opinion'; cf. § 2 n. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πρὸς ἀλλή?λους διαφερόμενοι</w>:</emph> up to the events of winter 151/0, which gave the Romans grounds for a declaration of war. Diod. xxxii. 5 probably refers to this disagreement: <w lang="el-GR">σφόδρα οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι φιλοτιμοῦνται δικαίους ἐνίστασθαι τοὺς πολέ?μους, καὶ μηδὲν εἰκῇ καὶ προπετῶς περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ψηφίζεσθαι</w> (based on P.). The reference is probably to the long debate between Cato and Scipio Nasica (cf. 1. 1–7 n.). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">παρ᾽ ὀλίγον ἀπέστησαν τοῦ πολέμου</w>:</emph> this statement gains some confirmation from the terms of the resolution of 151, to refrain from war if the Carthaginians destroyed their fleet and demobilized (§ 2 n.). </p>

Commentary