Livy 40, 4: rather dead than humiliated.

Philip V of Macedon (238–179 BC) tried to resist Roman expansion, which resulted in two Macedonian Wars. Philip was rather paranoia and highly unpopular. Before and during the Second Macedonian War (200–197 BC) he had many noble men killed and resettled the population of various harbours to other places, lest they might open the ports for Roman ships, and filled those cities with loyal troops. To demonstrate Phillip’s cruelty Livy tells us a story otherwise unknown, but probably related in one of the lost books of the historian Polybius. Philip wanted to arrest the children of those men he killed, because he was afraid that when older they might try to assassinate him. One particular woman, Theoxena, is determined not to let this happen and is willing to kill herself and her children rather than deliver them in the hands of the king. When an attempt to escape by ship fails, she, her husband and her children commit suicide.

Especially in such anecdotes Livy is at his best as narrator.

Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 40, 4

[4] Eam crudelitatem, foedam per se, foediorem unius domus clades fecit. Herodicum principem Thessalorum multis ante annis occiderat; generos quoque eius postea interfecit. in uiduitate relictae filiae singulos filios paruos habentes. Theoxena et Archo nomina iis erant mulieribus. Theoxena multis petentibus aspernata nuptias est: Archo Poridi cuidam, longe principi gentis Aenianum, nupsit et apud eum plures enixa partus, paruis admodum relictis omnibus, decessit. Theoxena, ut in suis manibus liberi sororis educarentur, Poridi nupsit; et tamquam omnes ipsa enixa foret, suum sororisque filios in eadem habebat cura. postquam regis edictum de comprehendendis liberis eorum, qui interfecti essent, accepit, ludibrio futuros non regis modo sed custodum etiam libidini rata ad rem atrocem animum adiecit ausaque est dicere se sua manu potius omnes interfecturam quam in potestatem Philippi uenirent. Poris abominatus mentionem tam foedi facinoris Athenas deportaturum eos ad fidos hospites dixit, comitemque ipsum fugae futurum esse. proficiscuntur ab Thessalonica Aeneam ad statum sacrificium, quod Aeneae conditori cum magna caerimonia quotannis faciunt. ibi die per sollemnes epulas consumpto nauem praeparatam a Poride sopitis omnibus de tertia uigilia conscendunt tamquam redituri [in] Thessalonicam: sed traicere in Euboeam erat propositum. ceterum in aduersum uentum nequiquam eos tendentes prope terram lux oppressit, et regii, qui praeerant custodiae portus, lembum armatum ad retrahendam eam nauem miserunt cum graui edicto, ne reuerterentur sine ea. cum iam appropinquabant, Poris quidem ad hortationem remigum nautarumque intentus erat; interdum manus ad caelum tendens deos, ut ferrent opem, orabat. ferox interim femina, ad multo ante praecogitatum reuoluta facinus, uenenum diluit ferrumque promit et posito in conspectu poculo strictisque gladiis 'mors' inquit 'una uindicta est. uiae ad mortem hae sunt: qua quemque animus fert, effugite superbiam regiam. agite, iuuenes mei, primum, qui maiores estis, capite ferrum aut haurite poculum, si segnior mors iuuat.' et hostes aderant et auctor mortis instabat. alii alio leto absumpti semianimes e naue praecipitantur. ipsa deinde uirum comitem mortis complexa in mare sese deiecit. naue uacua dominis regii potiti sunt.

eam crudilitatem: the arrest of children

foedus: horrible

clades cladis (f.): misfortune

Herodicus: not further known

gener generi: son-in-law

viduitas viduitatis (f.): widowhood

multis petentibus: either abl abs `though many asking’ or dative with  nuptias: rejected  (aspernor) a marriage with all asking

Poridi cuidam: some Poris. The story is completely focussed on Theoxena

gentis Aenianum: the inhabitants of Aenea? But these are called Aenii. May be the name of the inhabitants of Aenia having settled in Tessalonica

plures enixa partus: having brought forth (enitor enixus) many offspring

paruis admodum relictis omnibus: all left behind still small

in suis manibus: in her care, under her supervision

edictum accepit: she heard the edict

de comprehendendis liberis: about the children to be taken prisoner

ludibrio futuros non regis modo sed custodum etiam libidini rata: thinking (reor ratus) her (children) not only to be (futuros, suppl. liberos) an object of derision (ludibrio and libinini are predicative datives) for the king, but even an object of lust for their guards

audeo ausus: to dare

abominor abominatus (+ acc.): to be horrified

facinus facinoris (n.): crime

comitem ipsum futurum: to be himself their companion

statum sacrificium: the ordained sacrifice

Aeneae conditori: according to tradition Aeneas founded Aenea when he fled from Troy

quotannis: every four years

epulae epularum: banquet

sopitis omnibus: when all were asleep (sopio)

tertia vigilia: the night was divided in four vigiliae

erat propositum: it was planned

ceterum in aduersum uentum nequiquam eos tendentes prope terram lux oppressit: but the light caught them struggling in vain against an opposing wind near land

regii: the king’s troops

qui praeerant custodiae portus: who were in charge for guarding (litt: till guard) the harbour

lembus: fast ship, cutter

ea (nave)

ad hortationem remigum nautarumque intentus: busy with encouraging the oarsmen and sailors

fero opem: to bring help

ad multo ante praecogitatum reuoluta facinus: returned to the crime long planned before

venenum: poison

diluo dilui dilutum: to dissolve

ferrumque promit: and drew a sword

poculum: cup

gladiis strictis: unsheathed swords

vindicta: deliverance

qua quemque animus fert: by what the mind brings to each

segnior mors: a slower death by poison was seen as less courageous

auctor mortis instabat: the promotor of death was pressing

alii alio leto absumpti: the various (children) being killed by a various death

semianimis: half-alive

uirum comitem mortis: her husband as a companion in death

complector complexus: to embrace

vacuus (+ abl.): free from, without

potior potitus (+ gen. acc. or abl.): to become master of

 

Woodcut illustration (leaf [l]8r, f. lxxxxviij) of the death of Theoxena, her husband Poris, and his children, as recorded by Livy, hand-colored in red, green, yellow and black, from an incunable German translation by Heinrich Steinhöwel of Giovanni Boccaccio's De mulieribus claris, printed by Johannes Zainer at Ulm ca. 1474.

Translation by Rev. Canon Roberts (1912)

This brutality, hideous as it was, was rendered still more so by the sufferings of one particular family. [2] Herodicus, a leading man in Thessaly, had been put to death by Philip many years ago; afterwards he put his sons-in-law to death and his two widowed daughters, Theoxena and Archo, were left each with one little son. [3] Theoxena had several offers of marriage but declined them all. [4] Archo married a man called Poris who held quite the first place among the Aenianes. She bore him several children but died whilst they were still small. [5] In order that her sister's children might be brought up under her own care, Theoxena married Poris and took as much care of her sister's sons as she did of her own. [6] When she heard of the king's edict about arresting the children of those whom he had put to death, she felt sure that the boys would fall victims to the king's lust and even to the passions of his guards. She formed a terrible design and dared to say that she would rather kill them with her own hand than let them fall into Philip's power. [7] Poris was horrified at the mere mention of such a deed, and said that he would send [8??] them away to some trustworthy friends in Athens and that he would accompany them in their flight. They went from Thessalonica to Aenia. [9] A festival was being held there at the time, which was celebrated with great pomp every four years in honour of Aeneas, the founder of the city. [10] After spending the day in the customary feasting they waited till the third watch, when all were asleep, and went on board a ship which Poris had in readiness, ostensibly to return to Thessalonica, but really to sail across to Euboea. [11] While, however, they were vainly trying to make headway against a contrary wind, they were surprised by daylight not far from land, and the king's troops who were on guard at the harbour sent an armed boat to seize the ship, with strict orders not to return without her. [12] Poris, meanwhile, was doing his utmost to urge on the rowers and sailors, lifting up his hands from time to time to heaven and imploring the gods to help him. His wife, a woman of indomitable spirit, fell back on the purpose she had long ago formed, and mixing some poison, placed the cup where it could be seen, together with some naked swords. [13] "Death," she said, "alone can free us. Here are two ways of meeting it, choose each of you which you will, as the escape from the king's tyranny. [14] Come, my boys, you who are the older be the first to grasp the sword, or if you would have a more lingering death, drink off the poison." On the one hand were the enemy close to them, on the other the insistent mother urging them to die. Some chose the one death, some the other, and whilst still half-alive they were thrown from the ship. [15] Then the mother herself, flinging her arms round her husband, sprang with him into the sea. The king's troops took possession of a deserted ship.