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.
