34.
While Philip was thus engaged, Titus Quinctius, after recovering Zacynthos from the Achaean council, crossed to Naupactus, which for two months now —and
[2]
it was near destruction by this time —had been undergoing the siege, and if it were captured by force the whole name1 of the Aetolians there seemed destined to come to annihilation.
[3]
But though he was justly angry at the Aetolians because he remembered that they alone had cavilled at his glory when he was liberating Greece, and that they
[4??]
had not been moved by his influence when he warned them in advance that that would happen which did actually occur, and tried to deter them from their [p. 255]mad
[5??]
purpose, yet, believing it to be his task to see2 that no people of the Greece which had received its freedom from him should be utterly destroyed, he began to walk around the walls, so that he was easily seen by the Aetolians.
[6]
Immediately he was recognized by the advanced sentinels and the word went through all the ranks that Quinctius was there.
[7]
So there was a general rush from all quarters to the walls, each stretching out his hands to him and with uniform cries calling upon Quinctius by name to come to their rescue and save them.
[8]
And for the moment, at least, although he was affected by these words, he showed by a gesture that there was no power in him to help them;
[9]
but when he came to the consul3
1 Nomen is not infrequently used in the sense of “people”: cf., e.g., III. viii. 10 and the similar usage in the phrase nomen Latinum.
2 B.C. 191
3 This incident raises the question of the relation between Quinctius and Acilius (see also the note to i. 8 above). The actions of Quinctius at this time are hardly normal activities of a military subordinate, although they might [10??] be covered by the powers granted him by the senate (
Livy. Books XXXV-XXXVII With An English Translation. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1935: published without copyright notice.
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