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1(1-3) |
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1(1-2) |
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12(1-7,11-14) |
(1) Now first of all it is generally agreed that
after the taking of Troy, all the other Trojans were massacred; but that in
favour of two, Aeneas and Antenor, both in accordance with an old tie of
hospitality, and because they had always been advocates of peace and champions
for the restoration of Helen, the Greeks forbore all the rights of war. (2) Their fortunes diverging from this point,
Antenor penetrated to the innermost bay of the Adriatic Sea with a body of the
Eneti, who through a civil commotion had been driven out of Paphlagonia and
were looking both for a home and for a leader, their king Pylaemenes having
been lost at Troy; (3) and
after the expulsion of the Euganei who dwelt between the Alps and the sea the
Eneti and the Trojans took possession of that country. The place where they
first landed is called Troy, and in consequence the district is known as
Trojan, but the people as a whole are called Venetians.
(1) Spring was now approaching; and so Hannibal
moved from his winter quarters, having both previously attempted to cross the
Apennines – in vain owing to the intolerable cold – and having remained with great
danger and alarm. (2) The
Gauls, whom the hope of booty and plundering had roused, when instead of
themselves plundering the land of foreigners they saw that their own land was
[being made] the seat of war, and that they were being burdened by the winter
quarters of the armies of both parties, they transferred their hatred from the
Romans to Hannibal;
(1) During the same summer in Spain, when in
nearly two years nothing very memorable had been accomplished and the conduct
of the war consisted more in [the laying of] plans than in [the use of] arms,
the Roman commanders quitted their winter quarters and united their
forces. (2) Thereupon a council was summoned and the
opinions of all accorded, that, since up to that point their only object had
been to prevent Hasdrubal marching into Italy, it was time that an effort
should now be made to bring the war in Spain to a conclusion; (3) and they believed that the 20,000
Celtiberians, who had been induced to take arms that winter, formed an adequate
addition to their forces for the purpose.
(4)
There were three armies [of the enemy]. Hasdrubal the son of Gisgo and
Mago, their forces being united, were a journey of about five days away from
the Romans. (5) Nearer was Hamilcar’s son Hasdrubal, a
veteran commander in Spain; (6) he had
an army near a town called Amtorgis. The Roman leaders wanted him to be crushed
first; and there was hope that there were enough forces, and more than enough,
for the purpose. But there remained this anxiety, lest, if he were routed, the
other Hasdrubal [= son of Gisgo] and Mago should protract the war by
withdrawing into trackless forests and mountains. (7) Thinking it, therefore, the best course to
divide their forces into two parts and to embrace war throughout the whole of
Spain at the same time, they divided between themselves in such a way that P.
Cornelius should lead two thirds of the army, consisting of Romans and allied
troops, against Mago and Hasdrubal; (8) while
Cn. Cornelius, with the [remaining] third of the original army, with the
addition of the Celtiberians, should carry on the war with the Barcine
Hasdrubal. (9) The two leaders and their armies set out
together, the Celtiberians preceeding them, and pitched their camp near the
city of Amtorgis, within sight of the enemy, the river [only] separating
them. (10) There Cn. Scipio halted, with the forces
mentioned above, while P. Sipio proceeded to the portion of the war assigned to
him.
(1) Then while Syphax was riding up to the
squadrons of the enemy to see if he could check the flight [of his own troops]
by shaming his men by his own danger, (2) his
horse was severely wounded. He was thrown off, overpowered and captured; and,
something that was to provide a happy sight to Masinissa in particular, he was
dragged off alive to Laelius. (3) Cirta
was the capital of Syphax's kingdom, and to that town a considerable number of
fugitives had betaken themselves. (4) The
casualties in this battle were small in comparison with the victory, because
the fighting had been confined to the cavalry;
(5)
not more than 5000 men were killed, and less than half of that number
were captured in an attack on the camp, to which the mass of troops had fled,
shattered after the loss of their king. (6)
Masinissa said that nothing would give him greater pleasure for the
moment than to visit as conqueror his native kingdom, which had been recovered
after so long and interval; but as in bad fortune, so in good fortune there was
no time for dallying: (7) if
Laelius would allow him to go on with the cavalry and the vanquished Syphax to
Cirta, he would be able to take them by surprise while they were in a state of
nervous alarm, and Laelius might follow with the infantry by easy stages.
~ BREAK ~
(11) As he entered the forecourt Sophoniba the
wife of Syphax and daughter of Hasdrubal the Carthaginian met him on the very
threshold; and when in the midst of a band of armed men she caught sight of
Masinissa, distinguished both by his arms and the rest of his attire, and
supposing him to be the king, as was really the case, casting herself at his
knees she said: (12) “The gods, together with your own valour and
good fortune, have granted that you should be all-powerful over me. But if a
captive may be allowed to utter a voice of supplication in the presence of one
who is master of her life and death, if she may touch his knees and victorious
right hand, (13) I pray and beseech you, by the majesty of
royalty which I too enjoyed a little while ago, by the name of the Numidian
people which you shared with Syphax, by the gods of this palace, whom I would
have receive you with kindlier omens than those with which they sent Syphax
hence, (14) to grant this favour to your suppliant, that
you yourself should determine concerning your captive whatever your heart
prompts, and that you do not allow me to come into the arrogant and cruel power
of any Roman. (15)