Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 21.31

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[1]

After encouraging them with this exhortation, he bade them refresh themselves and make ready for the march.

[2] Setting out the following day he advanced up the Rhone towards the interior of Gaul, not that it was the more direct way to the Alps, but believing that the farther he retired from the sea, the less likely he was to fall in with the Romans,

[3] with whom he had no mind to fight a battle until he should arrive in Italy. The fourth day's march brought him to the Island.

[4] There the rivers Isara and Rhone, rushing down from different Alps, unite their waters, after enclosing a considerable territory, and the Island is the name which has been given to the plains lying between them.

[5] Near by is the country of the Allobroges, a tribe, even at that early day, inferior to no Gallic tribe in wealth ¹ or reputation. Just then it was a prey to discord. ²

[6] Two brothers were disputing the sovereignty. The elder, Braneus by name, who had held sway before, was being driven out by a faction of juniors headed by the younger brother, whose right was less but his might greater.

[7] This quarrel having very opportunely been referred to Hannibal for settlement, who thus became arbiter of the kingdom, he espoused the sentiments of the senate and the leading men and restored the sovereign power to the elder.

[8] In requital of this service he was assisted with provisions and supplies of every sort, particularly clothing, which the notorious cold of the Alps made it necessary to provide.

[9] Having settled the contentions of the Allobroges, Hannibal was now ready for the Alps; but instead of marching directly towards them, he turned to the left, ³ to the country of the Tricastini, and thence proceeded through the outer borders of the territory of the Vocontii to the Tricorii, by a road which nowhere presented any difficulties, until he came to the Druentia. ⁴ This, too, is an Alpine river and by far the most difficult of all the rivers of Gaul

[10] to cross; for, though it brings down a vast volume of ⁵ water, it does not admit of navigation, since, not being confined within any banks, but flowing at once in several channels, not always the same, it is ever forming new shallows and new pools —a fact which makes it dangerous for foot-passengers as well —besides which it rolls down jagged stones and affords no sure or stable footing to one who

[11] enters it. And at that time, as it happened, it was swollen with rains, and the crossing took place amidst the wildest tumult, for the men —besides their other difficulties —were confused by their own excitement and bewildered outcries.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor). Medford, MA. .

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Sage, Evan T.; Schlesinger, Alfred C., translators. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959. (Loeb Classical Library))

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 21.31 focus

[1] his adhortationibus incitatos corpora curare atque ad iter se parare iubet.

[2] postero die profectus adversa ripa Rhodani mediterranea Galliae petit, non quia rectior ad Alpis via esset, sed, quantum a maria recessisset, minus obvium fore Romanum credens, cum quo,

[3] priusquam in Italiam ventum foret, non erat in animo manus conserere.

[4] quartis castris ad Insulam pervenit. ibi Isara Rhodanusque amnes diversis ex Alpibus decurrentes agri aliquantum amplexi confluunt in unum;

[5] mediis campis Insulae nomen inditum. incolunt prope Allobroges, gens iam inde nulla Gallica gente opibus aut fama inferior. tum discors erat: regni certamine ambigebant fratres;

[6] maior et qui prius imperitarat, Braneus nomine, a fratre minore et coetu iuniorum, qui iure minus, vi plus poterat, pellebatur.

[7] huius seditionis peropportuna disceptatio cum ad Hannibalem delegata esset, arbiter regni factus, quod ea senatus principumque sententia fuerat, imperium maiori restituit.

[8] ob id meritum commeatu copiaque rerum omnium, maxime vestis, est adiutus, quam infames frigoribus Alpes praeparari cogebant.

[9] sedatis Hannibal certaminibus Allobrogum cum iam Alpes peteret, non recta regione iter instituit, sed ad laevam in Tricastinos flexit; inde per extremam oram Vocontiorum agri tendit in Tricorios, baud haud usquam impedita via, priusquam ad Druentiam flumen pervenit.

[10] is et ipse Alpinus amnis longe omnium Galliae fluminum difficillimus transitu est.

[11] nam cum aquae vim vehat ingentem, non tamen navium patiens est, quia nullis coercitus ripis, pluribus simul neque isdem alveis fluens, nova semper vada novosque gurgites gignit, et ob eadem pediti quoque incerta via est; ad hoc 3axa saxa glareosa volvens nihil stabile nec tutum ingredienti praebet.

[12] et tum forte imbribus auctus ingentem transgredientibus tumultum fecit, cum super cetera trepidatione ipsi sua atque incertis clamoribus turbarentur.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 21.31 focus

[1]

his adhortationibus incitatos corpora curare atque ad iter se parare iubet.

[2] postero die profectus aduersa ripa Rhodani mediterranea Galliae petit, non quia rectior ad Alpes uia esset, sed quantum a mari recessisset minus obuium fore Romanum credens,

[3] cum quo priusquam in Italiam uentum foret non erat in animo manus conserere.

[4] quartis castris ad Insulam peruenit. ibi †Sarar† Rhodanusque amnis diuersis ex Alpibus decurrentes, agri aliquantum amplexi confluunt in unum in mediis campis; Insulae nomen inditum.

[5] incolunt prope Allobroges, gens iam inde nulla Gallica gente opibus aut fama inferior. tum discors erat.

[6] regni certamine ambigebant fratres; maior et qui prius imperitarat, Braneus nomine, minore a fratre et coetu iuniorum qui iure minus, ui plus poterant, pellebatur.

[7] huius seditionis peropportuna disceptatio cum ad Hannibalem delata esset, arbiter regni factus, quod ea senatus principumque sententia fuerat, imperium maiori restituit.

[8] ob id meritum commeatu copiaque rerum omnium, maxime uestis, est adiutus, quam infames frigoribus Alpes praeparari cogebant.

[9] sedatis certaminibus Allobrogum cum iam Alpes peteret, non recta regione iter instituit sed ad laeuam in Tricastinos flexit; inde per extremam oram Uocontiorum agri tendit in Trigorios, haud usquam impedita uia priusquam ad Druentiam flumen peruenit.

[10] is et ipse Alpinus amnis longe omnium Galliae fluminum difficillimus transitu est; nam cum aquae uim uehat ingentem,

[11] non tamen nauium patiens est, quia nullis coercitus ripis, pluribus simul neque iisdem alueis fluens, noua semper uada nouosque gurgites—et ob eadem pediti quoque incerta uia est—ad hoc saxa glareosa uoluens, nihil stabile nec tutum ingredienti praebet;

[12] et tum forte imbribus auctus ingentem transgredientibus tumultum fecit, cum super cetera trepidatione ipsi sua atque incertis clamoribus turbarentur.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Livy in Fourteen Volumes. Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Schlesinger, Alfred C., editors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959 (printing).) — 21.31 focus

[1]

his adhortationibus incitatos corpora curare atque ad iter se parare iubet.

[2] postero die profectus adversa ripa Rhodani mediterranea Galliae petit, non quia rectior ad Alpes via esset, sed quantum a mari recessisset minus obvium fore Romanum credens, cum quo,

[3] priusquam in Italiam ventum ¹ foret, non erat in animo manus conserere.

[4] quartis castris ad Insulam pervenit. ibi Isara ² Rhodanusque amnes ³ diversis ex Alpibus decurrentes agri aliquantum amplexi confluunt in unum; mediis ⁴ campis Insulae nomen inditum.

[5] incolunt prope Allobroges, gens iam inde nulla Gallica gente opibus aut fama inferior. ⁵ tum discors erat.

[6] regni certamine ambigebant fratres. maior et qui prius imperitarat, Braneus nomine, a minore fratre ⁶ et coetu iuniorum, qui iure minus vi ⁷ plus poterat, pellebatur.

[7] huius seditionis peropportuna disceptatio cum ad Hannibalem reiecta esset, ⁸ arbiter regni factus, quod ea senatus principumque sententia fuerat, ⁹ imperium maiori restituit.

[8] ob id meritum ¹⁰ commeatu copiaque rerum omnium, maxime vestis, est adiutus, ¹¹ quam infames frigoribus Alpes praeparari cogebant.

[9] sedatis Hannibal certaminibus Allobrogum cum iam Alpes peteret, non recta regione iter instituit sed ad laevam in Tricastinos flexit; inde per extremam oram Vocontiorum agri tendit in Tricorios, ¹² haud usquam impedita via priusquam ad Druentiam ¹³ flumen pervenit.

[10] Is et ipse Alpinus amnis longe omnium Galliae fluminum difficillimus transitu est; nam cum aquae vim vehat ingentem, non tamen ¹⁴ navium patiens patients est,

[11] quia nullis coercitus ripis, pluribus simul neque iisdem alveis fluens, nova semper vada novosque gurgites gignit ¹⁵ —et ob eadem pediti quoque incerta via est—ad hoc saxa glareosa ¹⁶ volvens nihil stabile nec tutum ingredienti praebet.

[12] et tum forte imbribus auctus ingentem transgredientibus tumultum fecit, cum super cetera trepidatione ipsi sua atque incertis clamoribus turbarentur.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 21.31 focus

[1]

He orders them, roused by these exhortations, to refresh themselves and prepare for the journey.

[2] Next day, proceeding upward along the bank of the Rhone, he makes for the inland part of Gaul: not because it was the more direct route to the Alps, but believing that the farther he retired from the sea, the Romans would be less in his way;

[3] with whom, before he arrived in Italy, he had no intention of engaging. After four days' march he came to the Island:

[4] there the streams of the Arar and the Rhone, flowing down from different branches of the Alps, after embracing a pretty large tract of country, flow into one. The name of the Island is given to the plains that lie between them.

[5] The Allobroges dwell near, a nation even in those days inferior to none in Gaul in power and fame. They were at that time at variance. Two brothers were contending for the sovereignty.

[6] The elder, named Brancus, who had before been king, was driven out by his younger brother and a party of the younger men, who, inferior in right, had more of power.

[7] When the decision of this quarrel was most opportunely referred to Hannibal, being appointed arbitrator of the kingdom, he restored the sovereignty to the elder, because such had been the opinion of the senate and the chief men.

[8] In return for this service, he was assisted with a supply of provisions, and plenty of all necessaries, particularly clothing, which the Alps, notorious for extreme cold, rendered necessary to be prepared.

[9] After composing the dissensions of the Allobroges, when he now was proceeding to the Alps, he directed his course thither, not by the straight road, but turned to the left into the country of the Tricastini, thence by the extreme boundary of the territory of the Vocontii he proceeded to the Tricorii; his way not being any where obstructed till he came to the river Druentia.

[10] This stream, also arising amid the Alps, is by far the most difficult to pass of all the rivers in Gaul; for though it rolls down an immense body of water, yet it does not admit of ships;

[11] because, being restrained by no banks, and flowing in several and not always the same channels, and continually forming new shallows and new whirlpools, (on which account the passage is also uncertain to a person on foot,) and rolling down besides gravelly stones, it affords no firm or safe passage to those who enter it;

[12] and having been at that time swollen by showers, it created great disorder among the soldiers as they crossed, when, in addition to other difficulties, they were of themselves confused by their own hurry and uncertain shouts.

History of Rome Perseus (Volumes 1-2. Roberts, Canon, Rev, translator. London, New York: J. M. Dent and Sons; E. P. Dutton and Co., 1912.) — 21.31 focus

[1]

After this rousing appeal he dismissed them with orders to prepare themselves by food and rest for the march.

[2] The next day they advanced up the left bank of the Rhone towards the central districts of Gaul, not because this was the most direct route to the Alps, but because he thought that there would be less likelihood of the Romans meeting him, for

[3] he had no desire to engage them before he arrived in Italy. Four days' marching brought him to the "Island."

[4] Here the Isere and the Rhone, flowing down from different points in the Alps, enclose a considerable extent of land and then unite their channels; the district thus enclosed is called the "Island."

[5] The adjacent country was inhabited by the Allobroges, a tribe who even in those days were second to none in Gaul in power and reputation. At the time of Hannibal's visit a quarrel had broken out between two brothers who were each aspiring to the sovereignty.

[6] The elder brother, whose name was Brancus, had hitherto been the chief, but was now expelled by a party of the younger men, headed by his brother, who found an appeal to violence more successful than an appeal to right.

[7] Hannibal's timely appearance on the scene led to the question being referred to him; he was to decide who was the legitimate claimant to the kingship.

[8] He pronounced in favour of the elder brother, who had the support of the senate and the leading men. In return for this service he received assistance in provisions and supplies of all kinds, especially of clothing, a pressing necessity in view of the notorious cold of the Alps.

[9] After settling the feud amongst the Allobroges, Hannibal resumed his march. He did not take the direct course to the Alps, but turned to the left towards the Tricastini; then, skirting the territory of the Vocontii, he marched in the direction of the Tricorii.

[10] Nowhere did he meet with any difficulty until he arrived at the Durance. This river, which also takes its rise in the Alps, is of all the rivers of Gaul the most difficult to cross.

[11] Though carrying down a great volume of water, it does not lend itself to navigation, for it is not kept in by banks, but flows in many separate channels. As it is constantly shifting its bottom and the direction of its currents, the task of fording it is a most hazardous one, whilst the shingle and boulders carried down make the foothold insecure and treacherous.

[12] It happened to be swollen by rain at the time, and the men were thrown into much disorder whilst crossing it, whilst their fears and confused shouting added considerably to their difficulties.

Notes on the current edition

Ab Urbe Condita With An English Translation, books 1-10, 21-45, with periochae 11-20

1. B.C. 218

2. The tribe in question was not the Allobroges, according to Polybius, III. xlix., but afforded the Carthaginians protection against the Allobroges.

3. A turn to the left is unintelligible at this point in the march, and must be explained as due to a duplication of the march up the Rhone mentioned in § 2.

4. Neither the Durance nor any of these tribes is mentioned by Polybius. But Polybius disliked to encumber his narrative with outlandish geographical names that would mean nothing to his readers, and they are less likely to be arbitrary embellishments 10 —on the part either of Livy or his source —than authentic details drawn from a source or sources common to Livy and Polybius and omitted by Polybius for the reason given. (The same may be said of the name of the Gallic prince in § 6.) If we assume that Hannibal ascended the Isère-Drac to the Druentia and thence crossed the Genèvre, he would have touched the territories of these tribes, and there would be no great difficulty in reconciling the account in Livy with that in Polybius (see De Sanctis, p. 69).

5. B.C. 218

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 21.31

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

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