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), 21.51

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[1]

From Lilybaeum the consul dismissed King Hiero and his fleet, and leaving the praetor to protect the coast of Sicily, set sail for the island of Melita, ¹which was held by the Carthaginians.

[2] On his arrival, Hamilcar, Gisgo's son, the commandant of the garrison, surrendered himself and nearly two thousand soldiers, together with the town and island. From Melita Sempronius returned in a few days to Lilybaeum, and consul and praetor sold into slavery the prisoners they had made, with the exception of those who were distinguished by noble birth. When the consul judged that Sicily was in no danger from that quarter, ²he crossed over to the Isles of Vulcan, where it was rumoured that a Punic fleet was lying; but no single enemy was discovered near those islands.

[3] They had already, as it happened, sailed across to ravage the Italian

[4] coast, and after pillaging the country about Vibo, were even threatening the town.

[5] The consul was returning again to Sicily when tidings reached him of the enemy's raid on the lands of Vibo, and a letter was delivered to him from the senate, apprising him of Hannibal's descent into Italy and bidding him go to the assistance of his colleague at the earliest possible moment.

[6] Beset with many cares at once, he immediately embarked his army and dispatched it through the Adriatic to Ariminum; to Sextus Pomponius, his lieutenant, he assigned five and twenty ships of war, with the task of defending the territory of Vibo and the coast of Italy; the fleet under Marcus Aemilius the praetor he increased to fifty sail.

[7] He himself, after settling the affairs of Sicily, took ten ships, and ³skirting the Italian coast, arrived at Ariminum. Thence he marched with his army to the Trebia and effected a junction with his colleague. ⁴

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.) — 21.51 focus

[1] a Lilybaeo consul Hierone cum classe regia dimisso relictoue praetor a tuenda Sicilia ora ips i insula Melitam qua a Carthaginiensibu tenebatur traiecit

[2] Hamilca Gisgoni filiu praefectu praesidii cu paul minu duobu milibu militu oppidumqu cu insul traditur ind pos pauco die reditu Lilybaeum captiviqu e a consul e a praetor praete insigne nobilitat viro su coron venierunt

[3] a e part sati tuta Sicilia censeba consul a insula Vulcani qui fam era star ib Punica classem traiecit ne quisqua hostiu circ ea insula inventus

[4] fort transmiseran a vastanda Italia oram depopulatoqu Viboniens Viboniensi Uibonensiagr urbe etia terrebant

[5] Sicilia consul escensi hostiu i agru Viboniense Viboniensem Uibonensemfact nuntiatur litteraequ a senat d transit i Italia Hannibalis e u prim quoqu tempor collega ferre auxilium missa traditntu r r

[6] simu anxiu curi exercitu extempl i nave inpositu Ariminu mar super misit Sext Pomponi legat cu vigint quinqu longi navibu Viboniense Viboniensem Uibonensemagru maritimamqu ora Italia tuenda adtribuit

[7] Aemili praetor quinquagint naviu classe explevit ips conpositi Sicilia rebu dece navibu ora Italia legen Ariminu pervenit ind cu exercit su profectu a Trebia flume conlega coniungitur

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 21.51 focus

[1]

a Lilybae consul Hieron cu class regi dimiss relictoqu praetor a tuenda Sicilia oram ips i insula Melitam qua a Carthaginiensibu tenebatur traiecit aduenien

[2] i Hamilc r Gisgon s filiu , praefect s praesidi , c m pau o min s duob s milib s milit m oppidumq e c m insu a traditu . in e po t pauc s di s redit m Lilybae m captiuiq e t a consu e t a praetor , praet r insign s nobilita e uiro , s b coro a uenierun . postqu m b a par e sat s tut m Sicili m censeb t consu , d insul s Uolcan , qu a fa a er t sta e i i Punic m classe , traieci ;

[3] ec quisq am host um ci ca as insu as inuent s;

[4] iam f rte transmise an ad uasta dam Ita iae ram depopulat que Uibon nsi gro u bem e iam terreb nt. repe

[5] enti Sic liam co suli esc nsio ho ti m in grum Uibon nsem acta nunti tur, litter eq e ab s na u de tra si u in It liam Hanni al s t ut rimo q oque te pore col egae f rret aux lium m ssae tradu tur.

[6] ultis simul nxius curis exe citum ex em lo in naues imp situm Ar minu mari upero, isit Sex. Po Sex. ponio ega o cum u ginti q inque ongis n uibus Uibo ensem agrum mariti amqu oram I aliae t endam attr bu t, M. A

[7] M. milio pr etori quinqu ginta auium c assem exp euit ipse comp sitis Si iliae rebus decem n uibu oram I aliae egens Ar minum per enit in e cum ex rci u suo pro ec us ad T ebiam lumen co legae coniun

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).) — 21.51 focus

[1]

a Lilybaeo consul Hierone cum classe regia dimisso relictoque praetore ad tuendam Siciliae oram ipse in insulam Melitam, quae a Carthaginiensibus tenebatur, traiecit.

[2] advenienti Hamilcar, Gisgonis filius, praefectus praesidii, cum paulo minus duobus ¹milibu militu oppidumqu cu insul traditur ind indepos pauco die reditu Lilybaeum captiviqu e a consul e a praetor praete insigne nobilitat viro su coron venierunt postqua

[3] postquama e part sati tuta Sicilia censeba consul a insula Volcani qui fam era star ib Punica classem traiecit ne quisqua hostiu circ ea insula inventus ia

[4] iamfort transmiseran a vastanda Italia ora depopulatoqu Uibonens Uibonensi Viboniensiagr urbe etia terrebant repetent

[5] repetentiSicilia consul escensi hostiu i agru Uibonense Uibonensem Viboniensemfact nuntiatur litteraequ a senat d transit i Italia Hannibalis e u prim quoqu tempor collega ferre auxilium missa traduntur multi

[6] multissimu anxiu curi exercitu extempl i nave impositu Ariminu mar super misit Sex pomponi pomponiolegat cu vigint quinqu longi navibu Uibonense Uibonensem Viboniensemagru maritimamqu ora Italia tuenda adtribuit M.

[7] . Aemil o praeto i quinquagin a navi m class m explevi . ip e composit s Sicili e reb s dec m navib s or m Itali e lege s Arimin m perveni . in e c m exerci u s o profect s d Trebi m flum n conleg e coniungitu

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 21.51 focus

[1]

The consul having dismissed Hiero with the royal fleet, and left the praetor to defend the coast of Sicily, passed over himself from Lilybaeum to the island Melita, which was held in possession by the Carthaginians.

[2] On his arrival, Hamilcar, the son of Gisgo, the commander of the garrison, with little less than two thousand soldiers, together with the town and the island, are delivered up to him: thence, after a few days, he returned to Lilybaeum, and the prisoners taken, both by the consul and the praetor, excepting those illustrious for their rank, were publicly sold. When the consul considered that Sicily was sufficiently safe on that side, he crossed over to the islands of Vulcan, because there was a report that the Carthaginian fleet was stationed there: but not one of the enemy was discovered about those islands.

[3] They had already, as it happened, passed over to ravage

[4] the coast of Italy, and having laid waste the territory of Vibo, were also threatening the city.

[5] The descent made by the enemy on the Vibonensian territory is announced to the consul as he was returning to Sicily: and letters were delivered to him which had been sent by the senate, about the passage of Hannibal into Italy, commanding him as soon as possible to bring assistance to his colleague.

[6] Perplexed with having so many anxieties at once, he immediately sent his army, embarked in the fleet, by the upper sea to Ariminum; he assigned the defence of the territory of Vibo, and the sea-coast of Italy, to Sextus Pomponius, his lieutenant-general, with twenty-five ships of war:

[7] he made up a fleet of fifty ships for Marcus Aemilius the praetor; and he himself, after the affairs of Sicily were settled, sailing close along the coast of Italy with ten ships, arrived at Ariminum, whence, setting out with his army for the river Trebia, he joined his colleague.

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.) — 21.51 focus

[1]

At Lilybaeum Hiero and his fleet bade him farewell, and the consul, after leaving the praetor to see to the defence of the coast of Sicily, crossed over to Malta which was held by the Carthaginians.

[2] Hamilcar, the son of Gisgo, who was in command of the garrison, surrendered the island and his men, a little under 2000 in number. A few days later he returned to Lilybaeum, and the prisoners, with the exception of the three nobles, were sold by auction. After satisfying himself as to the security of that part of Sicily, the consul sailed to the Insulae Vulcani, as he heard that the Carthaginian fleet was anchored there.

[3] No enemy, however, was found in the neighbourhood, for they had left for Italy to ravage the coastal districts, and after laying waste the territory of Vibo they were threatening the city.

[4] Whilst he was returning to Sicily the news of these depredations reached the consul,

[5] and at the same time a despatch was handed to him from the senate informing him of Hannibal's presence in Italy and ordering him to come to his colleague's assistance as soon as possible.

[6] With all these causes for anxiety weighing upon him, the consul at once embarked his army and despatched it up the Adriatic to Ariminum. He furnished Sex. Pomponius, his legate, with twenty-five ships of war, and entrusted to him the protection of the Italian coast and the territory of Vibo, and made up the fleet of M. Aemilius, the praetor, to fifty vessels.

[7] After making these arrangements for Sicily, he started for Italy with ten ships, and cruising along the coast reached Ariminum. From there he marched to the Trebia and effected a junction with his colleague.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Malta.

2. i.e. Africa. Livy has omitted to mention the fact, recorded by Coelius (quoted by the grammarian Charisius, II. p. 203 K), that Sempronius even sent a swift galley to spy out a good landing-place for a Roman army on the coast of Africa.

3. B.C. 218

4. This important sketch of affairs in Sicily (chapters xlixli) is drawn from a source which cannot be identified. De Sanctis (p 186) thinks that the condensed and unrhetorical character of the style excludes its attribution to Coelius; neither Fabius nor Cincius is likely to have been so impartial in giving credit to the allies, like Hiero, and we know of no Greek writer who would have treated minor incidents with such particularity. He conjectures that the unknown writer may have been Eumachus of Naples (who wrote in Greek of the war with Hannibal) or some other Italian or Sicilian historian.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 21.51

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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