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), 28.12

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[1]

With Hannibal there was no campaigning that year. For neither did he invite attack, owing to his very recent wound, a blow national as well as personal, nor did the Romans provoke him so long as he remained inactive; such power they believed to be present in that one commander, even though everything else round him crashed.

[2] And I am inclined to think he was more marvellous in adversity than in success.

[3] For here he was, carrying on war in the enemy's land for thirteen years, so far from home with varying fortune, having an army not made up of his own citizens but a mixture of the offscourings of all nations, men who had in common no law, no custom, no language, differing from each other in bearing, in garb, in their arms, differing as to religious rites, sacred observances, one might almost say as to their gods.

[4] Yet he somehow bound them together by a single bond, so that no outbreak ensued among the men themselves nor any mutiny against their general. ¹

[5] Yet in the enemy's country both money to pay them and supplies were often wanting —deficiencies which in the previous Punic war had given rise to many unspeakable acts on the part of commanders and soldiers.

[6] Certainly after the destruction of Hasdrubal's army with its commander-and on them he had rested all his hope of victory —, when by retiring into the remote land of the Bruttii he had given up the rest of Italy, who would not find it a marvel that there was no outbreak in his camp?

[7] For added to everything else was this also, that he had no hope even of feeding his army except from the Bruttian region; and even supposing all of it to be under cultivation, it was nevertheless too small to feed so large an army. ²

[8] Moreover a great part of the young men, drawn off from the farming of the land, had been claimed instead by the war and by their custom of training soldiers through brigandage, a practice viciously inbred in their nation.

[9] Furthermore, nothing was being sent from home, since they were concerned about their hold upon Spain, as though everything was succeeding in Italy.

In Spain the campaign was having an issue in part the same, in part very different: the same in that the Carthaginians, vanquished in battle with the loss of a general, had been forced to the farthest coast of Spain, even to the Ocean;

[10] on the other hand different in that Spain, owing to the nature of the

[11] country and its people, was better adapted not merely than Italy but than any other part of the world to preparing for another war.

[12] In consequence, though the first of the provinces, at least of those on the mainland, to be entered by the Romans, it has been the last of all to be completely conquered, and not until our own times under the command and auspices of Augustus Caesar. ³

[13] There Hasdrubal son of Gisgo, being the greatest and most distinguished general after the Barca family in that war, had at that time returned from Gades in the hope of renewing the war. After conducting levies in Farther Spain with the help of Mago the son of Hamilcar, he armed about fifty thousand infantry and four thousand five hundred cavalry.

[14] As to the cavalry forces there is substantial agreement among the authorities, but some writers state that seventy thousand foot-soldiers were brought to the city of Silpia. ⁴

[15] There in open plains ⁵the two Carthaginian generals established themselves, resolved not to refuse a battle.

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.) — 28.12 focus

[1] cum Hannibale nihil eo anno rei gestum est. nam neque ipse se obtulit in tam recenti volnere publico privatoque neque lacessierunt quietum Romani: tantam inesse vim, etsi omnia alia circa eum ruerent, in uno illo duce censebant.

[2] ac nescio an mirabilior adversis quam secundis rebus fuerit,

[3] quippe qui, cum in hostium terra per annos tredecim tam procul ab domo varia fortuna bellum gereret exercitu non suo civili, sed mixto ex conluvione conluuione omnium gentium, quibus non lex, non mos, non lingua communis, alius habitus, alia vestis, alia arma, alii ritus, alia sacra,

[4] alii prope dei essent, ita quodam uno vinculo copulaverit eos, ut nulla nec inter ipsos nec adversus ducem seditio extiterit,

[5] cum et pecunia saepe in stipendium et commeatus in hostium agro deessent, quorum inopia priore Punico bello multa infanda inter duce militesqu commiss fuerant

[6] Hasdrubali ver exercitu cu duce i quibu spe omni reposit victoria fuerat deletu cedendoqu i angulu Bruttiu ceter Itali concessum cu no videatu mirabil nullu motu i castri factum

[7] a ceter i quoqu accesserat u n alend quide exercitu nis e Brutti agr spe esset qui u omni coleretur exiguu tame tant alend exercitu erat

[8] magna parte iuventuti abstracta a cult agroru bellu occupavera e mo viti etia insitu gent pe latrocini militia exercendi

[9] a dom quicqua mittebatu d Hispani retinend sollicitis tamqua omni prosper i Itali essent

[10] Hispani re quada e part eande fortunam quada long dispare habebant eandem quo proeli vict Carthaginiense duc amiss i ultima Hispania ora usqu a Oceanu compuls erant dispare autem

[11] Hispani no qua Itali modo se qua ull par terraru bell reparand aptio era locoru hominumqu ingeniis

[12] erg prim Romani init provinciarum qua quide continenti sint postrem omnium nostr demu aetate duct auspicioqu August Caesari perdomit est

[13] ibi tum Hasdrubal Gisgonis, maximus clarissimusque eo bello secundum Barcinos dux, regressus ab Gadibus rebellandi ape, adiuvante Magone Hamilcaris filio, dilectibus per ulteriorem Hispaniam habitis ad quinquaginta milia peditum, quattuor milia et quingentos equites armavit.

[14] de equestribus copiis ferme inter auctores convenit; peditum septuaginta milia quidam adducta ad Silpiam urbem scribunt.

[15] ibi super campos patentes duo duces Poeni ea mente, ne detrectarent certamen, considerunt.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 28.12 focus

[1]

cu Hannibal nihi e ann re gestu est na nequ ips s obtuli i ta recent uolner public priuatoqu nequ lacessierun quietu Romani tanta iness ui ets omni ali circ eu rueren i un ill duc censebant ac

[2] c nesc o n mirabili r aduers s qu m secund s reb s fueri , qui

[3] pe ui um in host um te ra er an os tredec m, am pro ul ab do o, ua ia fort na bel um gerer t, exerc tu on uo ciu li ed mi to ex conluui ne omn um genti m, qui us onl x,

[4] non, os, non li gua commu is, a ius habi us, lia ues is, liaa ma, lii ri us, lia sa ra, lii p op di ess nt, ita qu dam uno uin ulo copulau rit eo ut n lla nec i ter i sos nec adue sus d cem sed tio exstite it,

[5] c m et pe unia ae e in stipe di m et comm at s in ho tium agro dee set, q orum i opia p iore P nico ello ulta in anda nter uces milit sque com issa fue ant.

[6] post Hasdr bali uero exe cit m cu d ce in uibu spes omnis re osita uic oriae uerat d letum cede do ue in a gulum Br ttium etera talia conc ssu , c i non ui eatur mi abile ullum mo um in c strisf ctu ?

[7] nam ad ce era id quoque acc ss ra ut ne alendi quidem ex rcit s isi ex rutt o ag o spes ess t, qui u omnis co eretur xiguu tame tanto alendo ex rcitu er t; tu

[8] magna partem iu entutis ab t actam a cultu agroru bellum occ pa era et m s uit o etiam insit s g nti per la rocinia ilitiam ex rce di ne

[9] ab domo quicquam mi te atur, de Hispania etinenda s lliciti tamq am omnia pr spera n Itali e sent. in His ania r s uadam ex par e eandem, ortuna , qua am longe disparem; abeban ; e

[10] ndem qu d pro lio uicti Carth gini nses d ce amisso n ultimam Hisp niae ra usque d Oceanu compu si erant dis

[11] arem autem qu d H span a non uam tal a mo o se qua ulla pa s ter arum bell repar ndo ptior e at locorum hominumqu ingen is.

[12] itaqu ergo p ima R manis initap ouin iarum, quae quidem conti entis si t, pos rema o nium ostra emum etate ductu auspici que Augu ti Caesar s pe

[13] ib tu Hasdruba Gisgonis maximu clarissimusqu e bell secundu Barcino dux regressu a Gadibu rebelland spe adiuuant Magon Hamilcari fili dilectibu pe ulteriore Hispania habiti a quinquagint mili peditum quattuo mili e quingento equite armauit de

[14] e equestrib s copi s fer e int r auctor s conueni : pedit m septuagin a mil a quid m adduc a d Silpi m urb m scribun .

[15] bi su er cam os paten es uo du es Po ni ea me te ne detractar nt certa en consederu

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).) — 28.12 focus

[1]

cum Hannibale nihil eo anno rei gestum est. nam neque ipse se obtulit in tam recenti volnere publico privatoque neque lacessierunt quietum Romani: tantam inesse vim, etsi omnia alia circa eum ruerent, in uno illo duce censebant.

[2] ac nescio an mirabilior adversis quam secundis rebus fuerit,

[3] quipp qui cu in ¹n hosti m ter a p r ann s tredeci , t m proc l b dom , var a fortu a bell m gerere , exerci u n n s o civil , s d mix o x conluvio e omni m gentiu , quib s n n le , n n mo , n n ling a communi , ali s habitu , a

[4] ia vest s, a ia ar a, a ii rit s, a ia sac a, a ii pr pe ei esse t, ta quo am no vinc lo copulave it os ut nu la ec in er ip os ec adver us du em sedi io exstiter t,

[5] cu et pec nia s ep in stipen iu et comme tu in hos ium gro deess nt, q ²orum i opia p iore P nico ello ulta in anda nter uces milit sque com issa fue ant.

[6] post Hasdru alis vero exer itu cum, uc , in q ibus spes mnis rep sita vict riae fu rat, de etum ceden oq e in an ulum Bru tium c tera I alia conce sum cu non vid atur mir bile n llum ot m in ca tris fa tum n

[7] m ad c te a id q oque acces er t t ne a endi q idem exer itus ni i ex Br ttio agro spese set, qu , ut omnis cole etur, e iguus tamen tanto lendo exe citui ³er t; tu

[8] magna partem iu entutis ab t actam a cultu agroru bellum occ pa era et m s vit o etiam insit s g nti per l ⁴trocinia militiame erc nd . ne

[9] necab domo quicquam m tt batur de Hispania etinenda so licitis tamq am omnia pr spera n Itali e sent. In

[10] InHis ania ⁵es quada ex pa te eandem fortun m, qu dam long disparem habeba t: e ndem qu d pro lio victi Carth gini nses d ce amisso n ultimam Hisp niae ra usque d Oceanu compu si erant dis

[11] arem autem qu d H span a non uamI ali mod , se qua ulla pa s ter arum bell repar ndo ptior e at locorum hominumqu ingen is.

[12] taque ergo pr ma Ro anis inita pr vinc arum, uae quidem ontin ntis sin , post ema om ium n stra d mur a tate ductu uspicio ue Augus i Caesari per

[13] Ibi tum Hasdrubal Gisgonis, maximus clarissimusque eo bello secundum Barcinos dux, regressus ab Gadibus rebellandi spe, adiuvante Magone Hamilcaris filio, dilectibus per ulteriorem Hispaniam habitis ad quinquaginta milia peditum, quattuor milia et quingentos equites armavit.

[14] De equestribus copiis ferme inter auctores convenit; peditum septuaginta milia quidam adducta ad Silpiam urbem scribunt Ib

[15] Ibisupe campo patente du duce Poe ⁶i a men e e detrectare t certam n consederun⁷

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 28.12 focus

[1]

No action with Hannibal took place this year; for neither did he present himself after the public and personal calamity so recently inflicted, and the Romans did not provoke him while he remained quiet, such power did they consider that single general possessed, though every thing else around him was falling into ruin.

[2] Indeed I know not whether he was not more deserving of admiration in adversity than in prosperity;

[3] inasmuch as though he carried on a war in the territory of enemies through a period of thirteen years, at so great a distance from home, with varying success, and with an army not composed of his own countrymen, but made up of the offscouring of all nations, without communion of laws, customs, or language, different in their appearance, their dress, their arms, their religious ceremonies and observances, and I had almost said, their gods;

[4] yet he so effectually united them by some one bond, that no disturbance ever arose either among the soldiers themselves, or between them and their general, though he often wanted money to pay them, and provisions, as being in

[5] a hostile country, through want of which, in the former Punic war, many dreadful transactions had occurred between the generals and their soldiers.

[6] But after the destruction of Hasdrubal and his army, in which all hopes of victory had been treasured up; and after retiring from the possession of every other part of Italy by withdrawing into Bruttium, one corner of it; to whom does it not appear wonderful that no disturbance arose in the camp?

[7] For to other circumstances this also was added, that he had no hope of subsisting his army, except from the lands of Bruttium, which, though they were all cultivated, would be very insufficient for the maintenance of so large an army.

[8] Besides, many of the youth were drawn off from the cultivation of the fields, and engaged in the war; and a custom also prevailed among the people of that nation, grafted on a naturally depraved inclination, of carrying on a predatory kind of warfare.

[9] Nor did he receive any supplies from home, where they were anxious about the retention of Spain, as if every thing was going on prosperously in Italy. In Spain the state of affairs was in one respect similar, but in another widely different;

[10] similar in that the Carthaginians, having been defeated with the loss of their general, had been driven to the remotest coast of that country, even to the ocean;

[11] but different, because Spain, both from the nature of the country and the genius of its inhabitants, was better adapted not only than Italy, but than any other part of the world, for renewing a war.

[12] And accordingly, therefore, though this was the first of the provinces on the continent which the Romans entered, it was the last which was at length reduced, in the present age, under the conduct and auspices of Augustus Caesar.

[13] Here Hasdrubal, son of Gisco, the greatest and most renowned general concerned in the war, next to the Barcine family, returning from Gades, and encouraged in his hopes of reviving the war by Mago, son of Hamilcar, by means of levies made throughout the Farther Spain, armed as many as fifty thousand foot and four thousand five hundred horse.

[14] With regard to his mounted force, authors are pretty much agreed, but some state that seventy thousand infantry were led to the city Silpia.

[15] Here the two Carthaginian generals sat down on open plains, with a determination not to avoid a battle.

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.) — 28.12 focus

[1]

No action was fought with Hannibal this year, for after the blow

[2] which had fallen upon him and upon his country, he made no forward movement, nor did the Romans care to disturb him, such was their impression of the powers which that single general possessed, even while his cause was everywhere round him crumbling into ruin.

[3] I am inclined to think that he deserves our admiration more in adversity than in the time of his greatest successes.

[4] For thirteen years he had been carrying on war with varying fortune in an enemy's country far from home. His army was not made up of his own fellow-countrymen, it was a mixed assemblage of various nationalities who had nothing in common, neither laws nor customs, nor language, who differed in appearance, dress

[5] and arms, who were strangers to one another in their religious observances, who hardly recognised the same gods.

[6] And yet he had united them so closely together that no disturbance ever broke out, either amongst the soldiers themselves or against their commander, though very often money and supplies were lacking and it was through want of these that numerous incidents of a disgraceful character had occurred between the generals and their soldiers in the First Punic War.

[7] He had rested all his hopes of victory on Hasdrubal and his army, and after that army had been wiped out he withdrew into Bruttium and abandoned the rest of Italy to the Romans.

[8] Is it not a matter of surprise that no mutiny broke out in his camp? For in addition to all his other difficulties, there was no prospect of feeding his army except

[9] from the resources of Bruttium, and even if the whole of that country had been in cultivation it would have afforded but meager support for so large an army.

[10] But as it was, a large part of the population had been diverted from the tillage of the soil by the war and by their traditional and innate love of brigandage. He received no assistance from home, for the government was mainly concerned about keeping their hold on Spain, just as though everything in Italy was going on successfully.

The situation in Spain was in some respects similar, in others completely dissimilar to the state of affairs in Italy.

[11] It was similar in so far as the Carthaginians after their defeat and the loss of their general had been driven into the most distant parts of Spain to the shores of the ocean.

[12] It was dissimilar because the natural features of the country and the character of the inhabitants made Spain more fitted than Italy, more fitted, in fact, than any country in the world for the constant renewal of hostilities.

[13] Though it was the first province, at all events on the continent, into which the Romans made their way, it was, owing to this cause, the very last to be completely subjugated, and this

[14] only in our own days under the conduct and auspices of Augustus Caesar.

[15] Hasdrubal Gisgo, who, next to the Barcine family, was the greatest and most brilliant general that held command in this war, was encouraged by Mago to renew hostilities. He left Gades, and traversing Further Spain, raised a force of 50,000 infantry and 4500 cavalry.

[16] As to the strength of his cavalry the authorities are generally agreed, but some writers assert that the infantry force which he led to Silpia amounted to 70,000 men.

[17] Near this city the two Carthaginian commanders encamped on a wide and open plain, determined to accept battle if offered.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. This passage is obviously reminiscent of Polybius' tribute to Hannibal in a fragment of Book XI (xix. esp. 3-5). Cf. XXIII. v. 11; XXX. xxxiii. 8; XXIV. iii. 12.

2. B.C. 206

3. Since Agrippa's completion of the conquest of northwestern Spain is evidently meant here, we have in this reference to a contemporary event evidence that Book XXVIII was written (or published) after 19 B.C.

4. In the MSS. of Polybius )HLIGGA (Elinga, unknown), probably an error for )ILIPPA, i.e. Ilipa (accepted by his editors, XI. xx. 1). It lay 10 miles north of Hispalis (Seville), and on the right bank of the Baetis. Cf. XXXV. i. 10; Pliny N.H. III. 11; Strabo III. ii. 3; v. 9. For Livy's habit of substituting place-names familiar to his readers for those used by Polybius cf. Ed. Meyer, Kleine Schriften II, 406 ff.; Veith in Kromayer, Antike Schlachtfelder IV, 518; Scullard, Scipio Africanus in the Second Punic War 127 f.

5. B.C. 206

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 28.12

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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