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), 28.16

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[1]

Scipio, when men on outpost duty reported at daylight that the enemy had left, sent his cavalry ahead and ordered the standards to advance.

[2] The column also marched at such a pace that, if they had directly followed the enemy's track, they would undoubtedly have overtaken them. They believed the guides that there was another shorter road to the river Baetis, by which they might attack the enemy while crossing over.

[3] Hasdrubal, finding the passage of the river closed, turned aside towards the Ocean, ¹² and henceforward, scattering like fugitives, away they went. Thus he put a considerable distance between himself and the Roman

[4] legions. Cavalry and light-armed, dashing upon them now from the rear, now on the flanks, kept wearing them out and delaying

[5] them. But when in view of the numerous clashes the standards came to a halt and the men were engaged now with cavalry, now with skirmishers and auxiliary infantry, the legions came

[6] up. Thereafter it was no longer a battle but a slaughter as of cattle, until the general, himself now approving their flight, escaped to the nearest hills with some six thousand half-armed men. The rest were slain or

[7] captured. The Carthaginians hastily fortified an improvised camp on a very high hill and from it they defended themselves without difficulty, since the enemy had tried in vain to come up the steep

[8] slope. But in an exposed situation which furnished nothing a siege was scarcely endurable even for a few days. Accordingly there were repeated desertions to the enemy. Finally the general himself sent for ships ³ — the sea was not far away —and leaving his army by night he escaped to

[9] Gades. Scipio, learning of the flight of the enemy's general, left Silanus ten thousand infantry and a thousand cavalry to besiege the

[10] camp. With the rest of the forces he himself returned to Tarraco in seventy days' marches, ⁴ hearing the cases of chiefs and states as he proceeded, in order to bestow rewards according to the real worth of their

[11] services. After his departure Masinissa conferred secretly with Silanus, then crossed ⁵ over to Africa with a few of his countrymen, in order that in changing his policy he might count upon the obedience of his nation

[12] also. The reason for his sudden change was not so clear then as was later the evidence furnished by a loyalty unswerving down to extreme age, ⁶ that even at that time he had not acted without a reasonable

[13] ground. Mago then reached Gades on the ships sent back by Hasdrubal. The rest, abandoned by their generals, were scattered, some by desertion, others by flight, among the neighbouring states; no force remained which was notable for its numbers or its strength.

[14] So much in general for the manner in which under the command and auspices of Publius Scipio the Carthaginians were driven out of Spain in the fourteenth year ⁷ from the beginning of the war, the fifth ⁸ after Publius Scipio received his province and

[15] army. Not much later Silanus returned to Scipio at Tarraco, reporting the war at an end. ⁹

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.) — 28.16 focus

[1] Scipio, ut prima luce qui in stationibus erant rettulerunt profectos hostes, praemisso equitatu signa ferri iubet;

[2] adeoque citato agmine ducti sunt, ut, si via recta vestigia sequentes issent, haud dubie adsecuturi fuerint; ducibus est creditum brevius aliud esse iter ad Baetim fluvium, ut transeuntes adgrederentur.

[3] Hasdrubal clauso transitu fluminis ad Oceanum flectit, et iam inde fugientium modo effusi abibant. itaque ab legionibus Romanis aliquantum intervalli fecit,

[4] eques levisque armatura nunc ab tergo nunc ab lateribus occurrendo fatigabat morabaturque; sed cum ad crebros tumultus signa consisterent

[5] et nunc equestria nunc cum velitibus auxiliisque peditum proelia consererent, supervenerunt legiones.

[6] inde non iam pugna sed trucidatio velut pecorum fieri, donec ipse dux fugae auctor in proximos colles cum sex milibus ferme semermium evasit; ceteri caesi captique.

[7] castra tumultuaria raptim Poeni tumulo editissimo communiverunt atque inde, cum hostis nequiquam subire iniquo ascensu conatus esset, haud difficulter sese tutati sunt.

[8] sed obsidio in loco nudo atque inopi vix in paucos dies tolerabilis erat; itaque transitiones ad hostem fiebant. postremo dux ipse navibus accitis — nec procul inde aberat mare — nocte relicto exercitu Gades perfugit.

[9] Scipio fuga ducis hostium audita decem milia peditum mille equites relinquit Silano ad castrorum obsidionem;

[10] ipse cum ceteris copiis septuagensimis castris protinus causis regulorum civitatiumque cognoscendis, ut praemia ad veram meritorum aestimationem tribui possent, Tarraconem rediit.

[11] post profectionem eius Masinissa cum Silano clam congressus, ut ad nova consilia gentem quoque suam oboedientem haberet, cum paucis popularibus in Africam traiecit,

[12] non tam evidenti eo tempore subitae mutationis causa, quam documento post id tempus constantissimae ad ultimam senectam fidei, ne tum quidem eum sine probabili causa fecisse.

[13] Mago inde remissis ab Hasdrubale navibus Gades petit; ceteri deserti ab ducibus, pars transitione, pars fuga dissupati per proximas civitates sunt, nulla numero aut viribus manus insignis.

[14] hoc maxime modo ductu atque auspicio P. Scipionis pulsi Hispania Carthaginienses sunt, quarto decimo anno post bellum initum, quinto quam P. Scipio provinciam et exercitum accepit.

[15] baud haud multo post Silanus debellatum referens Tarraconem ad Scipionem rediit.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 28.16 focus

[1]

Scipio, ut prima luce qui in stationibus erant rettulerunt profectos hostes, praemisso equitatu signa ferri iubet;

[2] adeoque citato agmine ducti sunt ut, si uia recta uestigia sequentes issent, haud dubie adsecuturi fuerint: ducibus est creditum breuius aliud esse iter ad Baetim fluuium ut transeuntes adgrederentur.

[3] Hasdrubal clauso transitu fluminis ad Oceanum flectit, et iam inde fugientium modo effusi abibant; itaque ab legionibus Romanis aliquantum interualli fecit.

[4] eques leuisque armatura nunc ab tergo nunc ab lateribus occurrendo fatigabat morabaturque,

[5] sed cum ad crebros tumultus signa consisterent et nunc equestria nunc cum uelitibus auxiliisque peditum proelia consererent, superuenerunt legiones.

[6] inde non iam pugna sed trucidatio uelut pecorum fieri donec ipse dux fugae auctor in proximos colles cum sex millibus ferme semermium euasit; ceteri caesi captique.

[7] castra tumultuaria raptim Poeni tumulo editissimo communiuerunt, atque inde cum hostis nequiquam subire iniquo adscensu conatus esset haud difficulter sese tutati sunt.

[8] sed obsidio in loco nudo atque inopi uix in paucos dies tolerabilis erat; itaque transitiones ad hostem fiebant. postremo dux ipse nauibus accitis—nec procul inde aberat mare—nocte relicto exercitu Gades perfugit.

[9] Scipio fuga ducis hostium audita decem milia peditum mille equites relinquit Silano ad castrorum obsidionem;

[10] ipse cum ceteris copiis septuagensimis castris, protinus causis regulorum ciuitatiumque cognoscendis ut praemia ad ueram meritorum aestimationem tribui possent, Tarraconem rediit.

[11] post profectionem eius Masinissa cum Silano clam congressus, ut ad noua consilia gentem quoque suam oboedientem haberet cum paucis popularibus in Africam traiecit,

[12] non tam euidenti eo tempore subitae mutationis causa quam documento post id tempus constantissimae ad ultimam senectam fidei ne tum quidem eum sine probabili causa fecisse.

[13] Mago inde remissis ab Hasdrubale nauibus Gades petit; ceteri deserti ab ducibus, pars transitione, pars fuga dissipati per proximas ciuitates sunt, nulla numero aut uiribus manus insignis.

[14] hoc maxime modo ductu atque auspicio P. Scipionis pulsi Hispania Carthaginienses sunt, quarto decimo anno post bellum initum, quinto quam P. Scipio prouinciam et exercitum accepit.

[15] haud multo post Silanus debellatum referens Tarraconem ad Scipionem rediit.

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).) — 28.16 focus

[1]

Scipio , ut prima luce qui in stationibus erant rettulerunt profectos hostes, praemisso equitatu signa ferri iubet;

[2] adeoque citato agmine ducti sunt ut, si via recta vestigia sequentes issent, haud dubie adsecuturi fuerint; ducibus ¹ est creditum brevius aliud esse iter ad Baetim fluvium, ut transeuntes adgrederentur.

[3] Hasdrubal clauso transitu fluminis ad Oceanum flectit, et iam inde fugientium modo ² effusi abibant; itaque ³ ab legionibus Romanis aliquantum intervalli fecit;

[4] eques levisque armatura nunc ab tergo nunc ab lateribus occurrendo fatigabat morabaturque;

[5] sed ⁴ cum ad crebros tumultus signa consisterent et nunc equestria nunc cum velitibus auxiliisque peditum proelia consererent, supervenerunt legiones.

[6] inde non iam pugna sed trucidatio velut pecorum fieri, donec ipse dux fugae auctor in proximos colles cum sex milibus ferme semermium evasit; ceteri caesi captique.

[7] Castra tumultuaria raptim Poeni tumulo editissimo communiverunt, atque inde, cum hostis nequiquam subire iniquo ascensu conatus esset, ⁵ haud difficulter sese tutati sunt.

[8] Sed obsidio in loco nudo atque inopi vix in paucos dies tolerabilis erat; itaque transitiones ad hostem fiebant. postremo dux ipse navibus accitis ⁶ —nec procul inde aberat mare—nocte relicto exercitu Gades perfugit.

[9] Scipio fuga ducis hostium audita decem milia peditum mille equites relinquit Silano ad castrorum obsidionem;

[10] ipse cum ceteris copiis septuagensimis castris, protinus causis regulorum civitatiumque cognoscendis, ut praemia ad veram meritorum aestimationem tribui possent, Tarraconem rediit.

[11] post profectionem eius Masinissa cum Silano clam congressus, ut ad nova consilia ⁷ gentem quoque suam oboedientem haberet, cum paucis popularibus in Africam traiecit,

[12] non tam evidenti eo ⁸ tempore subitae mutationis causa quam documento post id tempus constantissimae ad ultimam senectam fidei ne tum quidem eum sine probabili causa fecisse.

[13] Mago inde remissis ab Hasdrubale navibus Gades petit; ceteri deserti ab ducibus, pars transitione, pars ⁹ fuga dissupati per proximas civitates sunt, nulla numero aut viribus manus insignis.

[14] hoc maxime modo ductu atque auspicio P. Scipionis pulsi Hispania Carthaginienses sunt, quarto decimo anno post bellum initum, quinto quam ¹⁰ P. Scipio provinciam et exercitum accepit.

[15] haud multo post Silanus debellatum referens Tarraconem ad Scipionem rediit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 28.16 focus

[1]

The troops in the outposts having brought word, as soon as it was light, that the enemy had departed, Scipio, despatching his cavalry in advance, ordered the army to move forward;

[2] and so rapidly were they led, that had they directly followed the track of the fugitives, they would certainly have overtaken them; but they trusted to the report of their guides, that there was a shorter cut to the river Baetis, where they might attack them while crossing it.

[3] Hasdrubal, being precluded from passing the river, turned his course to the ocean; and they now advanced in disorder and in the manner of fugitives, so that the Roman legions were left considerably behind.

[4] The cavalry and light-armed, attacking sometimes their rear, and sometimes their flank, harassed and delayed them;

[5] and as they were obliged to halt, in consequence of these frequent annoyances, and engaged sometimes the cavalry, at other times the skirmishers and the auxiliary infantry, the legions came up.

[6] After this it was no longer a fight, but a butchering as of cattle, till the general himself, who was the first to run away, made his escape to the neighbouring hills with about six thousand men half armed; the rest were slain or made prisoners.

[7] The Carthaginians hastily fortified an irregular camp on the highest eminence, and from thence they defended themselves without difficulty, the enemy failing in his attempt to get at them, from the difficulty of the ascent. But a siege in a place bare and affording no means of subsistence, was hardly to be supported, even for a few days; the troops therefore deserted to the enemy.

[8] At last the general himself, having procured some ships, for the sea was not at a great distance, left his army by night and effected his escape to Gades.

[9] Scipio, having heard of the flight of the general of the enemy, left ten thousand foot and one thousand cavalry for Silanus to carry on the siege of the camp, and returned to Tarraco with the rest of the troops,

[10] after a march of seventy days, during which he took cognizance of the causes of the petty princes and states, in order that rewards might be conferred according to a just estimate of their merits.

[11] After his departure, Masinissa, having held a private conference with Silanus, passed over into Africa with a few of his countrymen, in order that he might induce his nation also to acquiesce in his new designs.

[12] The cause of this sudden change was not so evident at the time, as the proof was convincing which was afforded by his subsequent fidelity, preserved to extreme old age, that he did not on this occasion act without reasonable grounds. Mago went to Gades in the ships which had been sent back by Hasdrubal.

[13] Of the rest of the troops thus abandoned by their generals, some deserted and others betook themselves to flight, and in this manner were dispersed through the neighbouring states. There was no body of them considerable either for numbers or strength.

[14] Such were, as near as possible, the circumstances under which the Carthaginians were driven out of Spain, under the conduct and auspices of Publius Scipio, in the thirteenth year from the commencement of the war, and the fifth from the time that Publius Scipio received the province and the army.

[15] Not long after, Silanus returned to Tarraco to Scipio, with information that the war was at an end.

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.) — 28.16 focus

[1]

When the outposts brought intelligence of the enemy's departure Scipio sent on his cavalry and followed with his entire army. Such was the rapidity of the pursuit that had they followed in Hasdrubal's direct track they must have caught him up.

[2] But, acting on the advice of their guides, they took a shorter route to the river Baetis, so that they might be able to attack him if he attempted its passage.

[3] Finding the river closed to him, Hasdrubal turned his course towards the ocean, and his hurried march, which in its haste and confusion looked like a flight gave him a considerable start on the Roman legions.

[4] Their cavalry and light infantry harassed and retarded him by attacking him

[5] in flank and rear, and whilst he was continually forced to halt to repel first the cavalry and then infantry skirmishers, the legions came up.

[6] Now it was no longer a battle but sheer butchery, until the general himself set the example of flight and escaped to the nearest hills with some 6000 men, many of them without arms. The rest were killed or made prisoners.

[7] The Carthaginians hastily improvised an intrenched camp on the highest point of the hills, and as the Romans found it useless to attempt the precipitous ascent, they had no difficulty in making themselves safe. But a bare and sterile height was hardly a place in which to stand even a few days' siege, and there were numerous desertions.

[8] At last Hasdrubal sent for ships-he was not far from the sea-and fled in the night, leaving his army to its fate.

[9] As soon as Scipio heard of his flight he left Silanus to keep up the investment of the Carthaginian camp with 10,000 infantry and 1000 cavalry, whilst he himself with the rest of his force returned to Tarraco. During his seventy days' march to this place, he took steps to ascertain the attitude of the various chiefs and tribes towards Rome, so that they might be recompensed as they deserved.

[10] After his departure Masinissa came to

[11] a secret understanding with Silanus, and crossed over with a small following to Africa, to induce his people to support him in his new policy.

[12] The reasons which determined him on this sudden change were not evident at the time, but the loyalty which he subsequently displayed throughout his long life to its close proved beyond question that his motives at the beginning were carefully weighed.

[13] After Mago had sailed to Gades in the ships which Hasdrubal had sent back for him, the rest of the army abandoned by their generals broke up, some

[14] deserting to the Romans, others dispersing amongst the neighbouring tribes. No body of troops remained worth consideration either for numbers or fighting strength.

[15] Such, in the main, was the way in which under the conduct and auspices of Publius Scipio the Carthaginians were expelled from Spain, fourteen years from the commencement of the war, and five years after Scipio assumed supreme command.

[16] Not long after Mago's departure Silanus joined Scipio at Tarraco, and reported that the war was at an end.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Hasdrubal had intended to cross the Baetis and then retreat to Gades (total distance about 75 miles to the harbour of that city). But now he is obliged to remain on the right bank, thus increasing the distance considerably.

2. B.C. 206

3. From Gades; cf. § 13.

4. The slow progress is explained by what immediately follows.

5. B.C. 206

6. He lived on until 148 B.C. , upwards of 90 years old, and reigned 60 years; App. Pun. 106; Pliny N.H. VII. 156.

7. An error corrected by x. 8 and xxxviii. 12, the 14th year of the war being 205 B.C.

8. Livy had assigned Scipio's arrival in Spain to the year 211 B.C. ; XXVI. xix, 11 ff. Consequently he placed the capture of New Carthage in 210 B.C. See Vol. VII. notes on pp. 68, 230, 296; Scullard, 304 ff.

9. Although his readers would here infer that a campaign has now been completed, the historian goes on to include a seemingly impossible range of operations within what remained of the same year, 206 B.C.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 28.16

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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