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), 29.25

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[2] ¹

And Scipio did not in the least scorn soldiers of that kind, as he knew that the disaster at Cannae had not been ² incurred by their cowardice, ³ and that there were no soldiers in the Roman army who were such veterans and as highly trained not only in battles of different kinds but also in besieging cities.

[3] The fifth and sixth legions were those from Cannae. Having said he would transport these legions to Africa, he inspected the soldiers one by one, and leaving those whom he believed to be unfit, he substituted for them men whom he had brought with him from Italy, and recruited the legions to such an extent that each had six thousand two hundred infantry ⁴ and three hundred cavalry.

[4] In like manner he chose foot-soldiers and horse from the Latin allies out of the army which fought at Cannae.

XXV. As to the number of soldiers transported to Africa the authorities differ by no small figure. In some I find that ten thousand infantry, two thousand two hundred cavalry were embarked; in others sixteen thousand infantry, sixteen hundred cavalry; in others the total is more than doubled —thirty-five thousand infantry and cavalry.

[5] Some authorities have not introduced the figures, and it is among these that I should myself prefer to be counted in view of the uncertainty.

[6] Coelius, while he gives no figures, nevertheless immensely increases the impression of great numbers. ⁵ He says that birds fell to the ground owing to the shouts of the soldiers, and that such a multitude boarded the ships that not a human being seemed to be left either in Italy or Sicily.

That the soldiers should board the ships in good ⁶ order and without confusion the general took upon himself. As for the crews, Gaius Laelius, who was admiral of the fleet, ordered them to go on board first, and kept them there.

[8] The duty of loading supplies was assigned to Marcus Pomponius, the praetor. Rations for forty-five days —of these cooked rations for fifteen days —were placed on board.

[9] When now they had all embarked, Scipio sent ships' boats round with orders that pilots and masters from all the ships and two soldiers from each should assemble before the headquarters to receive commands. When they were assembled he first asked them if they had put on board water for men and beasts for just as many days as they had grain.

[10] When they replied that there was water for forty-five days on board, he thereupon gave orders to the soldiers to remain quiet and ensure silence in proper obedience to the seamen and without interference, that these might perform their duties.

[11] With twenty warships, he said, he and Lucius Scipio ⁷ on the right wing would protect the transports; on the left wing the same number of war-ships and Gaius Laelius, admiral of the fleet, with Marcus Porcius Cato, who was at that time quaestor; ⁸ that war-ships should have one lantern for each ship, transports two for each; that on the flagship the designation at night would be three lanterns.

[12] He ordered the pilots to ⁹ steer for the Emporia. ¹⁰ There the soil is very fertile and for that reason the region supplies everything in abundance; and the natives are unwarlike, as is usually the case in a fertile country, and it seemed that they could be overpowered before aid could be sent from Carthage. ¹¹ After he had issued these commands they were ordered to return to their ships and on the following day, with the blessing of the gods, to cast off at the given signal.

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.) — 29.25 focus

[1] quantum militum in Africam transportatum sit, non parvo numero inter auctores discrepat.

[2] alibi decem milia peditum duo milia et ducentos equites, alibi sedecim milia peditum, mille et sexcentos sescentos equites, alibi parte plus dimidia rem auctam, quinque et triginta milia peditum equitumque in naves imposita invenio. quidam non adiecere numerum,

[3] inter quos me ipse in re dubia poni malim. Coelius ut abstinet numero, ita ad inmensum multitudinis speciem auget:

[4] volucres ad terrain terram delapsas clamore rnilitum militum ait, tantamque multitudinem conscendisse naves, ut nemo mortalium aut in Italia aut in Sicilia relinqui videretur.

[5] milites ut naves ordine ac sine tumultu conscenderent, ipse ear eam sibi curam sumpsit;

[6] nauticos C. Laelius, qui classis praefectus erat, in navibus, ante conscendere coactos, continuit; commeatus imponendi M. Pomponio praetori cura data: quinque et quadraginta dierum cibaria, e quibus quindecim dierum cocta, imposita.

[7] ut omnes iam in navibus erant, scaphas circummisit, ut ex omnibus navibus gubernatoresque et magistri navium et bini milites in forum convenirent ad imperia accipienda.

[8] postquam convenerunt, primum ab iis quaesivit, si aquam hominibus iumentisque in totidem dies, quot frumentum, imposuissent. ubi responderunt aquam dierum quinque

[9] et quadraginta in navibus esse, tum edixit militibus, ut silentium quieti nautis sine certamine ad ministeria exsequenda bene oboedientes praestarent.

[10] cum viginti rostratis se ac L. Scipionem ab dextro cornu, ab laevo totidem rostratas et C. Laelium praefectum classis cum M. Porcio Catone — quaestor is tum erat — onerariis futurum praesidio.

[11] lumina in navibus singula rostratae, bina onerariae haberent; in praetoria nave insigne nocturnum trium luminum fore.

[12] Emporia ut peterent, gubernatoribus edixit. fertilissimus ager eoque abundans omnium copia rerum est regio, et inbelles, quod plerumque in uberi agro evenit, barbari sunt, priusque, quam ab Carthagine subveniretur, opprimi videbantur posse.

[13] iis editis imperiis redire ad naves iussi et postero die deis bene iuvantibus signo dato solvere naves.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 29.25 focus

[1]

quantum militum in Africam transportatum sit non paruo numero inter auctores discrepat.

[2] alibi decem milia peditum duo milia et ducentos equites, alibi sedecim milia peditum mille et sescentos equites, alibi parte plus dimidia rem auctam, quinque et triginta milia peditum equitumque in naues

[3] imposita . quidam non adiecere numerum, inter quos me ipse in re dubia poni malim. Coelius ut abstinet numero, ita ad immensum multitudinis speciem auget:

[4] uolucres ad terram delapsas clamore militum ait tantamque multitudinem conscendisse naues ut nemo mortalium aut in Italia aut in Sicilia relinqui uideretur. milites ut naues ordine ac sine tumultu conscenderent ipse eam sibi curam sumpsit:

[5] nauticos C. Laelius , qui classis praefectus erat, in nauibus ante conscendere coactos continuit:

[6] commeatus imponendi M. Pomponio praetori cura data: quinque et quadraginta dierum cibaria, e quibus quindecim dierum cocta, imposita.

[7] ut omnes iam in nauibus erant, scaphas circummisit ut ex omnibus nauibus gubernatoresque et magistri nauium et bini milites in forum conuenirent ad imperia accipienda.

[8] postquam conuenerunt, primum ab iis quaesiuit si aquam hominibus iumentisque in totidem dies quot frumentum imposuissent.

[9] ubi responderunt aquam dierum quinque et quadraginta in nauibus esse, tum edixit militibus ut silentium quieti nautis sine certamine ad ministeria exsequenda bene oboedientes praestarent.

[10] cum uiginti rostratis se ac L. Scipionem ab dextro cornu, ab laeuo totidem rostratas et C. Laelium praefectum classis cum M. Porcio Catone —quaestor is tum erat—onerariis futurum praesidio.

[11] lumina in nauibus singula rostratae, bina onerariae haberent: in praetoria naue insigne nocturnum trium luminum fore. Emporia ut peterent gubernatoribus edixit.

[12] — fertilissimus ager eoque abundans omnium copia rerum est regio, et imbelles—quod plerumque in uberi agro euenit —barbari sunt priusque quam ab Carthagine subueniretur opprimi uidebantur posse.

[13] —iis editis imperiis redire ad naues iussi et postero die bis bene iuuantibus signo dato soluere naues.

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).) — 29.25 focus

[1]

quantum militum in Africam transportatum sit non parvo numero inter auctores discrepat.

[2] alibi decem milia peditum, duo milia et ducentos equites, alibi sedecim milia peditum, mille et sescentos ¹ equites, alibi parte plus dimidia rem auctam, quinque et triginta milia peditum equitumque in naves imposita invenio. ²

[3] quidam non adiecere numerum, inter quos me ipse in re dubia poni malim. Coelius ut abstinet numero, ita ad inmensum multitudinis speciem auget:

[4] volucres ad terram delapsas clamore militum ait, tantamque ³ multitudinem conscendisse naves ut nemo mortalium aut in Italia aut in Sicilia relinqui videretur.

[5] milites ut naves ordine ac sine tumultu ⁴ conscenderent, ipse eam sibi curam sumpsit; nauticos C. Laelius, qui classis praefectus erat, in navibus, ⁵ ante conscendere coactos, continuit;

[6] commeatus imponendi M. Pomponio praetori cura data: quinque et quadraginta dierum cibaria, e quibus quindecim dierum cocta, imposita.

[7] ut omnes iam in navibus erant, scaphas circummisit ut ex omnibus ⁶ navibus gubernatoresque et magistri navium et bini milites in forum convenirent ad imperia accipienda.

[8] postquam convenerunt, primum ab iis quaesivit si aquam hominibus iumentisque in totidem dies quot frumentum imposuissent.

[9] ubi responderunt ⁷ aquam dierum quinque et quadraginta in navibus esse, tum edixit militibus ut silentium quieti, nautis sine certamine ad ministeria exsequenda bene oboedientes, praestarent.

[10] cum viginti rostratis se ac L. Scipionem ab dextro cornu, ab laevo totidem rostratas et C. Laelium praefectum classis cum M. Porcio Catone—quaestor is tum erat—onerariis futurum praesidio.

[11] lumina in navibus singula rostratae, bina onerariae haberent; in praetoria nave insigne nocturnum trium luminum fore.

[12] Emporia ut peterent gubernatoribus edixit; ⁸ fertilissimus ager eoque abundans omnium copia rerum est regio, et inbelles, quod plerumque in uberi agro evenit,barbari sunt, priusque quam ab ⁹ Carthagine subveniretur opprimi videbantur posse.

[13] iis editis imperiis imperils redire ad naves iussi et postero die deis bene iuvantibus signo dato solvere naves.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 29.25 focus

[1]

There is a wide difference among historians as to the number of men transported into Africa.

[2] In some I find ten thousand infantry and two hundred horse; in others, sixteen thousand infantry and sixteen hundred horse. In others, again, I find it stated that thirty-five thousand infantry and cavalry were put on board the fleet, making the number more than one half greater.

[3] Some have not added an account of the number; among whom, as the matter is doubtful, I should rather have myself ranked. Caelius, though he abstains from specifying the number, increases the impression of their multitude indefinitely.

[4] He says, that birds fell to the ground from the shout of the soldiers, and that so great a multitude went on board the fleet, that it seemed as if there was not a man left in Italy or Sicily. Scipio took upon himself the care of seeing that the soldiers embarked orderly and without confusion. The seamen, who were made to embark first, Caius Laelius, the admiral of the fleet, kept in order on board the ships.

[5] The task of the putting on board the provisions was assigned to Marcus Pomponius, the praetor.

[6] Food for forty-five days, of which enough for fifteen was cooked, was put on board. When they were all embarked, he sent boats round with directions that the pilots and masters, with two soldiers from each ship, should assemble in the forum to receive orders.

[7] After they had assembled, he first asked them whether they had put on board water for the men and cattle, sufficient to last as many days as the corn would.

[8] When they answered that there was water on board sufficient for five and forty days' consumption, he then charged the soldiers that, conducting

[9] themselves submissively, and keeping quiet, they would not make any noise or disturb the mariners in the execution of their duties.

[10] He informed them, that he himself and Lucius Scipio in the right wing, with twenty ships of war, and Caius Laelius, admiral of the fleet, together with Marcus Porcius Cato, who was then quaestor, with the same number of ships of war in the left wing, would protect the transports. That the ships of war should carry each a single light, the transports two each.

[11] That in the ship of the commander-in-chief there would be three lights as a distinction by night. He desired the pilots to make for Emporia, where the land is remarkably fertile;

[12] and on that account the district abounds with plenty of every thing, and the barbarous inhabitants are unwarlike, which is usually the case where the soil is rich. It was supposed that they might, therefore, be overpowered before assistance could be brought them from Carthage.

[13] After these commands were delivered, they were ordered to return to their ships, and the next day, with the blessing of the gods, on the signal being given, to set sail.

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.) — 29.25 focus

[1]

As to the number of troops put on board there is considerable divergence among the authorities.

[2] I find that some state it to have amounted to 10,000 infantry and 2200 cavalry; others give 16,000 infantry and 1600 cavalry; others again double this estimate and put the total of infantry and cavalry at 32,000 men. Some writers give no definite number, and in a matter so uncertain I prefer to include myself amongst them.

[3] Coelius declines, it is true, to give any definite number, but he exaggerates to such an extent as to give the impression of a countless multitude;

[4] the very birds, he says, fell to the ground stunned by the shouting of the soldiers, and such a mighty host embarked that it seemed as though there was not a single man left in either Italy or Sicily. To avoid confusion Scipio personally superintended the embarkation. C. Laelius who was in command of the fleet had previously sent all the seamen to their posts and kept them there while the soldiers went on board.

[5] The praetor, M. Pomponius, was responsible for the shipping of the stores; forty-five days' provisions, including fifteen days' supply of cooked food, were put on board.

[6] When all were now on board, boats were sent round to take off the pilots

[7] and captains and two men from each ship who were to assemble in the forum and receive their orders.

[8] When all were present, his first enquiry was as to the supply of water for the men and horses, whether they had put on board sufficient to last as long as the corn. They assured him that there was water in the ships sufficient to last for forty-five days.

[9] He then impressed upon the soldiers the necessity of keeping quiet and maintaining discipline and not interfering with the sailors in the discharge of their duties.

[10] He further informed them that he and Lucius Scipio would command the right division of twenty ships of war, whilst C. Laelius, prefect of the fleet, in conjunction with M. Porcius Cato, who was quaestor at the time, would be in charge of the left line containing the same number, and would protect the transports.

[11] The warships would show single lights at night, the transports would have two, while the commander's ship would be distinguished by three lights. He gave the pilots instructions to make for Emporia.

[12] This was an extremely fertile district, and supplies of all kinds were to be found there in abundance. The natives, as usually happens in a fruitful country, were unwarlike, and would probably be overpowered before assistance could reach them from Carthage.

[13] After issuing these orders he dismissed them to their ships, and on the morrow at the given signal they were, with the blessing of heaven, to set sail.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. 1 vi. 2-23 (eight years before), had been of no avail. They saw no service as combat troops in Sicily, not even in the long siege of Syracuse.

2. B.C. 204

3. Here Scipio had personal knowledge, having been a tribune of the soldiers at Cannae; XXII. liii. 2; Val. Max. V. vi. 7.

4. This is the maximum known for a legion.

5. Another example of Coelius' rhetorical exaggeration is found in xxvii. 14 f.

6. B.C. 204

7. He had been with his older brother in Spain (XXVIII. iii. 2 ff.; iv. 2 ff.; xvii. 1) and in Sicily (above, vii. 2); consul in 190 B.C. with Laelius; XXXVI. xlv. 9.

8. His quaestorship in this year is attested by Cicero Cat. Mai. 10; Brutus 60; not in 205 B.C. , as Nepos Cato i. 3. Plutarch has him return in protest from Sicily to Rome, iii. 7.

9. B.C. 204

10. Trading centres ( emporia) along the western shore of the Gulf of Gabès (Syrtis Minor) gave this name to an entire region. It extended southward from Leptis Minor (100 miles from Carthage) and Thapsus. Cf. xxxiii. 9; XXXIV. lxii. 3; Polybius III. xxiii. 2; XXXI. xxi; Pliny N.H. V. 25. So public an announcement of a distant beachhead forces us to suspect that Scipio really intended to land near Utica, after misleading the enemy. Before the great convoy reached Africa spies could easily bring to Carthage news of the order. Cf. note on xxvii. 9; Gsell, op. cit. III. 213; Zielinski in Riv. di storia antica III. 74 f.

11. But remoteness from Carthage would mean a greatly increased distance from Sicily, and on the long passage south-ward Roman ships would be in constant danger of attack, with few ports in which they might seek even a temporary refuge. The fertilissimus ager was little more than a strip 13 —one more reason to believe that no Roman general would seriously propose to launch a campaign against Carthage from such a coast.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 29.25

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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