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), 29.27

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[1]

When the day dawned Scipio on his flagship, after silence had been secured by a herald, prayed:

[2]

Ye gods and goddesses who inhabit seas and lands, I pray and beseech you that whatever under my authority has been done, is being done, and shall henceforth be done, may prosper for me, for the Roman people and the commons, for allies and Latins who by land, by sea, and by rivers follow the lead, authority and auspices of the Roman people ¹ and of myself; and that ye lend your kind aid to all those acts and make them bear good fruit;

[3]

that when the foe has been vanquished, ye bring the victors home with me safe and sound, adorned with spoils, laden with booty, and in triumph;

[4]

that ye grant power to punish opponents and enemies; and that ye bestow upon the Roman people and upon me the power to visit upon the state of the Carthaginians the fate that the people of Carthage have endeavoured to visit upon our state.

[5] Immediately after this prayer a victim was slain and Scipio threw the organs raw into the sea, as is customary, ² and by a trumpet gave the signal to sail. A favouring wind sufficiently strong quickly carried them out of sight of land.

[6] And after mid-day they encountered a fog, so that with difficulty could they avoid collisions between the ships. In the open sea the wind was gentler.

[7] Through the following night the same fog held; and when the sun was up, it was dispersed and the wind increased in force. Already they were in sight of land. Not very long afterwards the pilot told Scipio that Africa was not more than five miles away; that they sighted the Promontory of Mercury; ³ if he should order him to steer for that, the entire fleet would soon be in port.

[8] Scipio, now that the land was visible, after a prayer to the gods that

[9] his sight of Africa might be a blessing to the state and to himself, gave orders to ⁴ make sail and to seek another landing-place for the ships farther down. ⁵

[10] They were running before the same wind; but at about the same time as on the preceding day a fog appeared cutting off the sight of land, and under the weight of fog the wind dropped.

[11] Then night added to all their uncertainties; so they cast anchor, that the ships might not collide or drift onto the shore. When day dawned the same wind sprang up and by dispelling the fog revealed the whole African coast.

[12] Scipio inquired what the nearest promontory was, and upon being told it was called Cape of the Fair God, ⁶ he said

A welcome omen! steer your ships this way!

There the fleet came into port and all the troops were disembarked. ⁷

[13] That the passage was successful and free from alarm and disorder I have accepted on the authority of many Greek and Latin writers. Coelius ⁸ alone describes all the terrors of weather and waves —everything short of saying that the ships were overwhelmed by the seas.

[14] He relates that finally the fleet was swept by the storm away from Africa to the island of Aegimurus ⁹ and that from there the proper course was regained with difficulty;

[15] and that as the ¹⁰ ships were all but sinking the soldiers, without waiting for an order from the general, made their way to the shore in small boats, as though they had been shipwrecked, with no arms and in the greatest disorder. ¹¹

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.) — 29.27 focus

[1] ubi illuxit, Scipio e praetoria nave silentio per praeconem facto “divi divaeque,” inquit “qui maria terrasque colitis, vos precor quaesoque, uti quae in meo imperio gesta sunt,

[2] geruntur postque gerentur, ea mihi, populo plebique Romanae, sociis nominique Latino, qui populi Romani quique meam sectam, imperium auspiciumque terra mari amnibusque secuntur, bene verruncent, eaque vos omnia bene iuvetis, bonis auctibus auxitis;

[3] salvos incolumesque victis perduellibus victores, spoliis decorates, praeda onustos triumphantesque mecum domos reduces sistatis; inimicorum hostiumque ulciscendorum copiam faxitis;

[4] quaeque populus Carthaginiensis in civitatem nostram facere molitus est, ea ut mihi populoque Romano in civitatem Carthaginiensium exempla edendi facultatem detis.”

[5] secundum has preces cruda exta caesa victima, uti mos est, in mare proiecit tubaque signum dedit proficiscendi.

[6] vento secundo vehementi satis profecti celeriter e conspectu terrae ablati sunt; et a meridie nebula excepit ita, vix ut concursus navium inter se vitarent; lenior ventus in alto factus. noctem insequentem eadem caligo obtinuit;

[7] sole orto est discussa, et addita vis vento.

[8] iam terram cernebant. haud ita multo post gubernator Scipioni ait non plus quinque milia passuum Africam abesse, Mercuri promunturium se cernere; si iubeat eo dirigi, iam in portu fore omnem classem.

[9] Scipio, ut in conspectu terra fuit, precatus deos, uti bono rei publicae suoque Africam videret, dare vela et alium infra navibus accessum petere iubet.

[10] vento eodem ferebantur; ceterum nebula sub idem ferme tempus, quo pridie, exorta conspectum terrae ademit, et ventus premente nebula cecidit.

[11] nox deinde incertiora omnia fecit. itaque ancoras, ne aut inter se concurrerent naves aut terrae inferrentur, iecere.

[12] ubi inluxit, ventus idem coortus nebula disiecta aperuit omnia Africae litora. Scipio, quod esset proximum promunturium, percunctatus cum Pulchri promunturium id vocari audisset, “placet omen” inquit;

[13] “huc dirigite naves.” eo classis decurrit, copiaeque omnes in terram expositae sunt. prosperam navigationem sine terrore ac tumultu fuisse permultis Graecis Latinisque auctoribus credidi.

[14] Coelius unus praeterquam quod non mersas fluctibus naves, ceteros omnes caelestes maritimosque terrores, postremo abreptam tempestate ab Africa classem ad insulam Aegimurum,

[15] inde aegre correctum cursum exponit, et prope obrutis navibus iniussu imperatoris scaphis, baud haud secus quam naufragos, milites sine armis cum ingenti tumultu in terram evasisse.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 29.27 focus

[1]

ubi inluxit, Scipio e praetoria naue silentio per praeconem facto 'diui diuaeque' inquit 'qui maria terrasque colitis,

[2] uos precor quaesoque uti quae in meo imperio gesta sunt geruntur postque gerentur, ea mihi populo plebique Romanae sociis nominique Latino qui populi Romani quique meam sectam imperium auspiciumque terra mari amnibusque sequuntur bene uerruncent, eaque uos omnia bene iuuetis, bonis auctibus auxitis;

[3] saluos incolumesque uictis perduellibus uictores spoliis decoratos praeda onustos triumphantesque mecum domos reduces sistatis; inimicorum hostiumque ulciscendorum copiam faxitis;

[4] quaeque populus Carthaginiensis in ciuitatem nostram facere molitus est, ea ut mihi populoque Romano in ciuitatem Carthaginiensium exempla edendi facultatem detis.'

[5] secundum has preces cruda exta caesa uictima, uti mos est, in mare proiecit tubaque signum dedit proficiscendi. uento secundo uehementi satis prouecti celeriter e conspectu terrae ablati sunt;

[6] et a meridie nebula occepit ita uix ut concursus nauium inter se uitarent; lenior uentus in alto factus.

[7] noctem insequentem eadem caligo obtinuit: sole orto est discussa, et addita uis uento. iam terram cernebant. haud ita multo post gubernator Scipioni ait non plus quinque milia passuum Africam abesse;

[8] Mercuri promunturium se cernere; si iubeat eo dirigi, iam in portu fore omnem classem.

[9] Scipio, ut in conspectu terra fuit, precatus deos uti bono rei publicae suoque Africam uiderit, dare uela et alium infra nauibus accessum petere iubet.

[10] uento eodem ferebantur; ceterum nebula sub idem ferme tempus quo pridie exorta conspectum terrae ademit et uentus premente nebula cecidit.

[11] nox deinde incertiora omnia fecit; itaque ancoras ne aut inter se concurrerent naues aut terrae inferrentur iecere.

[12] ubi inluxit, uentus idem coortus nebula disiecta aperuit omnia Africae litora. Scipio quod esset proximum promuntorium percontatus cum Pulchri promunturium id uocari audisset, 'placet omen;' inquit 'huc dirigite naues.'

[13] eo classis decurrit, copiaeque omnes in terram expositae sunt. prosperam nauigationem sine terrore ac tumultu fuisse permultis Graecis Latinisque auctoribus credidi.

[14] Coelius unus praeterquam quod non mersas fluctibus naues ceteros omnes caelestes maritimosque terrores, postremo abreptam tempestate ab Africa classem ad insulam Aegimurum, inde aegre correctum cursum exponit,

[15] et prope obrutis nauibus iniussu imperatoris scaphis, haud secus quam naufragos, milites sine armis cum ingenti tumultu in terram euasisse.

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).) — 29.27 focus

[1]

ubi illuxit, Scipio e praetoria nave

[2] silentio ¹ per praeconem facto

divi divaeque

inquit

qui ² maria terrasque colitis, vos precor quaesoque uti quae in meo imperio gesta sunt, geruntur, postque gerentur, ³ ea mihi, populo plebique Romanae, sociis nominique Latino qui populi Romani quique meam sectam, imperium auspiciumque terra maria ⁴ amnibusque ⁵ secuntur,

[3]

bene verruncent, eaque vos omnia bene iuvetis, bonis auctibus auxitis; salvos incolumesque victis perduellibus victores, spoliis decorates, praeda onustos ⁶ triumphantesque mecum domos reduces sistatis; inimicorum hostiumque ulciscendorum copiam faxitis;

[4]

quaeque populus Carthaginiensis in civitatem nostram facere molitus est, ea ut mihi populoque Romano in civitatem Carthaginiensium exempla edendi facultatem detis.

[5] secundum has preces cruda exta caesa ⁷ victima, uti mos est, in mare proiecit tubaque signum dedit proficiscendi.

[6] vento secundo vehementi satis profecti ⁸ celeriter e conspectu terrae ablati sunt; et a meridie nebula occepit ⁹ ita vix ut concursus navium inter se vitarent; lenior ventus in alto factus.

[7] noctem insequentem eadem caligo obtinuit; sole orto est discussa, et addita vis vento. iam terram cernebant.

[8] haud ita multo post gubernator Scipioni ait non plus quinque milia passuum Africam abesse; Mercuri promunturium se cernere; si iubeat eo dirigi, iam in portu fore omnem classem.

[9] Scipio , ut in conspectu terra fuit, precatus deos ¹⁰ uti bono rei publicae suoque Africam viderit, ¹¹ dare vela et alium ¹² infra navibus accessum petere iubet.

[10] vento eodem ferebantur; ceterum nebula sub idem ferme tempus quo pridie exorta conspectum terrae ademit, et ventus premente nebula cecidit.

[11] nox deinde incertiora omnia fecit; itaque ancoras, ne aut inter se concurrerent naves aut terrae ¹³ inferrentur, iecere.

[12] ubi inluxit, ventus idem coortus nebula disiecta aperuit omnia Africae litora. Scipio , quod esset proximum promunturium percunctatus, cum Pulchri promunturium id vocari audisset,

placet omen

inquit;

huc dirigite naves.

[13] eo classis decurrit, copiaeque omnes in terram expositae sunt. prosperam navigationem sine terrore ac tumultu fuisse permultis Graecis Latinisque auctoribus credidi.

[14] Coelius unus, ¹⁴ praeterquam quod non mersas fluctibus naves, ceteros omnes caelestes maritimosque terrores, postremo abreptam tempestate ab Africa classem ad insulam Aegimurum inde aegre correctum cursum exponit,

[15] et prope obrutis navibus iniussu imperatoris ¹⁵ scaphis, haud secus quam naufragos, milites sine armis cum ingenti tumultu in terram evasisse.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 29.27 focus

[1]

As soon as day appeared, silence having been obtained by a herald, Scipio thus spoke from the ship of the commander-in-chief:

[2]

Ye gods and goddesses who preside over the seas and lands, I pray and entreat you, that whatever things have been, are now, or shall be performed during my command, may turn out prosperously to myself, the state, and commons of Rome, to the allies and the Latin confederacy, and to all who follow my party and that of the Roman people, my command and auspices, by land, by sea, and on rivers. That you would lend your favourable aid to all those measures, and promote them happily.

[3]

That you would bring these and me again to our homes, safe and unhurt; victorious over our vanquished enemies, decorated with spoils, loaded with booty, and triumphant.

[4]

That you would grant us the opportunity of taking revenge upon our adversaries and foes, and put it in the power of myself and the Roman people to make the Carthaginian state feel those signal severities which they endeavoured to inflict upon our state.

[5] After these prayers, he threw the raw entrails of a victim into the sea, according to custom, and, with the sound of a trumpet, gave the signal for sailing.

[6] Setting out with a favourable wind, which blew pretty strong, they were soon borne away out of sight of the land; and in the afternoon a mist came over them, so that they could with difficulty prevent the ships from running foul of each other. The wind abated when they got into the open sea.

[7] The following night the same haziness prevailed; but when the sun rose it was dispelled, and the wind blew stronger. They were now within sight of land, and, not long after, the pilot observed to Scipio, that

Africa was not more than five miles off;

[8]

that he could discern the promontory of Mercury, and that if he gave orders to direct their course thither, the whole fleet would presently be in harbour.

[9] Scipio, when the land was in sight, after praying that his seeing Africa might be for the good of the state and himself, gave orders to make for another place of landing, lower down.

[10] They were borne along by the same wind; but a mist, arising nearly about the same time as on the preceding day, hid the land from them; and the wind fell as the mist grew more dense.

[11] Afterwards, the night coming on increased the confusion in every respect; they therefore cast anchor, lest the ships should either run foul of each other, or be driven on shore. At daybreak the wind, rising in the same quarter, dispelled the mist and discovered the whole coast of Africa.

[12] Scipio asked what was the name of the nearest promontory, and, on being told that it was called the cape of Pulcher, he observed,

the omen pleases me, direct your course to it.

To this place the fleet ran down, and all the troops were landed.

[13] I have adopted the accounts given by a great many Greek and Latin authors, who state that the voyage was prosperous, and unattended with any cause of alarm or confusion.

[14] Caelius alone, except that he does not state that the ships were sunk in the waves, says that they were exposed to all the terrors of the heavens and the sea, and that at last the fleet was driven by tempest from Africa to the island Aegimurus, from which, with great difficulty, they got into the right course;

[15] and that, the ships almost foundering, the soldiers, without orders from their general, got into boats, just as if they had suffered shipwreck, and escaped to land without arms, and in the utmost disorder.

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.) — 29.27 focus

[1]

When the moment for departure came, Scipio ordered the herald to proclaim silence throughout the fleet and put up the following prayer: "Ye gods and goddesses of sea and land, I pray and beseech you to vouchsafe a favourable issue to all that has been done or is being done now or will be done hereafter under my command.

[2] May all turn out happily for the burghers and plebs of Rome, for our allies of the Latin name, for all who have the cause of Rome at heart, and for all who are marching beneath my standard, under my auspices and command, by land or sea or stream.

[3] Grant us your gracious help in all our doings, crown our efforts with success. Bring these my soldiers and myself safe home again, victorious over our conquered foes, adorned with their spoils, loaded with booty and exulting in triumph.

[4] Enable us to avenge ourselves on our enemies and grant to the people of Rome and to me the power to inflict exemplary chastisement on the city of Carthage, and to retaliate upon her all the injury that her people have sought to do to us."

[5] As he finished he threw the raw entrails of the victim into the sea with the accustomed ritual. Then he ordered the trumpeter to sound the signal for departure, and as the wind which was favourable to them freshened they were quickly carried out of sight.

[6] In the afternoon they were enveloped in so thick a fog that they had difficulty in keeping their ships from fouling one another, and as they got out to sea the wind dropped.

[7] During the night a similar fog prevailed, which dispersed after sunrise, and at the same the wind freshened. At last they descried land, and a few minutes later the pilot informed Scipio that they were not more than five miles from the coast of Africa, and that the headland of Mercurius was plainly visible.

[8] If he would give orders for him to steer for it, the man assured him, the whole of the fleet would soon be in port.

[9] When he caught sight of land Scipio offered a prayer that this first view of Africa might bring good to himself and to the republic. He then gave orders for the fleet to make for an anchorage further south.

[10] They went before the wind which was still in the same quarter, but a fog which came up about the same time as on the day before blotted out the view of the land and made the wind fall.

[11] As night came on everything became obscure, and to avoid all risk of the ships coming into collision or being driven ashore it was decided to cast anchor.

[12] When it grew light, the wind again freshened from the same quarter, and the dispersal of the fog revealed the entire coastline of Africa. Scipio enquired the name of the nearest headland, and on learning that was called Pulchrum ("Cape Beautiful") he remarked, "I accept the omen, steer for it."

[13] The fleet brought up there and the whole of the force was landed. This description of the voyage as favourable and unaccompanied by any confusion or alarms rests upon the statements of numerous Greek and Latin authorities.

[14] According to Coelius, though the fleet was not actually submerged by the waves, it was exposed to every possible danger from sea and sky, and was at last driven from the African coast to the island of Aegimurus, and from here with great difficulty succeeded in getting on the right course.

[15] He adds that as the ships were leaking badly and all but sinking, the soldiers took to the boats without orders just as though they were shipwrecked and escaped to land without arms and in the utmost disorder.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. B.C. 204

2. For this practice when ships were setting sail with ceremony v. Cicero N.D. III. 51 fin.; cf. Servius on Aeneid V. 238; Macrobius Sat. III. ii. 2 ff.

3. This headland, now Cap Bon (Ras Adar), marks the eastern entrance to the Bay of Tunis. It is 45 miles from Carthage, and is the nearest point to Sicily. Cf. Pliny N.H. V. 23 f.; Strabo XVII. iii, 13, 16; Mela I. 34.

4. B.C. 204

5. I.e. farther along the coast. Cf. Caesar B.G. IV. 36 fin. He meant -inside the Bay (not towards the Emporia), there being no harbour on either side of the Cape. His order to the helmsmen (at Lilybaeum, xxv. 12) to steer for the Emporia was probably a ruse (cf. note there); or it merely named a rendezvous in case the convoy should be scattered. A complete change in his plan for the campaign could not be made suddenly.

6. I.e. of Apollo, translating Polybius' ton= Kalon= a)kroth/rion (III. xxii. 5), who in the same passage has to\ Kalo\n a)kroth/rion (xxiii. 1). Cf. Apollinis, XXX. xxiv. 8; Pliny N.H. l.c.; Mela I. 34; )Apollw/nion, Dio Cass. (Zonaras) IX. xii. 3 and Strabo XVII. l. c. The modern name is Ras Sidi Ali el Mekki.

7. Inside the Cape, probably near modern Porto Farina, not far from Utica; Appian Pun. 13 fin.

8. Cf. xxv. 3. We may, however, suspect a slip of Livy's memory, or an error in verification of a source. See p. 316, n. 1.

9. North-west of the Prom. Mercurii (Hermaeum) and about 30 miles north-east of Carthage, now el Djamur (also called Zembra); XXX. xxiv. 9, 11 f.; Strabo II. v. 19 fin.; VI. ii. 11 fin. Pliny has two Aegimoeroe, V. 42.

10. B.C. 204

11. This entire statement about storm and wreck is disproved by a fragment (41) of Coelius' Book VI preserved by Nonius s.v. metari, p. 199 L. The fragment unquestionably refers to this landing. Cf. H. Peter, Hist. Rom. Rell. I. 159; Gsell op. cit. 212.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 29.27

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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