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), 30.25

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[1]

Not yet had the envoys returned from Rome, nor was it known what had been the decision of the Roman senate in regard to war or peace; ¹ not yet had the term of the armistice expired.

[2] For that reason Scipio thought it an even more shameful outrage that both the hope of peace and the sanctity of an armistice had been treated with disrespect by men who had sued for peace and an armistice. At once he sent Lucius Baebius, Lucius Sergius and Lucius Fabius as envoys to Carthage.

[3] These narrowly escaped injury at the hands of a ² mob and foresaw that their return would be no safer. Accordingly they begged the magistrates whose help had prevented violence to send ships to escort them.

[4] Two triremes were furnished, and having reached the river Bagradas, ³ from which the Roman camp was visible, they returned to Carthage.

[5] The Carthaginian fleet was lying at anchor near Utica. Three quadriremes from that fleet, just as the Roman quinquereme was rounding the promontory, ⁴ suddenly attacked her from the seaward side, perhaps because a secret order to do so had been sent from Carthage, possibly because Hasdrubal, who was in command of the fleet, made bold to act without complicity on the part of the government.

[6] But they were unable to ram her as she eluded them by her speed, and the marines could not spring across from the lower vessels to the higher one. Also she was brilliantly defended so long as their missiles held out.

[7] When these failed them there was nothing else which could protect the ship but nearness to the land and the great numbers that poured out to the shore from the camp.

[8] For propelled at full speed by the oars, they ran her on the shore with all possible momentum. Consequently the ship only was lost, and the men themselves ⁵ escaped.

[9] Thus the armistice beyond doubt had been broken by one crime after another when Laelius and Fulvius arrived from Rome with the Carthaginian envoys.

[10] Scipio informed these men that, although ⁶ not only the sanctity of an armistice had been violated by the Carthaginians, but also the law of nations in regard to his envoys, nevertheless he would not in their case do anything unworthy of the established usages of the Roman people or of his own character. Whereupon he dismissed the envoys ⁷ and made preparations for war.

[11] As Hannibal was already nearing land, one of the sailors was ordered to go aloft, in order to make out what region they were approaching.

[12] When he reported that the bow was headed toward a ruined tomb, Hannibal with a prayer to avert such an omen ordered the pilot to sail on, brought his fleet in at Leptis, ⁸ and there disembarked his troops.

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.) — 30.25 focus

[1] nondum ab Roma reverterant legati, neque sciebatur, quae senatus Romani de bello aut pace sententia esset, necdum indutiarum dies exierat;

[2] eo indigniorem iniuriam ratus Scipio, ab iis, qui petissent pacem et indutias, et spem pacis et fidem indutiarum violatam esse, legatos Carthaginem L. Baebium, L. Sergium, L. Fabium extemplo misit.

[3] qui cum multitudinis concursu prope violati essent nec reditum tutiorem futurum cernerent, petierunt a magistratibus, quorum auxilio vis prohibita erat, ut naves mitterent, quae se prosequerentur.

[4] datae triremes duae cum ad Bagradam flumen pervenissent, unde castra Romana conspiciebantur, Carthaginem rediere. classis Punica ad Uticam stationem habebat.

[5] ex ea tres quadriremes — seu clam misso a Carthagine nuntio, ut id fieret, seu Hasdrubale, qui classi praeerat, sine publica fraude auso facinus —

[6] quinqueremem Romanam superantem promunturium ex alto repente adgressae sunt. sed neque rostro ferire celeritate sua praeterlabentem poterant,

[7] neque transilire armati ex humilioribus in altiorem navem, et defendebatur egregie, quoad tela suppeditarunt. quis deficientibus iam nulla alia res eam quam propinquitas terrae multitudoque a castris in litus effusa tueri potuit.

[8] concitatam enim remis, quanto maximo impetu poterant, in terram cum immisissent, navis tantum iactura facta, incolumes ipsi evaserunt.

[9] ita alio super aliud scelere cum baud haud dubie indutiae ruptae essent, Laelius Fulviusque ab Roma cum legatis Carthaginiensibus supervenerunt.

[10] quibus Scipio, etsi non indutiarum modo fides a Carthaginiensibus sed ius etiam gentium in legatis violatum esset, tamen se nihil nec institutis populi Romani nec suis moribus indignum in iis facturum esse cum dixisset, dimissis legatis bellum parabat.

[11] Hannibali iam terrae adpropinquanti iussus e nauticis unus escendere in malum, ut specularetur, quam tenerent regionem,

[12] cum dixisset sepulchrum dirutum proram spectare, abominatus praetervehi iusso gubernatore ad Leptim adpulit classem atque ibi copias exposuit.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 30.25 focus

[1]

nondum ab Roma reuerterant legati neque sciebatur quae senatus Romani de bello aut pace sententia esset, necdum indutiarum dies exierat;

[2] eo indigniorem iniuriam ratus Scipio ab iis qui petissent pacem et indutias et spem pacis et fidem indutiarum uiolatam esse, legatos Carthaginem L. Baebium L. Sergium L. Fabium extemplo misit.

[3] qui cum multitudinis concursu prope uiolati essent nec reditum tutiorem futurum cernerent, petierunt a magistratibus quorum auxilio uis prohibita erat ut naues mitterent quae se prosequerentur.

[4] datae triremes duae cum ad Bagradam flumen peruenissent unde castra Romana conspiciebantur Carthaginem rediere.

[5] classis Punica ad Uticam stationem habebat. ex ea tres quadriremes, seu clam misso a Carthagine nuntio ut id fieret, seu Hasdrubale qui classi praeerat sine publica fraude auso facinus,

[6] quinqueremem Romanam superantem promunturium ex alto repente adgressae sunt. sed neque rostro ferire celeritate subterlabentem poterant neque transilire armati ex humilioribus in altiorem nauem; et defendebatur egregie quoad tela suppeditarunt.

[7] quis deficientibus iam nulla alia res eam quam propinquitas terrae multitudoque a castris in litus effusa tueri potuisset.

[8] concitatam enim remis quanto maximo impetu poterant in terram cum immisissent, nauis tantum iactura facta incolumes ipsi euaserunt.

[9] ita alio super aliud scelere cum haud dubie indutiae ruptae essent, Laelius Fuluiusque ab Roma cum legatis Carthaginiensibus superuenerunt.

[10] quibus Scipio etsi non indutiarum fides modo a Carthaginiensibus sed ius etiam gentium in legatis uiolatum esset tamen se nihil nec institutis populi Romani nec suis moribus indignum in iis facturum esse cum dixisset, dimissis legatis bellum parabat.

[11] Hannibali iam terrae adpropinquanti iussus e nauticis unus escendere in malum ut specularetur quam tenerent regionem

[12] cum dixisset sepulcrum dirutum proram spectare, abominatus praeteruehi iusso gubernatore ad Leptim adpulit classem atque ibi copias exposuit.

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).) — 30.25 focus

[1]

nondum ab Roma reverterant legati, ¹ neque sciebatur quae senatus Romani de bello aut pace sententia esset, necdum indutiarum dies exierat;

[2] eo indigniorem iniuriam ratus Scipio ab iis qui petissent pacem et indutias et spem pacis et fidem indutiarum violatam esse, legatos Carthaginem L. Baebium, L. Sergium, L. Fabium extemplo misit.

[3] qui cum multitudinis concursu prope violati essent ² nec reditum tutiorem futurum cernerent, petierunt a magistratibus quorum auxilio vis prohibita erat ut naves mitterent quae se prosequerentur.

[4] datae triremes duae cum ad Bagradam flumen pervenissent, unde castra Romana conspiciebantur, Carthaginem rediere.

[5] classis Punica ad Uticam stationem habebat. ex ea tres quadriremes, seu clam misso a Carthagine nuntio ut id fieret, seu Hasdrubale, qui classi praeerat, sine publica fraude auso facinus,

[6] quinqueremem Romanam superantem promunturium ex alto repente adgressae sunt. Sed neque rostro ferire celeritate subterlabentem ³ poterant, neque transilire armati ex humilioribus in altiorem navem, et defendebatur egregie, quoad tela suppeditarunt.

[7] quis deficientibus iam nulla alia res eam quam propinquitas terrae multitudoque a castris in litus effusa tueri potuit. ⁴

[8] concitatam enim remis quanto maximo impetu poterant in terram cum immisissent, navis tantum iactura facta, incolumes ipsi evaserunt.

[9] ita alio super aliud scelere cum haud dubie indutiae ruptae essent, Laelius Fulviusque ab Roma cum legatis Carthaginiensibus supervenerunt.

[10] Quibus Scipio, etsi non indutiarum fides modo a ⁵ Carthaginiensibus, sed ius etiam gentium in legatis violatum esset, tamen se nihil nec institutis populi Romani nec suis moribus indignum in iis facturum esse cum dixisset, dimissis legatis bellum parabat.

[11] Hannibali iam terrae adpropinquanti iussus e nauticis unus ⁶ escendere in malum, ut specularetur quam tenerent regionem,

[12] cum dixisset sepulchrum dirutum proram spectare, abominatus praetervehi iusso gubernatore ad Leptim adpulit classem atque ibi copias exposuit.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 30.25 focus

[1]

The ambassadors had not as yet returned from Rome, nor was it known whether the Roman senate had pronounced in favour of peace or war; nor as yet had the period of the truce expired.

[2] Scipio, therefore, considering that the malignity of their offence was heightened by the fact, that, though they had solicited peace and a truce, they had cut off all hopes of the former and violated the latter, immediately despatched Lucius Baebius, Lucius Sergius, and Lucius Fabius, as ambassadors to Carthage.

[3] These, having narrowly escaped violence from the assembled multitude, and perceiving that they would be exposed to similar danger on their return, requested of the magistrates, by whose aid they had been protected from violence, to send ships to escort them.

[4] Two triremes were assigned them, which, when they had come to the river Bagradas, whence the Roman camp could be seen, returned to Carthage.

[5] The Carthaginian fleet was stationed at Utica, and from this three quadriremes were despatched, which suddenly attacked the Roman quinquereme from the main sea, while doubling the promontory, either owing to a message sent from Carthage that this should be done, or that Hasdrubal, who commanded the fleet, perpetrated the atrocity without public connivance.

[6] But neither could they strike it with their beaks from the rapidity with which it evaded them, nor could the fighting men board the higher from lower vessels.

[7] The quinquereme was gallantly defended as long as their weapons lasted; but these failing, and there being now nothing which could save them but the nearness of the land, and the multitude which had poured out from the camp upon the shore, they communicated

[8] a rapid motion to the vessel by means of their oars, and running her against the shore with all the force they could, they escaped themselves without injury, and only lost the vessel.

[9] Thus when the truce had been unequivocally violated by repeated acts of villany, Laelius and Fulvius arrived from Rome with the Carthaginian ambassadors.

[10] Scipio told them, that although the Carthaginians had not only broken their faith pledged in the truce, but had also violated the laws of nations in the persons of his ambassadors, yet he would not in their case do any thing unworthy of the maxims of the Roman people or his own principles; after saying which, he dismissed the ambassadors and prepared for war.

[11] When Hannibal was now drawing near land, one of the sailors, who was ordered to climb the mast to see what part of the country they were making, said the prow pointed towards a demolished

[12] sepulchre, when Hannibal, recognising the inauspicious omen, ordered the pilot to steer by that place, and putting in his fleet at Leptis, landed his forces there.

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.) — 30.25 focus

[1]

The envoys had not yet come back from Rome, and it was not known whether the senate had decided for peace or for war.

[2] What did most to arouse Scipio's indignation was the fact that all hopes of peace were destroyed and all respect for the truce flouted by the very men who had asked for a truce and were suing for peace. He at once sent L. Baebius, M. Servilius and L. Fabius to Carthage to protest.

[3] As they were in danger of ill-treatment from the mob and saw that they might be prevented from returning, they requested the magistrates who had protected them from violence to send ships to escort them.

[4] Two triremes were supplied to them, and when they reached the mouth of the Bagradas, from which the Roman camp was visible, the ships returned to Carthage.

[5] The Carthaginian fleet was lying off Utica, and whether it was in consequence of a secret message from Carthage, or whether Hanno, who was in command, acted on his own responsibility without the connivance of his government, in any case, three quadriremes from the fleet made a sudden attack upon the Roman quinquereme as it was rounding the promontory.

[6] They were, however, unable to ram it owing to its superior speed, and its greater height prevented any attempt to board it.

[7] As long as the missiles lasted, the quinquereme made a brilliant defence, but when these failed nothing could have saved it but the nearness of the land and the numbers of men who had come down from the camp to the shore to watch.

[8] The rowers drove the ships on to the beach with their utmost strength; the vessel was wrecked, but the passengers escaped uninjured. Thus, by one misdeed after another, all doubt was removed as to the truce having been broken when Laelius and the Carthaginians arrived on their return from Rome.

[9] Scipio informed them that in spite of the fact that the Carthaginians had broken not only the truce which they

[10] had pledged themselves to observe, but even the law of nations in their treatment of the envoys, he should himself take no action in their case which would be inconsistent with the traditional maxims of Rome or contrary to his own principles. He then dismissed them and prepared to resume operations.

[11] Hannibal was now nearing the land and he ordered a sailor to climb the mast and find out what part of the country they were making for. The man reported that they were heading for a ruined sepulchre.

[12] Hannibal regarding it as an evil omen ordered the pilot to sail past the place and brought up the fleet at Leptis, where he disembarked his force.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. Cf. xvi. 15 and note; also Appian Pun. 34; Dio Cass. frag. 57. 74 f.; Zonaras IX. xiii. 8. All these place ratification of the treaty after Hannibal had left Italy. Cf. Gsell III. 248.

2. B.C. 203

3. Now the Medjerda, principal river of Tunisia, 300 miles long but not navigable. See p. 344, n. 1 for the great changes in its lower course as the bay has silted up. The ancient mouth was half-way between Carthage and Utica.

4. At the north-east end of the long ridge upon which lay the camp, later called Castra Cornelia. Cf. p. 347, n. 1. Perhaps Livy is wrong in thinking the ship was beached on the less favourable west side; Gsell III. 250, n. 1. The Punic fleet was no farther away than Rusucmon (Porto Farina; x. 9); Appian Pun. 34.

5. Primarily the envoys, but also some of the crew; Polybius XV. ii. 15; of. Appian l.c. fin.

6. B.C. 203

7. In Polybius iv. 9 Scipio was absent, and Baebius, being left in command, carried out orders from the general.

8. On the east coast of Tunisia; Leptis Minor (or Lepti Minus) to distinguish it from Leptis Magna in Tripolitania. Cf. p. 308, n. 1. It was now probably autumn.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 30.25

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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