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), 30.28

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[1]

Meanwhile hope and anxiety alike were increasing from day to day, and men could not quite make up their minds whether it was a fit subject for rejoicing that Hannibal, retiring from Italy after sixteen years, had left the Roman people free to take possession ¹ of it, and not rather a ground for apprehension that he had crossed over to Africa with his army intact.

[2] The place doubtless had been changed, they thought, not the danger. Foretelling that mighty conflict Quintus Fabius, recently deceased, had often predicted, not without reason, that in his own land Hannibal would be a more terrible enemy than in a foreign country.

[3] And Scipio would have to deal neither with Syphax, king of a land of untrained barbarians, for whom Statorius, ² who was little more than a sutler, commonly commanded his armies, nor with the father-in-law of Syphax, Hasdrubal, a general very swift in flight, nor with irregular armies suddenly raised from a half-armed mob of rustics.

[4] Rather would he have to do with Hannibal, who had been ³ born, one might almost say, at the headquarters of his father, the bravest of generals, had been reared and brought up in the midst of arms; ⁴

[5] who even in boyhood was a soldier, in earliest manhood a general; who, ageing ⁵ as a victor, had filled the Spanish and Gallic lands and Italy from the Alps to the Straits with the evidence of his mighty deeds. He was in command of an army whose campaigns equalled his own in number; was toughened by enduring such hardships as one could scarcely believe human beings had endured; had been spattered with Roman blood a thousand times and carried the spoils, not of soldiers only but also of generals.

[6] Many men who would encounter Scipio in battle had with their own hands slain Roman praetors, generals-in-command, consuls; had been decorated with crowns for bravery in scaling city-walls and camp defences; ⁶ had wandered through captured camps, captured cities of the Romans.

[7] All the magistrates of the Roman people did not at that time have so many fasces as Hannibal was able to have borne before him, having captured them from fallen generals. ⁷

[8] By brooding over such terrifying thoughts men were adding to their own anxieties and fears, for another reason too: whereas year after year it had been their habit to carry on a war before their eyes in one part and then in another of Italy, with hope deferred and looking to no immediate end of the conflict, all men's interest

[9] was now intensified by Scipio and Hannibal, as it were, pitted against each other for the final combat.

[10] Even in the case of those ⁸ who had great confidence in Scipio and high hope of victory, the more their minds were bent upon immediate victory the more intense were their anxieties.

[11] Not unlike were the feelings of the Carthaginians, who at one moment, when they thought of Hannibal and the greatness of his achievements, regretted having sued for peace, at another moment, on reflecting that they had been twice defeated in battle, 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.) — 30.28 focus

[1] inter haec simul spes simul cura in dies crescebat, nec satis certum constare apud animos poterat, utrum gaudio dignius esset Hannibalem post sextum decimum annum ex Italia decedentem vacuam possessionem eius reliquisse populo Romano, an magis metuendum, quod incolumi exercitu in Africam transisset:

[2] locum nimirum, non periculum mutatum; cuius tantae dimicationis vatem, qui nuper decessisset, Q. Fabium baud haud frustra canere solitum graviorem in sua terra futurum hostem Hannibalem, quam in aliena fuisset.

[3] nec Scipioni aut cum Syphace, inconditae barbariae rege, cui Statorius semilixa docere exercitus solitus sit, aut cum socero eius Hasdrubale, fugacissimo duce, rem futuram aut tumultuariis exercitibus ex agrestium semermi turba subito conlectis, sed cum Hannibale,

[4] prope nato in praetorio patris, fortissimi ducis, alito atque educato inter arma, puero quondam milite,

[5] vixdum iuvene imperatore, qui senex vincendo factus Hispanias, Gallias, Italiam ab Alpibus ad fretum monumentis ingentium rerum complesset. ducere exercitum aequalem stipendiis suis, duratum omnium rerum patientia, quas vix fides fiat homines passos, perfusum miliens cruore Romano, exuvias non militum tantum sed etiam imperatorum portantem.

[6] multos occursuros Scipioni in acie, qui praetores, qui imperatores, qui consules Romanos manu sua occidissent, muralibus vallaribusque insignes coronis, pervagatos capta castra, captas urbes Romanas.

[7] non esse hodie tot fasces magistratibus populi Romani, quot captos ex caede imperatorum prae se ferre posset Hannibal. has formidines agitando animis ipsi curas et metus augebant,

[8] etiam quod, cum adsuessent per aliquot annos bellum ante oculos aliis atque aliis in Italiae partibus lenta spe in nullum propinquum debellandi finem gerere, erexerant omnium animos Scipio et Hannibal, velut ad supremum certamen comparati duces.

[9] eis quoque, quibus erat ingens in Scipione fiducia et victoriae spes, quo magis in propinquam eam imminebant animis, eo curae intentiores erant. baud haud dispar habitus animorum Carthaginiensibus erat,

[10] quos modo petisse pacem, intuentes Hannibalem ac rerum gestarum eius magnitudinem, paenitebat, modo, cum respicerent bis sese acie victos,

[11] Syphacem captur, pulsos se Hispania, pulsos Italia, atque ea omnia unius virtute et consilio Scipionis facta, velut fatalem eum ducem in exitium suum natum horrebant.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 30.28 focus

[1]

inter haec simul spes simul cura in dies crescebat nec satis certum constare apud animos poterat utrum gaudio dignius esset Hannibalem post sextum decimum annum ex Italia decedentem uacuam possessionem eius reliquisse populo Romano, an magis metuendum quod incolumi exercitu in Africam transisset:

[2] locum nimirum non periculum mutatum; cuius tantae dimicationis uatem qui nuper decessisset Q. Fabium haud frustra canere solitum grauiorem in sua terra futurum hostem Hannibalem quam in aliena fuisset.

[3] nec Scipioni aut cum Syphace inconditae barbariae rege, cui Statorius semilixa ducere exercitus solitus sit, aut cum socero eius Hasdrubale fugacissimo duce rem futuram, aut tumultuariis exercitibus ex agrestium semermi turba subito conlectis,

[4] sed cum Hannibale, prope nato in praetorio patris fortissimi ducis, alito atque educato inter arma, puero quondam milite, uixdum iuuene imperatore,

[5] qui senex uincendo factus Hispanias Gallias Italiam ab Alpibus ad fretum monumentis ingentium rerum complesset. ducere exercitum aequalem stipendiis suis, duratum omnium rerum patientia quas uix fides fiat homines passos, perfusum miliens cruore Romano, exuuias non militum tantum sed etiam imperatorum portantem.

[6] multos occursuros Scipioni in acie qui praetores, qui imperatores, qui consules Romanos sua manu occidissent, muralibus uallaribusque insignes coronis, peruagatos capta castra captas urbes Romanas.

[7] non esse hodie tot fasces magistratibus populi Romani quot captos ex caede imperatorum prae se ferre posset Hannibal.

[8] has formidines agitando animis ipsi curas et metus augebant, etiam quod, cum adsuessent per aliquot annos bellum ante oculos aliis atque aliis in Italiae partibus lenta spe in nullum propinquum debellandi finem gerere, erexerant omnium animos Scipio et Hannibal uelut ad supremum certamen comparati duces.

[9] iis quoque quibus erat ingens in Scipione fiducia et uictoriae spes quo magis in propinquam eam imminebant animis eo curae intentiores erant.

[10] haud dispar habitus animorum Carthaginiensibus erat quos modo petisse pacem, intuentes Hannibalem ac rerum gestarum eius magnitudinem,

[11] paenitebat, modo cum respicerent bis sese acie uictos, Syphacem captum, pulsos se Hispania, pulsos Italia, atque ea omnia unius uirtute et consilio Scipionis facta, uelut fatalem eum ducem in exitium suum natum horrebant.

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).) — 30.28 focus

[1]

inter haec simul spes simul cura in dies crescebat, nec satis certum constare apud animos ¹ poterat utrum gaudio dignius ² esset Hannibalem post sextum decimum annum ex Italia decedentem vacuam possessionem eius reliquisse populo Romano, an magis metuendum quod incolumi exercitu in Africam transisset:

[2] locum nimirum, non periculum mutatum; cuius tantae dimicationis vatem, qui nuper decessisset, Q. Fabium haud frustra canere solitum graviorem in sua terra futurum hostem Hannibalem quam in aliena fuisset.

[3] nec Scipioni aut cum Syphace, inconditae barbariae rege, cui Statorius semilixa ducere ³ exercitus solitus sit, aut cum socero eius Hasdrubale, fugacissimo duce, rem futuram aut cum ⁴ tumultuariis exercitibus ex agrestium semermi turba subito conlectis,

[4] sed cum Hannibale, prope nato in ⁵ praetorio patris, fortissimi ducis, alito atque educato inter arma, puero quondam milite, vixdum iuvene imperatore,

[5] qui senex vincendo factus Hispanias, Gallias, Italiam ab Alpibus ad fretum monumentis ingentium rerum complesset. ducere⁶ exercitum aequalem stipendiis suis, duratum omnium rerum patientia quas vix fides fiat homines passes, perfusum miliens cruore Romano, exuvias non militum tantum, ⁷ sed etiam imperatorum portantem.

[6] multos occursuros Scipioni in acie qui praetores, qui imperatores, ⁸ qui consules Romanos sua manu ⁹ occidissent, muralibus vallaribusque insignes coronis, pervagatos capta castra, captas urbes Romanas.

[7] non esse hodie tot fasces magistratibus populi Romani, quot captos ex caede imperatorum prae se ferre posset Hannibal.

[9] eis quoque quibus erat ingens in Scipione ¹⁰ fiducia et victoriae spes, quo magis in propinquam eam imminebant animis, eo curae intentiores erant. ¹¹

[10] haud dispar habitus animorum Carthaginiensibus erat, quos modo petisse pacem, intuentes Hannibalem ac rerum gestarum eius magnitudinem, paenitebat, modo,

[11] cum respicerent bis sese acie victos, Syphacem captum, pulsos se Hispania, pulsos Italia, atque ea omnia unius virtute et consilio Scipionis facta, velut fatalem eum ducem in exitium suum natum horrebant.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 30.28 focus

[1]

Meanwhile, hope and anxiety daily and simultaneously increased; nor could the minds of men be brought to any fixed conclusion, whether it was a fit subject for rejoicing, that Hannibal had now at length, after the sixteenth year, departed from Italy, and left the Romans in the unmolested possession of it, or whether they had not greater cause to fear, from his having transported his army in safety into Africa.

[2] They said that the scene of action certainly was changed, but not the danger. That Quintus Fabius, lately deceased, who had foretold how arduous the contest would be, was used to predict, not without good reason, that Hannibal would prove a more formidable enemy in his own country than he had been in a foreign one;

[3] and that Scipio would have to encounter not Syphax, a king of undisciplined barbarians, whose armies Statorius, a man little better than a soldier's drudge, was used to lead; nor his father-in-law, Hasdrubal, that most fugacious general;

[4] nor tumultuary armies hastily collected out of a crowd of half-armed rustics, but Hannibal, born in a manner in the pavilion of his father, that bravest of generals, nurtured and educated in the midst of arms, who served as a soldier formerly, when a boy, and became a general when he had scarcely attained the age of manhood;

[5] who, having grown old in victory, had filled Spain, Gaul, and Italy, from the Alps to the strait, with monuments of his vast achievements; who commanded troops who had served as long as he had himself; troops hardened by the endurance of every species of suffering, such as it is scarcely credible that men could have supported; stained a thousand times with Roman blood, and bearing with them the spoils not only of soldiers but of generals.

[6] That many would meet the eyes of Scipio in battle who had with their own hands slain Roman praetors, generals, and consuls; many decorated with crowns, in reward for having scaled walls and crossed ramparts; many who had traversed the captured camps and cities of the Romans.

[7] That the magistrates of the Roman people had not then so many fasces as Hannibal could have carried before him, having taken them from generals whom he had slain.

[8] While their minds were harassed by these apprehensions, their anxiety and fears were further increased from the circumstance, that, whereas they had been accustomed to carry on war for several years, in different parts of Italy, and within their view, with languid hopes, and without the prospect of bringing it to a speedy termination, Scipio and Hannibal had stimulated the minds of all, as generals prepared for a final contest.

[9] Even those persons whose confidence in Scipio and hopes of victory were great, were affected with anxiety, increasing in proportion as they saw their completion approaching.

[10] The state of feeling among the Carthaginians was much the same; for, when they turned their eyes on Hannibal, and the greatness of his achievements, they repented having solicited peace;

[11] but when again they reflected that they had been twice defeated in a pitched battle, that Syphax had been made prisoner, that they had been driven out of Spain and Italy, and that all this had been effected by the valour and conduct of Scipio alone, they regarded him with horror, as a general marked out by destiny, and born, for their destruction.

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.) — 30.28 focus

[1]

All through this time there was a growing tension of feeling, hopes and fears alike were becoming stronger. Men could not make up their minds whether they had more to rejoice over in the fact that at the end of sixteen years Hannibal had finally evacuated Italy and left the unchallenged possession of it to Rome, or more to fear from his having landed in Africa with his military strength unimpaired.

[2] "The seat of danger," they said, "is changed, but not the danger itself. Quintus Fabius, who has just died, foretold how great the struggle would be when he declared in oracular tones that Hannibal would be a more formidable foe in his own country than he had been on alien soil.

[3] Scipio has not to do with Syphax, whose subjects are undisciplined barbarians and whose army was generally led by Statorius, who was little more than a camp menial, nor with Syphax's elusive father-in-law, Hasdrubal nor with a half-armed mob of peasants hastily collected from the fields.

[4] It is Hannibal whom he has to meet, who was all but born in the headquarters of his father, that bravest of generals; reared and brought up in the midst of arms, a soldier whilst still a boy, and when hardly out of his teens in high command.

[5] He has passed the prime of his manhood in victory after victory and has filled Spain and Gaul and Italy from the Alps to the southern sea with memorials of mighty deeds. The men he is leading are his contemporaries in arms, steeled by innumerable hardships such as it is hardly credible that men can have gone through, bespattered, times without number, with Roman blood, laden with spoils stripped from the bodies, not of common soldiers only, but even of commanders-in-chief.

[6] Scipio will meet many on the field of battle who with their own hands have slain the praetors, the commanders, the consuls of Rome, and who are now decorated with mural and vallarian wreaths after roaming at will through the camps and cities of Rome which they captured.

[7] All the fasces borne before Roman magistrates today are not so many in number as those which Hannibal might have had borne before him, taken on the field of battle when the commander-in-chief was slain."

[8] By dwelling on such gloomy prognostications they increased their fears and anxieties. And there was another ground for apprehension. They had been accustomed to seeing war going on first in one part of Italy and then in another without much hope of its being soon brought to a close. Now, however, all thoughts were turned on Scipio and Hannibal, they seemed as though purposely pitted against each other for a final and decisive struggle.

[9] Even those who felt the greatest confidence in Scipio and entertained the strongest hopes that he would be victorious became more nervous and anxious as they realised that the fateful hour was approaching. The Carthaginians were in a very similar mood.

[10] When they thought of Hannibal and the greatness of the deeds he had done they regretted that they had sued for peace, but when they reflected that they had been twice worsted in the open

[11] field, that Syphax was a prisoner, that they had been driven out of Spain and then out of Italy, and that all this was the result of one man's resolute courage, and that man Scipio, they dreaded him as though he had been destined from his birth to be their ruin.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. I.e. to recover that title to Italian soil which Hannibal had in a way acquired by occupying it for more years than were needed to acquire a title by usucapio. Cf. XXII. xliv. 6.

2. Cf. XXIV. xlviii. 9, 11 f.

3. B.C. 202

4. Cf. XXI. xliii. 15.

5. Slightly exaggerated, as in xxx. 10, but for the sake of a climax. He was only 45 ( senior strictly, rather than senex ); xxxvii. 9; over 45 says Polybius, XV. xix. 3.

6. For the corona muralis cf. Vol. VI. p. 60, n. 2; XXVI. xlviii. 5. The corona vallaris (or castrensis ) represented earthworks of a camp. Cf. X. xlvi. 3; Gellius V. vi. 16 f.

7. Coelius pretended to know the exact number of fasces captured by Hannibal, viz. 72; Nonius X. p. 818 L.

8. B.C. 202

9. One defeat was obviously that on the Campi Magni; viii. 3-9; the other may be that of Hanno's cavalry in

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 30.28

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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