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), 30.29

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[2] ¹ that Syphax had been captured, that they had been driven out of Spain, driven out of Italy, and all this accomplished by the courage and strategy of Scipio alone, they dreaded him as a predestined commander, born to work their destruction.

XXIX. By this time Hannibal had reached Hadrumetum. ²

From there, after he had spent a few days that his soldiers might recuperate from sea-sickness, he was called away by alarming news brought by men who reported that all the country round Carthage was occupied by armed forces, and he hastened ³ to Zama by forced marches. Zama ⁴ is distant five day's marches

[3] from Carthage. Scouts ⁵ who had been sent in advance from that position were captured and brought before Scipio by their

[4] Roman guards. Thereupon he turned them over to a tribune of the soldiers, and bidding them go and see everything without fear, he ordered them to be led about the camp wherever they wished to go; and after questioning them as to whether they had examined everything quite at their leisure, he sent them back to Hannibal, furnishing men to

[5] escort them. ⁶ Hannibal did not indeed hear with joy any of the reports of his scouts, for they reported that Masinissa had also arrived that very day, as it happened, with six thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry. But he was particularly dismayed by the enemy's confidence, which surely seemed to be not

[6] without foundation. Consequently, although he was himself at once the cause of the war and by his coming the breaker of a truce already arranged and of a prospective treaty as well, nevertheless, thinking that fairer terms could be obtained if he should sue for peace while his army was intact, rather than after defeat, he sent a messenger to Scipio, requesting that he grant the privilege of a conference

[7] with him. Whether he did so on his own responsibility or that of the state, I have no means of deciding either this way

[8] or that. Valerius Antias ⁷ relates that he was defeated by Scipio in their first engagement, ⁸ in which twelve thousand soldiers were slain in battle and seventeen hundred captured; and that as an envoy with ten other envoys Hannibal came to Scipio in his camp.

[9] To resume, once Scipio had assented to the conference, both generals by agreement advanced the position of their camps, so that their meeting might be at a short distance. Scipio established himself not far from the city of Naraggara, ⁹ in a situation otherwise favourable, but particularly because water was to be had within the range

[10] of a javelin. Hannibal occupied a hill four miles away, safe and convenient otherwise, except that one had to go far for water. Half-way between them a spot was chosen which was visible from all sides, that there might be no ambuscades.

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.) — 30.29 focus

[1] iam Hadrumetum pervenerat Hannibal, unde, ad reficiendum ex iactatione maritima militem paucis diebus sumptis, excitus pavidis nuntiis omnia circa Carthaginem obtineri armis adferentium, magnis itineribus Zamam contendit.

[2] Zama quinque dierum iter ab Carthagine abest. inde praemissi speculatores cum excepti ab custodibus Romanis deducti ad Scipionem essent, traditos eos tribunos militum iussosque omisso metu visere omnia per castra, qua vellent, circumduci iussit;

[3] percunctatusque, satin’ per commodum omnia explorassent, datis, qui prosequerentur, retro ad Hannibalem dimisit.

[4] Hannibal nihil quidem eorum, quae nuntiabantur — nam et Masinissam cum sex milibus peditum, quattuor equitum venisse eo ipso forte die adferebant — , laeto animo audivit, maxime hostis fiducia audaciaque, non de nihilo profecto concepta, perculsus est.

[5] itaque quamquam et ipse causa belli erat et adventu sua turbaverat et pactas indutias et spem foederum, tamen, si integer quam si victus peteret pacem, aequiora impetrari posse ratus, nuntium ad Scipionem misit, ut conloquendi secum potestatem faceret.

[6] id utrum sua sponte fecerit an publico consilio, neutrum cur adfirmem habeo.

[7] Valerius Antias primo proelio victum eum ab Scipione, quo duodecim milia armatorum in acie sint caesa, mille et septingenti capti, legatum cum aliis decem legatis tradit in castra ad Scipionem venisse.

[8] ceterum Scipio cum conloquium haud abnuisset, ambo ex composite duces castra protulerunt, ut coire ex propinquo possent.

[9] Scipio baud haud procul Naraggara urbe, cum ad cetera loco opportuno tum quod aquatio intra teli coniectum erat, consedit.

[10] Hannibal tumulum a quattuor milibus inde, tutum commodumque alioqui, nisi quod longinquae aquationis erat, cepit. ibi in medio locus conspectus undique, ne quid insidiarum esset, delectus.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 30.29 focus

[1]

iam Hadrumetum peruenerat Hannibal; unde, ad reficiendum ex iactatione maritima militem paucis diebus sumptis, excitus pauidis nuntiis omnia circa Carthaginem obtineri armis adferentium magnis itineribus Zamam contendit.—Zama quinque dierum iter ab Carthagine abest.

[2] — inde praemissi speculatores cum excepti ab custodibus Romanis deducti ad Scipionem essent, traditos eos tribuno militum, iussosque omisso metu uisere omnia, per castra qua uellent circumduci iussit;

[3] percontatusque satin per commodum omnia explorassent, datis qui prosequerentur retro ad Hannibalem dimisit.

[4] Hannibal nihil quidem eorum quae nuntiabantur—nam et Masinissam cum sex milibus peditum quattuor equitum uenisse eo ipso forte die adferebant—laeto animo audiuit, maxime hostis fiducia, quae non de nihilo profecto concepta esset, perculsus.

[5] itaque quamquam et ipse causa belli erat et aduentu suo turbauerat et pactas indutias et spem foederum, tamen si integer quam si uictus peteret pacem aequiora impetrari posse ratus, nuntium ad Scipionem misit ut conloquendi secum potestatem faceret.

[6] —id utrum sua sponte fecerit an publico consilio, neutrum cur adfirmem habeo.

[7] Ualerius Antias primo proelio uictum eum ab Scipione, quo duodecim milia armatorum in acie sint caesa, mille et septingenti capti, legatum cum aliis decem legatis tradit in castra ad Scipionem uenisse.

[8] ceterum Scipio cum conloquium haud abnuisset, ambo ex composito duces castra protulerunt ut coire ex propinquo possent.

[9] Scipio haud procul Naraggara urbe cum ad cetera loco opportuno tum quod aquatio intra teli coniectum erat consedit.

[10] Hannibal tumulum a quattuor milibus inde, tutum commodumque alioqui nisi quod longinquae aquationis erat, cepit. ibi in medio locus conspectus undique ne quid insidiarum esset delectus.

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).) — 30.29 focus

[1]

iam Hadrumetum pervenerat ¹ Hannibal; unde, ad reficiendum ex iactatione maritima militem paucis diebus sumptis, excitus pavidis nuntiis omnia circa Carthaginem obtineri armis adferentium, magnis itineribus Zamam contendit.

[2] Zama quinque dierum iter ab Carthagine abest. inde praemissi speculatores ² cum excepti ab custodibus Romanis deducti ad Scipionem essent, traditos eos tribuno ³ militum, iussosque omisso metu visere omnia, per castra qua vellent circumduci iussit;

[3] percunctatusque satin ⁴ per commodum ⁵ omnia explorassent, datis qui prosequerentur, retro ad Hannibalem dimisit.

[4] Hannibal nihil quidem eorum quae nuntiabantur—nam et Masinissam cum sex milibus peditum, quattuor equitum venisse eo ipso forte die adferebant—, laeto animo audivit, ⁶ maxime hostis fiducia, quae ⁷ non de nihilo profecto concepta esset, perculsus. ⁸

[5] itaque quamquam et ipse causa belli erat et adventu suo turbaverat et pactas indutias et spem foederum, tamen, si integer quam si victus peteret pacem, aequiora ⁹ impetrari posse ratus, nuntium ad Scipionem misit, ut conloquendi secum potestatem faceret.

[6] id utrum sua sponte fecerit an publico consilio, neutrum cur adfirmem habeo.

[7] Valerius Antias primo proelio victum eum ab Scipione, quo duodecim ¹⁰ milia armatorum in acie sint ¹¹ caesa, mille et septingenti capti, legatum cum aliis decem legatis tradit in castra ad Scipionem venisse.

[8] ceterum Scipio cum conloquium haud abnuisset, ambo ex composito duces castra protulerunt, ut coire ex propinquo possent.

[9] Scipio haud procul Naraggara ¹² urbe, cum ad cetera loco opportune tum quod aquatio intra teli coniectum erat, consedit.

[10] Hannibal tumulum a quattuor milibus inde, tutum commodumque alioqui, nisi quod longinquae aquationis erat, cepit. Ibi in medio locus conspectus undique, ne quid insidiarum esset, delectus.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 30.29 focus

[1]

Hannibal had by this time arrived at Adrumetum; from which place, after employing a few days there in refreshing his soldiers, who had suffered from the motion by sea, he proceeded by forced marches to Zama, roused by the alarming statements of messengers, who brought word, that all the country around Carthage was filled with armed troops.

[2] Zama is distant from Carthage a five days' journey. Some spies, whom he sent out from this place, being intercepted by the Roman guard, and brought before Scipio, he directed that they should be handed over to the military tribunes, and, after having been desired fearlessly to survey every thing, to be conducted through the camp wherever they chose;

[3] then, asking them whether they had examined every thing to their satisfaction, he assigned them an escort, and sent them back to Hannibal.

[4] Hannibal received none of the circumstances which were reported to him with feelings of joy; for they brought word that, as it happened, Masinissa had joined the enemy that very day, with six thousand infantry and four thousand horse; but he was principally dispirited by the confidence of his enemy, which, doubtless, was not conceived without some ground.

[5] Accordingly, though he himself was the originator of the war, and by his coming had upset the truce which had been entered into, and cut off all hopes of a treaty, yet concluding that more favourable terms might be obtained if he solicited peace while his strength was unimpaired, than when vanquished, he sent a message to Scipio, requesting permission to confer with him.

[6] I have no means of affirming whether he did this on his own spontaneous suggestion, or by the advice of his state.

[7] Valerius Antias says, that after having been beaten by Scipio in a battle, in which twelve thousand armed men were slain, and one thousand seven hundred made prisoners, he came himself with ten other deputies into the camp to Scipio.

[8] However, as Scipio did not decline the proposal for a conference, both the generals, by concert, brought their camps forward in order to facilitate their meeting by shortening the distance.

[9] Scipio took up his position not far from the city Naragara, in a situation convenient not only for other purposes, but also because there was a watering place within a dart's throw.

[10] Hannibal took possession of an eminence four miles thence, safe and convenient in every respect, except that he had a long way to go for water. Here, in the intermediate space, a place was chosen, open to view from all sides, that there might be no opportunity for treachery.

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.) — 30.29 focus

[1]

.Hannibal had reached Hadrumetum where he remained a few days for his men to recover from the effects of the voyage, when breathless couriers announced that all the country round Carthage was occupied by Roman arms. He at once hurried by forced marches to Zama. Zama is a five days' march from Carthage.

[2] The scouts whom he had sent forward to reconnoitre were captured by the Roman outposts and conducted to Scipio. Scipio placed them in charge of the military tribunes and gave orders for them to be taken round the camp where they were to look at everything they wished to see without fear.

[3] After asking them whether they had examined all to their satisfaction, he sent them back with an escort to Hannibal.

[4] The report they gave was anything but pleasant hearing for him, for as it happened Masinissa had on that very day come in with a force of 6000 infantry and 4000 cavalry. What gave him most uneasiness was the confidence of the enemy which he saw too clearly was not without good grounds.

[5] So, although he had been the cause of the war, though his arrival had upset the truce and diminished the hope of any peace being arranged, he still thought that he would be in a better position to obtain terms if he were to ask for peace while his strength was still unbroken than after a defeat. Accordingly he sent a request to Scipio to grant him an interview.

[6] Whether he did this on his own initiative or in obedience to the orders of his government I am unable to say definitely.

[7] Valerius Antius says that he was defeated by Scipio in the first battle with a loss of 12,000 killed and 1700 taken prisoners, and that after this he went in company with ten delegates to Scipio's camp.

[8] However this may be, Scipio did not refuse the proposed interview, and by common agreement the two commanders advanced their camps towards each other that they might meet more easily.

[9] Scipio took up his position not far from the city of Naragarra on ground which, in addition to other advantages, afforded a supply of water within range of missiles from the Roman lines.

[10] Hannibal selected some rising ground about four miles away, a safe and advantageous position, except that water had to be obtained from a distance. A spot was selected midway between the camps, which, to prevent any possibility of treachery, afforded a view on all sides.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. 1 xxxiv. 8-17. The surprise attack on two camps (v. 7 —vi. 9) made no use of an acies.

2. A Tyrian colony and the most important town in the region, now Sousse, 20 miles north-west of Leptis Minor (Lemta), where Hannibal had landed. But he immediately established his winter camp at Hadrumetum. Polybius cannot have failed to give the time and place of Hannibal's landing in lost chapters from the beginning of Book XV.; for he is in Africa already at iii. 5, if not at i. 10 f. It was now autumn, 203 B.C. He would not have risked a winter passage. Cf. De Sanctis 545 ff., 586 f.; Scullard 326 f.

3. If we could follow Livy here we should place the final battle within an incredibly short time after Hannibal's landing. That this was the case no one can believe after comparing the passage Livy must have had before him, or tried to recall, as he wrote our sentence. For Polybius'

after a few days

(v. 3) makes no connection with the landing, but merely with the receipt of an urgent message from Carthage. That may have come to him many months —even a year —after disembarkation. Hannibal would be the last to shorten the long preparation indispensable to the making of an army out of his heterogeneous forces.

4. Probably Zama Regia, ca. 90 m.p. due west of Hadrumetum (Sousse). An old Numidian city, it is now Seba Biar, on the edge of a plain just west of the long dorsal ridge extending from Cap Bon south-west some distance beyond Kasserine and Tebessa. Lying north of Maktar this city was a residence of Jugurtha (Sallust 56-61); strongly fortified by King Juba I.; Bell. Afr. 91 f., 97 (Caesar leaves Sallust there as proconsul); Vitruvius VIII. iii. 24. Captured by Sextius in 41 B.C. (Dio Cass. XLVIII. xxiii. 4), it long lay desolate (Strabo XVII. iii. 9, 12). Absence of ruins from the Empire shows that the city was not rebuilt. Polybius plainly indicates that the battle was considerably farther inland than Hannibal's first position at Zama (v. 14; vi. 2). Cf. p. 472, n. 1. For modern works and the controverted questions see Appendix.

5. B.C. 202

6. The story of the scouts is from Polybius XV. v. 4-7, as also the following figures for Masinissa's forces (§ 12).

7. Cf. xix. 11.

8. B.C. 202

9. Polybius' name for the place is Margaron, occurring nowhere else. It is accordingly altered by his editors to correspond with the better class of Livy MSS. —a bold correction, it must be admitted. The site of Naraggara is thought to be occupied by Sidi Youssef, on the boundary between Tunisia and Algeria. It was ca. 52 Roman miles west of Zama Regia. Cf. Appendix, esp. p. 547.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 30.29

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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