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), 30.33

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Section

← Previous Next →

[1]

However, he did not form cohorts ¹ in close contact, each in advance of its standards, but rather maniples at a considerable distance from each other, so that there should be an interval where the enemy's elephants might be driven through without breaking up the ranks.

[2] Laelius, whom he had previously had in his service as lieutenant, but in the present year as quaestor, assigned not by lot but by decree of the senate, ² was posted with the Italic cavalry on the left wing, Masinissa and the Numidians on the right.

[3] The open passages between the maniples of the front line troops Scipio filled with velites,³ the light-armed of that day, under orders that, upon the charge of the elephants, they should either flee behind the ranks in the line, or else dashing to right and left and closing up to the maniles in the van, should give the beasts an opening through which they might rush among missiles hurled from both sides.

[4] Hannibal in order to create a panic drew up his elephants in front, and there were eighty of them, a number he had never before had in any battle.

[5] Next in order he placed the Ligurian and Gallic auxiliaries in combination with Balearic and Mauretanian ⁴ troops; in the second line Carthaginians and Africans and the legion of Macedonians. ⁵

[6] Then, leaving a moderate interval, ⁶ he drew up a reserve line of Italic soldiers, most of these Bruttians, more of whom

[7] had followed him under compulsion and of necessity than of their own consent as he retired from Italy.

[8] As for the cavalry, he also placed them on the wings; the Carthaginians held the right wing, the Numidians the left.

In an army made up of so many men who had no language, no custom, no law, no arms, no clothing and general appearance in common, ⁷ nor the same reason for serving, exhortation took various forms.

[9] To the auxiliaries was offered pay in cash and greatly increased by a share in the booty. The Gauls had their own inbred hatred of the Romans fanned into flame.

[10] Ligurians were offered as an incentive to victory the rich plains of Italy, once they were brought down from their rugged mountains.

[11] Mauretanians and Numidians were frightened by Hannibal with the prospect of Masinissa's tyrannical rule. To different nations different hopes and fears were displayed. The Carthaginians' attention was called to the walls of their city, to household gods, tombs of ancestors, children and parents and terror-stricken wives, to destruction and servitude on the one hand, on the other to rule over the world, to the absence of any ground between the extremes of fear and hope.

[12] Just as the general was thus speaking among the Carthaginians, and the national leaders among their countrymen, mainly through interpreters, since foreigners were intermingled, trumpets

[13] and horns sounded on the Roman side, and such shouts were ⁸ raised that the elephants turned against their own men, especially against the left wing, the Mauretanians and Numidians. ⁹ Masinissa easily increased their panic and stripped that end of the line of its cavalry support.

[14] A few of the beasts, however, being fearlessly driven into the enemy, caused great losses among the ranks of the light-armed, though suffering many wounds themselves.

[15] For springing back to the maniples the light-armed made way for the elephants, to avoid being trampled down, and then would hurl their lances from both sides against the beasts doubly exposed to missiles. Nor was there any slackening in the javelins of the men in the front lines until these elephants also, driven out of the Roman line and into their own men by missiles showered upon them from all sides, put the right wing, even the Carthaginian cavalry, to flight.

[16] Laelius, on seeing the enemy in confusion, increased their panic.

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.) — 30.33 focus

[1] non confertas autem cohortes ante sua quamque signa instruebat, sed manipulos aliquantum inter se distantes, ut esset spatium, qua elephanti hostium acti nihil ordines turbarent.

[2] Laelium, cuius ante legati, eo anno quaestoris extra sortem ex senatus consulto opera utebatur, cum Italico equitatu ab sinistro cornu, Masinissam Numidasque ab dextro opposuit.

[3] vias patentes inter manipulos antesignanorum velitibus — ea tunc levis armatura erat — complevit, dato praecepto, ut ad impetum elephantorum aut post directos refugerent ordines aut in dextram laevamque discursu applicantes se antesignanis viam, qua inruerent in ancipitia tela, beluis darent.

[4] Hannibal ad terrorem primos elephantos — octoginta autem erant, quot nulla umquam in acie ante habuerat — instruxit,

[5] deinde auxilia Ligurum Gallorumque Baliaribus Manrisque Maurisque admixtis; in secunda acie Carthaginienses Afrosque et Macedonum legionem;

[6] modico deinde intervallo relicto subsidiariam aciem Italicorum militum — Bruttii plerique erant, vi ac necessitate plures quam sua voluntate decedentem ex Italia secuti — instruxit.

[7] equitatum et ipse circumdedit cornibus; dextrum Carthaginienses, sinistrum Numidae tenuerunt. Varia adhortatio erat in exercitu inter tot homines,

[8] quibus non lingua, non mos, non lex, non arma, non vestitus habitusque, non causa militandi eadem esset. auxiliaribus

[9] et praesens et multiplicata ex praeda merces ostentatur; Galli proprio atque insito in Romanos odio accenduntur; Liguribus campi uberes Italiae deductis ex asperrimis montibus in spem victoriae ostentantur;

[10] Mauros Numidasque Masinissae inpotenti futuro dominatu terret;

[11] aliis aliae spes ac metus iactantur. Carthaginiensibus moenia patriae, di penates, sepulcra maiorum, liberi cum parentibus coniugesque pavidae, aut excidium servitiumque aut imperium orbis terrarum, nihil aut in metum aut in spem medium, ostentatur. cum maxime haec imperator apud Carthaginienses,

[12] duces suarum gentium inter populares, pleraque per interpretes inter immixtos alienigenas agerent, tubae cornuaque ab Romanis cecinerunt, tantusque clamor ortus,

[13] ut elephanti in suos, sinistrum maxime cornu, verterentur, Mauros ac Numidas. addidit facile Masinissa perculsis terrorem nudavitque ab ea parte aciem equestri auxilio.

[14] paucae tamen bestiarum intrepidae in hostem actae inter velitum ordines cum multis suis vulneribus ingentem stragem edebant.

[15] resilientes enim ad manipulos velites, cum viam elephantis, ne obtererentur, fecissent, in ancipites ad ictum utrimque coniciebant hastas,

[16] nec pila ab antesignanis cessabant, donec undique incidentibus telis exacti ex Romana acie hi quoque in suos dextrum cornu, ipsos Carthaginienses equites, in fugam verterunt. Laelius ut turbatos vidit hostes, addidit perculsis terrorem.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 30.33 focus

[1]

non confertas autem cohortes ante sua quamque signa instruebat sed manipulos aliquantum inter se distantes ut esset spatium qua elephanti hostium acti nihil ordines turbarent.

[2] Laelium, cuius ante legati, eo anno quaestoris extra sortem ex senatus consulto opera utebatur, cum Italico equitatu ab sinistro cornu, Masinissam Numidasque ab dextro opposuit.

[3] uias patentes inter manipulos antesignanorum uelitibus—ea tunc leuis armatura erat—compleuit, dato praecepto ut ad impetum elephantorum aut post directos refugerent ordines aut in dextram laeuamque discursu applicantes se antesignanis uiam qua inruerent in ancipitia tela beluis darent.

[4] Hannibal ad terrorem primos elephantos—octoginta autem erant, quot nulla unquam in acie ante habuerat— instruxit, deinde auxilia Ligurum Gallorumque, Baliaribus Maurisque admixtis:

[5] in secunda acie Carthaginienses Afrosque et Macedonum legionem:

[6] modico deinde interuallo relicto subsidiariam aciem Italicorum militum—Bruttii plerique erant, ui ac necessitate plures quam sua uoluntate decedentem ex Italia secuti—instruxit.

[7] equitatum et ipse circumdedit cornibus; dextrum Carthaginienses, sinistrum Numidae tenuerunt.

[8] uaria adhortatio erat in exercitu inter tot homines quibus non lingua, non mos, non lex, non arma, non uestitus habitusque, non causa militandi eadem esset.

[9] auxiliaribus et praesens et multiplicata ex praeda merces ostentatur: Galli proprio atque insito in Romanos odio accenduntur: Liguribus campi uberes Italiae deductis ex asperrimis montibus in spem uictoriae ostentantur:

[10] Mauros Numidasque Masinissae impotenti futuro dominatu terret:

[11] aliis aliae spes ac metus iactantur. Carthaginiensibus moenia patriae, di penates, sepulcra maiorum, liberi cum parentibus coniugesque pauidae, aut excidium seruitiumque aut imperium orbis terrarum, nihil aut in metum aut in spem medium, ostentatur.

[12] cum maxime haec imperator apud Carthaginienses, duces suarum gentium inter populares, pleraque per interpretes inter immixtos alienigenis agerent, tubae cornuaque ab Romanis cecinerunt,

[13] tantusque clamor ortus ut elephanti in suos, sinistrum maxime cornu, uerterentur, Mauros ac Numidas. addidit facile Masinissa perculsis terrorem nudauitque ab ea parte aciem equestri auxilio.

[14] paucae tamen bestiarum intrepidae in hostem actae inter uelitum ordines cum multis suis uolneribus ingentem stragem edebant.

[15] resilientes enim ad manipulos uelites cum uiam elephantis ne obtererentur fecissent, in ancipites ad ictum utrimque coniciebant hastas, nec pila ab antesignanis cessabant donec undique incidentibus telis exacti ex Romana acie hi quoque in suo dextro cornu ipsos Carthaginiensium equites in fugam uerterunt. Laelius,

[16] ut turbatos uidit hostes, addidit perculsis terrorem.

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).) — 30.33 focus

[1]

non confertas autem cohortes ante sua quamque signa instruebat, sed manipulos aliquantum inter se distantes, ut esset spatium qua elephanti hostium acti ¹ nihil ordines turbarent.

[2] Laelium , cuius ante legati, eo anno quaestoris extra sortem ex senatus consulto opera utebatur, cum Italico equitatu ab sinistro cornu, Masinissam Numidasque ab dextro opposuit.

[3] vias patentes inter manipulos antesignanorum velitibus—ea tunc tune levis armatura erat— complevit, dato praecepto ut ad impetum elephantorum aut post directos ² refugerent ordines aut in dextram laevamque discursu applicantes se antesignanis ³ viam qua inruerent in ancipitia tela beluis darent.

[4] Hannibal ad terrorem primos ⁴ elephantos— octoginta autem erant, quot nulla umquam in acie ante habuerat—instruxit,

[5] deinde auxilia Ligurum Gallorumque Baliaribus Maurisque admixtis; in ⁵ secunda acie Carthaginienses Afrosque et Macedonum legionem;

[6] modico deinde intervallo relicto subsidiariam aciem Italicorum militum—Bruttii plerique erant, vi ac necessitate plures quam sua voluntate decedentem ex Italia secuti—instruxit.

[7] equitatum et ipse ⁶ circumdedit cornibus; dextrum Carthaginienses, sinistrum Numidae tenuerunt.

[8] varia adhortatio erat in exercitu inter tot homines, quibus non lingua, non mos, non lex, non arma, non vestitus habitusque, non causa militandi eadem esset.

[9] auxiliaribus et praesens et multiplicata ex praeda merces ostentatur; Galli proprio atque insito in Romanos odio accenduntur; Liguribus campi uberes Italiae deductis ex asperrimis montibus in spem victoriae ostentantur;

[10] mauros Numidasque Masinissae inpotenti futuro ⁷ dominatu terret; aliis aliae spes ac metus iactantur.

[11] Carthaginiensibus moenia patriae, di penates, sepulcra maiorum, liberi cum parentibus coniugesque pavidae, aut excidium servitiumque aut imperium orbis terrarum, nihil aut in metum aut in spem medium, ostentatur.

[12] cum maxime haec imperator apud Carthaginienses, duces suarum gentium inter populares, pleraque per interpretes inter immixtos ⁸ alienigenis ⁹ agerent, tubae cornuaque ab Romanis cecinerunt,

[13] tantusque ¹⁰ clamor ortus ut elephanti in suos, sinistrum maxime cornu, verterentur, ¹¹ Mauros ac Numidas. addidit facile Masinissa perculsis terrorem nudavitque ab ea parte aciem equestri auxilio.

[14] paucae tamen bestiarum intrepidae ¹² in hostem actae inter velitum ordines cum multis suis volneribus ingentem stragem edebant.

[15] resilientes enim ad manipulos velites, cum viam elephantis, ne obtererentur, fecissent, in ancipites ad ictum utrimque coniciebant hastas, nec pila ab ¹³ antesignanis cessabant,

[16] donec donee undique incidentibus telis exacti ex Romana acie hi quoque in suos dextrum ¹⁴ cornu, ipsos Carthaginienses equites, in fugam verterunt. Laelius ut turbatos vidit hostes addidit perculsis terrorem.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 30.33 focus

[1]

He did not draw up his cohorts in close order, but each before their respective standards; placing the companies at some distance from each other, so as to leave a space through which the elephants of the enemy passing might not at all break their ranks.

[2] Laelius, whom he had employed before as lieutenant-general, but this year as quaestor, by special appointment, according to a decree of the senate, he posted with the Italian cavalry in the left wing, Masinissa and the Numidians in the right.

[3] The open spaces between the companies of those in the van he filled with velites, which then formed the Roman light-armed troops, with an injunction, that on the charge of the elephants they should either retire behind the files, which extended in a right line, or, running to the right and left and placing themselves by the side of those in the van, afford a psssage by which the elephants might rush in between weapons on both sides.

[4] Hannibal, in order to terrify the enemy, drew up his elephants in front, and he had eighty of them, being more than he had ever had in any battle; behind these his Ligurian and Gallic auxiliaries, with Balearians and Moors intermixed.

[5] In the second line he placed the Carthaginians, Africans, and a legion of Macedonians;

[6] then, leaving a moderate interval, he formed a reserve of Italian troops, consisting principally of Bruttians, more of whom had followed him on his departure from Italy by compulsion and necessity than by choice.

[7] His cavalry also he placed in the wings, the Carthaginian occupying the right, the Numidian the left.

[8] Various were the means of exhortation employed in an army consisting of a mixture of so many different kinds of men; men differing in language, customs, laws, arms, dress, and appearance, and in the motives for serving. To the auxiliaries, the prospect both of their present pay, and many times more from the spoils, was held out.

[9] The Gauls were stimulated by their peculiar and inherent animosity against the Romans. To the Ligurians the hope was held out of enjoying the fertile plains of Italy, and quitting their rugged mountains, if victorious. The Moors and Numidians were terrified with subjection to the government of Masinissa, which he would exercise with despotic severity.

[10] Different grounds of hope and fear were represented to different persons.

[11] The view of the Carthaginians was directed to the walls of their city, their household gods, the sepulchres of their ancestors, their children and parents, and their trembling wives; they were told, that either the destruction of their city and slavery or the empire of the world awaited them; that there was nothing intermediate which they could hope for or fear.

[12] While the general was thus busily employed among the Carthaginians, and the captains of the respective nations among their countrymen, most of them employing interpreters among troops intermixed with those of different nations, the trumpets and cornets of the Romans sounded; and such a clamour arose, that the elephants, especially those in the left wing, turned round upon their own party, the Moors and Numidians.

[13] Masinissa had no difficulty in increasing the alarm of the terrified enemy, and deprived them of the aid of their cavalry in that wing.

[14] A few, however, of the beasts which were driven against the enemy, and were not turned back through fear, made great havoc among the ranks of the velites, though not without receiving many wounds themselves;

[15] for when the velites, retiring to the companies, had made way for the elephants, that they might not be trampled down, they discharged their darts at them, exposed as they were to wounds on both sides, those in the van also keeping up a continual discharge of javelins; until, driven out of the Roman line by the weapons which fell upon them from all quarters, these elephants also put to flight even the cavalry of the Carthaginians posted in their right wing.

[16] Laelius, when he saw the enemy in disorder, struck additional terror into them in their confusion.

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.) — 30.33 focus

[1]

Then he drew up his men, the hastati in front, behind them the principes, the triarii closing the rear. He did not form the cohorts in line before their respective standards, but placed a considerable interval between the maniples in order that there might be space for the enemy elephants to be driven through without breaking the ranks.

[2] Laelius, who had been one of his staff-officers and was now by special appointment of the senate acting as quaestor, was in command of the Italian cavalry on the left wing, Masinissa and his Numidians being posted on the right.

[3] The velites, the light infantry of those days, were stationed at the head of the lanes between the columns of maniples with instructions to retire when the elephants charged and shelter themselves behind the lines of maniples, or else run to the right and left behind the standards and so allow the monsters to rush on to meet the darts from both sides.

[4] To make his line look more menacing Hannibal posted his elephants in front. He had eighty altogether, a larger number, than he had ever brought into action before.

[5] Behind them were the auxiliaries, Ligurians and Gauls, with an admixture of Balearics and Moors. The second line was made up of Carthaginians and Africans together with a legion of Macedonians.

[6] A short distance behind these were posted his Italian troops in reserve. These were mainly Bruttians who had followed him from Italy more from the compulsion of necessity than of their own free will.

[7] Like Scipio, Hannibal covered his flanks with his cavalry, the Carthaginians on the right, the Numidians on the left.

[8] Different words of encouragement were required in an army composed of such diverse elements, where the soldiers had nothing in common, neither language nor custom nor laws nor arms nor dress, nor even the motive which brought them into the ranks.

[9] To the auxiliaries he held out the attraction of the pay which they would receive, and the far greater inducement of the booty they would secure. In the case of the Gauls he appealed to their instinctive and peculiar hatred of the Romans.

[10] The Ligurians, drawn from wild mountain fastnesses, were told to look upon the fruitful plains of Italy as the rewards of victory.

[11] The Moors and Numidians were threatened by the prospect of being under the unbridled tyranny of Masinissa. Each nationality was swayed by its hopes or fears. The Carthaginians had placed before their eyes, their city walls, their homes, their fathers' sepulchres, their wives and children, the alternative of either slavery and destruction or the empire of the world. There was no middle course, they had either everything to hope for or everything to fear.

[12] Whilst the commander-in-chief was thus addressing the Carthaginians, and the officers of the various nationalities were conveying his words to their own people and to the aliens mingled with them mostly through interpreters, the

[13] trumpets and horns of the Romans were sounded and such a clangor arose that the elephants, mostly those in front of the left wing, turned upon the Moors and Numidians behind them. Masinissa had no difficulty in turning this disorder into flight and so clearing the Carthaginian left of its cavalry.

[14] A few of the animals, however, showed no fear and were urged forward upon the ranks of velites, amongst whom, in spite of the many wounds they received, they did considerable execution.

[15] The velites, to avoid being trampled to death, sprang back to the maniples and thus allowed a path for the elephants, from both sides of which they rained their darts on the beasts. The leading maniples also kept up a fusillade of missiles until these animals too were driven out of the Roman lines on to their own side and put the Carthaginian cavalry, who were covering the right flank, to flight.

[16] When Laelius saw the enemy's horse in confusion he at once took advantage of it.

Notes on the current edition

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

1. This is confused. Polybius does not mention cohorts, but is merely using both of his terms for maniple in the same sentence, ix. 7; cf. pp. 62 f., n. 2. Novel was the formation with principes directly behind hastati, instead of behind the normal intervals between front line maniples. This was Scipio's device to reduce losses in the charge of the elephants. Cf. Frontinus Strat. II. iii. 16; E. Meyer, Kleine Schriften II. 206 f.

2. A rare procedure. His election is passed over by both of our authorities.

3. So Polybius §§ 9 f.; Frontinus l.c.

4. B.C. 202

5. Cf. xxvi. 3. Not mentioned by Polybius, but by Frontinus; doubted or rejected by modern historians.

6. More than a furlong in Polybius xi. 2.

7. Cf. XXVIII. xii. 3 f. and note.

8. B.C. 202

9. The account of the battle should be compared throughout with that of Polybius XV. xii.-xvi. Cf. Frontinus II. iii. 16; Zonaras IX. xiv. 7 ff. Appian's narrative includes much fiction, with single combats in the epic manner; Pun. 45. Cf. Scullard 237 ff.; Veith 645 ff.; Kahrstedt 564 ff.; De Sanctis 552 ff., 604 ff.; C.A.H. VIII. 105 ff.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 30.33

Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers