Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 21.38

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[1]

hoc maxime modo in Italiam perventum est, quinto mense a Carthagine nova, ut quidam auctores sunt, quinto decimo die Alpibus superatis.

[2] quantae copiae transgresso in Italiam Hannibali fuerint nequaquam inter auctores constat. qui plurimum, centum milia peditum viginti equitum fuisse scribunt; qui minimum, viginti milia peditum sex equitum.

[3] L. Cincius Alimentus, qui captum se ab Hannibale scribit, maxime auctor moveret, nisi confunderet numerum Gallis Liguribusque additis: cum his octoginta milia peditum, decem equitum adducta—in Italia magis adfluxisse veri simile est,

[4] et ita quidam auctores sunt;

[5] —ex ipso autem audisse Hannibale, postquam Rhodanum transient, triginta sex milia hominum ingentemque numerum equorum et aliorum iumentorum amisisse. Taurini Galli ¹ proxima gens erat in Italiam degresso.

[6] id cum inter omnes constet, eo magis miror ambigi, quanam Alpes transient, et volgo credere Poenino—atque inde nomen ei iugo Alpium inditum—transgressum, Coelium per Cremonis iugum dicere transisse;

[7] qui ambo saltus eum non in Taurinos sed per Salassos ²³ Montanos ad Libuos Gallos deduxissent. ⁴

[8] nec veri simile est ea tum ad Galliam patuisse itinera; utique quae ad Poeninum ferunt obsaepta gentibus Semigermanis fuissent.

[9] neque hercule montibus his, si quem forte id movet, ab transitu Poenorum ullo Seduni Veragri, ⁵ incolae iugi eius, nomen norint ⁶ inditum, sed ab eo quem in summo sacratum vertice Poeninum montani appellant.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (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

Ab urbe condita (Latin) (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).)

Editions (2)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 21.38 focus

[1] hoc maxime modo in Italiam perventum est, quinto mense a Carthagine Nova, ut quidam auctores sunt, quinto decimo die Alpibus superatis. quantae copiae transgresso in Italiam Hannibali fuerint,

[2] nequaquam inter auctores constat. qui plurimum, centur centum milia peditum, viginti equitum fuisse scribunt, qui minimum, viginti milia peditum, sex equitum.

[3] L. Cincius Alimentus qui captum se ab Hannibale scribit, maxime auctor moveret, nisi confunderet numerum Gallis Liguribusque additis:

[4] cum his octoginta milia peditum, decem equitum adducta — in Italia magis adfluxisse veri simile est, et ita quidam auctores sunt — ;

[5] ex ipso autem audisse Hannibale, postquam Rhodanum transierit, triginta sex milia hominum ingentemque numerum equorum et aliorum iumentorum amisisse. Taurini Semigalli proxuma gens erat in Italiam degresso.

[6] id cum inter onmes omnes constet, eo magis miror ambigi, quanam Alpis transierit, et vulgo credere Poenino — atque inde nomen ei iugo Alpium inditum — transgressum, Coelium per Cremonis iugum dicere transisse;

[7] qui ambo saltus eum non in Taurinos sed per Salassos Montanos ad Libuos Gallos deduxissent.

[8] nee nec veri simile est ea tum ad Galliam patuisse itinera; utique, quae ad Poeninum ferunt, obsaepta gentibus Semigermanis fuissent.

[9] neque hercule montibus his, si quem forte id movet, ab transitu Poenorum ullo Seduni Veragri, incolae iugi eius, nomen norint inditum, sed ab eo, quem in summo sacratum vertice Poeninum montani appellant.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 21.38 focus

[1]

hoc maxime modo in Italiam peruentum est quinto mense a Carthagine Noua, ut quidam auctores sunt, quinto decimo die Alpibus superatis.

[2] quantae copiae transgresso in Italiam Hannibali fuerint nequaquam inter auctores constat. qui plurimum, centum milia peditum, uiginti equitum fuisse scribunt; qui minimum, uiginti milia peditum, sex equitum.

[3] L. Cincius Alimentus , qui captum se ab Hannibale scribit, maxime auctor moueret, nisi confunderet numerum Gallis Liguribusque additis;

[4] cum his octoginta milia peditum, decem equitum adducta;—in Italia magis adfluxisse ueri simile est et ita quidam auctores sunt;

[5] —ex ipso autem audisse Hannibale, postquam Rhodanum transierit triginta sex milia hominum ingentemque numerum equorum et aliorum iumentorum amisisse. Taurini Semigalli proxima gens erat in Italiam degresso.

[6] id cum inter omnes constet, eo magis miror ambigi quanam Alpes transierit et uolgo credere Poenino—atque inde nomen ei iugo

[7] Alpium inditum—transgressum, Coelium per Cremonis iugum dicere transisse; qui ambo saltus eum non in Taurinos sed per Salassos montanos ad Libuos Gallos deduxerint.

[8] nec ueri simile est ea tum ad Galliam patuisse itinera; utique quae ad Poeninum ferunt obsaepta gentibus semigermanis fuissent.

[9] neque hercule montibus his, si quem forte id mouet, ab transitu Poenorum ullo Sedunoueragri, incolae iugi eius, norint inditum sed ab eo quem in summo sacratum uertice Poeninum montani appellant.

Translations (3)

History of Rome Perseus (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)) — 21.38 focus

[1]

Such were the chief features of the march to Italy, which they accomplished five months after leaving New Carthage —as certain authorities state —having crossed the Alps in fifteen days.

[2] The strength of Hannibal's forces on his entering Italy is a point on which historians are by no means agreed. Those who put the figures highest give him a hundred thousand foot and twenty thousand horse; the lowest estimate is twenty thousand foot and six thousand horse. ¹

[3] Lucius Cincius Alimentus, ² who says that he was taken prisoner by Hannibal, would be our weightiest authority, did he not confuse the reckoning by adding in Gauls and Ligurians: including these, he says that Hannibal brought eighty thousand foot and ten thousand horse —but

[4] it is more probable, and certain historians so hold, that these people joined his standard in Italy; he says, moreover, that he had learned from Hannibal's own lips that after crossing the Rhone he lost thirty-six thousand men and a vast number of horses and other animals. ³

[5] The Taurine Gauls were the first people he encountered on descending into Italy.

[6] Since all are agreed on this point, ⁴ I am the more astonished at the difference of opinion in regard to his route over the Alps, and that it should be commonly held that he crossed by the Poenine Pass ⁵ and that from this circumstance that ridge of the Alps derived its name —and

[7] that Coelius should state that he crossed by the ridge of Cremo; ⁶ for both these passes would have brought him down, ⁷ not amongst the Taurini but through the Salassi Montani to the Libuan Gauls.

[8] Neither is it probable that these routes to Gaul ⁸ were open at that time; those leading to the Poenine Pass, at any rate, would have been blocked by tribes of half-German stock.

[9] Nor for that matter —if anyone happens to consider this point of consequence —do the Seduni Veragri, who inhabit those mountains, know of their having been named from any passage of the Phoenicians (or Poeni) but from that deity whose sanctuary is established on their very summit and whom the mountaineers call Poeninus. ⁹

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 21.38 focus

[1]

In this manner chiefly they came to Italy in the fifth month (as some authors relate) after leaving New Carthage, having crossed the Alps in fifteen days.

[2] What number of forces Hannibal had when he had passed into Italy is by no means agreed upon by authors. Those who state them at the highest, make mention of a hundred thousand foot and twenty thousand horse; those who state them at the lowest, of twenty thousand foot and six thousand horse.

[3] Lucius Cincius Alimentus, who relates that he was made prisoner by Hannibal, would influence me most as an authority, did he not confound the number by adding the Gauls and Ligurians.

[4] Including these, (who, it is more probable, flocked to him afterwards, and so some authors assert,) he says, that eighty thousand foot and ten thousand horse were brought into Italy;

[5] and that he had heard from Hannibal himself, that after crossing the Rhone he had lost thirty-six thousand men, and an immense number of horses, and other beasts of burden, among the Taurini, the next nation to the Gauls, as he descended into Italy.

[6] As this circumstance is agreed on by all, I am the more surprised that it should be doubtful by what road he crossed the Alps; and that it should commonly be believed that he passed over the Pennine mountain, and that thence ¹ the name was given to that ridge of the Alps.

[7] Cœlius says, that he passed over the top of Mount Cremo; both which passes would have brought him, not to the Taurini, but through the Salassian mountaineers to the Libuan Gauls.

[8] Neither is it probable that these roads into Gaul were then open, especially since those which lead to the Pennine mountain would have been blocked up by nations half German;

[9] nor by Hercules (if this argument has weight with any one) do the Veragri, the inhabitants of this ridge, know of the name being given to these mountains from the passage of the Carthaginians, but from the divinity, whom the mountaineers style Penninus, worshipped on the highest summit.

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.) — 21.38 focus

[1]

Such, in the main, was the way in which they reached Italy, five months, according to some authorities, after leaving New Carthage, fifteen days of which were spent in overcoming the difficulties of the Alps.

[2] The authorities are hopelessly at variance as to the number of the troops with which Hannibal entered Italy. The highest estimate assigns him 100,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry; the lowest puts his strength at 20,000 infantry and 6000 cavalry.

[3] L. Cincius Alimentus tells us that he was taken prisoner by Hannibal, and I should be most inclined to accept his authority if he had not confused the numbers by adding in the Gauls and Ligurians; if these are included there were 80,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry.

[4] It is, however, more probable that these joined Hannibal in Italy, and some authorities actually assert this.

[5] Cincius also states that he had heard Hannibal say that subsequently to his passage of the Rhone he lost 36,000 men, besides an immense number of horses and other animals. The first people he came to were the Taurini, a semi-Garlic tribe.

[6] As tradition is unanimous on this point I am the more surprised that a question should be raised as to what route Hannibal took over the Alps, and that it should be generally supposed that he crossed over the Poenine range, which is said to have derived its name from that circumstance.

[7] Coelius asserts that he crossed by the Cremonian range. These two passes, however, would not have brought him to the Taurini but through the Salassi, a mountain tribe, to the Libuan Gauls.

[8] It is highly improbable that those routes to Gaul were available at that time, and in any case the Poenine route would have been closed by the semi-German tribes who inhabited the district.

[9] And it is perfectly certain, if we accept their authority, that the Seduni and Veragri, who inhabit that range, say that the name of Poenine was not given to it from any passage of the Carthaginians over it but from the deity Poeninus, whose shrine stands on the highest point of the range.

Notes on the current edition

Ab urbe condita

1. Taurini Galli s: taurinis ne galli C 1 M 1: taurinis gallie C 3:taurinis quae gallis M 2.

2. Salassos ( or Salyas) lipsius : saltus C 1 M 2: saltus alios ( but alios is erased ) C 2: saltos M 1.

3. A.U.C. 536

4. deduxissent s: si duxerit ( before erasure ) C 1: duxerit ( after erasure ) C 3: deduxerint M.

5. Seduni Veragri ( or Sedunoveragri) Gronovius : seduno uelacri CM: Seduni vel Veragri lipsius

6. nomen norint Frigell : norint nomen s: norint CM: nomen ferunt Madvig .

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 21.38

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

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