Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Benjamin Oliver Foster, Ph.D. (Editor), Frank Gardener Moore (Editor), Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D. (Editor), 29.1

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[1]

Scipio postquam in Siciliam venit, voluntarios ¹ milites ordinavit centuriavitque.

[2] ex iis trecentos iuvenes, florentes aetate et virium robore insignes, ² inermes circa se habebat, ignorantes quem ad usum neque centuriati neque armati servarentur.

[3] tum ex totius Siciliae iuniorum numero principes genere et fortuna trecentos equites qui secure in Africam traicerent legit, diemque iis qua equis armisque instructi atque ornati adessent edixit.

[4] gravis ea militia procul domo, terra marique multos labores magna pericula allatura videbatur; neque ipsos modo sed parentes cognatosque eorum ea cura angebat.

[5] ubi dies quae edicta ³ erat advenit, arma equosque ostenderunt. tum tur Scipio renuntiari sibi dixit quosdam equites Siculorum tamquam gravem et duram horrere eam earn militiam;

[6] si qui ita animati essent, malle eos sibi iam tum fateri quam postmodo querentes segnes atque inutiles milites rei publicae esse; expromerent quid sentirent; cum bona venia se auditurum.

[7] ubi ex iis unus ausus est dicere se prorsus, si sibi utrum vellet ⁴ liberum esset, nolle ⁵ militare, tum Scipio ei:

[8]

quoniam igitur, adulescens, quid sentires non dissimulasti, vicarium tibi expediam cui tu arma equumque et cetera instrumenta militiae tradas et tecum hinc extemplo domum ducas, exerceas, docendum cures equo armisque.

[9] laeto condicionem accipienti unum ex trecentis quos inermes habebat tradit. ubi hoc modo exauctoratum equitem cum gratia imperatoris ceteri viderunt, se quisque excusare et vicarium accipere.

[10] ita trecentis Siculis Romani equites substituti sine publica inpensa. docendorum atque exercendorum ⁶ curam Siculi habuerunt, quia quai edictum imperatoris erat, ipsum militaturum qui ita non fecisset.

[11] egregiam hanc alam equitum evasisse ferunt multisque proeliis rem publicam adiuvisse.

[12] legiones inde cum inspiceret, plurimorum stipendiorum ex iis milites delegit, maxime qui sub duce Marcello militaverant,

[13] quos cum optima disciplina institutos institutes credebat, tum etiam ab longa Syracusarum obsidione peritissimos esse urbium oppugnandarum; nihil enim parvum, sed Carthaginis iam excidia agitabat animo.

[14] inde exercitum per oppida dispertit; frumentum Siculorum civitatibus imperat, ex Italia advecto parcit; veteres naves reficit et cum iis C. ⁷ Laelium in Africam praedatum mittit; novas Panhormi ⁸ subducit, quia ex viridi materia raptim factae erant, ut in sicco hibernarent.

[15] praeparatis omnibus ad bellum Syracusas, nondum ex magnis belli motibus satis tranquillas, venit.

[16] graeci res a quibusdam Italici generis eadem vi qua per bellum ceperant retinentibus, concessas sibi ab senatu repetebant.

[17] omnium primum ratus tueri publicam fidem, partim edicto, partim iudiciis etiam in pertinaces ad obtinendam iniuriam redditis suas res Syracusanis restituit.

[18] non ipsis tantum ea res, sed omnibus Siciliae populis grata fuit, eoque enixius ad ⁹ bellum adiuverunt.

[19] eadem aestate in Hispania coortum ingens bellum conciente Ilergete Indibili, nulla alia de causa quam per admirationem Scipionis contemptu imperatorum aliorum orto.

[20] eum enum superesse unum ducem Romanis, ceteris ab Hannibale interfectis, rebatur; ¹⁰ eo nec in Hispaniam caesis Scipionibus alium quem queen mitterent habuisse, et postquam in Italia gravius bellum urgueret, adversus Hannibalem eum arcessitum.

[21] praeterquam quod nomina tantum ducum in Hispania ¹¹ Romani haberent, ¹² exercitum quoque inde veterem deductum; trepida omnia et ¹³ inconditam turbam tironum esse.

[22] numquam talem occasionem liberandae Hispaniae fore.

[23] servitum ad eam earn diem aut Carthaginiensibus aut Romanis, nec in vicem his aut illis, sed interdum utrisque simul.

[24] pulsos ab Romanis Carthaginienses; ab Hispanis, si consentirent, pelli Romanos posse, ut ab omni externo imperio ¹⁴ soluta in perpetuum Hispania in patrios rediret mores ritusque.

[25] haec taliaque dicendo non populares modo, sed Ausetanos quoque, vicinam gentem, concitat et alios finitimos sibi atque illis populos.

[26] itaque intra paucos dies triginta milia peditum, quattuor ferme equitum in Sedetanum agrum, quo edictum erat, convenerunt.

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.) — 29.1 focus

[1] Scipio postquam in Siciliam venit, voluntarios milites ordinavit centuriavitque.

[2] ex iis trecentos iuvenes, florentes aetate et virium robore, inermes circa se habebat, ignorantes, quem ad usum neque centuriati neque armati servarentur.

[3] tum ex totius Siciliae iuniorum numero principes genere et fortuna trecentos equites, qui secum in Africam traicerent, legit, diemque iis, qua equis armisque instructi atque ornati adessent, edixit.

[4] gravis ea militia procul domo terra marique labores multos magna pericula allatura videbatur; neque ipsos modo sed parentes cognatosque eorum ea cura angebat.

[5] ubi dies, quae edicta erat, advenit, arma equosque ostenderunt. tum Scipio renuntiari sibi dixit quosdam equites Siculorum tamquam gravem et duram horrere ear eam militiam;

[6] si qui ita animati essent, malle eos sibi iam tum fateri, quam postmodo querentes segnes atque inutiles milites rei publicae esse; expromerent, quid sentirent; cum bona venia se auditurum.

[7] ubi ex iis unus ausus est dicere se prorsus, si sibi, utrum vellet, liberum esset, nolle militare, tum Scipio ei:

[8] “quoniam igitur, adulescens, quid sentires, non dissimulasti, vicariurn uicarium tibi expediam, cui tu arma equumque et cetera instrumienta instrumenta militiae tradas et tecum hinc extemplo domum ducas, exerceas, docendum cures equo armisque.”

[9] laeto condicionem accipienti unum ex trecentis quos inermes habebat, tradit. ubi hoc modo exauctoratum equitem cum gratia imperatoris ceteri viderunt, se quisque excusare et vicarium accipere.

[10] ita trecentis Siculis Romani equites substituti sine publica inpensa. docendorum atque exercendorum curam Siculi habuerunt, quia edictum imperatoris erat, ipsum militaturum, qui ita non fecisset.

[11] egregiam hanc alam equitur evasisse ferunt multisque proeliis rem publicam adiuvisse.

[12] legiones inde cum inspiceret, plurimorum stipendiorum ex iis milites delegit, maxime qui sub duce Marcello militaverant,

[13] quos cum optima disciplina institutos credebat, tum etiam ab longa Syracusarum obsidione peritissimos esse urbium oppugnandarum: nihil enim parvum, sed Carthaginis iam excidia agitabat animo.

[14] inde exercitum per oppida dispertit; frumentum Siculorum civitatibus imperat, ex Italia advecto parcit; veteres naves reficit et cum iis C. Laelium in Africam praedatum mittit; novas Panhormi subducit, quia ex viridi materia raptim factae erant, ut in sicco hibernarent.

[15] praeparatis omnibus ad bellum Syracusas nondum ex magnis belli motibus satis tranquillas venit.

[16] Graeci res a quibusdam Italici generis eadem vi, qua per bellum ceperant, retinentibus, concessas sibi ab senatu repetebant.

[17] omnium primum ratus tueri publicam fidem, partim edicto partim iudiciis etiam in pertinaces ad obtinendam iniuriam redditis suas res Syracusanis restituit.

[18] non ipsis tantum ea res, sed omnibus Siciliae populis grata fuit, eoque enixius ad bellum adiuverunt.

[19] eadem aestate in Hispania coortum ingens bellum conciente Ilergete Indibili, nulla alia de causa quam per admirationem Scipionis contemptu imperatorum aliorum orto.

[20] eum superesse unum ducem Romanis ceteris ab Hannibale interfectis rebatur: eo nec ii Hispaniam caesis Scipionibus alium, quem mitterent, habuisse, et postquam in Italia gravius bellum urgueret, adversus Hannibalem eum arcessitum.

[21] praeterquam quod nomina tantum ducum in Hispania Romani haberent, exercitum quoque inde veterem deductum; trepida omnia ut inconditam turbam tironum esse. numquam talem occasionem liberandae Hispaniae fore.

[22] servitum ad eam diem aut Carthaginiensibus aut Romanis,

[23] nec in vicem his aut illis, sed interdum utrisque simul.

[24] pulsos ab Romanis Carthaginienses; ab Hispanis, si consentirent, pelli Romanos posse, ut ab omni externo imperio soluta in perpetuum Hispania in patrios rediret mores ritusque.

[25] haec taliaque dicendo non populares modo, sed Ausetanos quoque, vicinam gentem, concitat et alios finitimos sibi atque illis populos.

[26] itaque intra paucos dies triginta milia peditum, quattuor ferme equitum in Sedetanum agrum, quo edictum erat, convenerunt.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 29.1 focus

[1]

Scipio postquam in Siciliam uenit, uoluntarios milites ordinauit centuriauitque.

[2] ex iis trecentos iuuenes, florentes aetate et uirium robore insignes, inermes circa se habebat, ignorantes quem ad usum neque centuriati neque armati seruarentur.

[3] tum ex totius Siciliae iuniorum numero principes genere et fortuna trecentos equites qui secum in Africam traicerent legit, diemque iis qua equis armisque instructi atque ornati adessent edixit.

[4] grauis ea militia, procul domo, terra marique multos labores magna pericula allatura uidebatur; neque ipsos modo sed parentes cognatosque eorum ea cura angebat.

[5] ubi dies quae dicta erat aduenit, arma equosque ostenderunt. tum Scipio renuntiari sibi dixit quosdam equites Siculorum tamquam grauem et duram horrere eam militiam:

[6] si qui ita animati essent, malle eos sibi iam tum fateri quam postmodo querentes segnes atque inutiles milites rei publicae esse; expromerent quid sentirent; cum bona uenia se auditurum.

[7] ubi ex iis unus ausus est dicere se prorsus, si sibi utrum uellet liberum esset, nolle militare, tum Scipio ei:

[8] 'quoniam igitur, adulescens, quid sentires non dissimulasti, uicarium tibi expediam cui tu arma equumque et cetera instrumenta militiae tradas et tecum hinc extemplo domum ducas exerceas docendum cures equo armisque.'

[9] laeto condicionem accipienti unum ex trecentis quos inermes habebat tradit. ubi hoc modo exauctoratum equitem cum gratia imperatoris ceteri uiderunt, se quisque excusare et uicarium accipere.

[10] ita trecentis Siculis Romani equites substituti sine publica impensa. docendorum atque exercendorum curam Siculi habuerunt, quia edictum imperatoris erat ipsum militaturum qui ita non fecisset.

[11] egregiam hanc alam equitum euasisse ferunt multisque proeliis rem publicam adiuuisse.

[12] legiones inde cum inspiceret, plurimorum stipendiorum ex iis milites delegit, maxime qui sub duce Marcello militauerant, quos cum optima disciplina institutos credebat tum etiam ab longa Syracusarum obsidione peritissimos esse urbium oppugnandarum;

[13] nihil enim paruum sed Carthaginis iam excidia agitabat animo.

[14] inde exercitum per oppida dispertit; frumentum Siculorum ciuitatibus imperat, ex Italia aduecto parcit; ueteres naues reficit et cum iis C. Laelium in Africam praedatum mittit; nouas Panhormi subducit, quia ex uiridi materia raptim factae erant, ut in sicco hibernarent.

[15] praeparatis omnibus ad bellum Syracusas, nondum ex magnis belli motibus satis tranquillas, uenit.

[16] Graeci res a quibusdam Italici generis eadem ui qua per bellum ceperant retinentibus, concessas sibi ab senatu repetebant.

[17] omnium primum ratus tueri publicam fidem, partim edicto, partim iudiciis etiam in pertinaces ad obtinendam iniuriam redditis suas res Syracusanis restituit.

[18] non ipsis tantum ea res sed omnibus Siciliae populis grata fuit, eoque enixius ad bellum adiuuerunt.

[19] eadem aestate in Hispania coortum ingens bellum conciente Ilergete Indibili nulla alia de causa quam per admirationem Scipionis contemptu imperatorum aliorum orto:

[20] eum superesse unum ducem Romanis ceteris ab Hannibale interfectis [rebantur]; eo nec in Hispaniam caesis Scipionibus alium quem mitterent habuisse, et postquam in Italia grauius bellum urgeret, aduersus Hannibalem eum arcessitum. praeterquam quod nomina tantum ducum in Hispania Romani habeant, exercitum quoque inde ueterem deductum;

[21] trepida omnia et inconditam turbam tironum esse.

[22] nunquam talem occasionem liberandae Hispaniae fore.

[23] seruitum ad eam diem aut Carthaginiensibus aut Romanis, nec in uicem his aut illis sed interdum utrisque simul.

[24] pulsos ab Romanis Carthaginienses: ab Hispanis, si consentirent, pelli Romanos posse, ut ab omni externo imperio soluta in perpetuum Hispania in patrios rediret mores ritusque.

[25] haec taliaque dicendo non populares modo sed Ausetanos quoque, uicinam gentem, concitat et alios finitimos sibi atque illis populos.

[26] itaque intra paucos dies triginta milia peditum quattuor ferme equitum in Sedetanum agrum, quo edictum erat, conuenerunt.

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)) — 29.1 focus

[1]

Scipio, now that he had reached Sicily, assigned ¹ his volunteers to their ranks and centuries.

[2] Three hundred of them, young men in the bloom of their youth and conspicuous for their physical strength, he kept about him unarmed and ignorant of the purpose for which they were being reserved without being organized in centuries or furnished with arms.

[3] Then he chose out of the number of the younger men of all Sicily three hundred horsemen, men of high rank and of wealth, to cross over with him into Africa.

[4] He appointed a day also on which they were to present themselves equipped and furnished with horses and arms. Such service far from home seemed to them formidable and likely to bring many hardships and great dangers on land and sea. And concern on this account troubled not merely the men themselves but also their parents and relations.

[5] When the day which had been appointed came the men displayed their arms and horses. Then Scipio said reports were coming to him that some of the Sicilian horsemen shrank from that service as formidable and difficult.

[6] If any were of that mind he preferred that they should confess it to him at once, rather than complain later and prove spiritless soldiers and useless for the state. Let them declare what was their mind; he would give them a kindly hearing.

[7] When one of them ventured to say that if he was free to choose whichever he wished he did ² not wish to serve at all, thereupon Scipio said to him:

[8]

Accordingly, since you have not concealed what your mind is, young man, I will furnish a substitute for you, and to him you shall hand over your arms and horse and the other equipment for the service, and forthwith shall take him away with you to your home, train him and see that he is taught horsemanship and the use of arms.

[9] As the man gladly accepted the terms Scipio turned over to him one of the three hundred unarmed men that-he had. When the others saw the horseman thus discharged with the consent of the commander, every man excused himself and took a substitute.

[10] Thus three hundred Sicilians were replaced by Roman horsemen without expense to the state.

[11] Of their training and drilling the Sicilians were in charge, because the general's order was that any man who failed to do so should himself serve. ³

[12] They say that this cavalry squadron proved excellent and was of value to the state in many battles.

Then while mustering the legions he chose out of them soldiers who had served for the greatest number of campaigns, especially those who had done so under Marcellus as commander, believing them to have been schooled by the best training and in particular to be most skilled

[13] in besieging cities in consequence of the long siege of Syracuse. For he was planning nothing small, but already the destruction of Carthage.

[14] Thereupon he distributed his army among the towns, requisitioned grain from the Sicilian cities, spared the grain imported from Italy. He repaired the old ships, ⁴ and with these ⁵ sent Gaius Laelius to Africa for plunder. The new ships he beached at Panormus, that they might winter out of the water, since they had been built in haste of green timber.

[15] Every preparation for the war having been made, he came to Syracuse, which was not yet quite peaceful after the great unsettlement due to the war.

[16] The Greeks were making their claims to properties granted them by the senate against certain Italians who were holding on with the same use of force with which they had seized the property during the war. ⁶

[17] Thinking it of the utmost importance to keep a promise given by the state, Scipio restored their property to the Syracusans, partly by

[18] an edict, partly also by granting hearings against those who persisted in maintaining an unlawful possession.

[19] This act was acceptable not only to the owners themselves but to all the communities of Sicily as well, and all the more energetically did they render assistance for the war.

In the same summer a great war broke out in Spain, instigated by Indibilis ⁷ of the Ilergetes for no other reason than because contempt for other generals sprang from admiration for Scipio.

[20] He thought that Scipio was the one general left to the Romans, the rest having been killed by Hannibal; that consequently after the slaying of the Scipios they had no one else to send to Spain, and had also, once the war grew more serious in Italy, summoned him to face Hannibal; that, besides having merely nominal commanders in Spain, the ⁸ Romans had taken away the veteran army also.

[21] There was nothing but confusion and an untrained mob of recruits.

[22] Never would there be such an opportunity for the liberation of Spain.

[23] Slaves they had been down to that time, either to Carthaginians or to Romans, and not by turns to the one people or the other but at times to both at once.

[24] The Carthaginians had been driven out by the Romans; the Spaniards, if they should agree, were able to drive out the Romans, so that, free from all foreign authority, Spain might return permanently to its ancestral customs and usages.

[25] By these and similar utterances he stirred up not only his own countrymen but also the Ausetani, ⁹ a neighbouring tribe, and other peoples adjoining his territory and theirs.

[26] And thus within a few days thirty thousand infantry and about four thousand horse came together in the territory of the Sedetani, ¹⁰ in accordance with their instructions.

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 29.1 focus

[1]

SCIPIO, after his arrival in Sicily, formed his volunteers into cohorts and centuries.

[2] Of these he kept about his person three hundred young men, in the bloom of their age and the prime of their strength, unarmed, and not knowing for what purpose they were reserved, as they were not included in the centuries, nor furnished with arms.

[3] He then selected out of the number of the youth of all Sicily three hundred horsemen, of the highest birth and fortune, who were to cross over with him into Africa, appointing a day on which they were to present themselves equipped and furnished with horses and arms.

[4] This severe service, far from their native land, appeared to them likely to be attended with many hardships, and great dangers, both by sea and land; nor did that anxiety affect themselves alone, but also their parents and relations.

[5] When the appointed day arrived, they exhibited their arms and horses. Then Scipio observed,

that an intimation had been conveyed to him that certain of the Sicilian horsemen felt a strong aversion to that service, as being severe and arduous.

[6]

If there were any who entertained such a feeling, that he would rather they should then confess it to him, than, complaining afterwards, prove themselves slothful and useless soldiers to the state. He desired that they would openly avow their sentiments, for that he would hear them with kindly feeling.

[7] When one of the number took courage to declare, that if he were allowed the uncontrolled exercise of his will he certainly would not serve, Scipio replied to him thus:

[8]

Since then, young man, you have not dissembled your sentiments, I will furnish a substitute for you, to whom I request that you transfer your arms, your horse, and other appliances of war; and, taking him hence immediately to your house, train him, and take care that he is instructed in the management of his horse and arms.

[9] The youth accepted the terms joyfully, when Scipio delivered to him one of the three hundred whom he kept unarmed. The rest, seeing the horseman thus discharged without giving any offence to the general, began severally to excuse themselves and receive substitutes. Thus Roman horsemen were substituted for the three hundred Sicilian, without any expense to the state.

[10] The Sicilians had the care of instructing and training them, because the general had ordered that the man who should not do so, should serve himself.

[11] It is said that this turned out to be an admirable body of cavalry, and rendered effectual service to the state in many engagements.

[12] Afterwards, inspecting the legions, he chose out of them such soldiers as had served the greatest number of campaigns, particularly those who had acted under Marcellus; for he considered that they were formed under the best discipline, and also, from the long time in which they were engaged in the siege of Syracuse, were most skilled in the assault of towns: for his thoughts were now occupied with no small object, but the destruction of Carthage.

[13] He then distributed his army through the towns; ordered the Sicilian states to furnish corn, sparing that which had been brought from Italy; repaired his old ships, and sent Caius Laelius with them into Africa to plunder.

[14] His new ships he hauled on shore at Panormus, that they might be kept on land during the winter, as they had been hastily built of unseasoned timber.

[15] When every thing was got in readiness for the war he came to Syracuse, which had hardly yet returned to a state of tranquillity, after the violent commotions of the war.

[16] The Greeks, demanding restitution of their property, which had been granted to them by the senate, from certain persons of the Italian nation, who retained possession of it in the same forcible manner in which they had seized it in the war, Scipio, who deemed it

[17] of the first importance to preserve the public faith, restored their property to the Syracusans, partly by proclamation, and partly even by judgments pronounced against those who pertinaciously retained their unjust acquisitions.

[18] This measure was acceptable not only to the persons immediately concerned, but to all the states of Sicily, and so much the more energetically did they give aid in the war.

[19] During the same summer a very formidable war sprang up in Spain, at the instance of Indibilis the Ilergetian, from no other cause than the contempt he conceived for the other generals, in consequence of his admiration of Scipio.

[20] He considered

that he was the only commander the Romans had left, the rest having been slain by Hannibal. That they had, therefore, no other general whom they could send into Spain after the Scipios were cut off there, and that afterwards, when the war in Italy pressed upon them with increased severity, he was recalled to oppose Hannibal. That, in addition to the fact that the Romans had the names only of generals in Spain, their old army had also been withdrawn thence.

[21]

That all the troops they had there were irresolute, as consisting of an undisciplined multitude of recruits.

[22]

That there would never again occur such an opportunity for the liberation of Spain.

[23]

That up to that time they had been the slaves either of Carthaginians or Romans, and that not to one or the other in turns, but sometimes to both together.

[24]

That the Carthaginians had been driven out by the Romans, and that the Romans might be driven out by the Spaniards, if they would unite: so that Spain, for ever freed from a foreign yoke, might return to her native customs and rites.

[25] By these and other observations he stirred up not only his countrymen, but the Ausetanians also, a neighbouring nation, as well as other states bordering on his own and their country.

[26] Accordingly, within a few days, thirty thousand foot and about four thousand horse assembled in the Sedetanian territory, according to the orders which had been given.

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.) — 29.1 focus

[1]

On his arrival in Sicily Scipio organised the volunteers into

[2] maniples and centuries, and selected three hundred of the most robust and active whom he kept about his person. They did not carry arms, and did not know why they were unarmed, and why they were not included in the centuries.

[3] Then he picked out of the whole military population of Sicily three hundred of the noblest and wealthiest and formed them into a cavalry corps to take with him into Africa. He fixed a day on which they were to present themselves fully equipped with horses and arms.

[4] The prospect of a campaign far from home with its many toils and great dangers both by land and sea appalled the young fellows as well as their parents and relations. When the appointed day arrived they all appeared fully armed and accounted.

[5] Scipio then told them that it had come to his knowledge that some of the Sicilian cavalry were looking forward with dread to their expedition as one full of difficulties and hardships.

[6] If any of them felt like that he would rather that they owned it at once than that the republic should have reluctant and inefficient soldiers who were always grumbling. They should speak out their mind, he would listen to them without any feeling of resentment.

[7] One of them ventured to say that if he were free to choose he would rather not go, whereupon Scipio replied: "Since, young man, you have not concealed your real sentiments I will provide a substitute for you;

[8] you will give up to him your horse and your arms and other military outfit and take him with you at once to train him and instruct him in the management of a horse and the use of arms." The man was delighted to get off on these terms and Scipio handed over to him one of the three hundred whom he was keeping unarmed.

[9] When the others saw the trooper exempted in this way with the commander's approval they, every one of them, excused themselves and accepted a substitute. By this means the Romans replaced the three hundred Sicilian cavalry without any expense to the State.

[10] The Sicilians had all the care of their training, for the general's orders were that any one who did not carry this out would have to go on active service himself.

[11] It is said that this turned out a splendid squadron of cavalry and did good work for the republic in many battles.

[12] Then he inspected the legions and picked out the men who had seen most service, particularly those who had been under Marcellus, as he considered that these had been trained in the best school, and after their protracted investment of Syracuse were thoroughly familiar with the methods of attacking fortified places.

[13] In fact Scipio was not contemplating any small operations, he had already fixed his mind on the capture and destruction of Carthage.

[14] He then distributed his army amongst the fortified towns and ordered the Sicilians to supply corn, thus husbanding what had been brought from Italy. The old ships were refitted and C. Laelius was sent with them to plunder the African coast; the new ones he beached at Panormus, as owing to their hasty construction they had been built of unseasoned wood and he wished them to be on dry land through the winter.

[15] When his preparations for war were completed, Scipio visited Syracuse. This city had not yet recovered its tranquillity after the violent convulsions of the war.

[16] Certain men of Italian nationality had seized the property of some Syracusans at the time of the capture, and though the senate had ordered its restitution they still retained it.

[17] After making fruitless efforts to recover it, the Greeks came to Scipio for redress. He felt that confidence in the honesty of the government was of the very first importance, and by issuing a proclamation

[18] and pronouncing judgment against those who persisted in keeping possession he succeeded in restoring their property to the Syracusans.

[19] This action on his part was gratefully appreciated not only by the owners themselves but by all the cities of Sicily, and they exerted themselves more than ever to assist him.

During this summer an extensive war broke out in Spain at the instigation of Indibilis, whose sole motive was his intense admiration for Scipio which made him think lightly of other commanders.

[20] The people looked upon him as the only general the Romans had left to them, all the others having been killed by Hannibal. Indibilis told the Spaniards that it was owing to this there was no one else who could be sent to Spain after the two Scipios were killed, and when the war began to press more heavily on Italy he

[21] was recalled home as the only man who could oppose Hannibal.

[22] The Roman generals in Spain were nothing but names and the veteran army had been withdrawn; now there was confusion everywhere, and an untrained mob of raw recruits.

[23] Never again would Spain have such a chance of recovering its liberty.

[24] Up to that time it had been in bondage to either the Romans or the Carthaginians, nor always to one alone, occasionally to both at the same time. The Carthaginians had been expelled by the Romans, the Romans could be expelled by the Spaniards if they were unanimous, and then with their country freed for

[25] ever from foreign domination they could return to the traditions and rites of their forefathers. By arguments of this kind he succeeded in rousing his own people and their neighbours, the Ausetani.

[26] Other tribes round joined them and in a few days 30,000 infantry and about 4000 cavalry mustered in the Sedetanian territory, the appointed rendezvous.

Notes on the current edition

Ab urbe condita

1. A.U.C. 549

2. insignes, inermes Conway : insignes s (or -is), Sp A3 N3 ( altsrn. ) JK Froben 2: inermis ( or -es P (1) NH Aldus,Eds.

3. edicta JK Aldus, Froben, Luchs: dicta P (1) NH.

4. vellet Sp ?JK Froben 2: velit P (1) NH.

5. A.U.C. 549

6. atque exercendorum A 8 N3 H ( ac ) JK Aldus, Froben: om. P (1) N, a line, as they omit multisque proeliis rem publicam just below ( supplied as above ).

7. A.U.C. 549

8. Panhormi P (1) H: panormi NK: -mis J.

9. ad om. NJK Froben 2.

10. rebatur Gronovius : rebantur PCRM 1 ? A3 N3 HJK: om. ( as a gloss ) duker , Conway.

11. A.U.C. 549

12. haberent Sp HJK Froben 2: habeant Weissenborn ,Conway: -bant P (1) NH 2 Aldus.

13. et Sp ? A 6 JK Aldus, Froben: ut P (l) NH.

14. externo imperio A3 JK Froben 2: imperio externo P (3) C 4 NH Aldus. For the folia probably misplaced in P's archetype and inserted in P (1) n between imperio and externo, cf. critical n. on XXVIII. xxii. 14. The correct order is found in HJK Aldus, Froben. In P the passage covers over 33 pp.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 29.1

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

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