84. “This is what we have to say concerning the former treaties and those made with yourselves. If you do not care to hear it we will omit it altogether and have recourse to prayers and tears, the one refuge of the unfortunate, for which there is ample occasion in the greatness of our calamity. We beseech you, in behalf of an ancient city founded by command of the gods, in behalf of a glory that has become great and a name pervading the whole world, of the many temples it contains and of its gods who have done you no wrong. Do not deprive them of their festivals, solemnities, and sacrifices. Deprive not the dead who have never harmed you, of the offerings which their children bring to their tombs. If you have pity for us (as you say that out of pity you yield us another dwelling-place), spare our shrines, spare our forum, respect the deity who presides over our council, and all else that is dear and precious to the living. What fear can you have of Carthage when you are in possession of our ships and our arms and our hateful elephants? As to a change of dwelling-place (if that is considered in the light of a consolation), it is impracticable for our people, a countless number of whom get their living by the sea, to move into the country. We propose an alternative more desirable for us and more glorious for you. Spare the city which has done you no harm, but if you please, kill us, whom you have ordered to move away. In this way you will seem to vent your wrath upon men, not upon temples, gods, tombs, and an innocent city.”
84. τάδε μὲν εἴχομεν εἰπεῖν καὶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων συνθηκῶν καὶ περὶ τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς γενομένων. εἰ δὲ καὶ τούτων οὐκ ἀνέξεσθε, παρίεμεν ἅπαντα, καὶ ὃ τοῖς ἀτυχοῦσίν ἐστι λοιπόν, ὀδυρόμεθα καὶ δεόμεθα. πολλὴ δʼ ἡ ἱκεσία διʼ ἀφθονίαν κακῶν· ὑπέρ τε γὰρ πόλεως παρακαλοῦμεν ἀρχαίας, χρησμοῖς μετὰ θεῶν συνῳκισμένης, καὶ ὑπὲρ δόξης ἐπὶ μέγα προελθούσης, καὶ ὀνόματος ἐπιφοιτήσαντος ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὅλην, ὑπέρ τε ἱερῶν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τοσῶνδε καὶ θεῶν οὐδὲν ἀδικούντων, οὓς μὴ πανηγύρεις ἀφέλησθε καὶ πομπὰς καὶ ἑορτάς, μηδὲ τοὺς τάφους τὰ ἐναγίσματα, οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἔτι τῶν νεκρῶν ἐπιζημίων ὄντων. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν ἔστιν ἔλεος (φατὲ δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐλεεῖν οἳ συγχωρεῖτε μετοικίσασθαι), φείσασθε πολιτικῆς ἑστίας, φείσασθε ἀγορᾶς, φείσασθε βουλαίας θεοῦ, πάντων τε τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα τοῖς ἔτι ζῶσι τερπνὰ καὶ τίμια. τί γὰρ δὴ καὶ δέος ἔστιν ὑμῖν ἔτι Καρχηδόνος, οἳ καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἔχετε ἡμῶν καὶ τὰ ὅπλα καὶ τοὺς ἐπιφθόνους ἐλέφαντας; περὶ δὲ τῆς ἀνοικίσεως, εἴ τῳ δοκεῖ τοῦτο ἐς παρηγορίαν ἡμῖν προτίθεσθαι, ἔστι καὶ τόδε ἀμήχανον, ἀνδράσιν ἐς ἤπειρον ἀνοικίσασθαι θαλασσοβιώτοις, ὧν ἄπειρον πλῆθος ἐργάζεται τὴν θάλασσαν. δίδομεν δʼ ὑμῖν ἀντίδοσιν αἱρετωτέραν ἡμῖν καὶ εὐκλεεστέραν ὑμῖν. τὴν μὲν πόλιν ἐᾶτε τὴν οὐδενὸς ὑμῖν αἰτίαν, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἡμᾶς οὓς ἀνοικίζετε, εἰ θέλετε, διαχρήσασθε. οὕτω γὰρ ἀνθρώποις δόξετε χαλεπαίνειν, οὐχ ἱεροῖς καὶ θεοῖς καὶ τάφοις καὶ πόλει μηδὲν ἀδικούσῃ.
85. “Romans, you desire a good name and reputation for piety in all that you do, and you announce and claim moderation in all your successes and acquisitions. Do not, I implore you in the name of Jove and of your other gods, as well as of those who still preside over Carthage (and may they never remember ill against you or your children), do not tarnish your good name for the first time in your dealings with us. Do not defile your reputation by an act so horrible to do and to hear, and which you will be the first in all history to perform. Greeks and barbarians have waged many wars, and you, Romans, have waged many against other nations, but no one has ever destroyed a city whose people had surrendered before the fight, and delivered up their arms and children, and submitted to every other penalty that could be imposed upon men. Reminding you of the oaths sworn before the gods, of the mutability of the human lot, and the avenging Nemesis that ever lies in wait for the fortunate, we beseech you not to do violence to your own fair record, and not to push our calamities to the last extremity. Or, if you cannot spare our city, grant us time to send another embassy to your Senate to present our petition. Although the intervening time is short, it will bring long agony to us through the uncertainty of the event. It will be all the same to you whether you execute your purposes now or a little later, and in the meantime you will have performed a pious and humane act.”
85. δόξης δʼ ἀγαθῆς καὶ εὐσεβοῦς ἐφίεσθε, ὦ Ῥωμαῖοι, παρὰ πάντα ἔργα, καὶ μετριοπάθειαν ἐν τοῖς εὐτυχήμασιν ἐπαγγέλλεσθε, καὶ τοῦθʼ οἷς ἂν ἀεὶ λάβητε καταλογίζεσθε· μὴ δή, πρὸς Διὸς καὶ θεῶν, τῶν τε ἄλλων καὶ ὅσοι Καρχηδόνα ἔτι ἔχουσί τε καὶ μή ποτε μνησικακήσαιεν ὑμῖν μηδὲ παισὶν ὑμετέροις, μὴ ἀγαθὴν δόξαν ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμῖν πρώτοις διαβάλητε, μηδὲ τοιῷδε ἔργῳ τὴν εὔκλειαν ὑμῶν καταμιάνητε, χαλεπῷ μὲν ἐργασθῆναι χαλεπῷ δὲ ἀκουσθῆναι, παρά τε πρώτοις ὑμῖν ἐξ ἅπαντος τοῦ βίου γενησομένῳ. πόλεμοι γὰρ πολλοὶ μὲν Ἕλλησιν ἐγένοντο καὶ βαρβάροις, πολλοὶ δὲ ὑμῖν, ὦ Ῥωμαῖοι, πρὸς ἑτέρους· καὶ οὐδείς πω κατέσκαψε πόλιν χεῖράς τε πρὸ μάχης καθεῖσαν καὶ ὅπλα καὶ τέκνα παραδοῦσαν. καὶ εἴ τις ἔστιν ἐς ἀνθρώπους ἄλλη ζημία, καὶ ταύτην παθεῖν ὑπομένουσαν. προφέροντες δʼ ὑμῖν ὁρκίους θεοὺς καὶ τύχην ἀνθρωπείαν καὶ τὴν φοβερωτάτην τοῖς εὐτυχοῦσι Νέμεσιν, δεόμεθα μήτε ἐς τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐπραγίαν ὑμᾶς ὑβρίσαι, μήτε τὰς ἡμετέρας συμφορὰς ἐς ἀνήκεστον προαγαγεῖν, συγχωρῆσαι δʼ, εἰ μὴ δίδοτε τὴν πόλιν ἔχειν, ἔς γε τὴν σύγκλητον ἔτι πρεσβεῦσαι περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ δεηθῆναι. βραχὺ δʼ ὁρᾶτε τὸ διάστημα τοῦ χρόνου, βάσανον μὲν ἡμῖν φέρον μακρὰν ἐν ὀλίγῳ διὰ τὴν τῶν ἐσομένων ἀμφιβολίαν· ὑμῖν δὲ τὸ μὲν ἀσφαλὲς ἴσον, ἢ νῦν ἢ μετʼ ὀλίγον τὰ δοκοῦντα δρᾶν, τὸ δʼ εὐσεβὲς καὶ φιλάνθρωπον ἐπιγίγεται.
86. So spake Banno, but the consuls showed by their stern looks that they would yield nothing. When he had ceased, Censorinus replied: “What is the use of repeating what the Senate has ordered? It has issued its decrees and they must be carried out. We have no power to alter the commands already laid upon us. If we were addressing you as enemies, Carthaginians, it would be necessary only to speak and then to use force, but since this is a matter of the common good (somewhat of our own and still more of yours), I have no objection to giving you the reasons, if you may be thus persuaded instead of being coerced. The sea reminds you of the dominion and power you once acquired by means of it. It prompts you to wrong-doing and brings you to grief. By this means you invaded Sicily and lost it again. Then you invaded Spain and were driven out of it. While a treaty was in force you plundered merchants on the sea, and ours especially, and in order to conceal the crime you threw them overboard, until finally you were caught at it, and then you gave us Sardinia by way of penalty. Thus you lost Sardinia also by means of this sea, which always begets a grasping disposition by the very facilities which it offers for gain.”
86. τοιαῦτα μὲν εἶπεν ὁ Βάννων, οἱ δὲ ὕπατοι δῆλοι μὲν ἦσαν ἐσκυθρωπακότες παρὰ πάντα τὸν λόγον ὅτι μηδὲν ἐνδώσουσιν αὐτοῖς, παυσαμένου δὲ ὁ Κηνσωρῖνος ἔλεξε· περὶ μὲν ὧν ἡ σύγκλητος προσέταξε, τί δεῖ πολλάκις λέγειν; προσέταξε γάρ, καὶ χρὴ γενέσθαι· οὐδὲ ἀναθέσθαι δυνάμεθα τὰ ἤδη κεκελευσμένα γενέσθαι. ταῦτα δὲ εἰ μὲν ὡς ἐχθροῖς ἐπεκελεύομεν, ἔδει μόνον εἰπεῖν καὶ ποιεῖν ἀναγκάζειν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπʼ ὠφελείᾳ κοινῇ, τάχα μέν τι καὶ ἡμῶν, τὸ δὲ πλέον ὑμῶν, ὦ Καρχηδόνιοι, γίγνεται, οὐκ ὀκνήσω καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ὑμῖν εἰπεῖν, ἢν δύνησθε πεισθῆναι μᾶλλον ἢ βιασθῆναι. ἡ θάλασσα ὑμᾶς ἥδε, μεμνημένους τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ ποτὲ ἀρχῆς καὶ δυνάμεως, ἀδικεῖν ἐπαίρει, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε ἐς συμφορὰς περιφέρει. Σικελίᾳ τε γὰρ διʼ αὐτὴν ἐπεχειρήσατε, καὶ Σικελίαν ἀπωλέσατε· ἔς τε Ἰβηρίαν διεπλεύσατε, καὶ Ἰβηρίαν ἀφῄρησθε. ἔν τε ταῖς συνθήκαις ἐλῄζεσθε τοὺς ἐμπόρους, καὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους μάλιστα, ἵνα λανθάνοιτε, κατεποντοῦτε, ἕως ἁλόντες ποινὴν ἡμῖν ἔδοτε Σαρδώ. οὕτω καὶ Σαρδοῦς ἀφῃρέθητε διὰ τὴν θάλασσαν, ἣ πέφυκε πείθειν ἅπαντας ἀεὶ τοῦ πλέονος ὀρέγεσθαι διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ ταχυεργίαν.
87. “In like manner the Athenians, when they became a maritime people, grew mightily, but they fell as suddenly. Naval prowess is like merchants’ gains — a good profit to-day and a total loss to-morrow. You know that those very people whom I have mentioned, when they had extended their sway over the Ionian Sea to Sicily could not restrain their greed until they had lost everything, and were compelled to surrender their harbor and their ships to their enemies, to receive a garrison in their city, to demolish their own long walls, and to become almost exclusively an inland people. And this very thing kept them going a long time. Believe me, Carthaginians, country life, with the joys of agriculture and freedom from danger, is much more wholesome. Although the gains of agriculture are smaller than those of mercantile life, they are surer and a great deal safer. In fact, a maritime city seems to me to be more like a ship than like solid ground, being so tossed about on the waves of trouble and so much exposed to the vicissitudes of life, whereas an inland city enjoys all the security of terra firma. For this reason the ancient seats of empire were generally inland, and in this way those of the Medes, the Assyrians, the Persians, and others became very powerful.”
87. ὃ καὶ Ἀθηναίους, ὅτε ἐγένοντο ναυτικοί, μάλιστα ηὔξησέ τε καὶ καθεῖλεν· ἔοικε γὰρ τὰ θαλάσσια τοῖς ἐμπορικοῖς κέρδεσιν, ἃ καὶ τὴν αὔξησιν ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἀθρόαν. ἴστε γοῦν αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους ὧν ἐπεμνήσθην, ὅτι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰόνιον ἐκτείνοντες ἐς Σικελίαν οὐ πρὶν ἀπέστησαν τῆς πλεονεξίας, πρὶν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἅπασαν ἀφαιρεθῆναι, καὶ λιμένας καὶ ναῦς παραδοῦναι τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ φρουρὰν ἐνδέξασθαι τῇ πόλει, καὶ τὰ τείχη σφῶν αὐτοὶ τὰ μακρὰ καθελεῖν, καὶ σχεδὸν ἠπειρῶται τότε κἀκεῖνοι γενέσθαι. ὃ καὶ διέσωσεν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον αὐτούς. εὐσταθέστερος γάρ, ὦ Καρχηδόνιοι, ὁ ἐν ἠπείρῳ βίος, γεωργίᾳ καὶ ἠρεμίᾳ προσπονῶν· καὶ σμικρότερα μὲν ἴσως τὰ κέρδη, βεβαιότερα δὲ καὶ ἀκινδυνότερα καθάπαξ τὰ τῆς γεωργίας τῶν ἐμπόρων. ὅλως τέ μοι δοκεῖ πόλις ἡ μὲν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ναῦς τις εἶναι μᾶλλον ἣ γῆ, πολὺν τὸν σάλον τῶν πραγμάτων ἔχουσα καὶ τὰς μεταβολάς, ἡ δὲ ἐν τῷ μεσογείῳ καρποῦσθαι τὸ ἀκίνδυνον ὡς ἐν γῇ. διὰ τοῦτʼ ἄρα καὶ τὰ πάλαι βασίλεια ὡς ἐπίπαν ἦν ἐν μέσῳ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε μέγιστα ἐγένοντο τὰ Μήδων καὶ Ἀσσυρίων καὶ Περσῶν καὶ ἑτέρων.
88. “But I will omit kingly examples, which no longer concern you. Look over your African possessions, where there are numerous inland cities out of the reach of danger, from which you can choose one that you would like to have for neighbors, so that you may no longer be in the presence of the thing that excites you, so that you may lose the memory of the ills that now vex you whenever you cast your eyes upon the sea empty of ships, and call to mind the great fleets you once possessed and the spoils you captured and proudly brought into your harbor, and gorged your dockyards and arsenals. When you behold the barracks of your soldiers, the stables of your horses and elephants, and the storehouses alongside them, all empty, what do these things put into your minds? What else but grief and an intense longing to get them back again if you can? When we recall our departed fortune it is human nature to hope that we may recover it. The healing drug for all evils is oblivion, and this is not possible to you unless you put away the sight. The plainest proof of this is that as often as you obtained forgiveness and peace from us you violated the agreement. If you still yearn for dominion, and bear ill-will toward us who took it away from you, and if you are waiting your opportunity, then of course you have need of this city, this great harbor and its dockyards, and these walls built for the shelter of an army. Why should we spare our captured enemies? If you have abdicated dominion sincerely, not in words only but in fact, and are content with what you possess in Africa, and if you honestly desire peace with us, come now, prove it by your acts. Move into the interior of Africa, which belongs to you, and leave the sea, the dominion of which you have yielded to us.”
88. ἀλλὰ βασιλικῶν μὲν ὑποδειγμάτων παύομαι, οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἔτι διαφερόντων· ἐς δὲ τὴν ὑμετέραν Λιβύην ἀπίδετε, ὅσαι μεσόγειοι πόλεις ἀκινδύνως βιοῦσιν. ὧν ἧς ἂν ἐθέλητε, γείτονες ἔσεσθε, ἵνα τὴν ἐρεθίζουσαν ὑμᾶς ὄψιν τε καὶ μνήμην ἀφῆτε τῶν νῦν ἐνοχλούντων κακῶν, ὅταν ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν κενὴν σκαφῶν ἀφορῶντες ἀναμιμνήσκησθε τοῦ πλήθους ὧν εἴχετε νεῶν, καὶ λαφύρων ὅσων ἐφέρετε, καὶ ἐς οἵους γε τοὺς λιμένας κατήγεσθε σοβαροί, καὶ τὰ νεώρια καὶ τὰ τῶν σκευῶν ταμιεῖα ἐνεπίμπλατε. τί δὲ αἱ ἐν τοῖς τείχεσιν ὑποδοχαὶ στρατοπέδων τε καὶ ἵππων καὶ ἐλεφάντων; τί δὲ θησαυροὶ τούτοις παρῳκοδομημένοι; τί ταῦτα μνημεῖα ὑμῖν ἐστίν; ἢ τί ἄλλο πλὴν ὀδύνη, καὶ ἐρέθισμα ἐπανελθεῖν ἐς αὐτά, εἴ ποτε δύναισθε; πάθος ἐστίν ἀνθρώπειον τοῖς μεμνημένοις τῆς ποτὲ τύχης, ἐλπίζειν τὴν τύχην ἐπανελεύσεσθαι, φάρμακον δὲ κακῶν ἀκεστήριον λήθη, ἧς οὐκ ἔνι μετασχεῖν ὑμῖν, ἢν μὴ τὴν ὄψιν ἀπόθησθε. καὶ τούτου σαφέστατος ἔλεγχος, ὅτι πολλάκις συγγνώμης καὶ συνθηκῶν τυχόντες παρεσπονδήσατε. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔτι τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐφίεσθε καὶ δυσμεναίνετε ἡμῖν ὡς ἀφῃρημένοι καὶ καιροφυλακεῖτε, δεῖ τῆσδε τῆς πόλεως ὑμῖν καὶ λιμένων τοιῶνδε καὶ νεωρίων καὶ τειχῶν ἐς στρατοπέδου τρόπον εἰργασμένων. καὶ τί ἔτι φειδόμεθα ἐχθρῶν εἰλημμένων; εἰ δὲ τῆς μὲν ἀρχῆς ἀπέστητε καθαρῶς, οὐ λόγῳ μᾶλλον ἢ γνώμῃ, μόνα δʼ ἐξῄρησθε Λιβύης ἃ ἔχετε, καὶ τάδε ἀπροφασίστως συνέθεσθε ἡμῖν, φέρετε, καὶ ἔργῳ ταῦτα ἐπιδείξατε, ἐς μὲν Λιβύην, ἣν ἔχετε, ἀνοικισάμενοι, τῆς δὲ θαλάσσης ἐκστάντες, ἧς ἀπέστητε.
89. “Do not pretend that you are grieved for your temples, your shrines, your forum, your tombs. We shall not harm your tombs. You may come and make offerings there, and sacrifice in your temples, as often as you like. The rest, however, we shall destroy. You do not sacrifice to your shipyards nor do you make offerings to your walls. You can provide yourselves with other shrines and temples and a forum in the place you move to, and presently this will be your country; just as you left your old ones in Tyre when you migrated to Africa, and now consider the newly acquired land your country. Understand then, in brief, that we do not make this decision from any ill-will toward you, but in the interest of a lasting peace and of the common security. If you will remember, we caused Alba, not an enemy, but our mother city, to change her abode to Rome for the common good, acting not in a hostile spirit, but receiving them as settlers with due honor, and this proved to be for the advantage of both. But you say you have many work-people who gain their living by the sea. We have thought of this. In order that you might easily have traffic by sea and a convenient importation and exportation of commodities, we have not ordered you to go more than ten miles from the shore, while we, who give the order, are twelve miles from it ourselves. We offer you whatever place you choose to take, and when you have taken it you shall live under your own laws. This is what we told you beforehand, that Carthage should have her own laws if you would obey our commands. We consider you to be Carthage, not the ground and buildings where you live.”
89. μηδʼ ὑποκρίνεσθε ἐλεεῖν ἱερὰ καὶ ἑστίας καὶ ἀγορὰς καὶ τάφους· ὧν τάφοι μὲν ἔστων ἀκίνητοι, καὶ ἐναγίζετε αὐτοῖς ἐπερχόμενοι καὶ τοῖς ἱεροῖς θύειν εἰ θέλετε ἐπιόντες, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ καθέλωμεν. οὐ γὰρ καὶ νεωρίοις θύετε, οὐδὲ ἐναγίζετε τείχεσιν. ἑστίας δὲ καὶ ἱερὰ ἄλλα καὶ ἀγορὰς ἔνι καὶ μετελθόντας ἐργάσασθαι, καὶ ταχὺ κἀκεῖνα ὑμῖν ἔσται πάτρια, ᾧ λόγῳ καὶ τὰ ἐν Τύρῳ καταλιπόντες ἠλλάξασθε Λιβύην, τά τε ἐπίκτητα ὑμῖν τότε γενόμενα νῦν πάτρια τίθεσθε. βραχεῖ τε λόγῳ μάθοιτε ἂν ὡς οὐχ ὑπὸ δυσμενείας ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ βεβαίῳ τε ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ ἀμεριμνίᾳ κοινῇ τάδε προστάσσομεν, εἰ ἀναμνησθείητε ὅτι καὶ Ἄλβην ἡμεῖς, οὐκ ἐχθρὰν ἀλλὰ μητρόπολιν οὖσαν, οὐδὲ δυσμεναίνοντες ἀλλʼ ὡς ἄποικοι προτιμῶντες, ἐπὶ συμφέροντι κοινῷ μετῳκίσαμεν ἐς Ῥώμην, καὶ ἐλυσιτέλησεν ἀμφοτέροις. ἀλλʼ εἰσὶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ἔτι χειρώνακτες πολλοὶ θαλασσοβίωτοι. καὶ τούτου πεφροντικαμεν, ὡς ἂν εὐκόλως ἐπιμιγνύοισθε τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ τὴν τῶν ὡραίων διάθεσίν τε καὶ ἀντίληψιν ἔχοιτε εὐμαρῆ· οὐ γὰρ μακρὰν ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ θαλάσσης, ἀλλʼ ὀγδοήκοντα σταδίους ἀναδραμεῖν κελεύομεν. ἡμεῖς δʼ ταῦτα προστάσσοντες ὑμῖν ἑκατὸν τῆς θαλάσσης ἀπέχομεν. χωρίον δὲ ὑμῖν δίδομεν, ὃ θέλετε, ἐπιλέξασθαι, καὶ μετελθοῦσιν αὐτονόμοις εἶναι. τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶν ὃ προυλέγομεν, αὐτόνομον ἐάσειν Καρχηδόνα, εἰ πείθοιτο ἡμῖν· Καρχηδόνα γὰρ ὑμᾶς, οὐ τὸ ἔδαφος ἡγούμεθα.
90. Having spoken thus, Censorinus paused. When the Carthaginians, thunderstruck, answered not a word, he added, “All that can be said in the way of persuasion and consolation has been said. The order of the Senate must be carried out, and quickly too. Therefore take your departure, for you are still ambassadors.” When he had thus spoken they were thrust out by the lictors, but as they foresaw what was likely to be done by the people of Carthage, they asked permission to speak again. Being readmitted they said, “We see that your orders are inexorable since you will not even allow us to send an embassy to Rome. Nor can we hope to return to you again, since we shall be slain by the people of Carthage before we have finished speaking to them. We pray you, therefore, not on our account (for we are ready to suffer everything), but on account of Carthage itself, that you will, if possible, strike terror into them so that they may be able to endure this calamity. Advance your fleet to the city while we are returning by the road, so that, seeing and hearing what you have ordered, they may learn to bear it if they can. To this state has dire necessity brought us that we ask you to hasten your ships against our fatherland.” Having spoken thus, they departed, and Censorinus set sail with twenty quinqueremes and cast anchor alongside the city. Some of the ambassadors wandered away from the road, but the greater part moved on in silence.
90. τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Κηνσωρῖνος ἡσύχασεν. καὶ τῶν Καρχηδονίων ὑπʼ ἐκπλήξεως οὐδὲν ἀποκριναμένων ἐπεῖπεν· ἃ μὲν ἔδειπείθοντα καὶ παρηγοροῦντα εἰπεῖν, εἴρηται· τὸ δὲ πρόσταγμα τῆς βουλῆς δεῖ γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτίκα γενέσθαι. ἄπιτε οὖν· ἐστὲ γὰρ ἔτι πρέσβεις. ὃ μὲν εἶπεν οὕτως, οἱ δʼ ἐξωθούμενοι πρὸς τῶν ὑπηρετῶν, καὶ τὸ μέλλον ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων ἔσεσθαι προορῶντες, ᾔτησαν αὖθις εἰπεῖν. καὶ ἐσαχθέντες ἔφασαν τὸ μὲν ἀπαραίτητον τοῦ κελεύσματος ὁρῶμεν· οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲ πρεσβεῦσαι δίδοτε ἐς Ῥώμην. ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπανελεύσεσθαι μὲν πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἐλπίζομεν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων ἔτι λέγοντες ἀπολεῖσθαι· δεόμεθα δʼ ὑμῶν, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν (ἐσμὲν γὰρ πάντα παθεῖν ἕτοιμοι) ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἔτι Καρχηδόνος, εἰ δύναιτο καταπλαγεῖσα τὰς συμφορὰς ὑποστῆναι. περιστήσατε αὐτῇ τὰς ναῦς ἕως ὁδεύοντες ἄπιμεν, ἵνα καὶ θεωροῦντες καὶ ἀκούοντες ὧν προσετάξατε ἐνέγκωσιν, ἂν ἄρα δύνωνται. ἐς τοῦτο δʼ ἡμῖν ἀνάγκης ἀφῖκται καὶ τύχης ὡς αὐτοὶ παρακαλεῖν ὑμᾶς τὰς ναῦς ἐπάγειν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα. οἱ μὲν δὴ τοσαῦτα εἰπόντες ἀπῄεσαν, καὶ ὁ Κηνσωρῖνος πεντήρεσιν εἴκοσι παραπλεύσας ἀνεκώχευε παρὰ τὴν πόλιν· τῶν δὲ πρέσβεων οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ διεδίδρασκον, οἱ δὲ πλέονες ἐπορεύοντο σιγῇ.
91. Meanwhile some of the Carthaginians were watching from the walls the return of the ambassadors, and tore their hair with impatience at their delay. Others, not waiting, ran to meet them in order to learn the news; and when they saw them coming with downcast eyes they smote their own foreheads and questioned them, now all together, now one by one, as each chanced to meet a friend or acquaintance, seizing hold of them and asking questions. When no one answered they wept aloud as though certain destruction awaited them. When those on the walls heard them they joined in the lamentations, not knowing why, but as though some great evil were impending. At the gates the crowd almost crushed the envoys, rushing upon them in such number. They would have been torn in pieces had they not said that they must make their first communication to the senate. Then some of the crowd turned aside, and others opened a path for them, in order to learn the news sooner. When they were come into the senate-chamber the senators turned the others out and sat down alone by themselves, and the crowd remained standing outside. Then the envoys announced first of all the order of the consuls. Immediately there was a great outcry in the senate which was echoed by the people outside. When the envoys went on to tell what arguments and prayers they had used to get permission to send an embassy to Rome, there was again profound silence among the senators, who listened to the end; and the people kept silence also. When they learned that they were not even allowed to send an embassy, they raised a loud and mournful outcry, and the people rushed in among them.
91. Καρχηδόνιοι δʼ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἐς τοὺς πρέσβεις, ὁπότε ἥξουσιν, ἀφεώρων καὶ βραδύνουσιν αὐτοῖς ἤχθοντο, καὶ τὰς κόμας ἐτίλλοντο· οἱ δʼ ὑπήντων ἔτι προσιοῦσιν, οὐκ ἀναμένοντες ἀλλʼ ἐπειγόμενοι μαθεῖν. σκυθρωποὺς δὲ ὁρῶντες ἐτύπτοντο τὰ μέτωπα, καὶ διηρώτων, οἱ μὲν ὁμοῦ πάντας οἱ δʼ ἕκαστον, ὡς εἶχέ τις φιλίας ἢ γνώσεως ἐς αὐτόν, ἐπιστρέφων τε καὶ πυνθανόμενος. ὡς δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀπεκρίνετο, ἀνῴμωζον ὡς ἐπʼ ὀλέθρῳ σαφεῖ. καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους ἀκούοντες συνανῴμωζον αὐτοῖς, οὐκ εἰδότες μὲν οὐδέν, ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ σαφεῖ καὶ μεγάλῳ κακῷ. περὶ δὲ τὰς πύλας ὀλίγου μὲν αὐτοὺς καὶ συνεπάτουν, ἐπιπίπτοντες ἀθρόοι, ὀλίγου δὲ καὶ διέσπασαν, εἰ μὴ τοσόνδε ἔφασαν, ὅτι χρὴ τῇ γερουσίᾳ πρότερον ἐντυχεῖν. τότε γὰρ οἱ μὲν διίσταντο αὐτοῖς, οἱ δὲ καὶ ὡδοποίουν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τοῦ θᾶσσον μαθεῖν. ὡς δὲ ἐς τὸ βουλευτήριον ἐσῆλθον, ἡ μὲν γερουσία τοὺς ἄλλους μετεστήσατο, καὶ μόνοι συνήδρευον ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν, τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ἔξω περιειστήκεσαν. οἱ δὲ πρέσβεις ἀπήγγελλον πρῶτα μὲν τὸ κέλευσμα τῶν ὑπάτων· καὶ εὐθὺς ἦν βοὴ τῆς γερουσίας, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἔξω συνεβόα. ὡς δὲ ἐπῆγον οἱ πρέσβεις ὅσα ἀντέλεξαν δικαιολογούμενοι καὶ δεόμενοι καὶ ἐς Ῥώμην πρεσβεῦσαι παραιτούμενοι, αὖθις ἦν τῆς βουλῆς σιγὴ βαθεῖα, τὸ τέλος μαθεῖν περιμενούσης, καὶ ὁ δῆμος αὐτῇ συνεσιώπα. ὡς δʼ ἔμαθον ὅτι μηδὲ πρεσβεύειν ἐπέτρεψαν, ἠλάλαξαν ἐξαίσιον ὀδυρόμενοι, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἐσέδραμεν ἐς αὐτούς.
92. Then followed a scene of indescribable fury and madness such as the Maenads are said to enact in the Bacchic mysteries. Some fell upon those senators who had advised giving the hostages and tore them in pieces, considering them the ones who had led them into the trap. Others treated in a similar way those who had favored giving up the arms. Some stoned the ambassadors for bringing the bad news and others dragged them through the city. Still others, meeting certain Italians, who were caught among them in this sudden and unexpected mischance, maltreated them in various ways, saying that they would make them suffer for the fraud practised upon them in the matter of the hostages and the arms. The city was full of wailing and wrath, of fear and threatenings. People roamed the streets invoking whatever was most dear to them and took refuge in the temples as in asylums. They upbraided their gods for not being able to defend themselves. Some went into the arsenals and wept when they found them empty. Others ran to the dockyards and bewailed the ships that had been surrendered to perfidious men. Some called their elephants by name, as though they had been present, and reviled their own ancestors and themselves for not perishing, sword in hand, with their country, instead of paying tribute and giving up their elephants, their ships, and their arms. Most of all was their anger kindled by the mothers of the hostages who, like Furies in a tragedy, accosted those whom they met with shrieks and accused them of giving away their children against their protest, or mocked at them, saying that the gods were now taking vengeance on them for the lost children. A few kept their wits about them, closed the gates, and brought stones upon the walls to be used in place of catapults.
92. καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε ἦν οἶστρος ἄλογός τε καὶ μανιώδης, οἷον ἐν τοῖς βακχείοις πάθεσί φασι τὰς μαινάδας ἀλλόκοτα καινουργεῖν. οἱ μὲν τῶν βουλευτῶν τοὺς περὶ τῶν ὁμήρων ἐσηγησαμένους ὡς ἐξάρχους τῆς ἐνέδρας ᾐκίζοντο καὶ διέσπων, οἱ δὲ τοὺς συμβουλεύσαντας περὶ τῶν ὅπλων. οἱ δὲ τοὺς πρέσβεις κατέλευον ὡς κακῶν ἀγγέλους, οἱ δὲ καὶ περιέσυρον ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν. ἕτεροι δὲ τοὺς Ἰταλούς, οἳ ἔτι παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὡς ἐν αἰφνιδίῳ καὶ ἀκηρύκτῳ κακῷ ἦσαν, ἐλυμαίνοντο ποικίλως, ἐπιλέγοντες ὁμήρων πέρι καὶ ὅπλων καὶ ἀπάτης ἀμύνεσθαι. οἰμωγῆς τε ἅμα παὶ ὀργῆς καὶ δέους καὶ ἀπειλῆς ἡ πόλις ἐνεπέπληστο, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἀνεκάλουν τὰ φίλτατα, καὶ ἐς τὰ ἱερὰ ὡς ἄσυλα κατέφευγον, καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ὠνείδιζον ὡς οὐδὲ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπικουρῆσαι δυναμένους. ἕτεροι δὲ ἐς τὰς ὁπλοθήκας ἰόντες ἔκλαιον, ὁρῶντες κενάς· οἱ δʼ ἐς τὰ νεώρια καταθέοντες ὠδύροντο τὰς ναῦς ὡς ἀπίστοις ἀνδράσιν ἐκδεδομένας. καὶ τὰ ὀνόματά τινες τῶν ἐλεφάντων ἀνεκάλουν ὡς ἔτι παρόντων, τούς τε προγόνους καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐλοιδόρουν, ὡς δέον μήτε ναῦς μήτε ἐλέφαντας μήτε φόρους μήτε τὰ ὅπλα παραδόντας ἀποθανεῖν σὺν τῇ πατρίδι ὡπλισμένῃ. μάλιστα δʼ αὐτοὺς ἐς ὀργὴν ἀνέκαιον αἱ μητέρες αἱ τῶν ὁμήρων, οἷά τινες ἐκ τραγῳδίας ἐρινύες ἐντυγχάνουσαι μετʼ ὀλολυγῆς ἑκάστῳ, καὶ τὴν ἔκδοσιν τῶν παίδων προφέρουσαι καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀπόρρησιν· ἐπεγέλων τε αὐτοῖς ὡς θεῶν ἀμυνομένων αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ τῶν παίδων. ὀλίγον δʼ ὅσον ἐσωφρόνει, τὰς πύλας ἀπέκλειε, καὶ τὸ τεῖχος λίθων ἀντὶ καταπελτῶν ἐπλήρουν.
93. The same day the Carthaginian senate declared war and proclaimed freedom to the slaves. They also chose generals and selected Hasdrubal for the outside work, whom they had condemned to death, and who had already collected 30,000 men. They despatched a messenger to him begging that, in the extreme peril of his country, he would not remember, or lay up against them, the wrong they had done him under the pressure of necessity from fear of the Romans. Within the walls they chose for general another Hasdrubal, the son of a daughter of Masinissa. They also sent to the consuls asking a truce of thirty days in order to send an embassy to Rome. When this was refused a second time, a wonderful change and determination came over them, to endure everything rather than abandon their city. Quickly all minds were filled with courage from this transformation. All the sacred places, the temples, and every other unoccupied space, were turned into workshops, where men and women worked together day and night without pause, taking their food by turns on a fixed schedule. Each day they made 100 shields, 300 swords, 1000 missiles for catapults, 500 darts and javelins, and as many catapults as they could. For strings to bend them the women cut off their hair for want of other fibres.
93. ἡ δὲ βουλὴ πολεμεῖν μὲν ἐψηφισατο αὐτῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ τοὺς δούλους ἐκήρυξεν ἐλευθέρους εἶναι, στρατηγοὺς δὲ εἵλοντο τῶν μὲν ἔξω πράξεων Ἀσδρούβαν, ᾧ θάνατος ἐπικήρυκτος ἦν, ἔχοντα δισμυρίων ἤδη σύνοδον ἀνδρῶν· καί τις ἐξέτρεχεν αὐτοῦ δεησόμενος μὴ μνησικακῆσαι τῇ πατρίδι ἐνἐς χάτῳ κινδύνου, μηδέ, ὧν ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης ἠδικήθη Ῥωμαίων δέει, νῦν ἀναφέρειν. ἐντὸς δὲ τειχῶν ᾑρέθη στρατηγὸς ἕτερος Ἀσδρούβας, θυγατριδοῦς Μασσανάσσου. ἔπεμψαν δὲ καὶ ἐς τοὺς ὑπάτους, αἰτοῦντες αὖθις ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα ἀνοχάς, ἵνα πρεσβεύσειαν ἐς Ῥώμην. ἀποτυχόντες δὲ καὶ τότε, ἐπὶ θαυμαστῆς ἐγίγνοντο μεταβολῆς τε καὶ τόλμης ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ τὴν πόλιν ἐκλιπεῖν. ταχὺ δὲ καὶ θάρσους ἐκ τῆς μεταβολῆς ἐπίμπλαντο. καὶ δημιουργεῖα μὲν τὰ δημόσια τεμένη καὶ ἱερὰ πάντα, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο εὐρύχωρον ἦν, ἐγένετο· εἰργάζοντο δὲ ὁμοῦ ἄνδρες τε καὶ γυναῖκες ἡμέρας τε καὶ νυκτός, μὴ ἀναπαυόμενοι καὶ σῖτον αἱρούμενοι παρὰ μέρος, ἐπὶ ὅρῳ τακτῷ, θυρεοὺς ἑκατὸν ἡμέρας ἑκάστης καὶ ξίφη τριακόσια καὶ καταπελτικὰ βέλη χίλια, σαυνία δὲ καὶ λόγχας πενκακοσίας, καὶ καταπέλτας ὅσους δυνηθεῖεν. ἐς δὲ τὰς ἐπιτάσεις αὐτῶν ἀπέκειραν τὰς γυναῖκας, τριχῶν ἑτέρων ἀπορία.
94. While the Carthaginians were preparing for war with such haste and zeal, the consuls, who perhaps hesitated about performing such an atrocious act on the instant, or because they thought that they could easily capture an unarmed city whenever they liked, kept delaying. They thought also that the Carthaginians would give in for want of means, as it usually happens that those who are in desperate straits are very eager to resist at first, but as time brings opportunity for reflection, fear of the consequences of disobedience takes possession of them. Something of this kind happened in Carthage, where a certain citizen, conjecturing that fear had already come upon them, walked into the assembly as if on other business and dared to say that among evils they ought to choose the least, since they attempt and were again repulsed, the spirits of the Carthaginians were very much raised.
94. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐν τούτῳ σπουδῆς καὶ παρασκευῆς ἦσαν, οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι τάχα μέν τι καὶ ὄκνῳ, μὴ εὐθὺς ἐπιχειρεῖν ἐς ἔργον ἀλλόκοτον, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἄνοπλον οὖσαν λήψεσθαι κατὰ κράτος, ὅτε θέλοιεν, ἡγούμενοι, διέμελλον ἔτι καὶ ἐνδώσειν αὐτοὺς ἐνόμιζον ἐκ τῆς ἀπορίας, οἷον ἐν τοῖς δυσχερέσι γίγνεσθαι φιλεῖ, εὐθὺς μὲν ἀντιλέγειν, προϊόντος δὲ χρόνου καὶ λογισμοῦ φόβον ἅπτεσθαι τῶν ἀπειθούντων. ἃ καὶ τῶν Καρχηδονίων τις αὐτῶν, εἰκάσας σφῶν ἤδη τὸ δέος ἅπτεσθαι, ἐτόλμησεν ὡς ἐπὶ δή τι ἄλλο παρελθὼν ἐς τὸ μέσον εἰπεῖν, ὅτι χρὴ τῶν κακῶν ἐπιλέγεσθαι τὰ μετριώτερα, ὄντας ἀνόπλους, οὕτω σαφῶς εἰπὼν τὰ τῆς γνώμης. Μασσανάσσης δὲ ἤχθετο Ῥωμαίοις, καὶ ἔφερε βαρέως ὅτι τὴν Καρχηδονίων δύναμιν αὐτὸς ἐς γόνυ βαλὼν ἄλλους ἑώρα τῷ ἐπιγράμματι αὐτῆς ἐπιτρέχοντάς τε καὶ οὐ κοινώσαντας αὐτῷ πρὶν ἐπελθεῖν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πάλαι πολέμοις ἐποίουν. ὅμως δʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀποπειρωμένων καὶ καλούντων ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν, ἔφη τὴν συμμαχίαν πέμψειν, ὅταν αἴσθηται δεομένων. καὶ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ πέμψας ἤρετο εἴ τινος ἤδη δέονται. οἱ δὲ οὐ φέροντες αὐτοῦ τὸ σοβαρόν, ἤδη δέ τι καὶ ἀπιστοῦντες ὡς δυσμεναίνοντι, ἀπεκριναντο προσπέμψειν ὅτε δεηθεῖεν. περὶ δὲ ἀγορᾶς τῷ στρατῷ καὶ πάνυ ἐφρόντιζον, ἐκ μόνης ἔχοντες Ἀδρυμητοῦ καὶ Λέπτεως καὶ Θάψου καὶ Ἰτύκης καὶ Ἀχόλλης· τὰ γὰρ δὴ λοιπὰ Λιβύης ἦν ἔτι πάντα ὑπὸ Ἀσδρούβᾳ, ὅθεν ἐκεῖνος ἀγορὰν ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἔπεμπεν. ὀλίγων δʼ ἐς ταῦτα διατριφθεισῶν ἡμερῶν, οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι προσῄεσαν ἄμφω τῇ πόλει τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἐς μάχην ἐσκευασμένοι, καὶ ἐπεχείρουν.
The consuls, fearing Hasdrubal, who had pitched his camp behind them on the other side of the lake, not far distant, fortified two camps, Censorinus on the lake under the walls of the enemy, and Manilius on the isthmus leading to the mainland. When the camps were finished Censorinus crossed the lake to get timber for building engines and lost about 500 men, who were cutting wood, and also many tools, the Carthaginian cavalry general, Himilco, surnamed Phameas, having suddenly fallen upon them. Nevertheless, he secured a certain amount of timber with which he made engines and ladders.
ἦν δὲ ἡ πόλις ἐν μυχῷ κόλπου μεγίστου, χερρονήσῳ τι μάλιστα προσεοικυῖα. αὐχὴν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἠπείρου διεῖργεν, εὖρος ὢν πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι σταδίων· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ αὐχένος ταινία στενὴ καὶ ἐπιμήκης, ἡμισταδίου μάλιστα τὸ πλάτος, ἐπὶ δυσμὰς ἐχώρει, μέση λίμνης τε καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης … ἁπλῷ τείχει περίκρημνα ὄντα, τὰ δὲ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν ἐς ἤπειρον, ἔνθα καὶ ἡ Βύρσα ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐχένος, τριπλῷ τείχει. τούτων δʼ ἕκαστον ἦν ὕψος μὲν πηχῶν τριάκοντα, χωρὶς ἐπάλξεών τε καὶ πύργων, οἳ ἐκ διπλέθρου διαστήματος αὐτοῖς τετρώροφοι περιέκειντο, βάθος δὲ ποδῶν τριάκοντα, διώροφον δʼ ἦν ἑκάστου τείχους τὸ ὕψος, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ κοίλῳ τε ὄντι καὶ στεγανῷ κάτω μὲν ἐστάθμευον ἐλέφαντες τριακόσιοι, καὶ θησαυροὶ παρέκειντο αὐτοῖς τῶν τροφῶν, ἱπποστάσια δʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἦν τετρακισχιλίοις ἵπποις, καὶ ταμιεῖα χιλοῦ τε καὶ κριθῆς, ἀνδράσι τε καταγωγαὶ πεζοῖς μὲν ἐς δισμυρίους, ἱππεῦσι δὲ ἐς τετρακισχιλίους. τοσήδε παρασκευὴ πολέμου διετέτακτο σταθμεύειν ἐν τοῖς τείχεσι μόνοις. γωνία δʼ ἣ παρὰ τὴν γλῶσσαν ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ τείχους ἐπὶ τοὺς λιμένας περιέκαμπτεν, ἀσθενὴς ἦν μόνη καὶ ταπεινή, καὶ ἠμέλητο ἐξ ἀρχῆς.
Again they made an attempt upon the city in concert, and again they failed. Manilius, after some feeble efforts, having with difficulty beaten down a little of the outworks, gave up in despair of taking the city from that side. Censorinus, having filled up a portion of the lake along the tongue of land in order to have more room, brought up two enormous battering rams, one of which was driven by 6000 foot-soldiers under charge of the military tribunes, and the other by oarsmen of the ships under charge of their captains.
οἱ δὲ λιμένες ἐς ἀλλήλους διεπλέοντο, καὶ ἔσπλους ἐκ πελάγους ἐς αὐτοὺς ἦν ἐς εὖρος ποδῶν ἑβδομήκοντα, ὃν ἁλύσεσιν ἀπέκλειον σιδηραῖς. ὁ μὲν δὴ πρῶτος ἐμπόροις ἀνεῖτο, καὶ πείσματα ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ πυκνὰ καὶ ποικίλα· τοῦ δʼ ἐντὸς ἐν μέσῳ νῆσος ἦν, καὶ κρηπῖσι μεγάλαις ἥ τε νῆσος καὶ ὁ λιμὴν διείληπτο. νεωρίων τε ἔγεμον αἱ κρηπῖδες αἵδε ἐς ναῦς διακοσίας καὶ εἴκοσι πεποιημένων, καὶ ταμιείων ἐπὶ τοῖς νεωρίοις ἐς τριηρετικὰ σκεύη. κίονες δʼ ἑκάστου νεωσοίκου προῦχον Ἰωνικοὶ δύο, ἐς εἰκόνα στοᾶς τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ τε λιμένος καὶ τῆς νήσου περιφέροντες. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς νήσου σκηνὴ ἐπεποίητο τῷ ναυάρχῳ, ὅθεν ἔδει καὶ τὸν σαλπικτὴν σημαίνειν, καὶ τὸν κήρυκα προλέγειν, καὶ τὸν ναύαρχον ἐφορᾶν. ἔκειτο δʼ ἡ νῆσος κατὰ τὸν ἔσπλουν, καὶ ἀνετέτατο ἰσχυρῶς, ἵνα ὅ τε ναύαρχος τὰ ἐκ πελάγους πάντα ἐφορᾷ, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιπλέουσιν ἀφανὴς ἡ τῶν ἔνδον ᾖ ὄψις ἡ ἀκριβής. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐσπλεύσασιν ἐμπόροις εὐθὺς ἦν τὰ νεώρια σύνοπτα· τεῖχός τε γὰρ αὐτοῖς διπλοῦν περιέκειτο, καὶ πύλαι, αἳ τοὺς ἐμπόρους ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου λιμένος ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐσέφερον οὐ διερχομένους τὰ νεώρια.
Moved by a spirit of emulation among officers and men in the performance of their similar tasks, they beat down a part of the wall, so that they could look into the city. The Carthaginians, on the other hand, drove them back and strove to repair the breaches in the wall by night. As the night time was not sufficient for the work and they feared lest the Roman arms should readily destroy by daylight their moist and newly made wall, they made a sally, some with arms and others with torches, to set fire to the machines. They did not succeed in destroying these entirely (the Romans rallying and not giving them sufficient time), but they rendered them quite useless and regained the city. When daylight returned the Romans conceived the purpose of rushing in through the opening where the Carthaginians had not finished their work and overpowering them. They saw inside an open space, well suited for fighting, where the Carthaginians had stationed armed men in front and others in the rear provided only with stones and clubs, and many others on the roofs of the neighboring houses, all in readiness to meet the invaders. The Romans, when they saw themselves scorned by an unarmed enemy, were still more exasperated, and dashed in fiercely. But Scipio, who a little later took Carthage and from that feat gained the surname Africanus, being then a military tribune, held back, divided his companies into several parts, and stationed them at intervals along the wall, not allowing them to go into the city. When those who entered were driven back by the Carthaginians, who fell upon them from all sides, he gave them succor and saved them from destruction. And this action first brought him renown, as he had shown himself wiser than the consul.
οὕτω μὲν εἶχεν ἡ πόλις ἡ Καρχηδονίων ἡ τότε, οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι διελόμενοι τὸ ἔργον ᾔεσαν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, Μανίλιος μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἠπείρου κατὰ τὸν αὐχένα, ἐγχώσων τε τὴν τάφρον καὶ βραχὺ ἐπιτείχισμα τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ βιασόμενος, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τείχη· Κηνσωρῖνος δὲ κλίμακας ἔκ τε γῆς καὶ νεῶν ἐπέφερε κατὰ τὴν εὐτελῆ τοῦ τείχους γωνίαν. ἄμφω δʼ ὡς ἀνόπλων κατεφρόνουν, ἕως ἐντυχόντες ὅπλοις τε καινοῖς καὶ ἀνδρῶν προθυμίᾳ παραλόγῳ κατεπλάγησαν καὶ ὑπεχώρουν. καὶ εὐθὺς αὐτοῖς τοῦτο πρῶτον ἀντεκεκρούκει, ἐλπίσασιν ἀμαχὶ λήψεσθαι τὴν πόλιν. ὡς δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἐπεχείρουν καὶ αὖθις ἀπετύγχανον, τὰ μὲν τῶν Καρχηδονίων φρονήματα ἐπῇρτο, οἱ δʼ ὕπατοι δεδιότες Ἀσδρούβαν ὄπισθεν σφῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν λίμνην οὐκ ἐκ μακροῦ διαστήματος ἐστρατοπεδευμένον, ὠχύρουν καὶ αὐτοὶ δύο στρατόπεδα, Κηνσωρῖνος μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς λίμνης ὑπὸ τοῖς τείχεσι τῶν πολεμίων, Μανίλιος δʼ ἐν τῷ αὐχένι τῆς ἐς τὴν ἤπειρον ὁδοῦ. ὡς δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐγήγερτο τὰ στρατόπεδα, ὁ Κηνσωρῖνος ἐπὶ ὕλῃ ἐς μηχανὰς διέπλευσε διὰ τῆς λίμνης· καὶ ἀπέβαλεν ὑλοτόμων ἐς πεντακοσίους ἄνδρας ὅπλα τε πολλά, Ἱμίλκωνος αἰφνίδιον αὐτῷ, τοῦ Καρχηδονίων ἱππάρχου, προσπεσόντος, ᾧ Φαμέας ἐπώνυμον ἦν. κομίσας δʼ ὅμως τινὰ ὕλην, μηχανὰς ἐποίησε καὶ κλίμακας. καὶ πάλιν ἐπεχείρουν ἄμφω τῇ πόλει, καὶ ἀπετύγχανον ὁμοίως. Μανίλιος μὲν οὖν μικρὸν ἔτι προσκαμὼν καὶ μόλις τι τοῦ προτειχίσματος καταβαλών, ἀπέγνω μηδὲ ἐπιχειρεῖν ἔτι ταύτῃ· Κηνσωρῖνος δὲ χώσας τι τῆς λίμνης παρὰ τὴν ταινίαν, ἵνα εὐρύτερον εἴη, δύο μηχανὰς κριοφόρους ἐπῆγε μεγάλας, τὴν μὲν ὠθουμένην ἑξακισχιλίοις πεζοῖς, ἡγουμένων τῶν χιλιάρχων, τὴν δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐρετῶν, ἡγουμένων καὶ τοῖσδε ναυάρχων. φιλονεικίας δʼ, ὡς ἐν ἴσῳ καὶ ὁμοιῳ ἔργῳ, τοῖς τε ὑπηρέταις καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν αὐτῶν γενομένης, συνέπεσέ τι τοῦ τείχους, καὶ τὰ ἐντὸς ἤδη κατεφαίνετο. Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ καὶ ὣς αὐτοὺς ἀπωσάμενοι, τὰ πεσόντα νυκτὸς ᾠκοδόμουν. οὐκ ἀρκούσης δʼ ἐς τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῖς τῆς νυκτός, δεδιότες περὶ τῷ ἤδη γεγονότι, μὴ καὶ τοῦτο μεθʼ ἡμέραν αἱ Ῥωμαίων μηχαναὶ νεότευκτον καὶ ὑγρὸν ἔτι καταβάλοιεν, ἐξέδραμον ἐπὶ τὰ μηχανήματα τῶν πολεμίων, οἱ μὲν σὺν ὅπλοις, οἱ δὲ γυμνοὶ λαμπάδας ἡμμένας ἔχοντες, καὶ ἐνέπρησαν μὲν οὐχ ὅλα (οὐ γὰρ ἔφθασαν Ῥωμαίων ἐπιδραμόντων), ἀχρεῖα δʼ ὅλα ποιήσαντες ἀνεχώρουν. ἅμα δʼ ἡμέρᾳ Ῥωμαίοις ἐπέπεσεν ὁρμὴ διὰ τοῦ πεσόντος οὔπω τελέως ἐγηγερμένου βιάσασθαι καὶ ἐσδραμεῖν· καὶ γάρ τι πεδίον ἐντὸς ἐφαίνετο εὐφυὲς ἐς μάχην, ἐν ᾧ τοὺς ἐνόπλους ἔστησαν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι κατὰ μετώπου, τοὺς δʼ ἀνόπλους αὐτοῖς ἐπέταξαν σὺν λίθοις ὀπίσω καὶ ξύλοις, ἑτέρους τε πολλοὺς διαθέντες ἐπὶ τῶν περικειμένων οἰκιῶν ἀνέμενον τοὺς ἐπερχομένους ἐσδραμεῖν. οἱ δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἠρεθίζοντο ὡς ὑπὸ γυμνῶν ἀνδρῶν καταφρονούμενοι, καὶ θρασέως ἐπεπήδων. Σκιπίων δέ, ὃς μετʼ ὀλίγον εἷλε Καρχηδόνα καὶ παρὰ τοῦτο Ἀφρικανὸς ἐπεκλήθη, χιλιαρχῶν τότε ὤκνει, καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ λόχους ἐς πολλὰ διελών, καὶ στήσας ἐκ διαστήματος ἐπὶ τοῦ τειχίου, κατιέναι μὲν ἐς τὴν πόλιν οὐκ εἴα, τοὺς δὲ ἐσελθόντας ἐξωθουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν Καρχηδονίων πάντοθεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεσόντων ὑπεδέχετο καὶ περιέσωζεν. καὶ τοῦτο πρῶτον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ δόξης ἐποίησεν, εὐβουλότερον τοῦ στρατηγοῦ φανέντα.
99. Now the dog star began to rise and sickness broke out in the camp of Censorinus, who was conducting his operations on a lake of stagnant water with high walls shutting off the fresh air from the sea, for which reason he moved his station from the lake to the sea. The Carthaginians, observing that the wind blew toward the Romans, attached ropes to some small boats and hauled them behind the walls, so that they should not be observed by the enemy, and filled them with dry twigs and tow. Then they pushed them back, and as they turned the corner and came in sight of the enemy, they poured brimstone and pitch over the contents, spread the sails, and, as the wind filled them, set fire to the boats. These, driven by the wind and the fury of the flames against the Roman ships, set fire to them and came a little short of destroying the whole fleet. Shortly afterward Censorinus went to Rome to conduct the election. Then the Carthaginians began to press more boldly against Manilius. They made a sally by night, some with arms, others, unarmed, carrying planks with which to bridge the ditch of the Roman camp, and began to tear down the palisades. While all was in confusion in the camp, as is usual in nocturnal assaults, Scipio passed out with his horse by the rear gates where there was no fighting, moved around to the front, and so frightened the Carthaginians that they betook themselves to the city. Thus a second time Scipio appeared to have been the salvation of the Romans by his conduct in this nocturnal mel£ee.
99. κυνὸς δʼ ἦν ἐπιτολή, καὶ τὸ Κηνσωρίνου στρατόπεδον ἐνόσει, σταθμεῦον ἐπὶ λίμνῃ σταθεροῦ καὶ βαρέος ὕδατος καὶ ὑπὸ τείχεσι μεγίστοις, οὐ καταπνεόμενον ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης. ὅθεν ὁ Κηνσωρῖνος ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν ἀπὸ τῆς λίμνης μετεστρατοπέδευσεν. καὶ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, ὅτε γίγνοιτο πνεῦμα ἐς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐπίφορον, σκάφας φρυγάνων καὶ στυππίου εἷλκον ὑπὸ τοῖς τείχεσιν, οὐ καθορώμενοι τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀπὸ κάλων· εἰ δὲ ἐπικάμπτοντες ἔμελλον γενήσεσθαι καταφανεῖς, θεῖον αὐταῖς καὶ πίσσαν ἐπιχέοντες ἀνέτεινον τὰ ἱστία, καὶ πλήσαντες ἀνέμου πῦρ ἐνέβαλον ἐς τὰ σκάφη. τὰ δὲ τῷ τε ἀνέμῳ καὶ τῇ ῥοπῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐς τὰς Ῥωμαίων ναῦς ἐωθεῖτο καὶ ἐλυμαίνετο καὶ ὀλίγου τὸν στόλον κατέφλεξεν. μετὰ δὲ οὐ πολὺ Κηνσωρῖνος μὲν ἐς Ῥώμην ᾤχετο ἀρχαιρεσιάσων, οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τῷ Μανιλίῳ θρασύτερον ἐπέκειντο· καὶ νυκτός, οἱ μὲν ὅπλα ἔχοντες οἱ δὲ γυμνοί, σανίδας φέροντες ἐπετίθεσαν τῇ κατὰ σφᾶς τάφρῳ τοῦ Μανιλίου, καὶ τὸ χαράκωμα διέσπων. ἀπορουμένων δὲ ὡς ἐν νυκτὶ τῶν ἔνδον, ὁ Σκιπίων ἐξέδραμε σὺν ἱππεῦσιν ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου κατὰ πύλας ἄλλας, ἔνθα οὐδεὶς πόλεμος, καὶ περιδραμὼν τοὺς Καρχηδονίους κατεφόβησεν. οἱ δὲ ἀνεχώρουν ἐς τὴν πόλιν. καὶ δεύτερον ὁ Σκιπίων ἐδόκει τῷδε τῷ ἔργῳ περισῶσαι Ῥωμαίους, ἐν νυκτὶ θορυβουμένους.
100. Manilius thereupon fortified his camp more carefully. He threw around it a wall in place of the palisade and built a fort on the sea-shore at the place where his supply-ships came in. Then, turning to the mainland, he ravaged the country with 10,000 foot and 4000 horse, collecting wood and forage and provisions. These foraging parties were in charge of the military tribunes by turns. Now Phameas, the chief of the African horse, — a young man eager for fighting, having small but swift horses that lived on grass when they could find nothing else, and could bear both hunger and thirst when necessary, — hiding in thickets and ravines, when he saw that the enemy were not on their guard swooped down upon them from his hiding-place like an eagle, inflicted as much damage on them as he could, and took refuge in flight. But when Scipio’s turn came he never made his appearance, because Scipio always kept his foot-soldiers in line and his horsemen on horseback, and in foraging he never broke ranks until he had encircled the field where his harvesters were to work, with cavalry and infantry. Moreover, he was always reconnoitring with other troops of horse around the circle, and if any of the harvesters straggled away or passed outside of the circle he punished them severely. For this reason he was the only one that Phameas did not attack.
100. ὁ δὲ Μανίλιος τὸ μὲν στρατόπεδον ἔτι μᾶλλον ὠχύρου, τεῖχός τε ἀντὶ χάρακος αὐτῷ περιτιθεὶς καὶ ἐπίνειον φρούριον ἐγείρων ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης διὰ τὴν καταπλέουσαν ἀγοράν· τραπεὶς δʼ ἐς τὰ μεσόγεια μυρίοις πεζοῖς καὶ ἱππεῦσι δισχιλίοις τὴν χώραν ἐπόρθει, ξυλευόμενός τε καὶ χορτολογῶν καὶ ἀγορὰν συλλέγων. ἡγεῖτο δʼ ἀεὶ τῶν προνομευόντων χιλίαρχος ἕτερος παρʼ ἕτερον. καὶ Φαμέας ὁ ἵππαρχος ὁ τῶν Λιβύων, νέος τε ὢν ἔτι καὶ θρασύτερος ἐς μάχας, καὶ ἵπποις χρώμενος μικροῖς καὶ ταχέσι, καὶ ποηφαγοῦσιν ὅτε μηδὲν εἴη, καὶ φέρουσι δίψος, εἰ δεήσειε, καὶ λιμόν, ὑποκρυπτόμενος ἐν λόχμαις ἢ φάραγξιν, ὅπῃ τι ἀμελούμενον ἴδοι, ἐφίπτατο ἐξ ἀφανοῦς ὥς τις ἀετός, καὶ λυμηνάμενος ἀπεπήδα· ὅτε δὲ Σκιπίων ἄρχοι, οὐδαμοῦ οὐδʼ ἐπεφαίνετο. ὁ γάρ τοι Σκιπίων ἀεὶ συντεταγμένους ἦγε τοὺς πεζούς, καὶ τοὺς ἱππέας τῶν ἵππων ἐπιβεβηκότας· ἔν τε ταῖς προνομαῖς οὐ πρὶν διέλυε τὴν σύνταξιν ἢ τὸ πεδίον, ὃ ἔμελλε θεριεῖν, ἱππεῦσι καὶ ὁπλίταις περιλάβοι· καὶ τότε κύκλῳ αὐτὸς ἑτέραις ἴλαις ἱππέων ἀεὶ περιῄει, καὶ τῶν θεριζόντων τὸν ἀποσκιδνάμενον ἢ ἐξιόντα τοῦ κύκλου πικρῶς ἐκόλαζεν.
101. As these things were happening all the time, the fame of Scipio was on the increase, so that the other tribunes, out of envy, spread a report that there was an understanding between Phameas and Scipio, arising from the former friendship between the ancestors of Phameas and Scipio’s grandfather Scipio. Certain Africans had taken refuge in towers and castles, with which the country abounded, in pursuance of agreements made with the other tribunes, and the latter, after giving them this permission, had set upon them when they were going out; but Scipio always conducted them safely home. For this reason none of them would make any agreement unless Scipio were present. In this way his reputation for courage and good faith spread gradually among both friends and enemies. After the Romans had returned from their foraging the Carthaginians made a night attack on their fort by the sea, causing tremendous confusion, in which the citizens joined by making noises to add to the alarm. While Manilius kept his forces inside, not knowing where the danger lay, Scipio, taking ten troops of horse, led them out with lighted torches, ordering them, as it was night, not to attack the enemy, but to course around them with the firebrands and make a show of numbers and to frighten them by making a feint of attacking here and there. This was done until the Carthaginians, thrown into confusion on all sides, became panicstricken and took refuge in the city. This also was added to the famous exploits of Scipio. Thus in the mouths of all he was proclaimed as the only worthy successor of his father, Paulus, the conqueror of Macedonia, and of the Scipios into whose family he had been received by adoption.
101. ὅθεν οἷ Φαμέας οὐκ ἐπεχείρει μόνῳ. καὶ γιγνομένου τοῦδε συνεχῶς τὸ μὲν κλέος ηὔξετο τῷ Σκιπίωνι, οἱ δʼ ἕτεροι χιλίαρχοι κατὰ φθόνον ἐλογοποίουν ξενίαν ἐκ πατερων εἶναι Φαμέᾳ πρὸς Σκιπίωνα τὸν τοῦδε πάππον. Λιβύων δὲ τοῖς ἐς πύργους καὶ φρούρια, ἃ πολλὰ ἦν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, καταφυγοῦσιν οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι χιλίαρχοι σπενδόμενοι καὶ μεθιέντες ἐπετίθεντο ἀπιοῦσιν, ὁ δὲ Σκιπίων ἐς τὰ οἴκοι παρέπεμπε, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε οὐ πρὶν ἢ Σκιπίωνα ἀφικέσθαι συνετίθετο οὐδείς. τοσαύτη δόξα αὐτοῦ ἀνδρείας τε πέρι καὶ πίστεως καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἰδίοις διʼ ὀλίγου ἐγεγένητο καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις. ἐπανελθόντων δʼ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς προνομῆς ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον, οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι νυκτὸς ἐπέθεντο τῷ ἐπινείῳ· καὶ θόρυβος ἦν ποικίλος, συνεπηχούντων ἐς ἔκπληξιν τῶν ἐν ἄστει Καρχηδονίων. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μανίλιος τὸν στρατὸν ἔνδον συνεῖχεν ὡς ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ κακοῦ· ὁ δὲ Σκιπίων ἱππέων ἴλας δέκα λαβὼν ἐπῆγε μετὰ δᾴδων ἡμμένων, προειπὼν διὰ τὴν νύκτα μὴ συμπλέκεσθαι, περιτρέχειν δὲ σὺν τῷ πυρὶ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἐπιφαίνειν καὶ φόβον ἐμπεσουμένων παρέχειν ἀεί, μέχρι ταρασσόμενοι διχόθεν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι κατεπλάγησαν καὶ ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐσέφυγον. καὶ τόδε τοῖς Σκιπίωνος κατορθώμασι προσεγίγνετο. ἦν τε διὰ στόματος ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἔργοις ὡς μόνος ἄξιος Παύλου τε τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ Μακεδόνας ἑλόντος καὶ τῶν Σκιπιώνων, ἐς οὓς κατὰ θέσιν ἀνείληπτο.