Helps to Latin Translation at Sight Part 41

LIVY, x.x.x. 19, 20.

+Context.+ Scipio (204 B.C.) landed in Africa and won such decisive victories over the Carthaginians under Hasdrubal, the son of Gisco, that ii was necessary in 203 B.C. to recall both Mago and Hannibal.

[Linenotes: 3-4. +ad Magonem.+ Mago, H.'s youngest brother, had in 205 B.C. been despatched from Carthage with considerable reinforcements for H. He took Genoa, again roused the Gauls against Rome, and in 203 B.C.

fought an indecisive action with the Romans. Mago was severely wounded, and died at sea before he reached Africa.

6. +Iam non perplexe+ = _now in no veiled manner_ (lit. _not obscurely_).

8. +iam pridem trahebant+ = _began long ago to try to pull me back_.

--Rawlins.

11. +obtrectatione+ = _by disparagement_.

13. +Hanno+, the leader of the aristocratic (peace) party at Carthage, and the persistent opponent of Hamilcar Barca and his sons.]

+Hannibal's Speech.+ ll. 6-15. This is purely imaginary and ill.u.s.trates the bitter hatred of the Romans for H. They alleged that H. was personally responsible for the war, and that he undertook it for selfish and party ends. Also that Carthage, unable to prevent the war, withheld supplies and reinforcements. Ihne says 'The whole course of the war is a sufficient refutation of these charges.'

C38

SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.

_Zama, 202 B.C._ (1) _Before the Battle._

Ita infecta pace ex colloquio ad suos c.u.m se recep.i.s.sent, frustra verba praelata renuntiant: armis decernendum esse habendamque eam fortunam, quam dei dedissent. In castra ut est ventum, p.r.o.nuntiant ambo, arma expedirent milites animosque ad {5} supremum certamen, non in unum diem sed in perpetuum, si felicitas adesset, victores. Roma an Carthago iura gentibus daret, ante crastinam noctem scituros; neque enim Africam aut Italiam, sed orbem terrarum victoriae praemium fore; par {10} periculum praemio, quibus adversa pugnae fortuna fuisset. Nam neque Romanis effugium ullum patebat in aliena ignotaque terra et Carthagini supremo auxilio effuso adesse videbatur praesens excidium. Ad hoc discrimen procedunt postero die duorum {15} opulentissimorum populorum duo longe clarissimi duces, duo fortissimi exercitus, multa ante parta decora aut c.u.mulaturi eo die aut eversuri. Anceps igitur spes et metus miscebant animos; contemplantibus modo suam modo hostium aciem, c.u.m non oculis {20} magis quam ratione pensarent vires, simul laeta simul tristia obversabantur.

LIVY, x.x.x. 31, 32.

[Linenotes: 1-2. +Ita infecta pace ... renuntiant+, referring to Livy's picturesque account of the personal interview between Scipio and Hannibal, and the fruitless negotiations for peace.

7-10. +Roma an Carthago ... praemium fore.+ 'By the victory of Zama it was decided that the states of the ancient world should be welded into one great empire, and that this empire should be founded by Rome and not by Carthage.' --Ihne.

14. +effuso+ = _dispersed_, i.e. _defeated_.

15. +discrimen+ = _decisive point_, _decision_.

18. +aut c.u.mulaturi aut eversuri+ = _either to augment_ (lit. _heap up_) _or overthrow_.

21. +pensarent vires+ = _they estimated (weighed) their strength_.]

+The Battle of Zama.+ 'Here, too, the elephants proved disastrous to their own side. Some ran down the s.p.a.ces between the Roman maniples (see +C+ 39, B. note), and were of no further use; while others, driven aside by the Roman skirmishers, threw H.'s Carthaginian cavalry into such disorder that they were unable to resist the attack of Scipio's horse.

The first Roman line threw H.'s mercenaries back upon their reserves of the second line, and in the confusion that ensued Scipio advanced with his second and third lines. The combat raged long and fiercely until Scipio's Roman and Numidian cavalry, returning from their pursuit of H.'s horse, fell upon the enemy's rear and decided the battle.' --Ihne.

C39

SECOND PUNIC WAR, 218-202 B.C.

_Zama, 202 B.C._ (2) _The Order of Battle._

A. Hannibal adversus Scipionem, post elephantos lx.x.x, qui in prima fronte positi hostium turbarent aciem, auxiliares Gallos et Ligures et Baliares Maurosque posuit, ut neque fugere possent Poenis a tergo stantibus et hostem oppositi, si non infestarent, {5} at certe fatigarent: tum suis et Macedonibus, qui iam fessos Romanos integri exciperent, in secunda acie collocatis, novissimos Italicos const.i.tuit, quorum et timebat fidem et segnitiam verebatur, quoniam plerosque eorum ab Italia invitos extraxerat. {10}

+Hannibal's Army.+ It consisted broadly of five cla.s.ses:

1. His veteran army of Italy, on which he could thoroughly rely, partly Carthaginian, partly Italian (mostly Bruttians).

These he placed in his _third_ line.

2. A newly raised force of Carthaginian and Libyan militia.

These he placed in his _second_ line.

3. Mercenaries, consisting of Moors, Gauls, Ligurians, the Balearic contingent, and the Spaniards.

These he placed in his _first_ line.

4. Carthaginian and Numidian cavalry.

These he placed on his _wings_.

5. 80 elephants. These he placed on his _front_, to open the attack.

B. Scipio adversus hanc formam robur legionis triplici acie in fronte ordinatum per hastatos et principes et triarios opposuit: nec continuas construxit cohortes, sed manipulis inter se distantibus spatium dedit, per quod elephanti ab hostibus acti {15} facile transmitti sine perturbatione ordinum possent. Ea ipsa intervalla expeditis velitibus implevit, ne interluceret acies, dato his praecepto, ut ad impetum elephantorum vel retro vel in latera concederent. Equitatum deinde in cornua divisit et dextro Romanis {20} equitibus Laelium, sinistro Numidis Masinissam praeposuit: quae tam prudens ordinatio non dubie causa victoriae fuit.

FRONTINUS, _Strategemata_, ii. 3. 16.

+Scipio's order of battle.+ Instead of drawing up his manipuli like the black squares of a chessboard--the usual order, so that, in advancing, the manipuli of the three lines could form one unbroken line--he placed them one behind the other, like the rounds of a ladder, so as to leave s.p.a.ces in the lines, through which the elephants might pa.s.s without trampling down or throwing into confusion the infantry battalions, e.g.:

+not+ +but+ * * * * * *

FORMATION OF EMPIRE BEYOND ITALY.

C40

SECOND MACEDONIAN WAR, 200-196 B.C. (1)

_Battle of Cynoscephalae, 197 B.C._

Non dubia res fuit; extemplo terga vertere Macedones, terrore primo bestiarum aversi. Et ceteri quidem hos pulsos sequebantur; unus e tribunis militum, ex tempore capto consilio, c.u.m viginti signorum militibus, relicta ea parte suorum, quae {5} haud dubie vincebat, brevi circuitu dextrum cornu hostium aversum invadit. Nullam aciem ab tergo adortus non turba.s.set; ceterum ad communem omnium in tali re trepidationem accessit, quod phalanx Macedonum, gravis atque immobilis, nec {10} circ.u.magere se poterat, nec hoc, qui a fronte, paulo ante pedem referentes, tunc ultro territis instabant, patiebantur. Ad hoc loco etiam premebantur, quia iugum, ex quo pugnaverant, dum per proclive pulsos insequuntur, tradiderant hosti ad terga sua circ.u.mducto. {15} Paulisper in medio caesi, deinde omissis plerique armis capessunt fugam.

Philippus c.u.m paucis peditum equitumque primo tumulum altiorem inter ceteros cepit, ut specularetur, quae in laeva parte suorum fortuna esset; deinde, postquam fugam {20} effusam animadvert.i.t et omnia circa iuga signis atque armis fulgere, tum et ipse acie excessit.

LIVY, x.x.xiii. 9, 10.

+Context.+ Philip V, King of Macedon, had made a treaty with Hannibal in 215 B.C., and provoked the first Macedonian War (214-205 B.C.) by an attack on Apollonia in Illyria, and the capture of the port of Oric.u.m in Epirus. The Romans now resolved to make Philip suffer for the trouble he had caused them by interfering in the war with Hannibal. A _casus belli_ was soon found in the Athenian Emba.s.sy to Rome (201 B.C.) asking for help against Philip.

[Linenotes: 3-4. +unus ... militum.+ Ihne says 'He seized the favourable opportunity to shape the battle which had begun without plan into a brilliant victory for Rome.'

5. +signorum+ (= _manipulorum_) = _companies_, i.e. with some 3500 men.

13. +loco premebantur+ = _they_ (i.e. _the phalanx_) _began to feel the disadvantage of position_. --Rawlins.

16. +in medio caesi+ = _cut down from both sides_. --R.]

+Cynoscephalae+ (_Dog's Heads_), a low chain of hills between Pherae and Scotussa in Thessaly.

+Results of the Battle.+ 'The Romans lost only 700 men. That was the price paid for a victory which laid the Monarchy of Alexander the Great in the dust.' --Ihne.