66

B.C. 217.

He assumes

TITI LIVI HISTORIARUM LIBER XXI.

multos circumstantes crurore respersit. Fuga 14 procul etiam major apud ignaros quid trepidaretur, et concursatio fuit. Id a plerisque in omen magni terroris acceptum. Legionibus 15 inde duabus a Sempronio prioris anni consule, duabus a C. Atilio prætore acceptis in Etruriam mences his per Apennini tramites exercitus duci est cœptus

the command of the forces, and com

march.

NOTES.

I. 1. 'I may state in a period of my work, what most histo rians have put forward at the introduction to their general subject.' Livy has in his mind the opening sentences of the history of Thucydides.

Rerum scriptor.] The good Latin word for 'historian :'

historicus much rarer.

Maxime omnium memorabile.] Livy here reproduces the expression of Thucydides, αξιολογώτατον τῶν προγεγενημένων, I. 1. 1. The Roman historian, who termed that struggle (i. e. the second Punic war) the most memorable of all wars that ever were carried on, wrote in no spirit of exaggeration. For it is not in ancient, but in modern history, that parallels for its incidents and its heroes are to be found.' (Creasy's Fifteen Decisive Battles, 19th edit., p. 82.)

Validiores opibus.] More powerful by wealth.' Opes include not only money, but all those material resources which constitute what we call a wealthy country. Vires and robur indicate rather the physical quality of constitution and the moral quality of endurance.

Neque his ipsis, &c.] It is quite true that the power and wealth of Rome had never yet stood so high as at the beginning of the second Punic war: Rome had had time to consolidate her conquests in Italy: her material resources had been greatly enlarged by the establishment of the provincial system in Sicily, and the consequent development of wealth and capital. At the same time the devotion of her citizens never shone brighter, and she never commanded the services of truer heroes. But, in spite of appearances to the contrary, the empire of Carthage was decaying. Carthage was, beyond doubt, the greatest trading power in the world. Her mercantile marine predominated in the Mediterranean, and monopolised the commerce of the world beyond the Straits of Gibraltar. But these wealthy traders were content to leave the defence of their property to mercenaries, and were effeminate and unwarlike. As Plato expresses it, it was the contest of a fat man against a lean and highly trained man.

Primo Punico bello.] The first Punic war had lasted 23 years, from 264-241 B.C. In this war the Romans had learned the whole art of naval warfare. They had previously had no quinqueremes or line-of-battle ships, nothing better than the

triremes. Metellus, too, at Panormus, 252 B.C., triumphed over the dreaded elephants, which had inflicted such ruin on Regulus three years before.

Conserebant.] The imperfect expresses the protracted nature of the contest.

Adeo varia, &c.] And the fortune of war was so capricious, and the battle so deceitful, that those who won had the narrower escape.' Anceps means anything which assumes different phases: thus ancipiti obsequio (Persius, v. 156) means the divided service rendered to two masters; ancipiti contentione (Cic. pro Lege Man. § 9) means the distracting struggle on two flanks.

Pro

Periculum.] Governed in the accusative by propius. pius is used in three constructions, (1) with a dative, propius periculo, though this use should be avoided in prose; (2) with an accusative, propius periculum; (3) with ab followed by an ablative, propius a periculo.

3. Ultro.] Without provocation. The C. began the war, and made it for years a war of offence.

4. Annorum ferme novem.] As these events took place 238 B.C., this fixes the date of Hannibal's birth as 247 B.C. • The story of his solemn vow was told by Hannibal himself, many years afterwards, to Antiochus, king of Syria; but at the time it was heard by no other ears than his father's. (Arnold's History of Rome, vol. iii. p. 29.)

Blandientem.]

Coaxing.'

Africo bello.] After the conclusion of peace at the end of the first Punic war, the Carthaginians had been involved in a struggle for existence with Utica and other revolted tribes and mercenary troops. From this peril, known as the Mercenary War, Hannibal had delivered them.

་

5. Sicilia Sardiniaque amissæ.] 'Lost Sicily and Sardinia, ='the loss of Sicily and Sardinia.' Cnf. pudor non lati auxilii, c. 16. 1. Sicily had been evacuated according to the terms of peace in 241 B.C. But Sardinia had been occupied without a better pretext than the treachery of the Carthaginian garrison, while Hamilcar was engaged in the Mercenary War in Africa. When the Carthaginians remonstrated, they were simply answered by a command to pay 1,200 talents.

Inter motum Africa.] During the insurrection in Africa.' He alludes to the Mercenary War, the bellum Africum mentioned in the preceding section.

Stipendio.] An indemnity.' Carthage had been compelled to pay 1,200 talents for the injuries said to have been inflicted on Roman merchants, and her alleged aggressions.

Fraude interceptam.]

cipere,' 'to embezzle.'

Dishonestly appropriated.' 'Inter

The

II. 1. Sub Romanam pacem.] Immediately after the peace with Rome.' 'Sub' with an acc. means 'close upon.' peace was that made by Catulus after the battle of the Ægates, 241 B.C.

In augendo imperio.] In extending his supremacy,' lit. 'in

his supremacy that must be extended.' Augendo is the gerundive agreeing with imperio.

Hamilcare duce.] An ablative absolute. 'Hamilcar being their leader'=' under the leadership of H.'

3. Mors Hamilcaris.] Hamilcar died in the prime of life in battle against a Spanish tribe.

Imperium obtinuit.] Maintained his office.' Obtineo does not mean to obtain' in the sense in which we use that word. It means to hold against,' i.e. against opposition.

Uti ferunt.] Fabius Pictor probably invented the whole story, or took it, knowing it to be false, from the Anti-Barcine party.

4. Gener-adscitus.] Afterwards adopted as a son-in-law for another quality, of mind no doubt.' Profecto is sarcastic. Adscisco, ivi, itum, ĕre, to receive or admit a person in some capacity.

Factionis Barcina.] The democratic or war party at Carthage, who adopted the policy of Hamilcar Barcu. Principum: the aristocratic or peace party, under the leadership of Hanno.

'Has

5. Hospitiis-auxit.] 'Advanced the power of Carthage by entertaining the princes, and by attaching fresh tribes through the goodwill of the chiefs, rather than by war or arms.' drubal was one of those men who are especially fitted to exercise an ascendency over the minds of barbarians; his personal appearance was engaging; he understood the habits and feelings of the Spaniards, and spared no pains to accommodate himself to them.' (Arnold, iii. 35.)

6. Haud alio-vultu.] With no other air than if he had got away.' Vultu, ablative of manner.

Eo fuit, &c.] Had such an expression of countenance that, while his exultation mastered his tortures, he even wore the look of a man laughing.' Eo habitu, ablative of manner.

Fedus renovaverat ut.] Had renewed an engagement, so that'' on the terms that.' About B.C. 226 the Romans had concluded an alliance with Saguntum, and had warned Hasdrubal not to push his conquests over the Ebro, with which he had promised compliance. The Romans observed his progress with no small alarm, but their dread of an approaching Gaulish invasion made them unwilling to provoke a war at this moment with Carthage.' (Arnold, iii. 35.)

III. 1. For Hasdrubal's successor there was no question that popular enthusiasm would follow the decision of the army, whereby young Hannibal had been hurried straight to the headquarters and hailed commander with great acclamation and agreement of all.' In locum Hasdrubalis, literally for the 'succession' to H.; but, to avoid ambiguity, it is better to translate successor:' the whole phrase is a loose adverbial expression qualifying sequeretur, as if the form of the sentence had originally been intended to be in locum Hasdrubalis Hannibalem succedere juberet. Prerogativam militarem prærogativa, sc. tribus. The tribe which by lot obtained the right of voting at the comitia first, was so called because it was first

asked to vote, prima rogaretur. As early votes have a powerful influence upon the rest, it became important to make secure of the first tribe; and thus their vote came to be regarded as an indication of the final result. Then prærogativa came to be used in a general sense of a 'sign' or 'probable indication.' We must not suppose 'prærogativam' to refer to any formal vote of the army; it means, as they say in France, that the army had declared' for Hannibal. These events occurred B.C. 221, at which time Hannibal was 26 years of age.

Prætorium.] The general's tent,' prætor being the old name for consul. Livy here speaks as if the C. camp was constructed exactly like the Roman; cf. dextra lævaque, c. 59. The prætorium was generally so fixed as to command an extensive view. Round the white flag was measured out a square, each side of which was 100 feet distant. The two legions of the consular army were then arranged on that side which commanded the best forage, separated from the general's and staff's quarter by a via principalis, and themselves cut lengthwise by five streets, and crosswise by one. The whole camp had four gates-the back gate, decumana, the front gate, prætoria, and the dextra and the sinistra at either side of the via principalis.

2. Vixdum puberem.] 'When hardly set.' This incident is supposed to have occurred about three years before Hasdrubal's death: triennio sub Hasdrubale meruit, c. 4, B.C. 224, when Hannibal would be 23 years old. The whole incident is an invention, as we know that Hannibal had served against the Spaniards under his father in more than one campaign. Accersierat is an erroneous form for arcessierat.

Acta res fuerat.] The subject had been discussed in the senate,' i.e. had been made a matter of official enquiry. Agere is used in the sense of discussing civil or political transactions: so the magistrate was said agere cum populo. The C. senate was composed of two officers, vaguely called kings, and twentyeight senators.

3. Censeo.] 'I give it as my opinion.' Censere was the technical word for expressing an opinion in the senate. The opinion was called sententia.

5. An.] When an asks a single question, it always implies another which is suppressed: it expects, therefore, not merely the answer 'no,' but an affirmation of its direct opposite.

Speciem.] Display.

Et cujus regis, &c.] And that we shall not bow down soon enough before the son of that king to whose son-in-law our armies were left as a legacy.'

6. Ignis.] A flame.' Incendium: 'a conflagration.'

IV. 1. Optimus quisque.]· Each best-disposed man'=' all the best-disposed men.' By the 'best' side Livy generally understands the aristocratic side.

2. Credere.] The historical infinitive used instead of the indicative.

Dein brevi effecit, &c.] Then in a short time he was so successful that his father was a very slight force in attracting