τοὐντεῦθεν ἤδη τρέπεται πρὸς Ἀννίβαν. καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὑπάτων καὶ ἡγεμόνων σχεδὸν ἁπάντων μετὰ τὰ ἐν Κάνναις ἑνὶ στρατηγήματι τῷ φυγομαχεῖν χρωμένων ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα, παρατάττεσθαι δὲ καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι μηδενὸς τολμῶντος, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὥρμησεν ὁδόν,
After this he moved at once against Hannibal. And although almost all the other consuls and commanders, after the disaster at Cannae, made the avoidance of all fighting their sole plan of campaign against this antagonist, and no one had the courage to engage in a pitched battle with him, Marcellus himself took the opposite course,
οἰόμενος τῷ δοκοῦντι καταλύειν Ἀννίβαν χρόνῳ πρότερον ἐκτριβεῖσαν ὑπʼ ἐκείνου λήσεσθαι τὴν Ἰταλίαν, καὶ τὸν Φάβιον ἀεὶ τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἐχόμενον οὐ καλῶς ἔχειν ἰᾶσθαι τὸ νόσημα τῆς πατρίδος, περιμένοντα τῇ ῥώμῃ μαραινομένῃ συναποσβῆναι τὸν πόλεμον, ὥσπερ ἰατρῶν τοὺς ἀτόλμους καὶ δειλοὺς πρὸς τὰ βοηθήματα, τῆς νόσου παρακμὴν τὴν τῆς δυνάμεως ἐξανάλωσιν ἡγουμένους.
thinking that before the time thought necessary for destroying Hannibal had elapsed, Italy would insensibly be worn out by him. He thought, too, that Fabius, by making safety his constant aim, was not taking the right course to heal the malady of the country, since the extinction of the war for which he waited would be coincident with the exhaustion of Rome, just as physicians who are timid and afraid to apply remedies, consider the consumption of the patient’s powers to be the abatement of the disease.
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τὰς Σαυνιτικὰς πόλεις μεγάλας ἀφεστώσας ἑλών, σῖτόν τε πολὺν ἀποκείμενον ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ χρήματα καὶ τοὺς φυλάσσοντας Ἀννίβου στρατιώτας τρισχιλίους ὄντας ἔλαβεν ἔπειτα τοῦ Ἀννίβου Φούλβιον Γναῖον ἀνθύπατον ἐν Ἀπουλίᾳ, κατακτείναντος μὲν αὐτὸν σὺν ἕνδεκα χιλιάρχοις, κατακόψαντος δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς τὸ πλεῖστον, ἔπεμψεν εἰς Ῥώμην γράμματα τοὺς πολίτας παρακαλῶν θαρρεῖν αὐτὸς γὰρ ἤδη βαδίζειν ὡς ἀφέλοιτο τὴν χαρὰν Ἀννίβου.
First, then, he took the large cities of the Samnites which had revolted, and got possession of great quantities of grain which had been stored in them, besides money, and the three thousand soldiers of Hannibal who were guarding them. Next, after Hannibal had slain the proconsul Gnaeus Fulvius himself in Apulia, together with eleven military tribunes, and had cut to pieces the greater part of his army, Marcellus sent letters to Rome bidding the citizens be of good courage, for that he himself was already on the march to rob Hannibal of his joy.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Λίβιός φησιν ἀναγνωσθέντα τὰ γράμματα μὴ τῆς λύπης ἀφελεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ φόβῳ προσθεῖναι, τῶν Ῥωμαίων μεῖζον ἡγουμένων τοῦ γεγονότος τὸ κινδυνευόμενον ὅσῳ Φουλβίου κρείττων ἦν Μάρκελλος ὁ δέ, ὥσπερ ἔγραψεν, εὐθὺς Ἀννίβαν διώκων εἰς τὴν Λευκανίαν ἐνέβαλε, καὶ περὶ πόλιν Νομίστρωνα καθήμενον ὑπὲρ λόφων ὀχυρῶν καταλαβών αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ κατεστρατοπέδευσε.
Livy says that when these letters were read, they did not take away the grief of the Romans, but added to their fear; for they thought their present danger as much greater than the past as Marcellus was superior to Fulvius. But Marcellus, as he had written, at once pursued Hannibal into Lucania, and came up with him, and as he found him occupying a secure position on heights about the city of Numistro, he himself encamped in the plain.
τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ πρότερος εἰς μάχην παρατάξας τὸ στράτευμα καταβάντος Ἀννίβου, συνέβαλε μάχην κρίσιν οὐ λαβοῦσαν, ἰσχυρὰν δὲ καὶ μεγάλην γενομένην ἀπὸ γὰρ ὥρας τρίτης συμπεσόντες ἤδη σκότους μόλις διελύθησαν. ἅμα δʼ ἡμέρᾳ προαγαγὼν αὖθις τὸ στράτευμα παρέταξε διὰ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ προὐκαλεῖτο διαγωνίσασθαι περὶ τῆς νίκης τὸν Ἀννίβαν.
On the following day he was first to array his forces when Hannibal came down into the plain, and fought a battle with him which, though indecisive, was desperate and long; for their engagement began at the third hour, and was with difficulty ended when it was already dark. But at daybreak Marcellus led his army forth again, put them in array among the dead bodies of the slain, and challenged Hannibal to fight it out with him for the victory.
ἀναζεύξαντος δὲ ἐκείνου σκυλεύσας τοὺς πολεμίους νεκροὺς καὶ θάψας τοὺς φίλους ἐδίωκεν αὖθις· καὶ πολλὰς μὲν ὑφέντος ἐνέδρας οὐδεμιᾷ περιπεσών, ἐν δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀκροβολισμοῖς πλεῖον ἔχων ἐθαυμάζετο. διὸ καὶ τῶν ἀρχαιρεσίων ἐπειγόντων ἔδοξε τῇ βουλῇ μᾶλλον ἐκ Σικελίας τὸν ἕτερον ἀπάγειν ὕπατον ἢ Μάρκελλον Ἀννίβᾳ συνηρτημένον κινεῖν, ἐλθόντα δʼ ἐκέλευεν εἰπεῖν δικτάτορα Κόϊντον Φούλβιον.
And when Hannibal withdrew his forces, Marcellus stripped the dead bodies of the enemy, buried those of his own men, and pursued him again. And though his adversary laid many ambushes for him, he escaped them all, and by getting the advantage of him in all the skirmishes, won admiration for himself. For this reason, too, when the consular elections drew near, the senate decided that it was better to recall the other consul from Sicily than to disturb Marcellus in his grappling with Hannibal, and when he was come, it bade him declare Quintus Fulvius dictator.
ὁ γὰρ δικτάτωρ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους οὐδὲ τῆς βουλῆς αἱρετός, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὑπάτων τις ἢ τῶν στρατηγῶν προελθὼν εἰς τὸν δῆμον ὃν αὐτῷ δοκεῖ λέγει δικτάτορα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δικτάτωρ ὁ ῥηθεὶς καλεῖται· τὸ γὰρ λέγειν δίκερε Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσιν ἔνιοι δὲ τὸν δικτάτορα τῷ μὴ προτιθέναι ψῆφον ἢ χειροτονίαν, ἀλλʼ ἀφʼ αὑτοῦ τὰ δόξαντα προστάττειν καὶ λέγειν οὕτως ὠνομάσθαι καὶ γὰρ τὰ διαγράμματα τῶν ἀρχόντων Ἕλληνες μὲν διατάγματα, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἔδικτα προσαγορεύουσιν.
For a dictator cannot be chosen either by the people or by the senate, but one of the consuls or praetors comes before the assembled people and names as dictator the one whom he himself decides upon. And for this reason the one so named is called dictator, from the Latin dicere, to name or declare. Some, however, say that the dictator is so named because he puts no question to vote or show of hands, but ordains and declares of his own authority that which seems good to him; for the orders of magistrates, which the Greeks call diatagmata, the Romans call edicta.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐλθὼν ἀπὸ τῆς Σικελίας ὁ τοῦ Μαρκέλλου συνάρχων ἕτερον ἐβούλετο λαβεῖν δικτάτορα, καὶ βιασθῆναι παρὰ γνώμην μὴ βουλόμενος ἐξέπλευσε νυκτὸς εἰς Σικελίαν, οὕτως ὁ μὲν δῆμος ὠνόμασε δικτάτορα Κόϊντον Φούλβιον, ἡ βουλὴ δʼ ἔγραψε Μαρκέλλῳ κελεύουσα τοῦτον εἰπεῖν. ὁ δὲ πεισθεὶς ἀνεῖπε καὶ συνεπεκύρωσε τοῦ δήμου τὴν γνώμην, αὐτὸς δὲ πάλιν ἀνθύπατος εἰς τοὐπιὸν ἀπεδείχθη.
But the colleague of Marcellus, who had come back from Sicily, wished to appoint another man as dictator, and being unwilling to have his opinion overborne by force, sailed off by night to Sicily. Under these circumstances the people named Quintus Fulvius as dictator, and the senate wrote to Marcellus bidding him confirm the nomination. He consented, proclaimed Quintus Fulvius dictator, and so confirmed the will of the people; he himself was appointed proconsul again for the ensuing year.
συνθέμενος δὲ πρὸς Φάβιον Μάξιμον ὅπως ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἐπιχειρῇ Ταραντίνοις, αὐτὸς δὲ συμπλεκόμενος καὶ περιέλκων Ἀννίβαν ἐμποδὼν ᾖ τοῦ βοηθεῖν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον, ἐπέβαλε περὶ Κανύσιον, καὶ πολλὰς ἀλλάσσοντι στρατοπεδείας καὶ φυγομαχοῦντι πανταχόθεν ἐπεφαίνετο, τέλος δʼ ἱδρυνθέντα προσκείμενος ἐξανίστη τοῖς ἀκροβολισμοῖς.
He then made an agreement with Fabius Maximus that, while Fabius should make an attempt upon Tarentum, he himself, by diverting Hannibal and engaging with him, should prevent him from coming to the relief of that place. He came up with Hannibal at Canusium, and as his adversary often shifted his camp and declined battle, he threatened him continually, and at last, by harassing him with his skirmishers, drew him out of his entrenchments.
ὁρμήσαντος δὲ μάχεσθαι δεξάμενος ὑπὸ νυκτὸς διελύθη· καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν αὖθις ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἑωρᾶτο τὸν στρατὸν ἔχων παρατεταγμένον, ὥστε τὸν Ἀννίβαν περιαλγῆ γενόμενον τοὺς Καρχηδονίους ἀθροῖσαι καὶ δεηθῆναι τὴν μάχην ἐκείνην ὑπὲρ πασῶν ἀγωνίσασθαι τῶν ἔμπροσθεν. ὁρᾶτε γὰρ, εἶπεν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἀναπνεῦσαι μετὰ νίκας τοσαύτας οὐδὲ σχολὴν ἄγειν κρατοῦσιν ἡμῖν ἔστιν, εἰ μὴ τοῦτον ὠσαίμεθα τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
But though battle was offered and accepted, night parted the combatants, and next day Marcellus appeared again with his army drawn up in battle array; so that Hannibal, in distress, called his Carthaginians together and besought them to make their fighting that day surpass all their previous struggles. For you see, he said, that we cannot even take breath after all our victories, nor have respite though we are in the mastery, unless we drive this man away.
ἐκ τούτου συμβαλόντες ἐμάχοντο. καὶ δοκεῖ παρὰ τὸ ἔργον ἀκαίρῳ στρατηγήματι χρώμενος ὁ Μάρκελλος σφαλῆναι. τοῦ γὰρ δεξιοῦ πονοῦντος ἐκέλευσεν ἓν τῶν ταγμάτων εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν προελθεῖν ἡ δὲ μετακίνησις αὕτη ταράξασα τοὺς μαχομένους παρέδωκε τὸ νίκημα τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἑπτακοσίων ἐπὶ δισχιλίοις Ῥωμαίων πεσόντων.
After this they joined battle and fought. And it would seem that Marcellus made an unseasonable movement during the action, and so met with disaster. For when his right wing was hard pressed, he ordered one of his legions to move up to the front. This change of position threw his army into confusion and gave the victory to the enemy, who slew twenty-seven hundred of the Romans.
ἀναχωρήσας δὲ ὁ Μάρκελλος εἰς τὸν χάρακα καὶ συναγαγὼν τὸν στρατόν, ὁρᾶν ἔφη Ῥωμαίων ὅπλα πολλὰ καὶ σώματα, Ῥωμαῖον δὲ μηδένα ὁρᾶν. αἰτουμένων δὲ συγγνώμην οὐκ ἔφη διδόναι νενικημένοις, ἐὰν δὲ νικήσωσι, δώσειν αὔριον δὲ μαχεῖσθαι πάλιν, ὅπως οἱ πολῖται τὴν νίκην πρότερον ἢ τὴν φυγὴν ἀκούσωσι.
Marcellus then withdrew to his camp, called his army together, and told them that he saw before him many Roman arms and Roman bodies, but not a single Roman. And when they asked for his pardon, he refused to give it while they were vanquished, but promised to do so if they should win a victory, assuring them that on the morrow they should fight again, in order that their countrymen might hear of their victory sooner than of their flight.
διαλεχθεὶς δὲ ταῦτα, προσέταξε ταῖς ἡττημέναις σπείραις ἀντὶ πυρῶν κριθὰς μετρῆσαι. διʼ ἃ πολλῶν ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης ἐπικινδύνως καὶ πονήρως ἐχόντων οὐδένα φασὶν ὃν οἱ Μαρκέλλου λόγοι τῶν τραυμάτων οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἤλγυναν.
At the close of his speech, moreover, he gave orders that rations of barley instead of wheat should be given to the, cohorts that had been worsted. Therefore, though many were in a wretched and dangerous plight after the battle, there was not a man of them, they say, to whom the words of Marcellus did not give more pain than his wounds.
ἅμα δὲ ἡμέρᾳ προὔκειτο μὲν ὁ φοινικοῦς χιτὼν, ὡς εἴωθε, μάχης ἐσομένης σύμβολον, αἱ δὲ ἠτιμασμέναι σπεῖραι τὴν πρώτην αὐταὶ δεηθεῖσαι τάξιν ἐλάμβανον, τὴν δὲ ἄλλην ἐξάγοντες οἱ χιλίαρχοι στρατιὰν παρενέβαλλον, ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἀννίβας, ὦ Ἡράκλεις, εἶπε, τί χρήσεταί τις ἀνθρώπῳ μήτε τὴν χείρονα τύχην μήτε τὴν βελτίονα φέρειν εἰδότι; μόνος γὰρ οὗτος οὔτε νικῶν δίδωσιν ἀνάπαυσιν οὔτε λαμβάνει νικώμενος, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ μαχησόμεθα πρὸς τοῦτον, ὡς ἔοικεν,
At daybreak the scarlet tunic, the usual signal of impending battle, was displayed, the cohorts under disgrace begged and obtained for themselves the foremost position in the line, and the tribunes led forth the rest of the army and put them in array. On hearing of this Hannibal said: O Hercules! what can be done with a man who knows not how to bear either his worse or his better fortune? For he is the only man who neither gives a respite when he is victorious, nor takes it when he is vanquished, but we shall always be fighting with him, as it seems,
ᾧ τοῦ τολμᾶν ἀεὶ καὶ τὸ θαρρεῖν εὐτυχοῦντι καὶ σφαλλομένῳ τὸ αἰδεῖσθαι πρόφασίς ἐστιν. ἐκ τούτου συνῄεσαν αἱ δυνάμεις· καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἴσα φερομένων ἐκέλευσεν Ἀννίβας τὰ θηρία καταστήσαντας εἷς πρώτην τάξιν ἐπάγειν τοῖς ὅπλοις τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ὠθισμοῦ δὲ μεγάλου καὶ ταραχῆς εὐθὺς ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις γενομένης, εἷς τῶν χιλιάρχων ὄνομα Φλάβιος ἀναρπάσας σημαίαν ὑπηντίαζε καὶ τῷ στύρακι τὸν πρῶτον ἐλέφαντα τύπτων ἀπέστρεφεν.
since both his courage in success and his shame in defeat are made reasons for bold undertaking. Then the forces engaged; and since the men fought with equal success, Hannibal ordered his elephants to be stationed in the van, and to be driven against the ranks of the Romans. A great press and much confusion at once arose among their foremost lines, but one of the tribunes, Flavius by name, snatched up a standard, confronted the elephants, smote the leader with the iron spike of the standard, and made him wheel about.
ὁ δὲ ἐμβαλὼν εἷς τὸν ὀπίσω συνετάραξε καὶ τοῦτον καὶ τοὺς ἐπιφερομένους, κατιδὼν δὲ τοῦτο Μάρκελλος ἐκέλευσε τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἐλαύνειν ἀνὰ κράτος πρὸς τὸ θορυβούμενον καὶ ποιεῖν ἔτι μᾶλλον αὑτοῖς περιπετεῖς τοὺς πολεμίους, οὗτοί τε δὴ λαμπρῶς ἐμβαλόντες ἀνέκοπτον ἄχρι τοῦ στρατοπέδου τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, καὶ τῶν θηρίων τὰ κτεινόμενα καὶ πίπτοντα τὸν πλεῖστον αὐτῶν φόνον ἀπειργάζετο.
The beast dashed into the one behind him and threw the whole onset into confusion. Observing this, Marcellus ordered his cavalry to charge at full speed upon the disordered mass and throw the enemy still more into confusion. The horsemen made a brilliant charge and cut the Carthaginians down as far as to their camp, and the greatest slaughter among them was caused by their killed and wounded elephants.
λέγονται γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὀκτακισχιλίους ἀποθανεῖνῬωμαίων δὲ νεκροὶ μὲν ἐγένοντο τρισχίλιοι, τραυματίαι δὲ ὀλίγου δεῖν ἅπαντες. καὶ τοῦτο παρέσχεν Ἀννίβᾳ καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἀναστάντι νυκτὸς ἆραι πορρωτάτω τοῦ Μαρκέλλου. διώκειν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸς ὑπὸ πλήθους τῶν τετρωμένων, ἀλλὰ κατὰ σχολὴν εἷς Καμπανίαν ἀνέζευξε, καὶ τὸ θέρος ἐν Σινοέσσῃ διῆγεν ἀναλαμβάνων τοὺς στρατιώτας.
For more than eight thousand are said to have been slain; and on the Roman side three thousand were killed, and almost all were wounded. This gave Hannibal opportunity to break camp quietly in the night and move to a great distance from Marcellus. For Marcellus was unable to pursue him, owing to the multitude of his wounded, but withdrew by easy marches into Campania, and spent the summer at Sinuessa recuperating his soldiers.
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