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taking with him those who had been persuaded by him, voluntarily died with them, and the rest opened the gates to the Romans; but Flaccus took away both their weapons and all their money, and of the leading men he killed some, and sent others to Rome, and he spared only those of the populace who were left, on the condition that they would receive a Roman magistrate and have neither a council nor hold an assembly. But later they incurred some other penalties as well, for daring to accuse Flaccus. The Campanians also tried to accuse Flaccus, and the Syracusans tried to accuse Marcellus, who was then consul. And he defended himself; for he was unwilling to do any of the things pertaining to his office before defending himself. But the Syracusans, when they came to speak, used a more prudent approach in their discourse, not turning to an accusation of Marcellus, but to a supplication and a defense for not having voluntarily revolted from the Romans, and asking to receive pardon. And saying these things, they fell to the ground and lamented. And when a decision was made, it was resolved that Marcellus had done no wrong, but that the Syracusans were worthy of some clemency, not for what they had done, but for what they had said and supplicated. But when Marcellus declined to go to Sicily, they sent Laevinius. And so the Syracusans obtained some pardon, but the Campanians, using the accusation more boldly out of lack of culture, were rebuked, even though Flaccus was not present, but one of his lieutenants defended him. 2.268 When Capua was taken, the other towns round about also went over to the Romans, except for the Atellani; for these, abandoning their city, went with their whole population to Hannibal. And the rest of Italy that favored the Carthaginian side was changing its allegiance, and the consuls, going about, were winning it over. The Tarentines did not yet openly choose the Roman side, but secretly they were vexed with the Carthaginians. Those in Rome sent a herald to Hannibal to make an exchange of prisoners. But they did not exchange them, since they did not receive Carthalo within the wall, as an enemy; for he was unwilling even to enter into discussions with them, but immediately returned in anger. At that time, moreover, Laevinius won over the Aetolians, who were allies of Philip, and again so terrified Philip, who had advanced as far as Corcyra, that he returned with speed into Macedonia. Those in Rome sent Gaius Claudius Nero to Iberia with soldiers. And he was transported by the fleet as far as the Iberus, where, having also found the rest of the troops, he attacked Hasdrubal before it was known that he was present. And having surrounded him, he was deceived. For Hasdrubal, seeing that he was trapped, sent a herald to Nero to propose that he would abandon all of Iberia if he were let go. And as the other gladly accepted the terms, postponing so that he might make the treaty on the following day, he sent away some of his men during the night by various mountain routes. 2.269 And when those men had passed through, since there was no guard from the Romans because of the hopes of a truce, he came on the next day to discussions with Nero, and he wasted the whole of it before anything was ratified. And again during the night he sent away others in the same way. And this he did likewise on certain other days, disputing some point in the agreement. And when all the infantry had gone ahead, finally he himself also withdrew with the cavalry and the elephants. And having been saved, he again became formidable to Nero. When those in Rome learned these things, they condemned Nero, and voted to entrust the command to someone else. Therefore, as they were at a loss as to whom they should send, for the situation did not require an ordinary man, and many were standing aside because of the fate of the Scipios, that Scipio, Publius, who had saved his wounded father, volunteered himself for the campaign. He was both most excellent in virtue and most renowned in education. And he was chosen on the spot; but not much later they regretted it because of his age, for it was the twenty-fourth year of his life

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παραλαβὼν τοὺς αὐτῷ πεισθέντας ἑκούσιος ἀπέθανε σὺν αὐτοῖς, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τὰς πύλας τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ἀνέῳξαν· ὁ δὲ Φλάκκος τά τε οπλα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ χρήματα πάντα ἀφείλετο, καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν κορυφαίων τοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτεινε, τοὺς δὲ ἐς τὴν ̔Ρώμην επεμψε, μόνων δ' ἀπέσχετο τῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὁμίλου περιλειφθέντων ἐπὶ τῷ καὶ αρχοντα αὐτοὺς ̔Ρωμαῖον λαμβάνειν καὶ μήτε βουλὴν εχειν μήτε σύνοδον ποιεῖσθαι. Υστερον δὲ καὶ αλλα τινὰ προσεπῶφλον, κατηγορῆσαι τοῦ Φλάκκου τολμήσαντες. ἐπεχείρησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ Καμπανοὶ τοῦ Φλάκκου κατηγορῆσαι, καὶ τοῦ Μαρκέλλου οἱ Συρακούσιοι ὑπατεύοντος ηδη. καὶ ἀπελογήσατο· οὐ γὰρ ἠθέλησε πρᾶξαί τι τῶν τῇ ἀρχῇ προσηκόντων πρὶν ἀπολογήσασθαι. οἱ Συρακούσιοι δὲ καταστάντες εἰς λόγους οἰκονομικώτερον τῇ διαλέξει ἐχρήσαντο, οὐκ εἰς κατηγορίαν τοῦ Μαρκέλλου, ἀλλ' εἰς ἱκετείαν τραπέντες καὶ ἀπολογίαν τοῦ μὴ ἑκόντες ἀποστῆναι ̔Ρωμαίων, καὶ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ἀξιοῦντες. καὶ ταῦτα λέγοντες εἰς τὴν γῆν πεσόντες ὠλοφύροντο. καὶ διαγνώμης γενομένης εδοξε τὸν Μάρκελλον μὲν μηδὲν ἀδικεῖν, τοὺς μέντοι Συρακουσίους φιλανθρωπίας τινὸς ἀξίους ειναι, οὐκ ἐξ ων ἐποίησαν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ων ειπόν τε καὶ ἱκέτευσαν. τοῦ δὲ Μαρκέλλου παραιτησαμένου τὸ ἀπελθεῖν εἰς Σικελίαν, τὸν Λαουίνιον επεμψαν. καὶ οἱ μὲν Συρακούσιοι ουτως τινὸς συγγνώμης ετυχον, οἱ δὲ Καμπανοὶ ὑπ' ἀπαιδευσίας θρασύτερον τῇ κατηγορίᾳ χρησάμενοι καὶ ἐπετιμήθησαν, μηδὲ παρόντος τοῦ Φλάκκου, ἀλλά τινος τῶν ὑπεστρατηγηκότων αὐτῷ ἀπολογησαμένου. 2.268 ̔Αλούσης δὲ τῆς Καπύης καὶ ταλλα τὰ πέριξ πολίσματα τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις προσκεχωρήκασι πλὴν ̓Ατελανῶν· ουτοι γὰρ ἐκλιπόντες τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν πανδημεὶ πρὸς τὸν ̓Αννίβαν ἐχώρησαν. καὶ ἡ αλλη δὲ ̓Ιταλία ἡ τὰ τῶν Καρχηδονίων φρονοῦσα ἠλλοιοῦτο, καὶ περιιόντες οἱ υπατοι προσεποιοῦντο αὐτήν. Ταραντῖνοι δὲ φανερῶς μὲν οὐδέπω τὰ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ᾑροῦντο, λάθρᾳ δὲ τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ηχθοντο. Οἱ δ' ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ διεκηρυκεύσαντο τῷ ̓Αννίβᾳ ἀνταπόδοσιν τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ποιήσασθαι. οὐ κατηλλάξαντο δὲ αὐτούς, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐδέξαντο τὸν Καρθάλωνα τοῦ τείχους ἐντός, ὡς πολέμιον· οὐδ' ἐς λόγους γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐλθεῖν ἠθέλησεν, εὐθὺς δὲ ὠργισμένος ἀνέστρεψε. Τότε μέντοι καὶ ὁ Λαουίνιος τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς συμμαχοῦντας Φιλίππῳ προσηταιρίσατο, καὶ τὸν Φίλιππον μέχρι Κερκύρας προχωρήσαντα αυθις ἐξεφόβησεν, ωστε καὶ ἐς τὴν Μακεδονίαν τάχει ἐπανελθεῖν. Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ Γάιον Κλαύδιον Νέρωνα εἰς τὴν ̓Ιβηρίαν μετὰ στρατιωτῶν επεμψαν. καὶ ος παρεκομίσθη τῷ ναυτικῷ μέχρι τοῦ Ιβηρος, ενθα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ στρατεύματα εὑρηκὼς ἐπῆλθε τῷ ̓Ασδρούβᾳ πρὶν γνωσθῆναι οτι πάρεστι. καὶ περιστοιχισάμενος αὐτὸν ἠπατήθη. ἰδὼν γὰρ ὁ ̓Ασδρούβας ὡς ἀπείληπται, προεκηρυκεύσατο πρὸς τὸν Νέρωνα ωστε τὴν ̓Ιβηρίαν πᾶσαν ἀφεθεὶς ἐκλιπεῖν. ὡς δ' ἐκεῖνος ἀσμένως τοὺς λόγους ἐδέξατο, ἀναβαλλόμενος ινα τὰς συνθήκας τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ποιήσηται, ὑπεξέπεμψε τῆς νυκτὸς αλλους αλλῃ τῶν ὀρῶν. διεξελθόντων 2.269 δ' ἐκείνων, ατε μὴ φυλακῆς ουσης παρὰ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων διὰ τὰς τῶν σπονδῶν ἐλπίδας, ηλθε μὲν τῇ ἐπιούσῃ ἐς λόγους τῷ Νέρωνι, κατέτριψε δὲ πᾶσαν αὐτὴν πρίν τι ἐπικυρωθῆναι. καὶ αλλους αυθις τῆς νυκτὸς ὁμοίως ἀπέπεμψε. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν αλλαις τισὶν ἡμέραις ὁμοίως πεποίηκεν, ἀμφισβητῶν τινα ἐν τῇ συμβάσει. προελθόντων δὲ τῶν πεζῶν ἁπάντων, τέλος καὶ αὐτὸς σὺν τοῖς ἱππεῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἐλέφασιν ὑπεξεχώρησε. καὶ διασωθεὶς φοβερὸς αυθις τῷ Νέρωνι ἐγένετο. Μαθόντες δὲ ταῦτα οἱ ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ τοῦ Νέρωνος μὲν κατέγνων, αλλῳ δέ τινι τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐψηφίσαντο ἐγχειρίσαι. ἀπορούντων ουν τίνα αν ἀποστείλωσιν, οὐ γὰρ τοῦ τυχόντος ἀνδρὸς ἐδεῖτο τὰ πράγματα, καὶ πολλοὶ διὰ τὸ τῶν Σκιπιώνων πάθος ἐξίσταντο, ὁ Σκιπίων ἐκεῖνος ὁ Πούπλιος ὁ τὸν πατέρα τρωθέντα σώσας ἑαυτὸν ἐθελοντὴς εἰς τὴν στρατείαν ἐπέδωκεν. ην δὲ καὶ ἀρετῇ κράτιστος καὶ παιδείᾳ λογιμώτατος. καὶ παραχρῆμα μὲν ᾑρέθη· μεταμέλον δὲ οὐ πολλῷ υστερον διά τε τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ, τέταρτον γὰρ καὶ εἰκοστὸν ετος τῆς ζωῆς