309
he encouraged them. But when it seemed best to Scipio to delay no longer, but to bring Hannibal into the contest even against his will, he moved toward Utica, so that by giving the impression of being afraid and fleeing he might get an opportunity for an attack; which also happened. For Hannibal, thinking he was fleeing and emboldened further by this, pursued him with only the cavalry. And Scipio, contrary to expectation, stood against them, and joining battle, was victorious. And having routed them, he did not turn to pursuing them, but moved against their baggage animals which happened to be along the road, and seized them all. These things troubled Hannibal, and also the fact that Scipio, having found three of his spies in the camp, had done them no harm. For Hannibal, learning from one of them what had been done (for the other two had wished to remain with the Romans), was astounded, and no longer daring to risk battle, he decided to make a truce as quickly as possible, in order that, if this should not come about, he might at least gain some delay and respite. Therefore, sending to Masinissa, he asked for a truce through him as one of the same race. And he came to a conference with Scipio, but accomplished nothing. For Scipio answered neither harshly nor anything definite, but in general was noncommittal, yet he spoke rather moderately, so as to lead him into carelessness, as if he were also going to make a truce; which also came to pass. For Hannibal was not thinking about battle at all, but wished to move his camp to a more suitable place. But Scipio, learning this from deserters, set out beforehand by night and occupied the place to which Hannibal was hastening; and he suddenly appeared to the Carthaginians when they were in a certain hollow and unsuitable place for camping 2.291. But Hannibal did not want to join battle, and being encamped there and digging for water, he toiled through the whole night. And so Scipio forced them, being in a bad state from weariness and thirst, to engage with him even against their will. So the Romans engaged, well-ordered and eager, but Hannibal and the Carthaginians were unwilling and terrified, both for other reasons and because the sun was totally eclipsed. For among other things, Hannibal suspected that this too portended something not auspicious for them. Being in this state, they put their elephants in front of themselves. And the Romans suddenly raised a great and terrifying shout, and striking their shields with their spears, they charged the elephants with spirit and at a run. Thrown into confusion by this, most of the elephants did not receive them, but turned back and, being wounded, created a greater disturbance among their own troops; but some, even advancing to close quarters with them, ran through the midst of the Romans as they parted, and as they passed by they were struck with missiles and wounded by hand. And for some time the Carthaginians held out, but then, when Masinissa and Laelius with the cavalry fell upon their rear, they all fled. Most of them were destroyed, and Hannibal himself almost perished. For as he was fleeing, Masinissa pursued him, uncontrollably yielding to the rush of his horse. But Hannibal turned, and seeing him pursuing so, he slowly turned aside and checked his course, and thus getting behind Masinissa as he galloped past, he wounded him; and after this he escaped with a few men. Scipio, after his victory, hastened to Carthage, 2.292 and besieged it by land and sea at the same time. The Carthaginians at first prepared to endure the siege, but then, being reduced to despair, they sent heralds to Scipio. And Scipio received their proposals and discussed the terms of the treaty with them. The terms agreed upon were that hostages from the Carthaginians and the prisoners of war and the deserters be given up, and all the elephants, and the triremes except ten be handed over, and that for the future they should not have more than ten warships nor make war on anyone contrary to the will of the Romans, and certain other things. When such terms had been agreed upon, the Carthaginians sent envoys to Rome. And they departed, but the senate did not readily receive the embassy, but they disputed among themselves for a long time
309
παρεθάρρυνεν. ̔Ως δ' εδοξε τῷ Σκιπίωνι μὴ διατρίβειν ετι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ακοντα τὸν ̓Αννίβαν εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα προαγαγεῖν, ἐπὶ τὴν Οὐτικὴν ωρμησεν, ινα δεδιέναι καὶ φεύγειν δόξας σχοίη καιρὸν ἐπιθέσεως· ο καὶ ἐγένετο. ὁ γὰρ ̓Αννίβας φεύγειν αὐτὸν οἰηθεὶς καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον ἐντεῦθεν θαρσήσας ἐπεδίωξε μόνοις τοῖς ἱππεῦσι. καὶ ὁ Σκιπίων ἀντέστη τε αὐτοῖς παρὰ δόξαν καὶ συμβαλὼν ἐνίκησε. τρέψας δ' αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸ διώκειν σφᾶς, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ τὰ σκευοφόρα αὐτῶν καθ' ὁδὸν τυγχάνοντα ωρμησε, καὶ πάντα συνέλαβε. ταῦτα τὸν ̓Αννίβαν ἐτάραξε, καὶ ετι οτι κατασκόπους αὐτοῦ τρεῖς ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ὁ Σκιπίων εὑρὼν οὐδὲν δεινὸν αὐτοῖς πεποίηκεν. μαθὼν γὰρ παρ' ἑνὸς αὐτῶν ὁ ̓Αννίβας τὸ πεπραγμένον, οἱ γὰρ δύο παρὰ τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις μεῖναι ἠθέλησαν, κατεπλάγη, καὶ διακινδυνεῦσαι οὐκέτι θαρρήσας σπείσασθαι οτι τάχιστα εγνω, ιν' εἰ μὴ τοῦτο συμβαίη, τριβὴν τέως τινὰ πορίσηται καὶ διακωχήν. πέμψας ουν πρὸς τὸν Μασινίσσαν, δι' ἐκείνου ὡς ὁμοφύλου τὰς σπονδὰς ῃτησε. καὶ ηλθε μὲν ἐς λόγους τῷ Σκιπίωνι, επραξε δὲ οὐδέν. ὁ γὰρ Σκιπίων ουτε τραχὺ ουτε τι σαφὲς ἀπεκρίνατο, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ολον ἐμέσευσεν, ἐπιεικέστερον δ' ομως διειλέχθη, οπως αὐτὸν ὡς καὶ σπεισόμενος εἰς ἀμέλειαν προαγάγῃ· ο καὶ συμβέβηκε. μάχης μὲν γὰρ πέρι οὐδὲν ὁ ̓Αννίβας ἐνενόησε, μεταστρατοπεδεύσασθαι δὲ εἰς χωρίον ἐπιτηδειότερόν τι ἠθέλησεν. ἐξ αὐτομόλων δὲ τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ Σκιπίων προεξανέστη νυκτὸς καὶ κατέσχε τὸν τόπον εἰς ον ἐκεῖνος ἠπείγετο· ἐν χωρίῳ δέ τινι κοίλῳ καὶ ἀνεπιτηδείῳ πρὸς στρατοπέδευσιν 2.291 γενομένοις τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ἐπεφάνη αἰφνίδιον. ὁ δ' ̓Αννίβας συμβαλεῖν οὐκ ἠθέλησε, στρατοπεδευόμενος δ' ἐκεῖ καὶ φρεωρυχῶν ἐταλαιπώρησε διὰ πάσης τῆς νυκτός. καὶ ουτως κακῶς αὐτοὺς εχοντας ὑπὸ καμάτου καὶ δίψης κατηνάγκασε καὶ ακοντας ὁ Σκιπίων συμμίξαι αὐτῷ. Συνέβαλον ουν οἱ μὲν ̔Ρωμαῖοι συντεταγμένοι καὶ πρόθυμοι, ̓Αννίβας δὲ καὶ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι ἀπρόθυμοί τε καὶ καταπεπληγμένοι καὶ δι' ετερα καὶ οτι καὶ ὁ ηλιος σύμπας ἐξέλιπεν. ἐκ γὰρ τῶν αλλων καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ αισιόν τι σφίσι προμηνύειν ὁ ̓Αννίβας ὑπώπτευσεν. ουτω δ' εχοντες τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἑαυτῶν προεβάλοντο. καὶ οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι μέγα ἐξαίφνης καὶ καταπληκτικὸν ἀνεβόησαν, καὶ τὰς ἀσπίδας τοῖς δόρασι κρούσαντες θυμῷ καὶ δρόμῳ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ωρμησαν. ὑφ' ων ταραχθέντες ἐκεῖνοι οἱ μὲν πλείους οὐκ ἐδέξαντο σφᾶς, ἀλλ' ἀπετράποντο καὶ τιτρωσκόμενοι μείζω τοῖς ἐπιτεταγμένοις ἐνεποίουν τὸν θόρυβον, οἱ δὲ καὶ ὁμόσε σφίσι χωρήσαντες, τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων διισταμένων διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν διεξέτρεχον, καὶ παριόντες ἐβάλλοντό τε καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἐτιτρώσκοντο. καὶ ἐπί τινα μὲν χρόνον ἀντέσχον οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, επειτα τοῦ Μασινίσσου καὶ τοῦ Λαιλίου τοῖς ἱππεῦσι κατὰ νώτου προσπεσόντων αὐτοῖς πάντες εφυγον. οἱ δὲ πλείους ἐφθάρησαν, καὶ ὁ ̓Αννίβας μικροῦ αν ἀπώλετο. φεύγοντα γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ Μασινίσσας ἐπεδίωκεν ἀκρατῶς τῇ τοῦ ιππου ῥύμῃ ὑπενδιδούς. μεταστραφεὶς δ' ὁ ̓Αννίβας, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ουτω διώκοντα, ἠρέμα ἐξέκλινε καὶ τὸν δρόμον ἐπέστησε καὶ ουτω παρελάσαντα τὸν Μασινίσσαν κατὰ νώτου γενόμενος ετρωσε· κἀκ τούτου μετ' ὀλίγων ἐξέφυγε. Σκιπίων δὲ νικήσας ἐπὶ τὴν Καρχηδόνα ἠπείχθη, 2.292 καὶ ἐπολιόρκει αὐτὴν ἐκ γῆς αμα καὶ θαλάσσης. οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι πρῶτον μὲν ὡς τὴν πολιορκίαν καρτερήσοντες ἡτοιμάζοντο, επειτα ἐξαπορηθέντες πρὸς τὸν Σκιπίωνα διεκηρυκεύσαντο. καὶ ὁ Σκιπίων τοὺς λόγους σφῶν προσεδέξατο καὶ περὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν διειλέχθη αὐτοῖς. ην δὲ τὰ ὡμολογημένα ὁμήρους τε παρὰ τῶν Καρχηδονίων καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους καὶ τοὺς αὐτομόλους δοθῆναι, καὶ πάντας μὲν τοὺς ἐλέφαντας, τὰς δὲ τριήρεις πλὴν δέκα παρασχεθῆναι, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ μήτε ναῦς μακρὰς πλείους εχειν τῶν δέκα μήτε πόλεμον παρὰ τὴν τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων γνώμην πρὸς μηδένα ποιεῖσθαι, καί τινα ετερα. Τοιούτων δὲ γενομένων τῶν ὁμολογιῶν πρέσβεις οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι ἐπὶ ̔Ρώμην ἐστάλκασι. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀπῆλθον, οὐ μέντοι καὶ ἡ γερουσία τὴν πρεσβείαν ἑτοίμως ἐδέξατο, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πολὺ ἠμφισβήτησαν ἀλλήλοις