- Source
- Titi Livi ab urbe condita libri editionem priman, Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:21.4.1-21.4.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-23
This passage describes Hannibal's arrival in Spain, his rapid rise in popularity among the soldiers, his outstanding physical and mental qualities as a commander, and the corresponding immense vices of his character.
pauci ac ferme optimus quisque1 Hannoni adsentiebantur; sed, ut plerumque fit, maior pars meliorem vicit. missus Hannibal in Hispaniam primo statim adventu omnem exercitum in se convertit:
A few, and indeed almost all the best men, agreed with Hanno; but, as usually happens, the larger party overcame the better. Hannibal, having been sent to Spain, from his very first arrival turned the whole army towards himself.
Hamilcarem iuvenem redditum sibi veteres milites credere,2 eundem vigorem in vultu vimque in oculis habitum oris lineamentaque intueri. dein brevi effecit, ut pater in se minimum momentum ad favorem conciliandum esset. numquam ingenium idem ad res diversissimas, parendum atque imperandum, habilius fuit. itaque haud facile discerneres,3 utrum imperatori an exercitui carior esset:
The old soldiers believed that Hamilcar was restored to them as a youth, beholding the same vigor in his countenance, the same fire in his eyes, the expression and features of his face. Then, in a short time, he brought it about that his father was the least factor in conciliating favor for him. Never was the same disposition more adaptable to the most diverse things, to obeying and to commanding. And so you could not easily have discerned whether he was dearer to the commander-in-chief or to the army;
neque Hasdrubal alium quemquam praeficere malle, ubi quid fortiter ac strenue agendum esset, neque milites alio duce plus confidere aut audere.
nor did Hasdrubal prefer to put anyone else in command whenever anything had to be done bravely and vigorously, nor did the soldiers feel more confidence or dare more under any other leader.
plurimum audaciae ad pericula capessenda plurimum consilii inter ipsa pericula erat. nullo labore aut corpus fatigari aut animus vinci poterat.
He possessed the greatest boldness in undertaking dangers, and the greatest presence of mind in the midst of dangers themselves. By no labor could either his body be fatigued or his mind overcome.
caloris ac frigoris patientia par; cibi potionisque desiderio naturali, non voluptate modus finitus; vigiliarum somnique nec die nec nocte discriminata tempora:
His endurance of heat and cold was equal; the limit of his food and drink was defined by natural desire, not by pleasure; the times of his waking and sleeping were not distinguished by day or night.
id, quod gerendis rebus superesset, quieti datum; ea neque molli strato neque silentio accersita; multi saepe militari sagulo opertum humi iacentem inter custodias stationesque militum conspexerunt.
What remained from transacting business was given to rest; this was not courted by a soft bed or by silence; many often saw him lying on the ground wrapped in a military cloak among the sentries and outposts of the soldiers.
vestitus nihil inter aequales excellens; arma atque equi conspiciebantur. equitum peditumque idem longe primus erat; princeps in proelium ibat, ultimus conserto proelio excedebat.
His dress was in no way outstanding among his equals; his arms and his horses were conspicuous. He was by far the first of both the cavalry and the infantry; he went first into battle, and was the last to leave when the battle was joined.
has tantas viri virtutes ingentia vitia aequabant: inhumana crudelitas, perfidia plus quam Punica, nihil veri,4 nihil sancti, nullus deum metus, nullum ius iurandum, nulla religio.
These great virtues of the man were equaled by monstrous vices: inhuman cruelty, perfidy more than Punic, no truth, no reverence for what is sacred, no fear of the gods, no oath, no religion.
cum hac indole virtutum atque vitiorum triennio sub Hasdrubale imperatore meruit nulla re, quae agenda videndaque magno futuro duci esset, praetermissa.
With this character of virtues and vices, he served for three years under the commander Hasdrubal, omitting nothing that ought to be done or seen by one who was to become a great leader.
- 21.4.1optimus quisque
The construction of a superlative adjective with 'quisque' means 'all the best' or 'every best man'. Although grammatically singular, it is used here in parallel with 'pauci' (plural) to refer to a collective group of people.
- 21.4.2credere
Together with the subsequent 'intueri', this is a historical infinitive (infinitivus historicus), functioning with the force of an imperfect indicative ('credebant', 'intuebantur'). Its subject 'veteres milites' is in the nominative case.
- 21.4.3discerneres
The imperfect subjunctive second-person singular is used here to express potentiality in past time ('you [any observer] could not easily have discerned').
- 21.4.9nihil veri
'veri' (genitive of the neuter 'verum') and 'sancti' (genitive of the neuter 'sanctum') are partitive genitives depending on the neuter pronoun 'nihil' ('nothing of truth', 'nothing of holiness'), meaning 'no truth' and 'no reverence'.