- 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
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:22.46.1-22.46.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-23
Hannibal crosses the river and deploys his forces. The unique armaments of his soldiers and the advantageous alignment of the sun and wind are described in detail.
Hannibal luce prima Baliaribus levique alia armatura praemissa transgressus flumen, ut quosque traduxerat, ita in acie locabat, Gallos Hispanosque equites prope ripam laevo in cornu adversus Romanum equitatum;
Hannibal, having sent the Balearic islanders and the other light-armed troops ahead at daybreak, crossed the river, and as he had led each body across, so he stationed them in the battle line: the Gallic and Spanish cavalry near the bank on the left wing, opposite the Roman cavalry;
dextrum cornu Numidis equitibus datum, media acie peditibus firmata, ita ut Afrorum utraque cornua1 essent, interponerentur his medii Galli atque Hispani.
the right wing was given to the Numidian cavalry, and the center of the line was strengthened with infantry, in such a way that both flanks of the center consisted of Africans, while the Gauls and Spaniards were interposed between them.
Afros Romanam crederes2 aciem: ita armati erant armis et ad Trebiam, ceterum magna ex parte ad Trasumennum captis.
You would have believed the Africans to be a Roman battle line; they were so armed with weapons captured at the Trebia, but for the most part at Trasumennus.
Gallis Hispanisque scuta eiusdem formae fere erant, dispares ac dissimiles gladii, Gallis praelongi ac sine mucronibus, Hispano, punctim magis quam caesim adsueto petere hostem, brevitate habiles et cum mucronibus. ante alios habitus gentium harum cum magnitudine corporum tum specie terribilis erat: Galli super umbilicum erant nudi;
The Gauls and Spaniards had shields of almost the same shape, but their swords were different and unlike: those of the Gauls were very long and without points; those of the Spaniard, accustomed to attack the enemy by thrusting rather than by slashing, were handy due to their shortness and had points. Beyond others, the appearance of these nations was terrifying both for the size of their bodies and for their aspect; the Gauls were naked above the navel;
Hispani linteis praetextis purpura tunicis candore miro fulgentibus constiterant. numerus omnium peditum, qui tum stetere in acie, milium fuit quadraginta, decem equitum.
the Spaniards had taken their stand in linen tunics bordered with purple, shining with wondrous whiteness. The number of all the infantry who then stood in the battle line was forty thousand, and of the cavalry, ten thousand.
duces cornibus praeerant sinistro Hasdrubal, dextro Maharbal; mediam aciem Hannibal ipse cum fratre Magone tenuit.
Generals commanded the wings: Hasdrubal on the left, Maharbal on the right; Hannibal himself with his brother Mago held the center of the line.
sol, seu de industria ita locatis3 seu quod forte ita stetere, peropportune utrique parti obliquus erat, Romanis in meridiem, Poenis in septentrionem versis;
The sun, whether because they were so placed on purpose or because they stood so by chance, was very opportunely oblique to both sides, since the Romans were turned to the south, and the Carthaginians to the north;
ventus — Volturnum regionis incolae vocant — adversus Romanis4 coortus multo pulvere in ipsa ora volvendo prospectum ademit.
a wind—which the inhabitants of the region call Volturnus—rising against the Romans, took away their sight by rolling a great deal of dust directly into their faces.
- 22.46.3Afrorum utraque cornua
Meaning 'both wings of the Africans', this refers not to the wings of the entire army, but to the flanks of the central infantry division (media acie). This entire ut-clause describes the tactical arrangement where the Gallic and Spanish infantry were placed in the middle, flanked on both sides by the African infantry.
- 22.46.4crederes
Imperfect subjunctive second person singular. It is used here as an indefinite second person ('one would have believed'), representing a potential subjunctive in the past.
- 22.46.8locatis
An ablative absolute with an omitted noun (such as 'copiis' or 'militibus'). Accompanied by the adverbial phrase 'de industria' (on purpose), it refers to the deliberate positioning of the forces to gain an advantage in relation to the sun.
- 22.46.9adversus Romanis
The word 'adversus' is an adjective here modifying 'ventus' (wind), taking the dative 'Romanis' ('opposing the Romans' or 'facing the Romans'). It is not used as a preposition or adverb in this context.