History of Rome

​On approximately these terms was the treaty struck between the Carthaginian leader and the ambassadors of the Macedonians;

​and along with them, to confirm the good faith of the king himself, were sent ambassadors Gisgo, Bostar, and Mago. They arrived at the same place, the temple of Juno Lacinia, where their ship was in a hidden anchorage.

​Setting out from there, when they were holding to the deep sea, they were spotted by the Roman fleet which was guarding the coast of Calabria;

​and when Valerius Flaccus had sent fast vessels to pursue and bring back the ship, the king’s men at first attempted to flee; then, when they realized they were being beaten in speed, they surrendered themselves to the Romans and were brought to the commander of the fleet.

​When he asked who they were, where they came from, and whither they were directing their course, Xenophanes at first began to construct a lie, which had already once been successful enough, saying that he had been sent by Philip to the Romans to M. Valerius, to whom alone the route had been safe, and that he had reached him, but had been unable to cross Campania, which was blocked by the garrisons of the enemy.

​Then, as the Carthaginian dress and manner made the ambassadors of Hannibal suspect, and their speech, when they were questioned, betrayed them, ​their companions were then set apart and terrified with fear, and a letter also from Hannibal to Philip was discovered, as well as the agreements between the king of the Macedonians and the Carthaginian leader.

​When these things were sufficiently known, it seemed best to deport the captives and their companions to Rome, to the senate or to the consuls, wherever they might be, as soon as possible.

​For this purpose, five of the fastest ships were chosen, and L. Valerius Antias was sent to command them, and he was instructed to distribute the ambassadors into all the ships to be kept under separate guard, and to take care that there should be no conversation among them nor any communication of plans.

​Around the same time at Rome, when A. Cornelius Mammula, departing from the province of Sardinia, had reported what the state of affairs on the island was—that everyone was looking toward war and rebellion;

​that Q. Mucius, who had succeeded him, had been received upon arrival by the severity of the climate and the water, and had contracted a disease not so much dangerous as long-lasting, and would for a long time be useless for sustaining the duties of war; ​and that the army there, though strong enough to be a protector of a peaceful province, ​was yet little suited for the war which seemed about to be set in motion—the fathers decreed that Q. Fulvius Flaccus should enlist five thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry, and see to it that this legion was transported to Sardinia at the very first opportunity, ​and that he should send with authority whomsoever he pleased to conduct the operations until Mucius should recover.

​For this business, T. Manlius Torquatus was sent, who had been consul twice and censor, and in his earlier consulship had subdued the Sardinians.

​At about the same time, a fleet was also sent from Carthage to Sardinia under the leadership of Hasdrubal, whose surname was Calvus, but, tossed by a foul tempest, it was driven to the Balearic Islands, and there—

—so severely had not only the rigging but also the hulls of the ships been shattered, the ships were hauled ashore and, while they were being repaired, they wasted a considerable amount of time.