- 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-lat2:24.48.1-24.48.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The Cornelius brothers send envoys to form an alliance with Syphax, king of Numidia. Syphax learns Roman discipline and successfully trains infantry to fight Carthage, prompting the Carthaginians to seek an alliance with Gala, another Numidian king.
eodem anno P. et Cn. Cornelii, cum in Hispania res prosperae essent multosque et veteres reciperent socios et novos adicerent, in Africam quoque spem extenderunt.
In the same year, Publius and Gnaeus Cornelius, since matters were prosperous in Spain and they were recovering many ancient allies and adding new ones, extended their hope to Africa as well.
Syphax erat rex Numidarum, subito Carthaginiensibus hostis factus:
Syphax was the king of the Numidians, having suddenly become an enemy to the Carthaginians.
ad eum centuriones tres legatos miserunt, qui cum eo amicitiam societatemque facerent1 et pollicerentur, si perseveraret urguere bello Carthaginienses, gratam eam rem fore senatui populoque Romano et adnisuros,2 ut in tempore et bene cumulatam gratiam referant.
To him they sent three centurions as ambassadors, to establish friendship and alliance with him and to promise that, if he persisted in pressing the Carthaginians with war, this thing would be pleasing to the senate and the Roman people, and that they would strive to return a well-accumulated gratitude in due time.
grata ea legatio barbaro fuit; conlocutusque cum legatis de ratione belli gerundi, ut veterum militum verba audivit, quam multarum rerum ipse ignarus esset,3 ex conparatione tam ordinatae disciplinae animum advertit.
This embassy was pleasing to the barbarian; and having conversed with the ambassadors about the method of waging war, as he heard the words of the veteran soldiers, he noticed, from a comparison with such orderly discipline, how many things he himself was ignorant of.
tum primum, ut pro bonis ac fidelibus sociis facerent, oravit, ut duo legationem referrent ad imperatores suos, unus apud sese magister rei militaris resisteret. rudem ad pedestria bella Numidarum gentem esse, equis tantum habilem;
Then for the first time, in order to act as good and faithful allies, he begged that two should carry the embassy back to their commanders, and one should remain with him as an instructor of military affairs. He said that the nation of the Numidians was rude in infantry battles, being fit only for horses;
ita iam inde a principiis gentis maiores suos bella gessisse, ita se a pueris insuetos. sed habere hostem pedestri fidentem Marte, cui si aequari robore virium velit, et sibi pedites comparandos esse.
that thus from the very beginnings of the race their ancestors had waged wars, and thus they themselves had been unaccustomed from boyhood. But they had an enemy relying on infantry warfare, with whom if he wished to be equaled in strength of forces, infantry had to be acquired by him as well.
et ad id multitudine hominum regnum abundare, sed armandi ornandique et instruendi eos artem ignorare. omnia, velut forte congregata turba, soluta ac temeraria esse.
And for this purpose, though the kingdom abounded in a multitude of men, they were ignorant of the art of arming, equipping, and drawing them up. Everything was loose and reckless, like a crowd gathered by chance.
facturos se in praesentia quod vellet, legati respondent fide accepta, ut remitteret extemplo eum,4 si imperatores sui non comprobassent factum.
The ambassadors replied that they would do what he wished for the present, after a pledge was received that he would immediately send him back if their commanders did not approve of the action.
Q. Statorio nomen fuit, qui ad regem remansit. cum duobus Romanis rex Numidas legatos in Hispaniam misit ad accipiendam fidem ab imperatoribus Romanis.
Quintus Statorius was the name of the man who remained with the king. With the two Romans, the king sent Numidian ambassadors to Spain to receive a pledge from the Roman commanders.
isdem mandavit, ut protinus Numidas, qui intra praesidia Carthaginiensium auxiliares essent, ad transitionem perlicerent.
He charged the same men to entice the Numidians, who were serving as auxiliaries within the garrisons of the Carthaginians, to desert immediately.
et Statorius ex multa iuventute regi pedites conscripsit ordinatosque proxime morem Romanum instruendo et decurrendo signa sequi et servare ordines docuit et operi aliisque iustis militaribus ita adsuefecit, ut brevi rex non equiti magis fideret quam pediti conlatisque aequo campo signis iusto proelio Carthaginiensem hostem superaret.
And Statorius enlisted infantry for the king from the abundant youth and, having organized them very nearly in the Roman fashion, taught them by drawing up and maneuvering to follow the standards and keep their ranks, and so accustomed them to work and other proper military duties, that in a short time the king trusted his infantry no less than his cavalry, and in a regular battle, having joined standards in an open field, he overcame the Carthaginian enemy.
Romanis quoque in Hispania legatorum regis adventus magno emolumento fuit; namque ad famam eorum transitiones crebrae ab Numidis coeptae fieri. ita cum Syphace Romanis coepta amicitia est. quod ubi Carthaginienses acceperunt, extemplo ad Galam in parte altera Numidiae — Maesulii ea gens vocatur — regnantem legatos mittunt.
For the Romans also in Spain, the arrival of the king’s ambassadors was of great benefit; for at the report of them, frequent desertions by the Numidians began to take place. Thus the friendship between the Romans and Syphax was begun. When the Carthaginians heard of this, they immediately sent ambassadors to Gala, who was reigning in the other part of Numidia—the tribe is called the Maesulii.
- 24.48.3qui cum eo amicitiam societatemque facerent
The relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun qui with the subjunctive verbs facerent and pollicerentur expresses purpose after the main verb miserunt.
- 24.48.3adnisuros
The future active infinitive adnisuros esse with esse omitted in indirect speech. Its logical subject is the Romans (implied by senatui populoque Romano), though not explicitly expressed in the accusative.
- 24.48.4quam multarum rerum ipse ignarus esset
An indirect question clause with the subjunctive esset, serving as the direct object of the verb phrase animum advertit. The adjective ignarus governs the genitive case (multarum rerum).
- 24.48.8ut remitteret extemplo eum
The ut clause following fide accepta is a stipulative clause defining the terms or conditions of the pledge (fides). The pluperfect subjunctive non comprobassent in the conditional clause represents a future perfect indicative in direct speech, shifted due to indirect discourse.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1