- 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
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:25.34.1-25.34.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
Publius Scipio is relentlessly harassed and besieged by the Numidian cavalry under Masinissa. In an attempt to break the siege, he launches a night attack on Indibilis, but is caught in a multi-sided battle where he is killed, causing the Roman army to route.
per eosdem dies P. Scipionem par terror, periculum maius ab novo hoste urgebat.
During those same days, a similar terror and a greater danger from a new enemy were pressing upon Publius Scipio.
Masinissa erat iuvenis, eo tempore socius Carthaginiensium, quem deinde clarum potentemque Romana fecit amicitia. is tum cum equitatu Numidarum et advenienti P. Scipioni occurrit et deinde adsidue dies noctesque infestus aderat, ut non vagos tantum procul a castris lignatum pabulatumque1 progressos exciperet, sed ipsis obequitaret castris invectusque in medias saepe stationes omnia ingenti tumultu turbaret.
Masinissa was a young man, at that time an ally of the Carthaginians, whom later Roman friendship made famous and powerful. He at that time, with the cavalry of the Numidians, both met Publius Scipio as he was advancing and then was constantly present, hostile day and night, so that he not only captured those who wandered far from the camp to gather wood and forage, but rode up to the camp itself, and often charging into the middle of the outposts, threw everything into great confusion.
noctibus quoque saepe incursu repentino in portis valloque trepidatum est, nec aut locus aut tempus ullum vacuum a metu ac sollicitudine erat Romanis, compulsique intra vallum adempto rerum omnium usu. cum prope iusta obsidio esset futuramque artiorem eam appareret,2 si se Indibilis, quem cum septem milibus et quingentis Suessetanorum adventare fama erat, Poenis coniunxisset, dux cautus et providens Scipio victus necessitatibus temerarium capit consilium, ut nocte Indibili obviam iret et, quocumque occurrisset loco, proelium consereret.
At night also, there was often alarm at the gates and the rampart from sudden attacks, nor was there any place or time free from fear and anxiety for the Romans, and they were driven inside the rampart, deprived of the use of all things. Since it was almost a regular siege, and it was apparent that it would become tighter if Indibilis, who rumor had it was approaching with seven thousand five hundred Suessetani, should join the Carthaginians, the cautious leader and far-seeing Scipio, overcome by necessity, took a daring counsel: to go to meet Indibilis by night and, in whatever place he should encounter him, to join battle.
relicto igitur modico praesidio in castris praepositoque Ti. Fonteio legato media nocte profectus cum obviis hostibus manus conseruit.
Therefore, having left a modest garrison in the camp and placed the lieutenant Tiberius Fonteius in charge, he set out at midnight and joined battle with the enemy who met him.
agmina magis quam acies pugnabant, superior tamen, ut in tumultuaria pugna, Romanus erat. ceterum et equites Numidae repente, quos fefellisse se dux ratus erat,3 ab lateribus circumfusi magnum terrorem intulere, et contracto adversus Numidas certamine novo tertius insuper advenit hostis, duces Poeni adsecuti ab tergo iam pugnantis; ancepsque proelium Romanos circumsteterat incertos, in quem potissimum hostem quamve in partem conferti eruptionem facerent.
Columns rather than battle lines were fighting, yet the Roman was superior, as is usual in a disorderly fight. But suddenly the Numidian cavalry, whom the general had believed he had eluded, surrounding them from the flanks, brought great terror, and when a new contest was started against the Numidians, a third enemy arrived in addition, the Carthaginian generals having caught up with them and attacking from the rear as they were already fighting; and a double battle had surrounded the Romans, who were uncertain against which enemy in particular or in which direction they, crowded together, should make a breakout.
pugnanti hortantique imperatori et offerenti se,4 ubi plurimus labor erat, latus dextrum lancea traicitur; cuneusque is hostium, qui in confertos circa ducem impetum fecerat, ut exanimem labentem ex equo Scipionem vidit, alacres gaudio cum clamore per totam aciem nuntiantes discurrunt5 imperatorem Romanum cecidisse.
While the commander was fighting, encouraging, and offering himself where the struggle was greatest, his right side was pierced by a spear; and that wedge of the enemy, which had made an attack on those crowded around the leader, as soon as they saw Scipio falling lifeless from his horse, ran about in high spirits with a shout of joy through the whole line, announcing that the Roman commander had fallen.
ea pervagata passim vox ut et hostes haud dubie pro victoribus et Romani pro victis essent, fecit. fuga confestim ex acie duce amisso fieri coepta est;
That report, spreading everywhere, caused the enemy to behave undoubtedly as victors and the Romans as vanquished.
ceterum ut ad erumpendum inter Numidas leviumque armorum alia auxilia haud difficilis erat, ita effugere tantum equitum aequantiumque equos velocitate peditum vix poterant; caesique prope plures in fuga quam in pugna sunt, nec superfuisset quisquam, ni praecipiti iam ad vesperum die nox intervenisset.
But although to break through among the Numidians and other auxiliaries of light armor was not very difficult, yet they could scarcely escape so many cavalry and infantry equaling horses in speed; and almost more were slain in flight than in battle, nor would anyone have survived, had not night intervened, with the day already rapidly declining toward evening.
- 25.34.4lignatum pabulatumque
These are supines in -um (accusative of purpose) accompanying the participle of motion progressos, expressing the purpose 'to gather wood and forage'.
- 25.34.6futuramque artiorem eam appareret
The clause eam [obsidionem] artiorem futuram [esse] (with esse omitted) forms an accusative with infinitive (ACI) construction acting as the subject of the impersonal verb appareret ('it appeared that...').
- 25.34.9quos fefellisse se dux ratus erat
The pronoun se is the subject accusative (referring to the main subject dux) of the perfect infinitive fefellisse (from fallo, 'to elude'), with the relative pronoun quos acting as its direct object, meaning 'whom the general believed he had eluded'.
- 25.34.11pugnanti hortantique imperatori et offerenti se
The dative forms function as a dative of reference or possession modifying the body part latus dextrum, representing the owner (the commander) as 'the right side of the commander, who was fighting, encouraging, and offering himself...'.
- 25.34.11cuneusque is hostium ... discurrunt
The singular collective noun cuneus is coupled with the plural verb discurrunt (and the plural participle nuntiantes). This is an instance of synesis (constructio ad sensum), where agreement is made with the plural individuals implied by the noun.