- 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-lat2:26.29.1-26.29.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
The consuls drew lots for their provinces, and the Sicilians were thrown into despair when Sicily fell to Marcellus. Upon Marcellus's proposal, they exchanged provinces so that the Sicilians could complain freely, leading Marcellus to face Hannibal.
his senatus consultis perfectis sortiti provincias consules. Sicilia et classis Marcello, Italia cum bello adversus Hannibalem Laevino evenit.
When these decrees of the senate were completed, the consuls cast lots for the provinces. Sicily and the fleet fell to Marcellus, Italy and the war against Hannibal to Laevinus.
quae sors, velut iterum captis Syracusis, ita exanimavit Siculos expectatione sortis in consulum conspectu stantis,1 ut comploratio eorum flebilesque voces et extemplo oculos hominum converterint et postmodo sermones praebuerint.
This lot, as if Syracuse had been captured a second time, so disheartened the Sicilians who were standing in the presence of the consuls awaiting the result of the lot, that their lamentation and mournful cries immediately turned the eyes of all upon them and afterwards gave rise to much talk.
circumibant enim senatorum domos cum veste sordida adfirmantes se non modo suam quosque patriam sed totam Siciliam relicturos, si eo Marcellus iterum cum imperio redisset.
For they went around the houses of the senators in mourning garb, declaring that they would leave not only each his own native city but the whole of Sicily, if Marcellus should return there again with command.
nullo suo merito eum ante inplacabilem in se fuisse: quid iratum, quod Romam de se questum venisse Siculos sciat, facturum? obrui Aetnae ignibus aut mergi freto satius illi insulae esse quam velut dedi noxae2 inimico.
They asserted that he had previously been implacable toward them when they had done nothing to deserve it; what then would he do now when he was angry, knowing that the Sicilians had come to Rome to complain about him? It would be better for that island to be buried under the fires of Etna or submerged in the strait than to be delivered up, as it were, as a scapegoat to an enemy.
hae Siculorum querellae domos primum nobilium circumlatae celebrataeque sermonibus, quos partim misericordia Siculorum partim invidia Marcelli excitabat, in senatum etiam pervenerunt.
These complaints of the Sicilians, having first been carried around the houses of the nobles and made a common subject of conversation, which was excited partly by pity for the Sicilians and partly by ill-will toward Marcellus, at length reached even the senate.
postulatum a consulibus est, ut de permutandis provinciis senatum consulerent. Marcellus, si iam auditi ab senatu Siculi essent, aliam forsitan futuram fuisse sententiam suam dicere:3
A demand was made on the consuls to consult the senate about exchanging the provinces. Marcellus said that if the Sicilians had already been heard by the senate, his own opinion would perhaps have been different;
nunc, ne quis timore frenari eos dicere possit, quo minus de eo libere querantur, in cuius potestate mox futuri sint, si conlegae nihil intersit, mutare se provinciam paratum esse.
but now, lest anyone should be able to say that they were restrained by fear from complaining freely about the man in whose power they would soon be, he was ready to change his province, provided it made no difference to his colleague.
deprecari senatus praeiudicium: nam cum extra sortem conlegae optionem dari provinciae iniquum fuerit, quanto maiorem iniuriam, immo contumeliam esse, sortem suam ad eum transferri?
He begged, however, to be spared a prejudgment by the senate; for if it had been unjust to give his colleague a choice of province without casting lots, how much greater an injustice, or rather insult, would it be for his own lot to be transferred to him?
ita senatus, cum, quid placeret, magis ostendisset quam decresset, dimittitur. inter ipsos consules permutatio provinciarum, rapiente fato Marcellum ad Hannibalem, facta est, ut, ex quo primus post adversa omnia secundae pugnae gloriam ceperat, in eius laudem4 postremus Romanorum imperatorum, prosperis tum maxime bellicis rebus, caderet.
Thus the senate, having shown what pleased them rather than decreeing it, was dismissed. The exchange of provinces between the consuls themselves was made, fate hurrying Marcellus to Hannibal, so that, as he had been the first to win the glory of a successful battle after all the reverses, he might fall, the last of the Roman generals, in his own glory, at a time when military affairs were otherwise most prosperous.
- 26.29.2stantis
stantis is an archaic spelling of the accusative plural (-is), a present participle modifying the preceding noun Siculos.
- 26.29.4dedi noxae
dedi is a passive infinitive of do (to give, deliver up). noxae is a dative of purpose or result ('for harm, punishment, or compensation'), meaning to be delivered up as a scapegoat or for punishment.
- 26.29.6dicere
Historical infinitive, used instead of the imperfect indicative (dicebat) to make the narrative more vivid.
- 26.29.10in eius laudem
Contextually, eius most naturally refers to Marcellus (Marcellum), indicating that he fell for his own glory (to the enhancement of his own fame). However, an alternative interpretation is possible, meaning to the glory of his enemy Hannibal (Hannibalem).
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)
- 2026-09-22 AI review — source 1