- 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-lat2:29.25.1-29.25.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
This section discusses various historians' accounts regarding the number of soldiers transported to Africa, and describes Scipio giving final instructions to his fleet, assigning roles, and preparing to set sail.
quantum militum in Africam transportatum sit,1 non parvo numero inter auctores discrepat.
How many soldiers were transported to Africa differs by no small number among the authors.
alibi decem milia peditum duo milia et ducentos equites, alibi sedecim milia peditum, mille et sescentos equites, alibi parte plus dimidia2 rem auctam, quinque et triginta milia peditum equitumque in naves imposita invenio. quidam non adiecere numerum, inter quos me ipse in re dubia poni malim. Coelius ut abstinet numero, ita ad inmensum multitudinis speciem auget:
In one place I find ten thousand infantry and two thousand two hundred cavalry, in another sixteen thousand infantry and one thousand six hundred cavalry, in another that the number was increased by more than half, thirty-five thousand infantry and cavalry being put on board the ships. Some did not add the number, among whom I should prefer myself to be placed in a doubtful matter. Coelius, just as he abstains from the number, so he exaggerates the appearance of the multitude to an infinite degree:
volucres ad terram delapsas clamore militum ait, tantamque multitudinem conscendisse naves, ut nemo mortalium aut in Italia aut in Sicilia relinqui videretur.
he says that birds fell to the earth because of the shouting of the soldiers, and that so great a multitude boarded the ships that no mortal seemed to be left either in Italy or in Sicily.
milites ut naves ordine ac sine tumultu conscenderent, ipse eam sibi curam sumpsit;
That the soldiers should board the ships in order and without tumult, he himself took that care upon himself;
nauticos C. Laelius, qui classis praefectus erat, in navibus, ante conscendere coactos, continuit; commeatus imponendi M. Pomponio praetori cura data: quinque et quadraginta dierum cibaria, e quibus quindecim dierum cocta, imposita.
Gaius Laelius, who was the commander of the fleet, kept the sailors on the ships, having forced them to board beforehand; the care of putting the provisions on board was given to Marcus Pomponius the praetor: forty-five days’ provisions, of which fifteen days’ was cooked, were put on board.
ut omnes iam in navibus erant, scaphas circummisit, ut ex omnibus navibus gubernatoresque et magistri navium et bini milites in forum convenirent ad imperia accipienda.
When all were now in the ships, he sent boats around so that the helmsmen, the masters of the ships, and two soldiers from each of all the ships should assemble in the forum to receive orders.
postquam convenerunt, primum ab iis quaesivit, si aquam hominibus iumentisque in totidem dies, quot frumentum, imposuissent. ubi responderunt aquam dierum quinque et quadraginta in navibus esse, tum edixit militibus, ut silentium quieti nautis sine certamine ad ministeria exsequenda bene oboedientes praestarent.
After they assembled, he first asked them if they had put on board water for the men and beasts for as many days as the corn. When they answered that there was water for forty-five days on the ships, he then ordered the soldiers to maintain silence and quiet, being well obedient without contention to the sailors in executing their duties.
cum viginti rostratis se ac L. Scipionem ab dextro cornu, ab laevo totidem rostratas et C. Laelium praefectum classis cum M. Porcio Catone — quaestor is tum erat — onerariis futurum praesidio.3
[He declared] that he himself and Lucius Scipio with twenty war-ships from the right wing, and from the left wing the same number of war-ships and Gaius Laelius, commander of the fleet, with Marcus Porcius Cato — who was then quaestor — would be a protection to the transports.
lumina in navibus singula rostratae, bina onerariae haberent; in praetoria nave insigne nocturnum trium luminum fore.
The war-ships should have single lights on each ship, the transports two; on the flagship there would be a night signal of three lights.
Emporia ut peterent, gubernatoribus edixit. fertilissimus ager eoque abundans omnium copia rerum est regio, et inbelles, quod plerumque in uberi agro evenit, barbari sunt, priusque, quam ab Carthagine subveniretur,4 opprimi videbantur posse.
He ordered the helmsmen to head for Emporia. That region is a very fertile land, and therefore abundant in a supply of all things, and the barbarians, as usually happens in a rich soil, are unwarlike, and they seemed able to be crushed before help could come from Carthage.
iis editis imperiis redire ad naves iussi et postero die deis bene iuvantibus signo dato solvere naves.
These orders having been issued, they were commanded to return to their ships, and on the following day, with the favorable help of the gods, on the given signal, to set sail.
- 29.25.1quantum militum in Africam transportatum sit
An indirect question clause functioning as the subject of the main verb 'discrepat'. The neuter singular of the interrogative adjective 'quantum' is used substantively with 'militum' (genitive plural of 'miles') as a partitive genitive, accompanied by the perfect passive subjunctive 'transportatum sit'.
- 29.25.2parte plus dimidia
An expression meaning 'by more than half'. The comparative ablative 'dimidia' (from 'dimidius', half) depending on the comparative 'plus' is modified by the ablative of degree of difference 'parte' (from 'pars', part), expressing the extent of exaggeration.
- 29.25.10futurum praesidio
Where one would expect the accusative plural 'futuros [esse]' agreeing with the subjects, the manuscript tradition has the neuter singular 'futurum [esse]'. This is either an archaic survival of the future infinitive used impersonally (like 'fore') regardless of gender and number, or a scribal error. 'praesidio' is a dative of purpose (part of a double dative).
- 29.25.12priusque, quam ab Carthage subveniretur
The conjunction 'priusquam' (before) is separated into 'prius' and 'quam' (tmesis) by the insertion of the coordinating conjunction '-que'. 'subveniretur' is the impersonal use of the passive imperfect subjunctive of the intransitive verb 'subvenio' (to come to help), meaning 'before help should be brought'.