§3.1οὐ μὴν ἔπεισε τὸν Φλαμίνιον, ἀλλὰ φήσας οὐκ ἀνέξεσθαι προσιόντα τῇ Ῥώμῃ τὸν πόλεμον οὐδʼ, ὥσπερ ὁ παλαιὸς Κάμιλλος, ἐν τῇ πόλει διαμαχεῖσθαι περὶ αὐτῆς, τὸν μὲν στρατὸν ἐξάγειν ἐκέλευσε τοὺς χιλιάρχους, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον ἀλλόμενος ἐξ οὐδενὸς αἰτίου προδήλου παραλόγως ἐντρόμου τοῦ ἵππου γενομένου καὶ πτυρέντος ἐξέπεσε καὶ κατενεχθεὶς ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὅμως οὐδὲν ἔτρεψε τῆς γνώμης, ἀλλʼ ὡς ὥρμησεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀπαντῆσαι τῷ Ἀννίβᾳ, περὶ τὴν καλουμένην Θρασυμένην λίμνην τῆς Τυρρηνίας παρετάξατο.
However, he did not persuade Flaminius, who, declaring that he would not tolerate the war approaching Rome, nor, like Camillus of old, fight to the end within the city for its sake, ordered the military tribunes to lead out the army. As he himself was leaping upon his horse, the animal, without any apparent cause, became unreasonably terrified and restive, throwing him off. Although he fell headlong, he nevertheless did not alter his purpose in the least, but, just as he had initially hastened to meet Hannibal, he drew up his forces near the so-called Lake Trasimene in Etruria.
§3.2τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν συμβαλόντων εἰς χεῖρας ἅμα τῷ καιρῷ τῆς μάχης συνέπεσε σεισμός, ὑφʼ οὗ καὶ πόλεις ἀνετράπησαν καὶ ῥεύματα ποταμῶν ἐξ ἕδρας μετέστη καὶ κρημνῶν ὑπώρειαι περιρράγησαν.
As the soldiers joined battle, at the very moment of the clash, there occurred an earthquake, by which cities were overturned, rivers were diverted from their channels, and the bases of cliffs were torn away.
ἀλλὰ, καίπερ οὕτω γενομένου βιαίου τοῦ πάθους οὐδεὶς τὸ παράπαν ᾔσθετο τῶν μαχομένων,
Yet, although the convulsion was so violent, not one of those who were fighting noticed it at all.
§3.3αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ὁ Φλαμίνιος πολλὰ καὶ τόλμης ἔργα καὶ ῥώμης ἐπιδεικνύμενος ἔπεσε, καὶ περὶ αὐτὸν οἱ κράτιστοι· τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τραπέντων πολὺς ἦν φόνος, καὶ πεντακισχίλιοι πρὸς μυρίοις κατεκόπησαν, καὶ ἑάλωσαν ἕτεροι τοσοῦτοι, τὸ δὲ Φλαμινίου σῶμα φιλοτιμούμενος θάψαι καὶ κοσμῆσαι διʼ ἀρετὴν ὁ Ἀννίβας οὐχ εὗρεν ἐν τοῖς νεκροῖς, ἀλλʼ ἠγνοεῖτο τὸ παράπαν ὅπως ἠφανίσθη.
Now Flaminius himself, displaying many deeds of daring and strength, fell, and around him the bravest; and when the rest turned to flight, a great slaughter ensued, and fifteen thousand were cut to pieces, and as many others were captured. Hannibal, being anxious to bury and honor the body of Flaminius on account of his valor, could not find it among the dead, but how it had disappeared remained entirely unknown.
§3.4τὴν μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ Τρεβίου γενομένην ἧτταν οὔθʼ ὁ γράψας στρατηγὸς οὔθʼ ὁ πεμφθεὶς ἄγγελος ἀπʼ εὐθείας ἔφρασεν, ἀλλʼ ἐψεύσατο τὴν νίκην ἐπίδικον αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀμφίδοξον γενέσθαι·
Now the defeat at the Trebia was described neither by the general who wrote the dispatch nor by the messenger who was sent in a straightforward manner; rather, they lied that the victory was contested and doubtful for them.
περὶ δὲ ταύτης ὡς πρῶτον ἤκουσεν ὁ στρατηγὸς Πομπώνιος, συναγαγὼν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τὸν δῆμον οὐ περιπλοκὰς οὐδὲ παραγωγὰς ἀλλʼ ἄντικρυς ἔφη προσελθών
Νενικήμεθα, ὦ ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, μεγάλῃ μάχῃ, καὶ διέφθαρται τὸ στρατόπεδον, καὶ Φλαμίνιος ὕπατος ἀπόλωλεν.
But as soon as the praetor Pomponius heard of this defeat, he gathered the people into an assembly and, without circumlocution or evasion, came forward and said openly: "We have been defeated, O Romans, in a great battle; the army is destroyed, and the consul Flaminius has perished.
ἀλλὰ βουλεύεσθε περὶ σωτηρίας αὑτῶν καὶ ἀσφαλείας. §3.5οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὥσπερ πνεῦμα τὸν λόγον ἐμβαλὼν εἰς πέλαγος τοσούτου δῆμου συνετάραξε τὴν πόλιν, οὐδʼ ἑστάναι πρὸς τοσαύτην ἔκπληξιν οἱ λογισμοὶ καὶ διαμένειν ἐδύναντο.
Therefore, take counsel for your own safety and security." Thus he, throwing his speech like a tempest into the sea of so great a multitude, threw the city into confusion, nor could men's reason stand or remain firm against so great a consternation.
πάντες δʼ εἰς μίαν γνώμην συνήχθησαν ἀνυπευθύνου δεῖσθαι τὰ πράγματα μοναρχίας, ἣν δικτατορίαν καλοῦσι, καὶ τοῦ μεταχειριουμένου ταύτην ἀθρύπτως καὶ ἀδεῶς ἀνδρός·
And all were brought to one opinion: that their affairs required an irresponsible monarchy, which they call a dictatorship, and a man who would handle this office with resolution and without fear.
§3.6εἶναι δὲ τοῦτον ἕνα Φάβιον Μάξιμον, ἰσόρροπον ἔχοντα, τῷ μεγέθει τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸ φρόνημα καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ ἤθους, ἡλικίας τε κατὰ τοῦτο γεγενημένον ἐν ᾧ συνέστηκεν ἔτι πρὸς τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς βουλεύματα τὸ σῶμα τῇ ῥώμῃ καὶ συγκέκραται τῷ φρονίμῳ τὸ θαρραλέον.
And they believed this man to be Fabius Maximus alone, who possessed a mind and dignity of character commensurate with the greatness of the office, and who was at an age in which the body still supports by its strength the counsels of the mind, and where daring is tempered with prudence.