§20.3.1ἐπʼ ἄρχοντος γὰρ Ἀθήνησιν Ἱερομνήμονος Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ὑπάτους κατέστησαν Γάιον Ἰούλιον καὶ Κόιντον Αἰμίλιον, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν Ἀγαθοκλῆς ἡττημένος ὑπὸ Καρχηδονίων τῇ περὶ τὸν Ἱμέραν μάχῃ καὶ τὸ πλεῖστον καὶ κράτιστον τῆς δυνάμεως ἀποβεβληκὼς συνέφυγεν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσσας.
For when Hieromnemon was archon in Athens, the Romans appointed Gaius Julius and Quintus Aemilius as consuls, and in Sicily, Agathocles, having been defeated by the Carthaginians in the battle near the Himera and having lost the greatest and best part of his force, fled for refuge to Syracuse.
§20.3.2ὁρῶν δὲ τούς τε συμμάχους ἅπαντας μεταβεβλημένους καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους πλὴν Συρακουσσῶν ἁπάσης σχεδὸν Σικελίας κυριεύοντας καὶ πολὺ προέχοντας ταῖς τε πεζικαῖς καὶ ναυτικαῖς δυνάμεσιν ἐπετελέσατο πρᾶξιν ἀνέλπιστον καὶ παραβολωτάτην.
And seeing all his allies change sides and the barbarians ruling over almost the whole of Sicily except Syracuse, and being far superior in both land and naval forces, he undertook an unexpected and most daring enterprise.
§20.3.3πάντων γὰρ διειληφότων μηδʼ ἐγχειρήσειν αὐτὸν τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ἀντιταχθῆναι, διενοήσατο τῆς μὲν πόλεως ἀπολιπεῖν τὴν ἱκανὴν φυλακήν, τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν τοὺς εὐθέτους ἐπιλέξαι καὶ μετὰ τούτων εἰς τὴν Λιβύην διακομισθῆναι· τοῦτο γὰρ πράξας ἤλπιζε τοὺς μὲν ἐν τῇ Καρχηδόνι τετρυφηκότας ἐν εἰρήνῃ πολυχρονίῳ καὶ διὰ τοῦτʼ ἀπείρους ὄντας τῶν ἐν ταῖς μάχαις κινδύνων ὑπὸ τῶν ἐνηθληκότων τοῖς δεινοῖς ῥᾳδίως ἡττηθήσεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ κατὰ Λιβύην συμμάχους, βαρυνομένους τοῖς προστάγμασιν ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων, λήψεσθαι καιρὸν τῆς ἀποστάσεως, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, διαρπάσειν ἀπροσδοκήτως ἐπιφανεὶς χώραν ἀπόρθητον καὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν Καρχηδονίων εὐδαιμονίαν πεπληρωμένην παντοίων ἀγαθῶν, τὸ δʼ ὅλον ἀπὸ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ πάσης Σικελίας περισπάσειν τοὺς βαρβάρους καὶ πάντα τὸν πόλεμον μετάξειν εἰς τὴν Λιβύην· ὅπερ καὶ συνετελέσθη.
For since everyone supposed that he would not even attempt to oppose the Carthaginians, he resolved to leave a sufficient garrison for the city, select the fit men from the soldiers, and cross over with them to Libya; for by doing this he hoped that those in Carthage, who had lived in luxury during a long period of peace and were therefore inexperienced in the dangers of battle, would easily be defeated by men who had trained hard in perilous conditions; that the allies in Libya, who had long been oppressed by their commands, would grasp the opportunity for rebellion; and, greatest of all, that by appearing unexpectedly he would plunder a territory untouched by war and filled with all kinds of good things due to the prosperity of the Carthaginians; and, in short, that he would draw the barbarians away from his fatherland and all of Sicily, and transfer the entire war to Libya—which is indeed what was accomplished.