§1.60.1οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι, παρὰ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν προσπεσόντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ πεπλευκέναι στόλῳ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους καὶ πάλιν ἀντιποιεῖσθαι τῆς θαλάττης, παραυτίκα κατήρτιζον τὰς ναῦς, §1.60.2καὶ πληρώσαντες σίτου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων ἐξέπεμπον τὸν στόλον, βουλόμενοι μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν τὰ περὶ τὸν Ἔρυκα στρατόπεδα τῶν ἀναγκαίων. §1.60.3κατέστησαν δὲ καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ναυτικῆς δυνάμεως Ἄννωνα· ὃς ἀναχθεὶς καὶ κατάρας ἐπὶ τὴν Ἱερὰν καλουμένην νῆσον ἔσπευδε τοὺς πολεμίους λαθὼν διακομισθῆναι πρὸς τὸν Ἔρυκα καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀγορὰς ἀποθέσθαι καὶ κουφίσαι τὰς ναῦς, προσλαβὼν δʼ ἐπιβάτας ἐκ τῶν μισθοφόρων τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους καὶ Βάρκαν μετʼ αὐτῶν, οὕτως συμμίσγειν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις. §1.60.4ὁ δὲ Λυτάτιος συνεὶς τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἄννωνα καὶ συλλογισάμενος τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτῶν, ἀναλαβὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ πεζοῦ στρατεύματος τοὺς ἀρίστους ἄνδρας ἔπλευσε πρὸς τὴν Αἰγοῦσσαν νῆσον τὴν πρὸ τοῦ Λιλυβαίου κειμένην. §1.60.5κἀνταῦθα παρακαλέσας τὰ πρέποντα τῷ καιρῷ τὰς δυνάμεις διεσάφει τοῖς κυβερνήταις ὡς ἐσομένης εἰς τὴν αὔριον ναυμαχίας. §1.60.6ὑπὸ δὲ τὴν ἑωθινήν, ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας ὑποφαινούσης, ὁρῶν τοῖς μὲν ἐναντίοις φορὸν ἄνεμον καταρρέοντα καὶ λαμπρόν, σφίσι δὲ δυσχερῆ γινόμενον τὸν ἀνάπλουν πρὸς ἀντίον τὸ πνεῦμα, κοίλης καὶ τραχείας οὔσης τῆς θαλάττης, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον διηπόρει τί δεῖ χρῆσθαι τοῖς παροῦσι. §1.60.7συλλογιζόμενος δʼ ὡς ἐὰν μὲν παραβάλληται χειμῶνος ὄντος, πρὸς Ἄννωνα ποιήσεται τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς τὰς ναυτικὰς δυνάμεις καὶ πρὸς ἔτι γέμοντα τὰ σκάφη, §1.60.8ἐὰν δὲ τηρῶν εὐδίαν καὶ καταμέλλων ἐάσῃ διᾶραι καὶ συμμῖξαι τοῖς στρατοπέδοις τοὺς πολεμίους, πρός τε τὰς ναῦς εὐκινήτους καὶ κεκουφισμένας ἀγωνιεῖται πρός τε τοὺς ἀρίστους ἄνδρας τῶν ἐκ τοῦ πεζοῦ στρατευμάτων, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, πρὸς τὴν Ἀμίλκου τόλμαν, ἧς οὐδὲν ἦν τότε φοβερώτερον· §1.60.9διόπερ ἔκρινε μὴ παρεῖναι τὸν ἐνεστῶτα καιρόν· συνιδὼν δὲ τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ναῦς ἱστιοδρομούσας ἀνήγετο μετὰ σπουδῆς. §1.60.10τῶν δὲ πληρωμάτων εὐχερῶς ἀναφερόντων τὸν κλύδωνα ταῖς εὐεξίαις, ταχέως ἐπὶ μίαν ἐκτείνας ναῦν ἀντίπρωρ
The Carthaginians, when the news came to them, contrary to their expectation, that the Romans had sailed with a fleet and were again laying claim to the sea, immediately equipped their ships, and having loaded them with corn and other provisions, they sent out the fleet, wishing that the forces around Eryx should lack none of the necessaries. They also appointed Hanno as commander of the naval force; and he, having put to sea and touched at the island called Hiera, was eager to cross to Eryx without being noticed by the enemy, to land his cargoes and lighten his ships, and then, taking on board as marines the most suitable of the mercenaries and Barca with them, only in this way to engage the enemy. But Lutatius, understanding the presence of Hanno and his men, and calculating their design, took on board the best men from the land army and sailed to the island of Aegusa, which lies in front of Lilybaeum. And there, after encouraging his forces with words suited to the occasion, he made it clear to the pilots that there would be a naval battle on the morrow. But towards dawn, as day was already beginning to break, seeing that a favorable and strong wind was blowing for the enemy, while for themselves the outward voyage was becoming difficult against the wind, the sea being deep and rough, he was at first in doubt how to deal with the present circumstances. But calculating that if, on the one hand, he should risk a battle while there was a storm, he would fight against Hanno and against the naval forces themselves and against ships still heavily laden, but if, on the other hand, waiting for calm weather and delaying, he should allow the enemy to cross and join their forces, he would have to fight against ships that were agile and lightened, and against the best men of the land forces, and, most important of all, against the daring of Hamilcar, than which nothing was then more feared; therefore he decided not to let the present opportunity pass; and seeing the enemy's ships running before the wind, he put out to sea with haste. As the crews easily overcame the surge with their excellent training, he quickly extended his ships in a single line, prow to prow...