§1.68.1οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τότε πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐλάμβανον τὴν αὑτῶν ἄγνοιαν, ὅτʼ ἦν οὐδὲν ὄφελος.
And the Carthaginians then took their own ignorance before their eyes, when it was of no use.
§1.68.2μεγάλα μὲν γὰρ ἥμαρτον, εἰς ἕνα τόπον ἁθροίσαντες τοσοῦτο πλῆθος μισθοφόρων, ἔχοντες οὐδεμίαν ἐλπίδα πολεμικῆς χρείας ἐν ταῖς πολιτικαῖς δυνάμεσι· §1.68.3τούτου δὲ μεῖζον ἔτι, προέμενοι τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ σὺν τούτοις τὰς ἀποσκευάς· οἷς ἐξῆν ὁμήροις χρησαμένους ἀσφαλέστερον μὲν αὐτοὺς βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων, εὐπειθεστέροις δʼ ἐκείνοις χρῆσθαι πρὸς τὸ παρακαλούμενον,
For they had made a great mistake in assembling so great a multitude of mercenaries into one place, while having no hope of military utility in their own citizen forces; and even greater than this, in having let go their children and wives, and with them their baggage; whereas they might have used these as hostages, and so have deliberated more safely themselves about the emergencies, and have found the mercenaries more obedient to their demands.
§1.68.4οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ καταπλαγέντες τὴν στρατοπεδείαν πᾶν ὑπέμενον, σπουδάζοντες ἐξιλάσασθαι τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτῶν, §1.68.5καὶ τάς τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀγορὰς ἐκπέμποντες δαψιλεῖς ἐπώλουν, καθὼς ἐκεῖνοι βούλοιντο καὶ τάττοιεν τὰς τιμάς, τῶν τε τῆς γερουσίας ἀεί τινας ἐξαπέστελλον πρέσβεις, ὑπισχνούμενοι ποιήσειν πᾶν ὅ,τι ποτʼ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἀξιώσαιεν εἰ κατὰ δύναμιν.
Nevertheless, being terrified by their encampment, they submitted to everything, endeavoring to appease their anger; and they sent out abundant supplies of provisions and sold them at whatever prices the mercenaries wished and fixed, and they continually dispatched some of the members of the senate as envoys, promising to do whatever they might demand, if it was within their power.
§1.68.6ἦν δὲ πολὺ τὸ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρὰ τοῖς μισθοφόροις ἐπινοούμενον, ἅτε δὴ κατατεθαρρηκότων μὲν καὶ συντεθεωρηκότων τὴν κατάπληξιν καὶ πτοίαν τῶν Καρχηδονίων, §1.68.7πεφρονηματισμένων δὲ καὶ πεπεισμένων διὰ τοὺς προγεγονότας αὐτοῖς ἐν Σικελίᾳ πρὸς τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ στρατόπεδα κινδύνους μὴ οἷον Καρχηδονίους ἀντοφθαλμῆσαί ποτʼ ἂν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων μηδένα ῥᾳδίως.
But the demands devised day by day by the mercenaries grew greater, inasmuch as they had become utterly bold and had perceived the consternation and dread of the Carthaginians, and being proud and convinced, because of the dangers they had previously gone through in Sicily against the Roman armies, that not only would the Carthaginians never dare to look them in the face in arms, but neither would any other of mankind easily do so.
§1.68.8διόπερ ἅμα τῷ συγχωρῆσαι τὰ περὶ τῶν ὀψωνίων αὐτοῖς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους εὐθέως ἐπέβαινον καὶ τῶν τεθνεώτων ἵππων ἀπῄτουν τὰς ἀξίας.
Therefore, as soon as the Carthaginians conceded their demands concerning the pay, they immediately went further and demanded the value of the horses that had died.
§1.68.9προσδεξαμένων δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, πάλιν τῆς προσοφειλομένης σιτομετρίας ἐκ πλείονος χρόνου τὴν μεγίστην γεγονυῖαν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τιμὴν ἔφασκον αὑτοὺς δεῖν κομίζεσθαι.
Upon their accepting this also, they again declared that they ought to receive the value of the corn-rations which had been due for a longer time, calculated at the highest price that had occurred during the war.
§1.68.10καθόλου δʼ ἀεί τι νέον καὶ καινὸν προσεξεύρισκον, εἰς ἀδύνατον ἐκβάλλοντες τὴν διάλυσιν διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς καχέκτας καὶ στασιώδεις ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν.
In general, they always devised something new and novel, driving the settlement into impossibility because there were many ill-conditioned and mutinous men among them.
§1.68.11οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ δυνατὸν ὑπισχνουμένων τῶν Καρχηδονίων, κατένευσαν ἐπιτρέψειν περὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων ἑνὶ τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ γεγονότων στρατηγῶν.
Nevertheless, as the Carthaginians promised everything possible, they agreed to refer the disputed matters to one of the generals who had been in Sicily.
§1.68.12πρὸς μὲν οὖν Ἀμίλκαν τὸν Βάρκαν, μεθʼ οὗ συγκεκινδυνεύκεσαν ἐν τῇ Σικελίᾳ, δυσχερῶς εἶχον, δοκοῦντες οὐχ ἥκιστα διʼ ἐκεῖνον ὀλιγωρεῖσθαι τῷ μήτε πρεσβεύειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τήν τε στρατηγίαν ἑκουσίως δοκεῖν ἀποτεθεῖσθαι· §1.68.13πρὸς δὲ Γέσκωνα πάνυ διέκειντο φιλανθρώπως, ὃς ἐγεγόνει μὲν ἐν Σικελίᾳ στρατηγός, ἐπεποίητο δʼ αὐτῶν πρόνοιαν τὴν ἐνδεχομένην ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ μάλιστα περὶ τὴν ἀνακομιδήν.
Now, towards Amilcar Barca, with whom they had shared dangers in Sicily, they were ill-disposed, thinking that they were neglected not least through his fault, because he did not come as an envoy to them and because he seemed to have resigned his command voluntarily; but towards Gesco they were very well-disposed, who had been a general in Sicily, and had shown them all possible consideration, both in other matters and especially concerning their repatriation.
διόπερ ἐπέτρεψαν τούτῳ περὶ τῶν
Therefore they referred to him concerning the...