§1.75.1διόπερ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι θεωροῦντες αὐτὸν κακῶς χειρίζοντα τὰς πράξεις, Ἀμίλκαν τὸν ἐπικαλούμενον Βάρκαν αὖθις προεστήσαντο, §1.75.2καὶ τοῦτον ἐξέπεμπον εἰς τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πόλεμον στρατηγόν, δόντες ἑβδομήκοντα μὲν ἐλέφαντας καὶ τοὺς ἐπισυνηγμένους τῶν μισθοφόρων καὶ τοὺς ηὐτομοληκότας ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πολιτικοὺς ἱππεῖς καὶ πεζούς, ὥστε τοὺς σύμπαντας εἰς μυρίους ὑπάρχειν.
Therefore, the Carthaginians, seeing that he was managing affairs badly, once more appointed Hamilcar, surnamed Barca, to the command, and dispatched him as general to the ongoing war, giving him seventy elephants, the newly collected mercenaries, and the deserters from the enemy, together with civic cavalry and infantry, so that the whole force amounted to about ten thousand men.
§1.75.3ὃς κατὰ τὴν πρώτην εὐθέως ἔξοδον καταπληξάμενος τῷ παραδόξῳ τῆς ἐπιβολῆς ἥττησε μὲν τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ὑπεναντίων, ἔλυσε δὲ τὴν τῆς Ἰτύκης πολιορκίαν, ἐφάνη δʼ ἄξιος τῶν προγεγονότων ἔργων καὶ τῆς παρὰ τῷ πλήθει προσδοκίας.
Who, immediately upon his very first departure, having struck terror into the minds of the enemy by the unexpectedness of his enterprise, quelled their spirit, raised the siege of Utica, and showed himself worthy of his past achievements and of the expectations of the people.
§1.75.4τὸ δὲ πραχθὲν ἦν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ τὴν χρείαν ταύτην τοιοῦτον.
What was done by him in this service was as follows.
τῶν γεωλόφων τῶν ἐπιζευγνύντων τὸν αὐχένα τὸν συνάπτοντα τὴν Καρχηδόνα πρὸς τὴν Λιβύην ὄντων δυσβάτων καὶ χειροποιήτους ἐχόντων διεκβολὰς ἐπὶ τὴν χώραν, συνέβαινε τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μάθω πάντας τοὺς διὰ τῶν προειρημένων λόφων εὐκαίρως κειμένους τόπους φυλακαῖς διειληφέναι, §1.75.5πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τοῦ προσαγορευομένου Μακάρα ποταμοῦ διείργοντος κατά τινας τόπους παραπλησίως τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν χώραν τοῖς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἔξοδον καὶ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ῥεύματος ἀβάτου κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον ὑπάρχοντος, μιᾶς δʼ οὔσης ἐπʼ αὐτῷ γεφύρας, καὶ ταύτην τηρεῖν τὴν δίοδον ἀσφαλῶς, πόλιν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς ᾠκοδομηκότας.
Since the hills that span the isthmus connecting Carthage with Libya were difficult of passage and had only man-made outlets to the country, it happened that Mathos's men had occupied with guards all the places advantageously situated along the aforementioned hills; and besides this, as the river called Macaras in certain places likewise barred the exit from the city to the country, and was for the most part impassable owing to the depth of its current, there being only one bridge over it, they were securely guarding this passage also, having built a town upon it.
§1.75.6ἐξ ὧν συνέβαινε τοὺς Καρχηδονίους μὴ οἷον στρατοπέδῳ τῆς χώρας ἐπιβαίνειν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τοὺς κατʼ ἰδίαν θέλοντας διαπεσεῖν ῥᾳδίως ἂν δύνασθαι λαθεῖν τοὺς ὑπεναντίους.
As a result of these circumstances, it happened that the Carthaginians were not only unable to enter the country with an army, but even individuals wishing to slip through could not easily escape the notice of the enemy.
§1.75.7εἰς ἃ βλέπων Ἀμίλκας καὶ παντὸς πράγματος καὶ καιροῦ πεῖραν λαμβάνων διὰ τὸ δυσχρηστεῖν περὶ τὴν ἔξοδον διενοήθη τι τοιοῦτον.
Looking at these difficulties, and trying every plan and opportunity, Hamilcar, because of the difficulty regarding his exit, conceived a plan of this kind.
§1.75.8τοῦ προειρημένου ποταμοῦ κατὰ τὴν εἰς θάλατταν ἐκβολὴν συνθεωρήσας κατά τινας ἀνέμων στάσεις ἀποθινούμενον τὸ στόμα καὶ τεναγώδη γινομένην τὴν παρʼ αὐτὸ τὸ στόμα πάροδον, ποιήσας εὐτρεπῆ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον καὶ κρύπτων ἐν αὑτῷ τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ἐτήρει τὸ προειρημένον σύμπτωμα.
Having observed that at the mouth of the aforementioned river where it discharges into the sea, under certain winds, the mouth became blocked with sand and the passage beside the very mouth became shallow, he made the army ready for departure, and keeping his design to himself, waited for the aforementioned occurrence.
§1.75.9παραπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, νυκτὸς ἐξορμήσας ἔλαθε πάντας ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ τὸν προειρημένον τόπον διαβιβάσας τὴν δύναμιν.
When the opportunity presented itself, setting out by night, he escaped the notice of all and, at daybreak, threw his army across at the aforementioned place.
§1.75.10παραδόξου δὲ τοῦ πράγματος φανέντος καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις, ὁ μὲν Ἀμίλκας προῆγεν διὰ τοῦ πεδίου, ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ τοὺς
The thing appearing incredible both to those in the city and to the enemy, Hamilcar advanced through the plain, making his march towards...