§11.19.1τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐπισημήναιτο τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις τἀνδρός, βλέψας εἰς τὸ μῆκος τούτου τοῦ χρόνου, §11.19.2καὶ συνεπιστήσας αὑτὸν ἐπί τε τὰς καθόλου καὶ τὰς κατὰ μέρος μάχας καὶ πολιορκίας καὶ πόλεων μεταβολὰς καὶ περιστάσεις καιρῶν, ἐπί τε τὴν περιοχὴν τῆς ὅλης ἐπιβολῆς καὶ πράξεως,
Who would not admire the leadership, excellence, and power of this man in the field, when looking at the length of this period, and when directing his attention to both the general and particular battles, sieges, defections of cities, critical situations, and the scope of his entire undertaking and action?
§11.19.3ἐν ᾗ συνεχῶς Ἀννίβας ἑκκαίδεκα πολεμήσας ἔτη Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν οὐδέποτε διέλυσε τὰς δυνάμεις ἐκ τῶν ὑπαίθρων, ἀλλὰ συνέχων ὑφʼ αὑτόν, ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς κυβερνήτης, ἀστασίαστα διετήρησε τοσαῦτα πλήθη καὶ πρὸς αὑτὸν καὶ πρὸς ἄλληλα, καίπερ οὐχ οἷον ὁμοεθνέσιν, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὁμοφύλοις χρησάμενος στρατοπέδοις.
In this undertaking, Hannibal, having waged war continuously against the Romans in Italy for sixteen years, never disbanded his forces from the field, but keeping them under his control, like a good helmsman, kept such great multitudes free from mutiny both toward himself and toward one another, even though he employed armies that were not only of different nations but not even of the same race.
εἶχε γὰρ Λίβυας, §11.19.4Ἴβηρας, Λιγυστίνους, Κελτούς, Φοίνικας, Ἰταλούς, Ἕλληνας, οἷς οὐ νόμος, οὐκ ἔθος, οὐ λόγος, οὐχ ἕτερον οὐδὲν ἦν κοινὸν ἐκ φύσεως πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
For he had Libyans, Iberians, Ligurians, Celts, Phoenicians, Italians, and Greeks, who had no law, no custom, no language, nor anything else in common by nature with one another.
§11.19.5ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἡ τοῦ προεστῶτος ἀγχίνοια τὰς τηλικαύτας καὶ τοιαύτας διαφορὰς ἑνὸς ἐποίει προστάγματος ἀκούειν καὶ μιᾷ πείθεσθαι γνώμῃ, καίπερ οὐχ ἁπλῆς οὔσης τῆς περιστάσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποικίλης, καὶ πολλάκις μὲν αὐτοῖς λαμπρᾶς ἐπιπνεούσης τῆς τύχης, ποτὲ δὲ τοὐναντίον.
Yet, the sagacity of the leader made differences so great and of such a kind listen to a single command and obey a single will, even though the situation was not simple but varied, and sometimes fortune blew upon them splendidly, and at other times the reverse.
§11.19.6ἐξ ὧν εἰκότως ἄν τις θαυμάσειε τὴν τοῦ προεστῶτος δύναμιν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει, καὶ θαρρῶν εἴπειεν ὡς εἴπερ ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπʼ ἄλλα μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐπὶ τελευταίους ἦλθε Ῥωμαίους, οὐδὲν ἂν τῶν προτεθέντων αὐτὸν διέφυγε.
From these facts, one might reasonably admire the power of the leader in this respect, and say with confidence that if he had begun his conquests in other parts of the world and come against the Romans last of all, none of his projects would have escaped him.
§11.19.7νῦν δʼ, ἐφʼ οὓς ἔδει τελευταίους ἐλθεῖν, ἀπὸ τούτων ἀρξάμενος, ἐν τούτοις ἐποιήσατο καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν πράξεων καὶ τὸ τέλος.
But as it was, having begun with those against whom he ought to have come last, he made both the beginning and the end of his exploits among them.