§2.24.1ἵνα δὲ συμφανὲς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν γένηται τῶν ἔργων ἡλίκοις Ἀννίβας ἐτόλμησε πράγμασιν ἐπιθέσθαι [μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα] καὶ πρὸς ἡλίκην δυναστείαν παραβόλως ἀντοφθαλμήσας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο καθίκετο τῆς προθέσεως ὥστε τοῖς μεγίστοις συμπτώμασι περιβάλλειν Ῥωμαίους, §2.24.2ῥητέον ἂν εἴη τὴν παρασκευὴν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ὑπαρχούσης αὐτοῖς τότε δυνάμεως.
In order that it may become manifest from the actual facts how great were the undertakings Hannibal dared to attempt, and against how great a power he boldly stood face to face, achieving his purpose to such an extent as to involve the Romans in the greatest disasters, we must state the preparations and the amount of the forces available to them at that time.
§2.24.3μετὰ μὲν δὴ τῶν ὑπάτων ἐξεληλύθει τέτταρα στρατόπεδα Ῥωμαϊκά, πεντάκις μὲν χιλίους καὶ διακοσίους πεζούς, ἱππεῖς δὲ τριακοσίους ἔχον ἕκαστον.
Now, there had gone out with the consuls four Roman legions, each having five thousand two hundred infantry and three hundred cavalry.
§2.24.4σύμμαχοι δὲ μεθʼ ἑκατέρων ἦσαν οἱ συνάμφω πεζοὶ μὲν τρισμύριοι, δισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς.
And the allies with each of the two consuls were in all thirty-two thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.
§2.24.5τῶν δʼ ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ προσβοηθησάντων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην Σαβίνων καὶ Τυρρηνῶν ἱππεῖς μὲν ἦσαν εἰς τετρακισχιλίους, πεζοὶ δὲ πλείους τῶν πεντακισμυρίων.
Of the Sabines and Etruscans, who came to the assistance of Rome in this crisis, there were about four thousand cavalry and more than fifty thousand infantry.
§2.24.6τούτους μὲν ἁθροίσαντες ὡς ἐπὶ Τυρρηνίας προεκάθισαν, ἑξαπέλεκυν αὐτοῖς ἡγεμόνα συστήσαντες.
These they assembled and stationed in front for the protection of Etruria, having appointed a praetor as commander over them.
§2.24.7οἱ δὲ τὸν Ἀπεννῖνον κατοικοῦντες Ὄμβροι καὶ Σαρσινάτοι συνήχθησαν εἰς δισμυρίους, μετὰ δὲ τούτων Οὐένετοι καὶ Γονομάνοι δισμύριοι.
The Umbrians and Sarsinates, who inhabit the Apennines, were collected to the number of twenty thousand, and with them twenty thousand Veneti and Gonomani.
τούτους δʼ ἔταξαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς Γαλατίας, §2.24.8ἵνʼ ἐμβαλόντες εἰς τὴν τῶν Βοίων χώραν ἀντιπερισπῶσι τοὺς ἐξεληλυθότας.
These they stationed on the borders of Galatia, in order that by invading the territory of the Boii they might distract and recall the Gauls who had gone out.
τὰ μὲν οὖν προκαθήμενα στρατόπεδα τῆς χώρας ταῦτʼ ἦν.
These, then, were the forces stationed in front to protect the country.
§2.24.9ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ διέτριβον ἡτοιμασμένοι χάριν τῶν συμβαινόντων ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, ἐφεδρείας ἔχοντες τάξιν, Ῥωμαίων μὲν αὐτῶν πεζοὶ δισμύριοι, μετὰ δὲ τούτων ἱππεῖς χίλιοι καὶ πεντακόσιοι, τῶν δὲ συμμάχων πεζοὶ μὲν τρισμύριοι, δισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς.
In Rome itself, there remained, ready to meet the emergencies of war, acting as a reserve force, twenty thousand infantry and fifteen hundred cavalry of the Romans themselves, and of the allies thirty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.
§2.24.10καταγραφαὶ δʼ ἀνηνέχθησαν Λατίνων μὲν ὀκτακισμύριοι πεζοί, πεντακισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς, Σαυνιτῶν δὲ πεζοὶ μὲν ἑπτακισμύριοι, μετὰ δὲ τούτων ἱππεῖς ἑπτακισχίλιοι, §2.24.11καὶ μὴν Ἰαπύγων καὶ Μεσσαπίων συνάμφω πεζῶν μὲν πέντε μυριάδες, ἱππεῖς δὲ μύριοι σὺν ἑξακισχιλίοις, §2.24.12Λευκανῶν δὲ πεζοὶ μὲν τρισμύριοι, τρισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς, Μαρσῶν δὲ καὶ Μαρρουκίνων καὶ Φερεντάνων, ἔτι δʼ Οὐεστίνων πεζοὶ μὲν δισμύριοι, τετρακισχίλιοι δʼ ἱππεῖς.
And the registers returned gave of the Latins eighty thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry, and of the Samnites seventy thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry, and indeed of the Iapyges and Messapians together fifty thousand infantry and sixteen thousand cavalry, of the Lucanians thirty thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry, and of the Marsi, Marrucini, Ferentani, and also the Vestini, twenty thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry.
§2.24.13ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ ἐν Σικελίᾳ καὶ Τάραντι στρατόπεδα δύο παρεφήδρευεν, ὧν ἑκάτερον ἦν ἀνὰ τετρακισχιλίους καὶ διακοσίους πεζούς, ἱππεῖς δὲ διακοσίους.
Furthermore, in Sicily and Tarentum two legions were stationed as a reserve, each consisting of four thousand two hundred infantry and two hundred cavalry.
§2.24.14Ῥωμαίων δὲ καὶ Καμπανῶν ἡ πληθὺς πεζῶν μὲν εἰς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε κατελέχθησαν μυριάδες, ἱππέων δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς δύο μυριάσιν ἐπῆσαν ἔτι τρεῖς χιλιάδες.
And the total number of Romans and Campanians was enrolled at twenty-five thousand infantry, and there were three thousand cavalry in addition to twenty thousand.
§2.24.15ὥστʼ εἶναι τὸ [κεφάλαιον τῶν μὲν προκαθημένων τῆς Ῥώμης δυνάμεων πεζοὶ μὲν ὑπὲρ πεντεκαίδεκα μυριάδες, §2.24.16ἱππεῖς δὲ πρὸς ἑξακισχιλίους, τὸ δὲ] σύμπαν πλῆθος τῶν δυναμένων ὅπλα βαστάζειν, αὐτῶν τε Ῥωμαίων καὶ τῶν συμμάχων, πεζῶν ὑπὲρ τὰς ἑβδομήκοντα μυριάδας, ἱππέων δʼ εἰς ἑπτὰ μυριάδας.
So that the [total of the forces protecting Rome was over one hundred and fifty thousand infantry, and about six thousand cavalry, while the] entire multitude of those capable of bearing arms, both of the Romans themselves and of their allies, exceeded seventy thousand infantry and reached about seven thousand cavalry.
§2.24.17ἐφʼ οὓς Ἀννίβας ἐλάττους ἔχων δισμυρίων ἐπέβαλεν εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν.
Against whom Hannibal invaded Italy with a force of less than twenty thousand.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς σαφέστερον ἐκποιήσει κατανοεῖν.
Concerning these matters, it will be possible to understand more clearly in what follows.