§3.117.1ἡ μὲν οὖν περὶ Κάνναν γενομένη μάχη Ῥωμαίων καὶ Καρχηδονίων ἐπετελέσθη τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον, μάχη γενναιοτάτους ἄνδρας ἔχουσα καὶ τοὺς νικήσαντας καὶ τοὺς ἡττηθέντας.
Thus, the battle between the Romans and the Carthaginians at Cannae ended in this manner, a battle in which both the victors and the vanquished proved to be most gallant men.
§3.117.2δῆλον δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐγένετʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων.
And this became clear from the actual facts.
τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἑξακισχιλίων ἱππέων ἑβδομήκοντα μὲν εἰς Οὐενουσίαν μετὰ Γαΐου διέφυγον, περὶ τριακοσίους δὲ τῶν συμμάχων σποράδες εἰς τὰς πόλεις ἐσώθησαν·
For out of the six thousand cavalry, seventy escaped to Venusia with Gaius, while about three hundred of the allies escaped in scattered groups to the various cities.
§3.117.3ἐκ δὲ τῶν πεζῶν μαχόμενοι μὲν ἑάλωσαν εἰς μυρίους — οἱ δʼ ἐκτὸς ὄντες τῆς μάχης — ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ κινδύνου τρισχίλιοι μόνον ἴσως εἰς τὰς παρακειμένας πόλεις διέφυγον.
Of the infantry, about ten thousand were captured — these being those who were outside the actual battle — while from the danger itself, only about three thousand perhaps escaped to the neighboring cities.
§3.117.4οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες, ὄντες εἰς ἑπτὰ μυριάδας, ἀπέθανον εὐγενῶς, τὴν μεγίστην χρείαν παρεσχημένου τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις εἰς τὸ νικᾶν καὶ τότε καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τοῦ τῶν ἱππέων ὄχλου.
All the rest, numbering about seventy thousand, died gallantly, the multitude of cavalry having afforded the greatest assistance to the Carthaginians for victory both on this occasion and in previous times.
§3.117.5καὶ δῆλον ἐγένετο τοῖς ἐπιγενομένοις ὅτι κρεῖττόν ἐστι πρὸς τοὺς τῶν πολέμων καιροὺς ἡμίσεις ἔχειν πεζούς, ἱπποκρατεῖν δὲ τοῖς ὅλοις, μᾶλλον ἢ πάντα πάρισα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔχοντα διακινδυνεύειν.
And it became clear to posterity that it is better for the emergencies of war to have half the number of infantry but to be completely superior in cavalry, rather than to run risks while having all forces equal to the enemy.
§3.117.6τῶν δὲ μετʼ Ἀννίβου Κελτοὶ μὲν ἔπεσον εἰς τετρακισχιλίους, Ἴβηρες δὲ καὶ Λίβυες εἰς χιλίους καὶ πεντακοσίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ περὶ διακοσίους.
Of those with Hannibal, about four thousand Celts fell, fifteen hundred Iberians and Libyans, and about two hundred cavalry.
§3.117.7οἱ δὲ ζωγρηθέντες τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκτὸς ἐγένοντο τοῦ κινδύνου, καὶ διὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν.
Those of the Romans who were taken alive had been outside the danger of the battle, and that for the following reason.
§3.117.8Λεύκιος ἀπέλιπε μυρίους πεζοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ παρεμβολῆς, ἵνʼ ἐὰν μὲν Ἀννίβας ὀλιγωρήσας τοῦ χάρακος ἐκτάξῃ πᾶσι, παραπεσόντες οὗτοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς μάχης καιρὸν ἐγκρατεῖς γένωνται τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἀποσκευῆς, §3.117.9ἐὰν δὲ προϊδόμενος τὸ μέλλον ἀπολίπῃ φυλακὴν ἀξιόχρεων, πρὸς ἐλάττους αὐτοῖς ὁ περὶ τῶν ὅλων γένηται κίνδυνος.
Lucius had left ten thousand infantry in his own camp, so that, if Hannibal, neglecting the protection of his camp, should draw up all his forces, these men might fall upon them during the battle and make themselves masters of the enemy's baggage; or if, anticipating what would happen, he should leave an adequate guard, the danger for the main body in the general action might be against fewer opponents.
§3.117.10ἑάλωσαν δὲ τοιούτῳ τινὶ τρόπῳ.
They were captured in the following manner.
καταλιπόντος Ἀννίβου φυλακὴν ἀρκοῦσαν ἐπὶ τοῦ χάρακος, ἅμα τῷ κατάρξασθαι τὴν μάχην κατὰ τὸ συνταχθὲν ἐπολιόρκουν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, προσβάλλοντες τοὺς ἀπολελειμμένους ἐν τῷ τῶν Καρχηδονίων χάρακι. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἀντεῖχον·
Since Hannibal had left an adequate guard at his camp, the Romans, as soon as the battle began, according to their instructions, laid siege by attacking those left behind in the Carthaginian camp.
§3.117.11ἤδη δʼ αὐτῶν πιεζομένων, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ πάντα τὰ μέρη τὴν μάχην Ἀννίβας ἔκρινε, καὶ τότε παραβοηθήσας καὶ τρεψάμενος συνέκλεισε τοὺς Ῥωμαίους εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν παρεμβολὴν καὶ δισχιλίους μὲν αὐτῶν ἀπέκτεινε, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο ζωγρίᾳ πάντων.
At first, indeed, they held out; but when they were already hard pressed, since Hannibal had decided the battle in all parts, he came to their assistance at that moment, put the Romans to flight, shut them up in their own camp, killed two thousand of them, and captured all the rest alive.
§3.117.12ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐρύματα συμπεφευγότας ἐκπολιορκήσαντες οἱ Νομάδες ἐπανῆγον, ὄντας εἰς δισχιλίους τῶν εἰς φυγὴν τραπέντων ἱππέων.
In like manner, the Numidians also, having forced the surrender of those who had fled to the strongholds throughout the country, brought them back, being about two thousand of the cavalry who had been put to flight.