§3.17.1τοστῆς καὶ τετταρακοστῆς ὀλυμπιάδος.
...of the hundred and fortieth Olympiad.
Ἀννίβας δὲ μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἀναζεύξας ἐκ τῆς Καινῆς πόλεως προῆγε, ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ τὴν Ζάκανθαν.
Hannibal, breaking camp with his army from New Carthage, advanced, making his march toward Saguntum.
§3.17.2ἡ δὲ πόλις αὕτη κεῖται μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ πρὸς θάλατταν καθήκοντι πρόποδι τῆς ὀρεινῆς τῆς συναπτούσης τὰ πέρατα τῆς Ἰβηρίας καὶ Κελτιβηρίας, ἀπέχει δὲ τῆς θαλάττης ὡς ἑπτὰ στάδια.
This city lies on the spur of the mountain range connecting the frontiers of Iberia and Celtiberia, stretching down toward the sea, and is about seven stades distant from the sea.
§3.17.3νέμονται δὲ χώραν οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν πάμφορον καὶ διαφέρουσαν ἀρετῇ πάσης τῆς Ἰβηρίας.
The inhabitants occupy a territory which is extremely fertile and excels in productiveness all the rest of Iberia.
§3.17.4ᾗ τότε παραστρατοπεδεύσας Ἀννίβας ἐνεργὸς ἐγίνετο περὶ τὴν πολιορκίαν, πολλὰ προορώμενος εὔχρηστα πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν αὐτήν.
Hannibal, having then encamped there, actively applied himself to the siege, foreseeing that many advantages for the future would result from taking it by storm.
§3.17.5πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὑπέλαβε παρελέσθαι Ῥωμαίων τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ συστήσασθαι τὸν πόλεμον ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ· δεύτερον δὲ καταπληξάμενος ἅπαντας εὐτακτοτέρους μὲν ἐπέπειστο παρασκευάσειν τοὺς ὑφʼ αὐτὸν ἤδη ταττομένους, εὐλαβεστέρους δὲ τοὺς ἀκμὴν αὐτοκράτορας ὄντας τῶν Ἰβήρων, §3.17.6τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, οὐδὲν ἀπολιπὼν ὄπισθεν πολέμιον ἀσφαλῶς ποιήσεσθαι τὴν εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν πορείαν.
For first of all he conceived he would deprive the Romans of the hope of carrying on the war in Iberia; and secondly, by striking terror into everyone, he was convinced he would render those already subject to him more submissive, and those of the Iberians who were still independent more cautious; and, what was the most important thing, that he would leave no enemy in his rear and so make his advance forward secure.
§3.17.7χωρίς τε τούτων εὐπορήσειν μὲν χορηγιῶν αὐτὸς ὑπελάμβανεν πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολάς, προθυμίαν δʼ ἐνεργάσεσθαι ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἐκ τῆς ἐσομένης ἑκάστοις ὠφελείας, προκαλέσεσθαι δὲ τὴν εὔνοιαν τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ Καρχηδονίων διὰ τῶν ἀποσταλησομένων αὐτοῖς λαφύρων.
And besides these considerations, he assumed that he would be well supplied with resources for his undertakings, and would inspire his troops with enthusiasm by the benefit that would accrue to each, and would win the goodwill of the Carthaginians at home by the spoils which would be sent to them.
§3.17.8τοιούτοις δὲ χρώμενος διαλογισμοῖς ἐνεργῶς προσέκειτο τῇ πολιορκίᾳ, τοτὲ μὲν ὑπόδειγμα τῷ πλήθει ποιῶν αὑτὸν καὶ γινόμενος αὐτουργὸς τῆς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ταλαιπωρίας, ἔστι δʼ ὅτε παρακαλῶν τὰ πλήθη καὶ παραβόλως διδοὺς αὑτὸν εἰς τοὺς κινδύνους.
Influenced by such calculations, he pressed the siege with vigor, sometimes setting an example to the rank and file and personally sharing the hardship of the works, and at other times encouraging the troops and recklessly exposing himself to dangers.
§3.17.9πᾶσαν δὲ κακοπάθειαν καὶ μέριμναν ὑπομείνας τέλος ἐν ὀκτὼ μησὶ κατὰ κράτος εἷλε τὴν πόλιν.
After enduring every hardship and anxiety, he at last took the city by storm in eight months.
§3.17.10κύριος δὲ γενόμενος χρημάτων πολλῶν καὶ σωμάτων καὶ κατασκευῆς τὰ μὲν χρήματʼ εἰς τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιβολὰς παρέθετο κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν, τὰ δὲ σώματα διένειμε κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἑκάστοις τῶν συστρατευομένων, τὴν δὲ κατασκευὴν παραχρῆμα πᾶσαν ἐξέπεμψε τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις.
Having become master of much money, captives, and property, he set aside the money for his own undertakings in accordance with his original purpose, distributed the captives among his fellow-soldiers according to the merit of each, and immediately sent all the property to the Carthaginians.
§3.17.11ταῦτα δὲ πράξας οὐ διεψεύσθη τοῖς λογισμοῖς οὐδʼ ἀπέτυχε τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς προθέσεως, ἀλλὰ τούς τε στρατιώτας προθυμοτέρους ἐποίησε πρὸς τὸ κινδυνεύειν, τούς τε Καρχηδονίους ἑτοίμους παρεσκεύασε πρὸς τὸ παραγγελλόμενον, αὐτός τε πολλὰ τῶν χρησίμων μετὰ ταῦτα κατειργάσατο διὰ τῆς τῶν χορηγιῶν παραθέσεως.
By acting thus, he was not deceived in his calculations nor did he fail of his original purpose, but he made his soldiers more ready to face danger, prepared the Carthaginians to be prompt in obeying orders, and himself afterwards accomplished many useful things by means of his store of resources.