§3.30.1τούτων δὴ τοιούτων ὑπαρχόντων, ὁμολογούμενον ἦν κἀκεῖνο διότι Ζακανθαῖοι πλείοσιν ἔτεσιν ἤδη πρότερον τῶν κατʼ Ἀννίβαν καιρῶν ἐδεδώκεισαν αὑτοὺς εἰς τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν.
These facts being so, it was also an agreed point that the Saguntines had already, many years before the time of Hannibal, placed themselves under the protection of the Romans.
§3.30.2σημεῖον δὲ τοῦτο μέγιστον καὶ παρʼ αὐτοῖς τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ὁμολογούμενον ὅτι στασιάσαντες Ζακανθαῖοι πρὸς σφᾶς οὐ Καρχηδονίοις ἐπέτρεψαν, καίπερ ἐγγὺς ὄντων αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν ἤδη πραττόντων, ἀλλὰ Ῥωμαίοις καὶ διὰ τούτων ἐποιήσαντο τὴν κατόρθωσιν τῆς πολιτείας.
And the greatest proof of this, which was acknowledged even by the Carthaginians themselves, is that when the Saguntines fell into civil strife, they did not submit the matter to the Carthaginians, although they were near at hand and already managing affairs in Iberia, but to the Romans, and through them effected the settlement of their constitution.
§3.30.3διόπερ εἰ μέν τις τὴν Ζακάνθης ἀπώλειαν αἰτίαν τίθησι τοῦ πολέμου, συγχωρητέον ἀδίκως ἐξενηνοχέναι τὸν πόλεμον Καρχηδονίους κατά τε τὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ Λυτατίου συνθήκας, καθʼ ἃς ἔδει τοῖς ἑκατέρων συμμάχοις τὴν ὑφʼ ἑκατέρων ὑπάρχειν ἀσφάλειαν, κατά τε τὰς ἐπʼ Ἀσδρούβου, καθʼ ἃς οὐκ ἔδει διαβαίνειν τὸν Ἴβηρα ποταμὸν ἐπὶ πολέμῳ Καρχηδονίους·
Therefore, if anyone regards the destruction of Saguntum as the cause of the war, it must be conceded that the Carthaginians undertook the war unjustly, both in violation of the treaty of Lutatius, according to which security from each side ought to be guaranteed to the allies of both, and in violation of the agreement of Hasdrubal, according to which the Carthaginians were not to cross the river Iber in war.
§3.30.4εἰ δὲ τὴν Σαρδόνος ἀφαίρεσιν καὶ τὰ σὺν ταύτῃ χρήματα, πάντως ὁμολογητέον εὐλόγως πεπολεμηκέναι τὸν κατʼ Ἀννίβαν πόλεμον τοὺς Καρχηδονίους· καιρῷ γὰρ πεισθέντες ἠμύνοντο σὺν καιρῷ τοὺς βλάψαντας.
But if anyone regards the seizure of Sardinia and the money exacted with it as the cause, it must by all means be conceded that the Carthaginians had good reason for waging the war of Hannibal; for having yielded only to circumstances, they took advantage of a favorable opportunity to avenge themselves on those who had wronged them.