§3.55.1ἀπέστη τῆς ἐπιβολῆς. τὸ γὰρ συμβαῖνον ἴδιον ἦν καὶ παρηλλαγμένον.
He abandoned this attempt; for the phenomenon was peculiar and extraordinary.
ἐπὶ γὰρ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν χιόνα καὶ διαμεμενηκυῖαν ἐκ τοῦ πρότερον χειμῶνος ἄρτι τῆς ἐπʼ ἔτους πεπτωκυίας, ταύτην μὲν εὐδιάκοπτον εἶναι συνέβαινε καὶ διὰ τὸ πρόσφατον οὖσαν ἁπαλὴν ὑπάρχειν καὶ διὰ τὸ μηδέπω βάθος ἔχειν. §3.55.2ὁπότε δὲ ταύτην διαπατήσαντες ἐπὶ τὴν ὑποκάτω καὶ συνεστηκυῖαν ἐπιβαῖεν, οὐκέτι διέκοπτον, ἀλλʼ ἐπέπλεον ὀλισθάνοντες ἀμφοτέροις ἅμα τοῖς ποσί, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῇ γῇ συμβαίνει τοῖς διὰ τῶν ἀκροπήλων πορευομένοις. §3.55.3τὸ δὲ συνεξακολουθοῦν τούτοις ἔτι δυσχερέστερον ὑπῆρχεν. §3.55.4οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄνδρες οὐ δυνάμενοι τὴν κάτω χιόνα διακόπτειν, ὁπότε πεσόντες βουληθεῖεν ἢ τοῖς γόνασιν ἢ ταῖς χερσὶ προσεξερείσασθαι πρὸς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν, τότε καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπέπλεον ἅμα πᾶσι τοῖς ἐρείσμασιν, ἐπὶ πολὺ καταφερῶν ὄντων τῶν χωρίων· §3.55.5τὰ δʼ ὑποζύγια διέκοπτεν, ὅτε πέσοι, τὴν κάτω χιόνα κατὰ τὴν διανάστασιν, διακόψαντα δʼ ἔμενε μετὰ τῶν φορτίων οἷον καταπεπηγότα διά τε τὸ βάρος καὶ διὰ τὸ πῆγμα τῆς προϋπαρχούσης χιόνος. §3.55.6ὅθεν ἀποστὰς τῆς τοιαύτης ἐλπίδος ἐστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὴν ῥάχιν, διαμησάμενος τὴν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ χιόνα, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα παραστήσας τὰ πλήθη τὸν κρημνὸν ἐξῳκοδόμει μετὰ πολλῆς ταλαιπωρίας. §3.55.7τοῖς μὲν οὖν ὑποζυγίοις καὶ τοῖς ἵπποις ἱκανὴν ἐποίησε πάροδον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ.
Since the fresh snow of this year had just fallen upon the pre-existing snow which had remained from the previous winter, the former was easy to break through, being soft as it was fresh, and not yet having any depth. But when, having trodden through this, they stepped upon the compacted snow underneath, they could no longer break through it, but slid along, slipping with both feet at once, just as happens on land to those who walk through shallow mud. What followed upon this was still more difficult. For the men, being unable to break through the lower snow, when they fell and wished to support themselves on their knees or hands to rise, then slid down all the more together with all their supports, as the ground was very steep. The pack-animals, on the other hand, when they fell, broke through the lower snow as they struggled to rise, but having broken through it, they remained fixed with their loads as if frozen fast, both because of their weight and because of the hard-frozen state of the pre-existing snow. Therefore, abandoning such hope, Hannibal encamped around the ridge, having cleared away the snow upon it, and after this, setting the multitude to work, he began to build up the cliff with great hardship. For the pack-animals and the horses, indeed, he made a sufficient passage in one day.
διὸ καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εὐθέως διαγαγὼν καὶ καταστρατοπεδεύσας περὶ τοὺς ἐκφεύγοντας ἤδη τὴν χιόνα τόπους διαφῆκε πρὸς τὰς νομάς, §3.55.8τοὺς δὲ Νομάδας ἀνὰ μέρος προῆγε πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομίαν καὶ μόλις ἐν ἡμέραις τρισὶ κακοπαθήσας διήγαγε τὰ θηρία.
Therefore, immediately leading these through and encamping them in the places already free of snow, he sent them out to pasture, while he led forward the Numidians in turns for the construction, and with difficulty in three days of hard labor he brought the elephants through.
καὶ τάδε συνέβαινε κακῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ διατεθεῖσθαι· §3.55.9τῶν γὰρ Ἄλπεων τὰ μὲν ἄκρα καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὰς ὑπερβολὰς ἀνήκοντα τελέως ἄδενδρα καὶ ψιλὰ πάντʼ ἔστι διὰ τὸ συνεχῶς ἐπιμένειν τὴν χιόνα καὶ θέρους καὶ χειμῶνος, τὰ δʼ ὑπὸ μέσην τὴν παρώρειαν ἐξ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν μεροῖν ὑλοφόρα καὶ δενδροφόρα καὶ τὸ ὅλον οἰκήσιμʼ ἔστιν.
These too happened to be in a wretched state from hunger; for the summits of the Alps and the parts leading to the passes are entirely treeless and bare because of the snow remaining continuously both summer and winter, but the parts below the middle of the mountain-slopes on both sides are wooded and timbered, and altogether habitable.