§3.89.1δίους.
stades.
Ἀννίβας δὲ συνεὶς τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Φαβίου καὶ βουλόμενος ἐξ ἐφόδου καταπλήξασθαι τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, ἐξαγαγὼν τὴν δύναμιν καὶ συνεγγίσας τῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων χάρακι παρετάξατο.
Hannibal, perceiving the presence of Fabius and wishing to strike terror into his opponents by a sudden onset, led out his army, and drawing near to the Roman palisade, marshalled them for battle.
χρόνον δέ τινα μείνας, οὐδενὸς ἐπεξιόντος αὖθις ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρεμβολήν.
Having waited for some time, since no one came out against him, he withdrew again to his own camp.
§3.89.2ὁ γὰρ Φάβιος διεγνωκὼς μήτε παραβάλλεσθαι μήτε διακινδυνεύειν, στοχάζεσθαι δὲ πρῶτον καὶ μάλιστα τῆς ἀσφαλείας τῶν ὑποταττομένων, ἔμενε βεβαίως ἐπὶ τῆς διαλήψεως ταύτης.
For Fabius, having resolved neither to risk an action nor to hazard a decisive battle, but to aim first and foremost at the safety of those under his command, remained firmly attached to this resolution.
§3.89.3τὰς μὲν οὖν ἀρχὰς κατεφρονεῖτο καὶ παρεῖχε λόγον ὡς ἀποδεδειλιακὼς καὶ καταπεπληγμένος τὸν κίνδυνον, τῷ δὲ χρόνῳ πάντας ἠνάγκασε παρομολογῆσαι καὶ συγχωρεῖν ὡς οὔτε νουνεχέστερον οὔτε φρονιμώτερον οὐδένα δυνατὸν ἦν χρῆσθαι τοῖς τότε περιεστῶσι καιροῖς.
At first, indeed, he was despised and gave occasion for talk as if he were a coward and terrified of the danger; but in course of time he compelled everyone to admit and agree that no one could have dealt with the then surrounding circumstances more sensibly or wisely.
§3.89.4ταχὺ δὲ καὶ τὰ πράγματα προσεμαρτύρησε τοῖς λογισμοῖς αὐτοῦ.
Soon, indeed, events also bore witness to his calculations.
καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰκότως ἐγένετο.
And this happened naturally.
§3.89.5τὰς μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὑπεναντίων δυνάμεις συνέβαινε γεγυμνάσθαι μὲν ἐκ τῆς πρώτης ἡλικίας συνεχῶς ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς, ἡγεμόνι δὲ χρῆσθαι συντεθραμμένῳ σφίσι καὶ παιδομαθεῖ περὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις χρείας, §3.89.6νενικηκέναι δὲ πολλὰς μὲν ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ μάχας, δὶς δὲ Ῥωμαίους ἑξῆς καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους αὐτῶν, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ἀπεγνωκότας πάντα μίαν ἔχειν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας τὴν ἐν τῷ νικᾶν·
For it happened that the forces of the enemy had been trained continuously in military matters from early youth, and had a leader who had been brought up with them and trained from childhood in operations in the field; and that they had won many battles in Iberia, and had twice in succession defeated the Romans and their allies, and, what was most important of all, having despaired of everything else, had their only hope of safety in victory.
§3.89.7περὶ δὲ τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰν τἀναντία τούτοις ὑπῆρχε.
But with the Roman army the opposite of these conditions existed.
§3.89.8διόπερ εἰς μὲν τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων κίνδυνον οὐχ οἷός τʼ ἦν συγκαταβαίνειν, προδήλου τῆς ἐλαττώσεως ὑπαρχούσης· εἰς δὲ τὰ σφέτερα προτερήματα τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀναχωρήσας ἐν τούτοις διέτριβε καὶ διὰ τούτων ἐχείριζε τὸν πόλεμον.
Therefore Fabius was not able to descend into a risk involving the whole issue, since their inferiority was manifest; but retreating in his calculations to their own advantages, he persisted in these and through them conducted the war.
§3.89.9ἦν δὲ τὰ προτερήματα Ῥωμαίων ἀκατάτριπτα χορήγια
And the advantages of the Romans were inexhaustible supplies and