§3.94.1ἧκε πρὸς τὰ στενὰ καὶ τὰς διεκβολάς.
Hannibal arrived at the pass and the outlets.
τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς στενοῖς φυλάττοντες ἅμα τῷ συνιδεῖν τὰ φῶτα προσβάλλοντα πρὸς τὰς ὑπερβολάς, νομίσαντες ταύτῃ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ὁρμὴν τὸν Ἀννίβαν, ἀπολιπόντες τὰς δυσχωρίας παρεβοήθουν τοῖς ἄκροις.
As for the Romans, those who were guarding the pass, as soon as they saw the lights advancing towards the ridges, thinking that Hannibal was making his push in that direction, abandoned the narrow passes and went to support those on the heights.
§3.94.2ἐγγίζοντες δὲ τοῖς βουσὶν ἠποροῦντο διὰ τὰ φῶτα, μεῖζόν τι τοῦ συμβαίνοντος καὶ δεινότερον ἀναπλάττοντες καὶ προσδοκῶντες.
But as they drew near the oxen, they were baffled by the lights, imagining and expecting something greater and more terrible than what was actually happening.
ἐπιγενομένων δὲ τῶν λογχοφόρων, §3.94.3οὗτοι μὲν βραχέα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀκροβολισάμενοι, τῶν βοῶν αὐτοῖς ἐμπιπτόντων ἔμειναν διαστάντες ἐπὶ τῶν ἄκρων ἀμφότεροι καὶ προσανεῖχον καραδοκοῦντες τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς ἡμέρας διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι γνῶναι τὸ γινόμενον.
When the spearmen arrived, these, having skirmished with one another for a short time, since the oxen were rushing in upon them, both sides remained apart on the heights, and kept on the alert, waiting for the break of day, because they were unable to understand what was going on.
§3.94.4Φάβιος δὲ τὰ μὲν ἀπορούμενος ἐπὶ τῷ συμβαίνοντι καὶ κατὰ τὸν ποιητὴν ὀισσάμενος δόλον εἶναι, τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπόθεσιν οὐδαμῶς κρίνων ἐκκυβεύειν οὐδὲ παραβάλλεσθαι τοῖς ὅλοις, ἦγε τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἐπὶ τῷ χάρακι καὶ προσεδέχετο τὴν ἡμέραν.
Fabius, on the one hand, being perplexed at what was happening and, as the poet says, suspecting that there was a trick, and on the other hand, judging that he should by no means gamble or risk the main issue contrary to his original policy, remained quiet in his camp and awaited the day.
§3.94.5κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον Ἀννίβας, προχωρούντων αὐτῷ τῶν πραγμάτων κατὰ τὴν ἐπιβολήν, τήν τε δύναμιν διεκόμισε διὰ τῶν στενῶν μετʼ ἀσφαλείας καὶ τὴν λείαν, λελοιπότων τοὺς τόπους τῶν παραφυλαττόντων τὰς δυσχωρίας.
At this time Hannibal, since his affairs were proceeding according to his plan, safely conveyed his army and the booty through the pass, as those who guarded the narrow passages had left their positions.
§3.94.6ἅμα δὲ τῷ φωτὶ συνιδὼν τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἄκροις ἀντικαθημένους τοῖς λογχοφόροις ἐπαπέστειλέ τινας τῶν Ἰβήρων, οἳ καὶ συμμίξαντες κατέβαλον μὲν τῶν Ῥωμαίων εἰς χιλίους, ῥᾳδίως δὲ τοὺς παρὰ σφῶν εὐζώνους ἐκδεξάμενοι κατεβίβασαν.
At daybreak, seeing those on the heights facing the spearmen, he sent out some of the Iberians, who, having engaged the enemy, cut down about a thousand of the Romans, and easily rescued and brought down their own light-armed troops.
§3.94.7Ἀννίβας μὲν οὖν τοιαύτην ἐκ τοῦ Φαλέρνου ποιησάμενος τὴν ἔξοδον, λοιπὸν ἤδη στρατοπεδεύων ἀσφαλῶς κατεσκέπτετο καὶ προυνοεῖτο περὶ τῆς χειμασίας ποῦ καὶ πῶς ποιήσεται, μέγαν φόβον καὶ πολλὴν ἀπορίαν παρεστακὼς ταῖς πόλεσι καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀνθρώποις.
Hannibal, having thus made his exit from the Falernian territory, was now encamping in safety and began to reconnoitre and plan where and how he should make his winter quarters, having inspired great fear and much perplexity in the cities and the people of Italy.
§3.94.8Φάβιος δὲ κακῶς μὲν ἤκουε παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὡς ἀνάνδρως ἐκ τοιούτων τόπων προέμενος τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, οὐ μὴν ἀφίστατό γε τῆς προθέσεως.
Fabius, though he was in bad repute among the general public for having cowardly let the enemy escape from such a position, did not, however, abandon his policy.
§3.94.9καὶ ἀναγκασθεὶς δὲ μετʼ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἐπί τινας ἀπελθεῖν θυσίας εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην παρέδωκεν τῷ συνάρχοντι τὰ στρατόπεδα καὶ πολλὰ χωριζόμενος ἐνετείλατο μὴ τοσαύτην ποιεῖσθαι σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ βλάψαι τοὺς πολεμίους ἡλίκην ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν αὐτοὺς παθεῖν δεινόν.
And being compelled a few days later to depart to Rome for certain sacrifices, he handed over the legions to his colleague, and on leaving gave him many injunctions not to show so much eagerness for injuring the enemy as for not suffering any disaster themselves.
§3.94.10ὧν οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἐν νῷ τιθέμενος Μάρκος ἔτι λέγοντος αὐτοῦ ταῦτα πρὸς τῷ παραβάλλεσθαι καὶ τῷ διακινδυνεύειν ὅλος καὶ πᾶς ἦν.
Marcus, paying not the slightest attention to these words, even while Fabius was still speaking them, was wholly and entirely bent on taking risks and running hazards.