§3.98.1γίνεταί τις πραγμάτων περιπέτεια τοιάδε.
There occurred a certain turn of events of the following kind.
καθʼ οὓς καιροὺς Ἀννίβας ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν εἰς Ἰταλίαν, ὅσαις πόλεσιν ἠπίστησε τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν, ἔλαβε παρὰ τούτων ὅμηρα τοὺς υἱεῖς τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων ἀνδρῶν· οὓς πάντας εἰς τὴν Ζακανθαίων ἀπέθετο πόλιν διά τε τὴν ὀχυρότητα καὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀπολειπομένων ἐπʼ αὐτῆς ἀνδρῶν πίστιν.
At the time when Hannibal was making his march into Italy, from all those cities of Iberia which he mistrusted, he had taken as hostages the sons of the most illustrious men; all of whom he had deposited in the city of the Saguntines, both because of its strength and because of the fidelity of the men left in charge of it.
ἦν δέ τις ἀνὴρ Ἴβηρ, §3.98.2Ἀβίλυξ ὄνομα, κατὰ μὲν τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ βίου περίστασιν οὐδενὸς δεύτερος Ἰβήρων, κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρὸς Καρχηδονίους εὔνοιαν καὶ πίστιν πολύ τι διαφέρειν δοκῶν τῶν ἄλλων.
Now there was a certain Iberian, Abilyx by name, who in reputation and circumstances of life was second to none of the Iberians, and in goodwill and fidelity towards the Carthaginians was thought to far surpass the others.
§3.98.3οὗτος θεωρῶν τὰ πράγματα καὶ νομίσας ἐπικυδεστέρας εἶναι τὰς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐλπίδας, συνελογίσατο παρʼ ἑαυτῷ περὶ τῆς τῶν ὁμήρων προδοσίας συλλογισμὸν Ἰβηρικὸν καὶ βαρβαρικόν.
Observing the situation and thinking that the hopes of the Romans were more promising, he calculated in his own mind, regarding the betrayal of the hostages, a plan characteristic of an Iberian and a barbarian.
§3.98.4πεισθεὶς γὰρ διότι δύναται μέγας γενέσθαι παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις προσενεγκάμενος ἐν καιρῷ πίστιν ἅμα καὶ χρείαν, ἐγίνετο πρὸς τῷ παρασπονδήσας τοὺς Καρχηδονίους ἐγχειρίσαι τοὺς ὁμήρους τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις.
For having convinced himself that he could become a great personage among the Romans by offering them at a critical moment both fidelity and service, he applied himself to the project of betraying his treaty with the Carthaginians and handing over the hostages to the Romans.
§3.98.5θεωρῶν δὲ τὸν Βώστορα τὸν τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγόν, ὃς ἀπεστάλη μὲν ὑπʼ Ἀσδρούβου κωλύσων τοὺς Ῥωμαίους διαβαίνειν τὸν ποταμόν, οὐ θαρρήσας δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἀνακεχωρηκὼς ἐστρατοπέδευε τῆς Ζακάνθης ἐν τοῖς πρὸς θάλατταν μέρεσιν, τοῦτον μὲν ἄκακον ὄντα τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ πρᾷον τῇ φύσει, §3.98.6πιστῶς δὲ τὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν διακείμενον, ποιεῖται λόγους ὑπὲρ τῶν ὁμήρων πρὸς τὸν Βώστορα φάσκων, ἐπειδὴ διαβεβήκασι Ῥωμαῖοι τὸν ποταμόν, οὐκέτι δύνασθαι Καρχηδονίους φόβῳ συνέχειν τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν, προσδεῖσθαι δὲ τοὺς καιροὺς τῆς τῶν ὑποταττομένων εὐνοίας·
Now, observing that Bostor, the Carthaginian commander—who had been sent by Hasdrubal to prevent the Romans from crossing the river, but not having dared to do so, had retreated and was encamped in the parts of Saguntum towards the sea—was a guileless man and mild by nature, and that he was trustfully disposed towards him, he addressed Bostor on the subject of the hostages, asserting that, since the Romans had crossed the river, the Carthaginians could no longer hold Iberia in check by fear, but that the circumstances now required the goodwill of their subjects.
§3.98.7νῦν οὖν ἠγγικότων Ῥωμαίων καὶ προσκαθεζομένων τῇ Ζακάνθῃ, καὶ κινδυνευούσης τῆς πόλεως, ἐὰν ἐξαγαγὼν τοὺς ὁμήρους ἀποκαταστήσῃ τοῖς γονεῦσι καὶ ταῖς πόλεσιν, ἐκλύσειν μὲν αὐτὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὴν φιλοτιμίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ καὶ μάλιστα σπουδάζειν ἐκείνους πρᾶξαι, κυριεύοντας τῶν ὁμήρων·
Therefore, now that the Romans had approached and were blockading Saguntum, and the city was in danger, if Bostor should lead out the hostages and restore them to their parents and cities, he would frustrate the ambition of the Romans; for this was the very thing they were most eager to do, if they could get possession of the hostages.
§3.98.8ἐκκαλέσεσθαι δὲ τὴν τῶν Ἰβήρων πάντων πρὸς Καρχηδονίους εὔνοιαν, προϊδόμενον τὸ μέλλον καὶ προνοηθέντα τῆς τῶν ὁμήρων ἀσφαλείας.
He would also evoke the goodwill of all the Iberians towards the Carthaginians, by having foreseen the future and provided for the safety of the hostages.
τὴν δὲ χάριν αὐξήσειν ἔφη πολλαπλασίαν, αὐτὸς γενόμενος χειριστὴς τοῦ πράγματος.
He added that he would make the gratitude many times greater if he himself should become the executor of this business.
§3.98.9ἀποκαθιστάνων γὰρ εἰς τὰς πόλεις τοὺς παῖδας οὐ μόνον τὴν παρʼ αὐτῶν εὔνοιαν ἐπισπάσεσθαι τῶν γεννησάντων ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν, ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν τιθεὶς διὰ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος τὴν Καρχηδονίων πρὸς τοὺς συμμάχους αἵρεσιν καὶ μεγαλοψυχίαν.
For by restoring the children to their cities, he would win goodwill not only from the parents themselves but also from the multitude, bringing before their eyes, through this event, the policy and generosity of the Carthaginians towards their allies.
§3.98.10προσδοκᾶν δʼ αὐτὸν ἐκέλευσε καὶ δώρων πλῆθος ἰδίᾳ παρὰ τῶν τὰ τέκνα κομιζομένων· παραδόξως γὰρ ἑκάστους ἐγκρατεῖς γινομένους τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων ἅμιλλαν ποιήσεσθαι τῆς εἰς τὸν κύριον τῶν πραγμάτων εὐεργεσίας.
He bade him also expect a multitude of gifts privately from those who recovered their children; for each, on unexpectedly gaining possession of what was dearest to them, would vie with one another in showing gratitude to the author of this service.
§3.98.11παραπλήσια δὲ τούτοις ἕτερα καὶ πλείω πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον διαλεχθεὶς ἔπεισε τὸν Βώστορα συγκαταθέσθαι τοῖς
By speaking in this manner and saying other things of a similar kind and at greater length, he persuaded Bostor to assent to his proposals.