§38.20.1ὅτι τοῦ Ἀσδρούβου τοῦ τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγοῦ ἱκέτου παραγενομένου τοῖς τοῦ Σκιπίωνος γόνασιν, ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐμβλέψας εἰς τοὺς συνόντας "ὁρᾶτʼ" ἔφη "τὴν τύχην, ὦ ἄνδρες, ὡς ἀγαθὴ παραδειγματίζειν ἐστὶ τοὺς ἀλογίστους τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
When Hasdrubal, the general of the Carthaginians, came as a suppliant to Scipio's knees, the general, looking at those who were with him, said, "Behold, gentlemen, how fortune is good at making examples of the thoughtless among men.
§38.20.2οὗτός ἐστιν Ἀσδρούβας ὁ νεωστὶ πολλῶν αὐτῷ καὶ φιλανθρώπων προτεινομένων ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ἀπαξιῶν, φάσκων δὲ κάλλιστον ἐντάφιον εἶναι τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὸ ταύτης πῦρ, νῦν πάρεστι μετὰ στεμμάτων δεόμενος ἡμῶν τυχεῖν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ πάσας τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχων ἐν ἡμῖν.
This is that Hasdrubal who recently, when many generous proposals were offered to him by us, rejected them, asserting that his country and its fire were the finest shroud; yet now he is present with suppliant fillets, begging us for his life and placing all his hopes in us.
§38.20.3ἃ τίς οὐκ ἂν ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν θεασάμενος ἐν νῷ λάβοι διότι δεῖ μηδέποτε λέγειν μηδὲ πράττειν μηδὲν ὑπερήφανον ἄνθρωπον ὄντα; §38.20.4"καὶ προελθόντες τινὲς τῶν αὐτομόλων ἐπὶ τὸ πέρας τοῦ τέγους παρῃτοῦντο τοὺς προμαχομένους ἀνασχεῖν μικρόν·
Who, seeing these things before his very eyes, would not take to heart that one should never say or do anything arrogant, being but a human?" And some of the deserters, coming forward to the edge of the roof, requested those fighting in the front to hold back for a little while.
§38.20.5τοῦ δὲ στρατηγοῦ κελεύσαντος ἐπισχεῖν, ἤρξαντο τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν λοιδορεῖν οἱ μὲν εἰς ἐπιορκίαν, φάσκοντες αὐτὸν πολλάκις ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ὀμωμοκέναι μὴ προλείψειν αὐτούς, οἱ δʼ εἰς ἀνανδρίαν καὶ καθόλου τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγεννίαν·
When the general ordered them to hold, they began to revile Hasdrubal, some accusing him of perjury, saying that he had often sworn on the sacred objects never to abandon them, and others of cowardice and overall baseness of soul.
§38.20.6καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐποίουν μετὰ χλευασμοῦ καὶ λοιδορίας ἀσυροῦς καὶ δυσμενικῆς.
And this they did with mockery and coarse, hostile abuse.
§38.20.7κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἡ γυνὴ θεωροῦσα τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν προκαθήμενον μετὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ προῆλθεν ἐκ τῶν αὐτομόλων, αὐτὴ μὲν ἐλευθερίως καὶ σεμνῶς ἠμφιεσμένη, τοὺς δὲ παῖδας ἐν χιτωνίσκοις ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους προσειληφυῖα ταῖς χερσὶ μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων ἐνδυμάτων.
At this moment, his wife, seeing Hasdrubal sitting in front with the general, came forward from among the deserters, she herself dressed in a manner becoming a free woman and with dignity, holding her children on either side by the hand along with their garments.
§38.20.8καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὀνομαστὶ προσεφώνει τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν, τοῦ δʼ ἀποσιωπῶντος καὶ νεύοντος εἰς τὴν γῆν, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπεκαλεῖτο καὶ τῷ στρατηγῷ μεγάλας ἀπένεμε τὰς χάριτας, διότι τὸ μὲν ἐκείνου μέρος οὐκ αὐτὴ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τέκνα σῴζεται·
And at first she addressed Hasdrubal by name; but since he kept silent and kept his eyes fixed on the ground, she began by calling upon the gods and expressed great gratitude to the general, because, as far as he was concerned, not only she herself but also her children were being saved.
§38.20.9βραχὺ δʼ ἐπισχοῦσα τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν ἤρετο πῶς αὐτῇ μὲν φάσκων οὐδὲν κατʼ ἰδίαν παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ πορίζοιτο τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτομολήσας, πῶς δʼ οὕτως ἀναισχύντως ἐγκαταλιπὼν τὰ πράγματα καὶ τοὺς ἀστοὺς αὐτῷ πιστεύοντας ὑπέλθοι πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, §38.20.10πῶς δὲ παρὰ τούτοις τολμᾷ καθῆσθαι νῦν θαλλοὺς ἔχων πρὸς οὓς πολλάκις οὐδέποτε ταύτην ἔσεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ συμβήσεται τὸν ἥλιον ἅμα καθορᾶν Ἀσδρούβαν ζῶντα καὶ τὴν πατρίδα πυρπολουμένην·
But after a short pause, she asked Hasdrubal how, while saying that nothing had been secured privately for her from the general, he had secured safety for himself by deserting, and how he had so shamelessly abandoned the state and the citizens who trusted him to go over to the enemy, and how he dared to sit among them now holding suppliant branches, before whom he had often declared that there would never be this day on which the sun would look upon Hasdrubal alive while his country was being consumed by fire.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ
Nay, indeed, but she would guard, as far as in her lay, that which you have disgracefully and shamefully betrayed, and this she and her children would do.
§38.20.11γε το!εινε δ φυλα ο?ι? ουσ?α?ν? συ πεποιηκας αισχρως δεγεπονειδιστως ηδε ρω και τα τεκνα πράξομεν κα τ?α?υ?τ?α? π?α?λ?ι?ν? εις αυτην επω λενων το σ? ν ον υ πο ου τει λασα του?ς α?υ? τοισα τε παντας συμπαθεις γενομενους τηι περπ?ε?τ?εια και η ας της τυχης ν δοξαι διαμ?
And having said this, she threw herself back into the fire with her children... and caused all those present to feel deep sympathy for her reverse of fortune, and to think that she had died gloriously amid the uncertainty of fate.