§38.8.1τοῦ δὲ Γολόσσου μεταδόντος τῷ στρατηγῷ περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων, γελάσας ὁ Πόπλιος "ταῦτα μέλλων ἀξιοῦν" ἔφη "τοιαύτην καὶ τηλικαύτην ἀσέβειαν εἰς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἡμῶν ἐναπεδείξω καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τοῖς θεοῖς τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχεις, παραβεβηκὼς καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων νόμους; §38.8.2"τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως βουλομένου τι προσυπομιμνήσκειν τὸν Σκιπίωνα, καὶ μάλιστα διότι δεῖ συντέλειαν ἐπιτίθεσθαι τοῖς πράγμασι· §38.8.3χωρὶς γὰρ τῶν ἀδήλων καὶ τὴν κατάστασιν τῶν ὑπάτων ἤδη συνεγγίζειν, ἧς δεῖν ἔφη στοχάζεσθαι, μὴ τοῦ χειμῶνος προκαταλαβόντος ἐπελθὼν ἕτερος ἀκονιτὶ λάβῃ τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν τῶν ἐκείνου πόνων·
When Gulussa reported what had been said to the general, Publius laughed and said, "While intending to demand these things, you showed such and so great impiety toward our prisoners, and now you place your hopes in the gods, having transgressed even the laws of men?" But the king wished to remind Scipio of something further, and especially that it was necessary to put an end to the affairs; for, apart from unforeseen events, the appointment of the consuls was already drawing near, which he said must be kept in view, lest winter should set in beforehand, and another coming should win without toil the credit for his labors.
§38.8.4καὶ δὴ τούτων λεγομένων ἐπιστήσας ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐκέλευσεν ἀναγγέλλειν διότι δίδωσι τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτῷ καὶ γυναικὶ καὶ τέκνοις καὶ δέκα τῶν συγγενῶν καὶ φίλων οἰκίαις, σὺν δὲ τούτοις δέκα τάλαντα λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων ὑπαρχόντων καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν ἑκατὸν οὓς ἂν αἱρῆται.
And indeed, while these things were being said, the general, having given his attention, ordered it to be announced that he would grant safety to him, his wife, and children, and to the families of ten of his relatives and friends, and in addition to these, that he might take ten talents from his own property and take out a hundred of his slaves, whomsoever he chose.
§38.8.5ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ Γολόσσης ἔχων τὰ φιλάνθρωπα συνῄει πρὸς τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν ἡμερῶν· §38.8.6ὁ δὲ πάλιν ἐξεπορεύετο μετὰ μεγάλης ἀξίας ἐν τῇ πορφυρίδι καὶ τῇ πανοπλίᾳ βάδην, ὥστε τοὺς ἐν ταῖς τραγῳδίαις τυράννους πολύ τι προσοφείλειν.
Gulussa, therefore, having these generous terms, met with Asdrubas on the third day; and the latter again came out with great dignity, in his purple cloak and full armor, walking slowly, so that the tyrants in tragedies seemed to owe him a great deal.
§38.8.7ἦν μὲν οὖν καὶ φύσει σάρκινος, τότε δὲ καὶ κοιλίαν εἰλήφει καὶ τῷ χρώματι παρὰ φύσιν ἐπικεκαυμένος ἦν, ὥστε δοκεῖν ἐν πανηγύρει που διαιτᾶσθαι παραπλησίως τοῖς σιτευτοῖς βουσίν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τηλικούτων καὶ τοιούτων κακῶν προστατεῖν, ὧν οὐδʼ ἂν ἐφίκοιτο τῷ λόγῳ διεξιὼν οὐδείς.
For he was indeed naturally fleshy, but at that time he had also grown a belly and was unnaturally sunburnt in color, so that he seemed to live as if at some festival like fatted oxen, rather than to lead in the midst of such and so great miseries, which no one could fully describe in words.
§38.8.8οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ συνῆλθε τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ διήκουσε τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ προτεινομένων, πολλάκις τὸν μηρὸν πατάξας, τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ τὴν τύχην ἐπικαλεσάμενος, οὐδέποτε ταύτην ἔσεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν ἔφασκεν ἐν ᾗ συμβήσεται τὸν ἥλιον Ἀσδρούβαν βλέπειν ἅμα καὶ τὴν πατρίδα πυρπολουμένην· §38.8.9καλὸν γὰρ ἐντάφιον εἶναι τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσι τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὸ ταύτης πῦρ.
Nevertheless, when he met with the king and heard the proposals of the general, having struck his thigh many times and called upon the gods and fortune, he declared that that day would never come in which the sun would see Asdrubas and his fatherland on fire at the same time; for he said that for wise men, their fatherland and its fire are a beautiful winding-sheet.
§38.8.10ὥσθʼ ὅτε μὲν εἰς τὰς ἀποφάσεις αὐτοῦ τις βλέψειε, θαυμάζειν τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὸ μεγαλόψυχον τῶν λόγων, ὅτε δʼ εἰς τὸν χειρισμὸν τῶν πραγμάτων, τὴν ἀγεννίαν καταπλήττεσθαι καὶ τὴν ἀνανδρίαν· §38.8.11ὃς πρῶτον μέν, τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν διαφθειρομένων ὁλοσχερῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ, πότους αὐτὸς συνῆγε καὶ δευτέρας τραπέζας παρετίθετο πολυτελεῖς καὶ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας εὐεξίας παρεδειγμάτιζε τὴν ἐκείνων ἀτυχίαν· ἄπιστον μὲν γὰρ ἦν τὸ τῶν ἀποθνησκόντων πλῆθος, §38.8.12ἄπιστον δὲ τὸ τῶν αὐτομολούντων καθʼ ἡμέραν διὰ τὸν λιμόν· §38.8.13ἔπειτα τοὺς μὲν διαχλευάζων, οἷς δʼ ἐνυβρίζων καὶ φονεύων κατεπλήττετο τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ συνεῖχε τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ᾗ μόλις ἂν χρήσαιτο τύραννος ἐν εὐτυχούσῃ πόλει, καὶ ἐν δεδυστυχηκυίᾳ πατρίδι.
So that when one looked at his declarations, one admired the man and the magnanimity of his words, but when one looked at his management of affairs, one was struck by his baseness and cowardice; who, first, while the other citizens were completely perishing from hunger, himself gathered drinking-parties and set out expensive second courses, and by his own good health made a display of their misfortune; for the number of those dying was incredible, and incredible also was the number of those deserting daily because of the hunger; then, mocking some, and insulting and murdering others, he kept the multitude in terror, and in this way maintained his authority, which a tyrant would scarcely use in a prosperous city, let alone in a ruined fatherland.
§38.8.14διὸ καὶ λίαν δοκῶ καλῶς ἡμῖν εἰρῆσθαι διότι προστάτας πραγμάτων ὁμοιοτέρους τῶν παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησι τότε καὶ παρὰ τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ὑπαρξάντων οὐκ ἂν εὕροι τις ῥᾳδίως.
Therefore, I think it has been very well said by us that one would not easily find leaders of affairs more similar than those who existed then among the Greeks and among the Carthaginians.
§38.8.15τοῦτο δʼ ἔσται δῆλον, ὅταν ἐκ παραθέσεως τὸν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ποιησώμεθα λόγον.
And this will be clear when we make the account concerning them by comparison.