§6.58.1τῶν δὲ συναπτόντων μερῶν τῆς ἱστορίας τοῖς καιροῖς, ἀφʼ ὧν παρεξέβημεν, παραλαβόντες ἐπὶ βραχὺ μιᾶς πράξεως ποιησόμεθα κεφαλαιώδη μνήμην, ἵνα μὴ τῷ λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὥσπερ ἀγαθοῦ τεχνίτου δεῖγμα τῶν ἔργων ἕν τι προενεγκάμενοι, φανερὰν ποιήσωμεν τῆς πολιτείας τὴν ἀκμὴν καὶ δύναμιν, οἵα τις ἦν κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους.
Now, taking up briefly a portion of the parts of the history connected with the times from which we digressed, we shall make a summary mention of a single action, so that we may make clear, not by words alone but also by actual deeds—bringing forward one thing as a sample of its works, just like a good craftsman—the zenith and power of the constitution, what kind of thing it was in those times.
§6.58.2Ἀννίβας γὰρ ἐπειδὴ τῇ περὶ Κάνναν μάχῃ περιγενόμενος Ῥωμαίων ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο τῶν τὸν χάρακα φυλαττόντων ὀκτακισχιλίων, ζωγρήσας ἅπαντας συνεχώρησε διαπέμπεσθαι σφίσι πρὸς τοὺς ἐν οἴκῳ περὶ λύτρων καὶ σωτηρίας.
For Hannibal, when he had overcome the Romans in the battle of Cannae and become master of the eight thousand who were guarding the camp, having captured them all alive, allowed them to send messengers to their people at home concerning ransom and safety.
§6.58.3τῶν δὲ προχειρισαμένων δέκα τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους, ὁρκίσας ἦ μὴν ἐπανήξειν πρὸς αὐτόν, ἐξέπεμψε τούτους.
And when they had selected ten of the most illustrious among them, he sent them forth, having bound them by an oath that they would indeed return to him.
§6.58.4εἷς δὲ τῶν προχειρισθέντων ἐκπορευόμενος ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἤδη, καί τι φήσας ἐπιλελῆσθαι, πάλιν ἀνέκαμψε, καὶ λαβὼν τὸ καταλειφθὲν αὖθις ἀπελύετο, νομίζων διὰ τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως τετηρηκέναι τὴν πίστιν καὶ λελυκέναι τὸν ὅρκον.
But one of those selected, when he was already going out of the camp, having said that he had forgotten something, turned back, and having taken what had been left behind, departed again, thinking that by this return he had kept his word and discharged his oath.
§6.58.5ὧν παραγενομένων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, καὶ δεομένων καὶ παρακαλούντων τὴν σύγκλητον μὴ φθονῆσαι τοῖς ἑαλωκόσι τῆς σωτηρίας, ἀλλʼ ἐᾶσαι τρεῖς μνᾶς ἕκαστον καταβαλόντα σωθῆναι πρὸς τοὺς ἀναγκαίους· τοῦτο γὰρ συγχωρεῖν ἔφασαν τὸν Ἀννίβαν· §6.58.6εἶναι δʼ ἀξίους σωτηρίας αὑτούς· οὔτε γὰρ ἀποδεδειλιακέναι κατὰ τὴν μάχην οὔτʼ ἀνάξιον οὐδὲν πεποιηκέναι τῆς Ῥώμης, ἀλλʼ ἀπολειφθέντας τὸν χάρακα τηρεῖν, πάντων ἀπολομένων τῶν ἄλλων ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῷ καιρῷ περιληφθέντας ὑποχειρίους γενέσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις.
When these had arrived in Rome, and were begging and entreating the Senate not to grudge the captives their safety, but to allow each to pay three minae and be saved to their relatives (for they said Hannibal conceded this), and that they were worthy of safety; for they had neither shown cowardice in the battle nor done anything unworthy of Rome, but having been left behind to guard the camp, when all the others had perished in the battle, they had been hemmed in by circumstances and fallen into the hands of the enemy.
§6.58.7Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ μεγάλοις κατὰ τὰς μάχας περιπεπτωκότες ἐλαττώμασι, πάντων δʼ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ἐστερημένοι τότε τῶν συμμάχων, ὅσον οὔπω δὲ προσδοκῶντες τὸν περὶ τῆς πατρίδος αὐτοῖς ἐκφέρεσθαι κίνδυνον, §6.58.8διακούσαντες τῶν λεγομένων οὔτε τοῦ πρέποντος αὑτοῖς εἴξαντες ταῖς συμφοραῖς ὠλιγώρησαν οὔτε τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲν τοῖς λογισμοῖς παρεῖδον, §6.58.9ἀλλὰ συνιδόντες τὴν Ἀννίβου πρόθεσιν, ὅτι βούλεται διὰ τῆς πράξεως ταύτης ἅμα μὲν εὐπορῆσαι χρημάτων, ἅμα δὲ τὸ φιλότιμον ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἐξελέσθαι τῶν ἀντιταττομένων, ὑποδείξας ὅτι τοῖς ἡττημένοις ὅμως ἐλπὶς ἀπολείπεται σωτηρίας, §6.58.10τοσοῦτʼ ἀπέσχον τοῦ ποιῆσαί τι τῶν ἀξιουμένων ὥστʼ οὔτε τὸν τῶν οἰκείων ἔλεον οὔτε τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐσομένας χρείας ἐποιήσαντο περὶ πλείονος, §6.58.11ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν Ἀννίβου λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰς ἐν τούτοις ἐλπίδας ἀπέδειξαν κενάς, ἀπειπάμενοι τὴν διαλύτρωσιν τῶν ἀνδρῶν, τοῖς δὲ παρʼ αὑτῶν ἐνομοθέτησαν ἢ νικᾶν μαχομένους ἢ θνήσκειν, ὡς ἄλλης οὐδεμιᾶς ἐλπίδος ὑπαρχούσης εἰς σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς ἡττωμένοις.
But the Romans, though they had met with great disasters in the battles, and were then deprived of almost all their allies, and were expecting momentarily that the danger about their own fatherland would be brought upon them, having heard what was said, neither yielded to their misfortunes so as to neglect what was fitting for themselves, nor did they overlook any of their duties in their deliberations; but perceiving Hannibal's purpose, that he wished by this action both to secure an abundance of money and at the same time to deprive his opponents of their spirit of emulation in battle, by showing that even for those who were defeated there still remained a hope of safety, they were so far from doing any of the things requested, that they neither valued more highly the pity for their relatives nor the future usefulness to be derived from these men; but they showed Hannibal's calculations and his hopes in them to be vain by refusing the ransom of the men, and they laid down a law for their own soldiers either to conquer in battle or to die, on the ground that no other hope of safety existed for them if they were defeated.
§6.58.12διὸ καὶ ταῦτα προθέμενοι τοὺς μὲν ἐννέα τῶν πρεσβευτῶν ἐθελοντὴν κατὰ τὸν ὅρκον ἀναχωροῦντας ἐξέπεμψαν, τὸν δὲ σοφισάμενον πρὸς τὸ λῦσαι τὸν ὅρκον δήσαντες ἀποκατέστησαν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, §6.58.13ὥστε τὸν Ἀννίβαν μὴ τοσοῦτον χαρῆναι νικήσαντα τῇ μάχῃ Ῥωμαίους ὡς συντριβῆναι καταπλαγέντα τὸ στάσιμον καὶ τὸ μεγαλόψυχον τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐν τοῖς διαβουλίοις. [ξοδ. υρβ. φολ. 94 εχξ. αντ. π. 192. ]
Therefore, having resolved on this, they sent back the nine of the envoys who were returning voluntarily according to their oath, but they bound and returned to the enemy the one who had used a trick to break his oath, so that Hannibal was not so much rejoiced at having defeated the Romans in battle as he was crushed, being astounded by the steadfastness and magnanimity of these men in their deliberations. [ξοδ. υρβ. φολ. 94 εχξ. αντ. π. 192.]