§8.26.1ὁ δὲ πάλαι μὲν ἐπεπόριστο σκῆψιν ὡς ἀρρωστῶν, χάριν τοῦ μὴ θαυμάζειν ἀκούοντας τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, ὡς καὶ πλείω χρόνον ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν τόπων ποιεῖται τὴν διατριβήν· §8.26.2τότε δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον προσεποιεῖτο τὴν ἀρρωστίαν.
Hannibal had long ago devised a pretext of being ill, for the sake of the Romans, when they heard of it, not wondering that he was staying for a longer time in the same place; and then he feigned the illness even more.
ἀπεῖχε δὲ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδὸν τοῦ Τάραντος.
His camp was distant three days' journey from Tarentum.
§8.26.3ἥκοντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, παρεσκευακὼς ἔκ τε τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν πεζῶν τοὺς διαφέροντας εὐκινησίᾳ καὶ τόλμῃ, περὶ μυρίους ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμόν, παρήγγειλε τεττάρων ἡμερῶν ἔχειν ἐφόδια.
When the opportunity had come, having prepared from both the cavalry and infantry those outstanding in mobility and daring, being about ten thousand in number, he ordered them to have four days' provisions.
§8.26.4ποιησάμενος δὲ τὴν ἀναζυγὴν ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν ἐχρῆτο τῇ πορείᾳ συντόνως.
Having made his departure just before dawn, he pursued his march rapidly.
τῶν δὲ Νομαδικῶν ἱππέων εἰς ὀγδοήκοντα προχειρισάμενος ἐκέλευε προπορεύεσθαι τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς τριάκοντα σταδίους καὶ τοὺς παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τόπους ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους ἐπιτρέχειν, §8.26.5ἵνα μηδεὶς κατοπτεύσῃ τὴν ὅλην δύναμιν, ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ὑποχείριοι γίνοιντο τῶν διεμπιπτόντων, οἱ δὲ διαφυγόντες ἀναγγέλλοιεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὡς ἐπιδρομῆς οὔσης ἐκ τῶν Νομάδων.
Having selected about eighty of the Numidian horsemen, he ordered them to advance about thirty stades ahead of the force and to scour the areas along the road on either side, so that no one should descry the whole army, but rather some of those who fell in with them should be captured, and those who escaped should report to the city that it was a raid of the Numidians.
§8.26.6ἀποσχόντων δὲ τῶν Νομάδων ὡς ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι σταδίους, ἐδειπνοποιήσατο παρά τινα δυσσύνοπτον καὶ φαραγγώδη ποταμόν.
When they had covered about one hundred and twenty stades, he made the army take their meal beside a river which was difficult to see and lay in a deep ravine.
§8.26.7καὶ συναθροίσας τοὺς ἡγεμόνας κυρίως μὲν οὐ διεσάφει τὴν ἐπιβολήν, ἁπλῶς δὲ παρεκάλει πρῶτον μὲν ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς γίνεσθαι πάντας, ὡς οὐδέποτε μειζόνων αὐτοῖς ἄθλων ὑποκειμένων, §8.26.8δεύτερον δὲ συνέχειν ἕκαστον τῇ πορείᾳ τοὺς ὑφʼ αὑτὸν ταττομένους καὶ πικρῶς ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς καθόλου παρεκβαίνουσιν ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας τάξεως, §8.26.9τελευταῖον δὲ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν τοῖς παραγγελλομένοις καὶ μηδὲν ἰδιοπραγεῖν πάρεξ τῶν προσταττομένων.
And having assembled the officers, he did not explain the actual enterprise in detail, but simply exhorted them, firstly, that they should all be brave men, since never had greater rewards been proposed for them; secondly, that each should keep those stationed under him together on the march, and severely punish those who in any way straggled from their own ranks; and finally, to pay attention to the orders given and to do nothing on their own initiative apart from what was commanded.
§8.26.10ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν καὶ διαφεὶς τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἐκίνει τὴν πρωτοπορείαν, κνέφατος ἄρτι γενομένου, σπουδάζων συνάψαι τῷ τείχει περὶ μέσας νύκτας, καθηγεμόνα τὸν Φιλήμενον ἔχων καὶ παρεσκευακὼς ὗν ἄγριον αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν διατεταγμένην χρείαν.
Having said this and dismissed the officers, he set the vanguard in motion, just as dusk fell, hastening to reach the wall about midnight, having Philemenus as guide and having prepared a wild boar for him for the arranged purpose.