§9.11a.1ὅτι οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι πρεσβευτὰς ἐξαπέστειλαν πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον, βουλόμενοι σίτῳ χορηγηθῆναι διὰ τὸ μεγάλην εἶναι παρʼ αὐτοῖς σπάνιν, §9.11a.2ὡς ἂν τοῦ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἅπαντος ἐφθαρμένου μέχρι τῶν τῆς Ῥώμης πυλῶν, ἔξωθεν δὲ μὴ γενομένης ἐπικουρίας, ἅτε κατὰ πάντα τὰ μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης πολέμων ἐνεστώτων καὶ στρατοπέδων παρακαθημένων, πλὴν τῶν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον τόπων.
That the Romans dispatched envoys to Ptolemy, wishing to be supplied with corn, because there was a great scarcity among them, inasmuch as the whole of the crops throughout Italy had been destroyed by the armies right up to the gates of Rome, and no assistance was forthcoming from outside, since wars were raging and armies were encamped in all parts of the inhabited world, except for the regions of Egypt.
§9.11a.3εἰς γὰρ τοσοῦτον κατὰ τὴν Ῥώμην προεβεβήκει τὰ τῆς ἐνδείας ὥστε τὸν Σικελικὸν μέδιμνον πεντεκαίδεκα δραχμῶν ὑπάρχειν.
For the state of scarcity at Rome had reached such a pitch that a Sicilian medimnus was at the price of fifteen drachmae.
§9.11a.4ἀλλʼ ὅμως τοιαύτης οὔσης τῆς περιστάσεως οὐκ ἠμέλουν τῶν πολεμικῶν. —
But nevertheless, although such was the crisis, they did not neglect their military affairs. —