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Livy · History of Rome §21.14.1-21.14.4

The Self-Destruction of Saguntum and Fall of the City

Passage 545 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

As the leaders of Saguntum burned their treasures and committed suicide, the Carthaginian forces took advantage of the panic to attack and capture the city, slaughtering the inhabitants.

§21.14.1ad haec audienda cum circumfusa paulatim multitudine permixtum senatui esset populi concilium, repente primores secessione facta, priusquam responsum daretur, argentum aurumque omne ex publico privatoque in forum conlatum in ignem ad id raptim factum conicientes eodem plerique semet ipsi praecipitaverunt.
When the assembly of the people had gradually mixed with the senate as a multitude gathered around to hear these things, suddenly the leading men, having withdrawn before any answer could be given, cast all the gold and silver, both public and private, collected into the forum, into a fire hastily made for that purpose, and most of them threw themselves headlong into the same place.
cum ex eo pavor ac trepidatio totam urbem pervasisset, §21.14.2alius insuper tumultus ex arce auditur.
When, as a result of this, panic and trembling had pervaded the entire city, another tumult besides was heard from the citadel.
turris diu quassata prociderat, perque ruinam eius cohors Poenorum impetu facto cum signum imperatori dedisset nudatam stationibus custodiisque solitis hostium esse urbem, §21.14.3non cunctandum in tali occasione ratus Hannibal totis viribus adgressus urbem momento cepit, signo dato, ut omnes puberes interficerentur.
A tower, which had been shaken for a long time, had fallen down, and when a cohort of the Carthaginians, making an assault through its ruin, had given a signal to the general that the city of the enemy was stripped of its usual stations and guards, Hannibal, thinking that he must not hesitate on such an occasion, attacked with all his forces and captured the city in a moment, the signal having been given that all adults should be put to death.
quod imperium crudele, ceterum prope necessarium cognitum ipso eventu est: §21.14.4cui enim parci potuit ex iis, qui aut inclusi cum coniugibus ac liberis domos super se ipsos concremaverunt aut armati nullum ante finem pugnae quam morientes fecerunt?
This command was cruel, but indeed recognized as almost necessary by the very event: for who of those could have been spared, who either shut themselves up with their wives and children and burned their houses over themselves, or, armed, made no end to the fight before they were dying?

Notes

  1. §21.14.1permixtum senatui esset populi concilium — The subject of the passive verb permixtum esset in the cum clause is populi concilium (the assembly of the people), and senatui is the dative case governed by the verb permisceri (to be mixed with).
  2. §21.14.3non cunctandum — An accusative with infinitive construction acting as the object of ratus (having thought), where esse is omitted with the impersonal gerundive cunctandum. It expresses obligation or necessity: 'that he must not hesitate.'
  3. §21.14.4cui enim parci potuit — Since parcere (to spare, governing the dative) is an intransitive verb, it is used impersonally in the passive voice. Thus, parci potuit means 'could it be spared,' with cui (to whom, dative of the interrogative pronoun) indicating the object of sparing.
  4. §21.14.4nullum ante finem pugnae quam morientes fecerunt — nullum ante ... quam ... is a tmesis of antequam (before). The phrase literally means 'they made no end of the fight before they were dying,' signifying that they fought to the death.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §21.14.1-21.14.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:21.14.1-21.14.4

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