§21.50.1ubi in altum evecti sunt Romanus conserere pugnam et ex propinquo vires conferre velle; §21.50.2contra eludere Poenus et arte, non vi rem gerere naviumque quam virorum aut armorum malle certamen facere.
When they had advanced into the open sea, the Romans wished to engage in close combat and to compare their strength hand to hand; on the other hand, the Carthaginians sought to evade them and to conduct the operation by skill, not by force, and preferred to make it a contest of ships rather than of men or weapons.
§21.50.3nam ut sociis navalibus adfatim instructam classem ita inopem milite habebant, et, sicubi conserta navis esset, haudquaquam par numerus armatorum ex ea pugnabat.
For just as they kept their fleet abundantly equipped with rowers, so they had it deficient in soldiers; and wherever a ship was grappled, a far from equal number of armed men fought from it.
§21.50.4quod ubi animadversum est, et Romanis multitudo sua auxit animum et paucitas illis minuit.
When this was observed, their own numbers increased the courage of the Romans, while their fewness diminished that of the enemy.
§21.50.5extemplo septem naves Punicae circumventae, fugam ceterae ceperunt.
Immediately, seven Carthaginian ships were surrounded; the rest took to flight.
mille et septingenti fuere in navibus captis milites nautaeque, in his tres nobiles Carthaginiensium.
There were one thousand seven hundred soldiers and sailors in the captured ships, among them three noble Carthaginians.
§21.50.6classis Romana incolumis, una tantum perforata navi, sed ea quoque ipsa reduce, in portum rediit.
The Roman fleet, undamaged, with only one ship having been holed, but even that one itself returning, came back into the harbor.
§21.50.7secundum hanc pugnam nondum gnaris eius qui Messanae erant, Ti. Sempronius consul Messanam venit.
After this battle, while those who were at Messana were not yet aware of it, the consul Tiberius Sempronius came to Messana.
§21.50.8ei fretum intranti rex Hiero classem ornatam armatamque obviam duxit, transgressusque ex regia in praetoriam navem gratulatus sospitem cum exercitu et navibus advenisse precatusque prosperum ac felicem in Siciliam transitum,
As he was entering the strait, King Hiero led out a fleet fully equipped and armed to meet him, and having crossed from the royal ship to the praetorian ship, congratulated him on having arrived safely with his army and ships, and prayed for a prosperous and happy passage into Sicily.
§21.50.9statum deinde insulae et Carthaginiensium conata exposuit pollicitusque est, quo animo priore bello populum Romanum iuvenis adiuvisset, eo senem adiuturum; §21.50.10frumentum vestimentaque sese legionibus consulis sociisque navalibus gratis praebiturum; grande periculum Lilybaeo maritumisque civitatibus esse, et quibusdam volentibus novas res fore.
He then explained the state of the island and the attempts of the Carthaginians, and promised that with the same spirit with which he had assisted the Roman people in the former war as a young man, he would assist them now as an old man; he would supply grain and clothing to the consul's legions and the naval allies free of charge; he added that there was great danger to Lilybaeum and the maritime states, and that a change of government would be desired by some.
§21.50.11ob haec consuli nihil cunctandum visum, quin Lilybaeum classe peteret.
On this account, it seemed to the consul that he must not delay at all in heading for Lilybaeum with his fleet.
et rex regiaque classis una profecti.
And the king and the royal fleet set out together.
navigantes inde pugnatum ad Lilybaeum fusasque et captas hostium naves accepere.
Sailing from there, they received news that a battle had been fought at Lilybaeum, and that the enemy's ships had been routed and captured.