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Livy · History of Rome §21.51.1-21.51.7

Capture of Melita and Sempronius's March North

Passage 582 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

After capturing the island of Malta, Consul Sempronius learned of the Carthaginian raids on the Italian coast and Hannibal's invasion of Italy; he secured the defense of Sicily and rushed to Ariminum in northern Italy to join his colleague.

§21.51.1a Lilybaeo consul Hierone cum classe regia dimisso relictoue praetore ad tuendam Siciliae oram ipse in insulam Melitam, quae a Carthaginiensibus tenebatur, traiecit.
From Lilybaeum, the consul, having dismissed Hiero with the royal fleet and having left the praetor to guard the coast of Sicily, himself crossed over to the island of Melita, which was held by the Carthaginians.
§21.51.2advenienti Hamilcar Gisgonis filius praefectus praesidii, cum paulo minus duobus milibus militum oppidumque cum insula traditur.
Upon his arrival, Hamilcar, the son of Gisgo, the commander of the garrison, was surrendered along with a little less than two thousand soldiers, and the town together with the island.
inde post paucos dies reditum Lilybaeum, captivique et a consule et a praetore praeter insignes nobilitate viros sub corona venierunt.
A few days later, they returned from there to Lilybaeum, and the prisoners, except for those distinguished by noble birth, were sold under the spear by both the consul and the praetor.
§21.51.3postquam ab ea parte satis tutam Siciliam censebat consul, ad insulas Vulcani, quia fama erat stare ibi Punicam classem, traiecit; nec quisquam hostium circa eas insulas inventus.
After the consul judged Sicily to be sufficiently secure in that quarter, he crossed over to the islands of Vulcan, because there was a rumor that the Carthaginian fleet was stationed there; but not one of the enemy was found around those islands.
§21.51.4iam forte transmiserant ad vastandam Italiae oram, depopulatoque Uibonensi agro urbem etiam terrebant.
They had already, as it happened, crossed over to ravage the coast of Italy, and having devastated the territory of Vibo, they were now terrifying even the city.
§21.51.5repetenti Siciliam consuli escensio hostium in agrum Uibonensem facta nuntiatur, litteraeque ab senatu de transitu in Italiam Hannibalis, et ut primo quoque tempore collegae ferret auxilium, missae traduntur.
As the consul was returning to Sicily, the landing of the enemy on the territory of Vibo was reported to him, and letters from the senate were delivered to him concerning Hannibal's passage into Italy, and ordering him to bring aid to his colleague at the very first opportunity.
§21.51.6multis simul anxius curis exercitum extemplo in naves inpositum Ariminum mari supero misit, Sexto Pomponio legato cum viginti quinque longis navibus Uibonensem agrum maritimamque oram Italiae tuendam adtribuit, §21.51.7M. Aemilio praetori quinquaginta navium classem explevit.
Anxious at the same time with many cares, he immediately put his army on board ships and sent them to Ariminum by the upper sea, assigned to the legate Sextus Pomponius twenty-five warships to protect the territory of Vibo and the maritime coast of Italy, and completed a fleet of fifty ships for the praetor Marcus Aemilius.
ipse conpositis Siciliae rebus decem navibus oram Italiae legens Ariminum pervenit.
He himself, having settled the affairs of Sicily, arrived at Ariminum, sailing along the coast of Italy with ten ships.
inde cum exercitu suo profectus ad Trebiam flumen conlegae coniungitur.
Setting out from there with his army, he joined his colleague at the river Trebia.

Notes

  1. §21.51.2advenienti — The dative singular of the present participle adveniens, referring to the consul Sempronius. It functions as a dative complement modifying the passive main verb traditur.
  2. §21.51.2sub corona venierunt — An idiomatic expression meaning 'to be sold as slaves' (venierunt is the perfect tense of veneo, 'to be sold'). It derives from the Roman custom where prisoners of war wore wreaths on their heads when auctioned in the slave market.
  3. §21.51.5repetenti Siciliam consuli — The present participle repetenti (from repetere, 'to return to') agrees in the dative with consuli. Acting as the indirect object of the main verb nuntiatur, it conveys an action in progress or intention ('to the consul as he was attempting to return to Sicily').
  4. §21.51.6tuendam — A gerundive in the accusative feminine singular, agreeing with maritimam oram (and by extension Uibonensem agrum). Used in connection with adtribuit, it forms a construction expressing purpose ('assigned to be protected' or 'for the purpose of protecting').

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §21.51.1-21.51.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:21.51.1-21.51.7

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