§21.52.1iam ambo consules et quidquid Romanorum virium erat Hannibali oppositum aut illis copiis defendi posse Romanum imperium aut spem nullam aliam esse satis declarabat.
Already both consuls and whatever Roman forces there were, opposed to Hannibal, made it sufficiently clear that either the Roman empire could be defended by those troops, or there was no other hope.
§21.52.2tamen consul alter equestri proelio uno et vulnere suo minutus trahi rem malebat; recentis animi alter eoque ferocior nullam dilationem patiebatur.
However, one consul, weakened by a single cavalry battle and his own wound, preferred to drag out the business; the other, of fresh spirit and therefore more impetuous, would brook no delay.
§21.52.3quod inter Trebiam Padumque agri est, Galli tum incolebant, in duorum praepotentium populorum certamine per ambiguum favorem haud dubie gratiam victoris spectantes.
The Gauls then inhabited the territory that lies between the Trebia and the Po, looking, in the contest between two extremely powerful nations, with ambiguous favor undoubtedly for the goodwill of the victor.
§21.52.4id Romani, modo ne quid moverent, aequo satis, Poenus periniquo animo ferebat, ab Gallis accitum se venisse ad liberandos eos dictitans.
The Romans tolerated this behavior patiently enough, provided they did not make any disturbance, but the Carthaginian bore it with great resentment, repeatedly declaring that he had come invited by the Gauls to set them free.
ob eam iram, §21.52.5simul ut praeda militem aleret, duo milia peditum et mille equites, Numidas plerosque, mixtos quosdam et Gallos, populari omnem deinceps — agrum usque ad Padi ripas iussit.
Because of this anger, and at the same time to feed his soldiers with plunder, he ordered two thousand infantry and a thousand cavalry, mostly Numidians with some Gauls mixed in, to ravage all the territory in succession right up to the banks of the Po.
§21.52.6egentes ope Galli, cum ad id dubios servassent animos, coacti ab auctoribus iniuriae ad vindices futuros declinant legatisque ad consules missis auxilium Romanorum terrae ob nimiam cultorum fidem in Romanos laboranti orant.
The Gauls, needing help, although they had maintained an undecided attitude until then, were forced by the perpetrators of the injury to turn to those who would be their avengers; they sent envoys to the consuls, begging for Roman assistance for a land that was suffering because of its inhabitants' excessive loyalty to the Romans.
Cornelio nec causa nec tempus agendae rei placebat, §21.52.7suspectaque ei gens erat cum ob infida multa facinora tum, ut illa vetustate obsolevissent, ob recentem Boiorum perfidiam; §21.52.8Sempronius contra continendis in fide sociis maximum vinculum esse primos, qui eguissent ope, defensos censebat.
Neither the cause nor the time for action pleased Cornelius, and the nation was suspect to him, both because of many treacherous acts and, even if those had become obsolete through antiquity, because of the recent perfidy of the Boii; Sempronius, on the other hand, thought that the strongest bond for keeping allies in their allegiance was that the first who had needed help should be defended.
§21.52.9is tum, collega cunctante, equitatum suum, mille peditum iaculatoribus ferme admixtis, ad defendendum Gallicum agrum trans Trebiam mittit.
He then, while his colleague hesitated, sent his cavalry, with about a thousand light-armed infantry mixed in, across the Trebia to defend the Gallic territory.
§21.52.10sparsos et inconpositos, ad hoc gravis praeda plerosque cum inopinato invasissent, ingentem terrorem caedemque ac fugam usque ad castra stationesque hostium fecere; unde multitudine effusa pulsi rursus subsidio suorum proelium restituere.
Having unexpectedly attacked them while they were scattered and out of order, and most of them burdened with booty, they caused great terror, slaughter, and flight right up to the enemy's camp and outposts; driven back from there as a multitude poured out, they restored the battle again with the help of their own men.
§21.52.11varia inde pugna inter sequentes cedentesque; cumque ad extremum aequassent certamen, maior tamen hostium *, penes Romanos fama victoriae fuit.
From then on there was a fluctuating battle between pursuers and pursued; and though they brought the contest to an equal issue at the end, yet, since the loss of the enemy was greater, the reputation of victory remained with the Romans.