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Livy · History of Rome §21.60.1-21.60.9

Gnaeus Scipio's Campaign in Spain and Victory at Cissis

Passage 591 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio arrives in Spain and brings the region north of the Ebro under Roman control. He defeats the Carthaginian general Hanno, capturing his camp and the town of Cissis, which yields rich spoils left behind by Hannibal's army.

§21.60.1dum haec in Italia geruntur, Cn. Cornelius Scipio in Hispaniam cum classe et exercitu missus §21.60.2cum ab ostio Rhodani profectus Pyrenaeosque montes circumvectus Emporias adpulisset classem, exposito ibi exercitu §21.60.3orsus a Lacetanis omnem oram usque ad Hiberum flumen partim renovandis societatibus partim novis instituendis Romanae dicionis fecit.
While these things were being done in Italy, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, having been sent into Spain with a fleet and an army, when, having set out from the mouth of the Rhone and sailed around the Pyrenean mountains, he had brought his fleet to Emporiae, and having landed his army there, beginning with the Lacetani, he brought the whole coast as far as the river Hiberus under Roman dominion, partly by renewing alliances and partly by establishing new ones.
§21.60.4inde conciliata clementiae iustitiaeque fama non ad maritimos modo populos sed in mediterraneis quoque ac montanis ad ferociores iam gentes valuit; nec pax modo apud eos sed societas etiam armorum parta est, validaeque aliquot auxiliorum cohortes ex iis conscriptae sunt.
From this, the reputation for clemency and justice that he had acquired prevailed not only among the maritime peoples but also in the interior and mountainous regions among the more ferocious tribes; and not only was peace obtained among them, but also an alliance of arms, and several strong cohorts of auxiliaries were enlisted from them.
§21.60.5Hannonis cis Hiberum provincia erat; eum reliquerat Hannibal ad regionis eius praesidium.
The province this side of the Hiberus belonged to Hanno; Hannibal had left him for the defense of that region.
itaque, priusquam alienarentur omnia, obviam eundum ratus castris in conspectu hostium positis in aciem eduxit.
Therefore, thinking that he must go to meet them before everything should be alienated, he pitched his camp in sight of the enemy and led his men out into battle array.
§21.60.6nec Romano differendum certamen visum quippe qui sciret cum Hannone et Hasdrubale sibi dimicandum esse malletque adversus singulos separatim quam adversus duos simul rem gerere.
Nor did it seem to the Roman that the contest should be delayed, since he knew that he had to fight with Hanno and Hasdrubal, and preferred to conduct operations against each separately rather than against both at the same time.
§21.60.7nec magni certaminis ea dimicatio fuit.
Nor was that struggle one of great contest.
sex milia hostium caesa, duo capta cum praesidio castrorum; nam et castra expugnata sunt, atque ipse dux cum aliquot principibus capiuntur, et Cissis, propinquum castris oppidum, expugnatur.
Six thousand of the enemy were slain, and two thousand captured along with the guard of the camp; for the camp also was taken by storm, and the commander himself with several chiefs was captured, and Cissis, a town near the camp, was stormed.
§21.60.8ceterum praeda oppidi parvi pretii rerum fuit, supellex barbarica, ac vilium mancipiorum; §21.60.9castra militem ditavere non eius modo exercitus, qui victus erat, sed et eius, qui cum Hannibale in Italia militabat, omnibus fere caris rebus, ne gravia impedimenta ferentibus essent, citra Pyrenaeum relictis.
However, the plunder of the town consisted of things of small value, barbaric furniture, and cheap slaves; but the camp enriched the soldiers, not only of that army which had been defeated, but also of the one which was serving with Hannibal in Italy, since almost all their valuable things had been left on this side of the Pyrenees, so that they might not be heavy baggage to them as they carried them.

Notes

  1. §21.60.3Romanae dicionis fecit — The object of fecit is omnem oram. Romanae dicionis is a genitive of possession or quality, serving as a predicative complement of fecit ('made'), meaning 'made it of Roman dominion' or 'brought it under Roman control.'
  2. §21.60.6quippe qui sciret — The construction quippe qui followed by the subjunctive (sciret, mallet) expresses the subjective or logical reason for the judgment in the main clause ('inasmuch as he knew...').
  3. §21.60.9ferentibus — The dative plural of the present participle of fero, here used substantively. It functions as a dative of reference (or dative of possession) in the clause ne gravia impedimenta ferentibus essent ('lest they should be a heavy baggage to those carrying them'). It refers to the soldiers marching toward Italy.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §21.60.1-21.60.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:21.60.1-21.60.9

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