§22.1.1iam ver adpetebat; itaque Hannibal ex hibernis movit, et nequiquam ante conatus transcendere Appenninum intolerandis frigoribus et cum ingenti periculo moratus ac metu.
Spring was now approaching; and so Hannibal moved from his winter quarters, having previously attempted in vain to cross the Apennines, delayed as he had been by intolerable cold and with huge danger and fear.
§22.1.2Galli, quos praedae populationumque conciverat spes, postquam pro eo, ut ipsi ex alieno agro raperent agerentque, suas terras sedem belli esse premique utriusque partis exercituum hibernis videre, verterunt retro in Hannibalem ab Romanis odia; §22.1.3petitusque saepe principum insidiis ipsorum inter se fraude, eadem levitate, qua consenserant, consensum indicantium, servatus erat et mutando nunc vestem nunc tegumenta capitis errore etiam sese ab insidiis munierat.
The Gauls, whom the hope of plunder and devastation had aroused, when they saw that instead of their plundering and driving off booty from others' land, their own territories were the seat of war and were pressed by the winter quarters of the armies of both sides, turned their hatred back from the Romans upon Hannibal; and having been often targeted by the plots of their chiefs, he had been saved by the mutual betrayal of those who, with the same fickleness with which they had conspired, revealed the conspiracy; and by changing now his clothes, now his head-coverings, he had also protected himself from plots by means of the deception.
§22.1.4ceterum hic quoque ei timor causa fuit maturius movendi ex hibernis.
However, this fear also was a reason for his moving earlier from winter quarters.
per idem tempus Cn. Servilius consul Romae idibus Martiis magistratum iniit.
About the same time, Gnaeus Servilius, the consul, entered upon his office at Rome on the Ides of March.
§22.1.5ibi cum de re publica rettulisset, redintegrata in C. Flaminium invidia est: duos se consules creasse, unum habere; quod enim illi iustum imperium, quod auspicium esse?
There, when he had laid a report before them on the state of the commonwealth, the hatred against Gaius Flaminius was revived: they had elected two consuls, they said, but had only one; for what lawful command, what auspices did he possess?
§22.1.6magistratus id a domo, publicis privatisque penatibus, Latinis feriis actis, sacrificio in monte perfecto, votis rite in Capitolio nuncupatis secum ferre; §22.1.7nec privatum auspicia sequi, nec sine auspiciis profectum in externo ea solo nova atque integra concipere posse.
Magistrates carried this with them from home, from their public and private household gods, after celebrating the Latin Festival, performing the sacrifice on the mountain, and duly pronouncing their vows on the Capitol; a private citizen could not take auspices, nor could one who had set out without auspices receive them anew and in their integrity on foreign soil.
§22.1.8augebant metum prodigia ex pluribus simul locis nuntiata: in Sicilia militibus aliquot spicula, in Sardinia autem in muro circumeunti vigilias equiti scipionem, quem mann tenuerit, arsisse, et litora crebris ignibus fulsisse, et scuta duo sanguine sudasse, §22.1.9et milites quosdam ictos fulminibus, et solis orbem minui visum, et Praeneste ardentes lapides caelo cecidisse, et Arpis parmas in caelo visas pugnantemque cum luna solem, §22.1.10et Capenae duas interdiu lunas ortas, et aquas Caeretes sanguine mixtas fluxisse fontemque ipsum Herculis cruentis manasse respersum maculis, et Antii metentibus cruentas in corbem spicas cecidisse, §22.1.11et Faleriis caelum findi velut magno hiatu visum quaque patuerit ingens lumen effulsisse, et sortes adtenuatas unamque sua sponte excidisse ita inscriptam “Mavors telum suum concutit,” §22.1.12et per idem tempus Romae signum Martis Appia via ac simulacra luporum sudasse, et Capuae speciem caeli ardentis fuisse lanaeque inter imbrem cadentis.
Fear was increased by portents reported from several places at the same time: in Sicily, that the javelins of some soldiers had burst into flame; in Sardinia, moreover, that the staff which a horseman, patrolling the watches on the wall, held in his hand had caught fire; and that the shores had shone with frequent fires; and that two shields had sweated blood; and that certain soldiers had been struck by lightning; and that the sun's disc had appeared to shrink; and that at Praeneste glowing stones had fallen from the sky; and at Arpi bucklers had been seen in the sky and the sun fighting with the moon; and at Capena two moons had risen in the daytime; and that the waters of Caere had flowed mixed with blood, and the fountain of Hercules itself had dripped, splashed with bloody spots; and at Antium, as they were reaping, bloody ears of corn had fallen into the basket; and at Falerii the sky had seemed to split with a great cleft, and where it opened, a huge light had shone forth; and that the oracle lots had shrunk, and one had fallen out of its own accord, inscribed: "Mavors brandishes his spear"; and that about the same time at Rome the statue of Mars on the Appian Way and the images of wolves had sweated; and at Capua there had been the appearance of a burning sky and of the moon falling in the midst of a shower.
§22.1.13inde minoribus etiam dictu prodigiis fides habita: capras lanatas quibusdam factas, et gallinam in marem, gallum in feminam sese vertisse.
Then belief was given even to lesser portents, so to speak: that some people's goats had become woolly, and that a hen had turned into a cock, and a cock into a hen.
§22.1.14his, sicut erant nuntiata, expositis auctoribusque in curiam introductis consul de religione patres consuluit.
When these things had been set forth just as they had been reported, and the witnesses had been introduced into the senate-house, the consul consulted the senators on matters of religion.
§22.1.15decretum, ut ea prodigia partim maioribus hostiis partim lactentibus procurarentur, et uti supplicatio per triduum ad omnia pulvinaria haberetur; §22.1.16cetera, cum decemviri libros inspexissent, ut ita fierent, quem ad modum cordi esse divis e carminibus praefarentur.
It was decreed that those portents should be expiated, partly with full-grown victims, partly with sucklings, and that a supplication should be held for three days at all the shrines; other matters, when the decemviri had inspected the books, were to be performed in such a manner as they should declare from the prophecies to be pleasing to the gods.
§22.1.17decemvirorum monitu decretum est, Iovi primum fulmen aureum pondo quinquaginta neret, et Iunoni Minervaeque ex argento dona darentur, et Iunoni reginae in Aventino Iunonique Sospitae Lanuvii maioribus hostiis sacrificaretur, §22.1.18matronaeque pecunia conlata, quantum conferre cuique commodum esset, donum Iunoni reginae in Aventinum ferrent, lectisterniumque fieret, et ut libertinae et ipsae, unde Feroniae donum daretur, pecuniam pro facultatibus suis conferrent.
On the recommendation of the decemviri, it was decreed, first, that a golden thunderbolt of fifty pounds' weight should be made for Jupiter, and that gifts of silver should be given to Juno and Minerva; and that sacrifice should be made with full-grown victims to Queen Juno on the Aventine, and to Juno Sospita at Lanuvium; and that the matrons, having contributed money, each as much as she could afford, should carry a gift to Queen Juno on the Aventine, and that a lectisternium should be held; and that the freedwomen themselves should also collect money according to their means, from which a gift might be presented to Feronia.
§22.1.19haec ubi facta decemviri Ardeae in foro maioribus hostiis sacrificarunt.
When these things were done, the decemviri sacrificed at Ardea in the forum with full-grown victims.
postremo Decembri iam mense ad aedem Saturni Romae immolatum est lectisterniumque imperatum — et eum lectum senatores straverunt _ et convivium publicum, §22.1.20ac per urbem Saturnalia diem ac noctem clamata, populusque eum diem festum habere ac servare in perpetuum iussus.
Finally, now in the month of December, a sacrifice was offered at the temple of Saturn at Rome, and a lectisternium was ordered—and the senators spread that couch—as well as a public banquet, and throughout the city "Saturnalia" was shouted by day and night, and the people were ordered to keep that day as a holiday and observe it forever.