§22.31.1dum haec geruntur in Italia, Cn. Servilius Geminus consul cum classe centum viginti navium circumvectus Sardiniae et Corsicae oram et obsidibus utrimque acceptis in Africam transmisit et, priusquam in continentem escensiones faceret, §22.31.2Menige insula vastata et ab incolentibus Cercinam, ne et ipsorum ureretur diripereturque ager, decem talentis argenti acceptis ad litora Africae accessit copiasque exposuit.
While these things were being done in Italy, Gnaeus Servilius Geminus, the consul, having sailed around the coast of Sardinia and Corsica with a fleet of one hundred and twenty ships, and having received hostages from both sides, crossed over to Africa, and before making landings on the continent, having devastated the island of Meninx, and having accepted ten talents of silver from the inhabitants of Cercina lest their own land too should be burned and plundered, he approached the shores of Africa and landed his troops.
§22.31.3inde ad populandum agrum ducti milites navalesque socii iuxta effusi, ac si in insulis cultorum egentibus praedarentur.
Thence, the soldiers, led to plunder the territory, and the naval allies scattered around in like manner, marched as if they were plundering in islands destitute of inhabitants.
§22.31.4itaque in insidias temere inlati cum a frequentibus palantes, ab locorum gnaris ignari circumvenirentur, cum multa caede ac foeda fuga retro ad naves conpulsi sunt.
Therefore, having rushed blindly into an ambush, while they, straggling, were surrounded by the enemy in compact bodies, and being ignorant of the country, by those who knew it, they were driven back to their ships with great slaughter and a shameful flight.
§22.31.5ad mille hominum cum Ti. Sempronio Blaeso quaestore amissum.
About a thousand men, including Tiberius Sempronius Blaesus the quaestor, were lost.
classis ab litoribus hostium plenis trepide soluta in Siciliam cursum tenuit, §22.31.6traditaque Lilybaei T. Otacilio praetori, ut ab legato eius P. Cincio Romam reduceretur.
The fleet, hastily set sail from the shores full of enemies, held its course to Sicily, and was handed over at Lilybaeum to Titus Otacilius the praetor, in order that it might be brought back to Rome by his legate, Publius Cincius.
§22.31.7ipse per Siciliam pedibus profectus freto in Italiam traiecit, litteris Q. Fabii accitus et ipse et collega eius M. Atilius, ut exercitus ab se exacto iam prope semestri imperio acciperent.
He himself, having set out on foot through Sicily, crossed the strait into Italy, summoned by a letter from Quintus Fabius, both he himself and his colleague Marcus Atilius, in order that they might receive the armies from him, his six-month command having now nearly expired.
§22.31.8Onlrium prope annales Fabium dictatorem adversus Hannibalem rem gessisse tradunt; Coelius etiam eum primum a populo creatum dictatorem scribit.
Almost all annals record that Fabius, as dictator, conducted the campaign against Hannibal; Coelius even writes that he was the first dictator created by the people.
§22.31.9sed et Coelium et ceteros fugit uni consuli Cn. Servilio, qui tum procul in Gallia provincia aberat, ius fuisse dicendi dictatoris; §22.31.10quam moram quia expectare territa tertia iam clade civitas non poterat, eo decursum esse, ut a populo crearetur, qui pro dictatore esset; §22.31.11res inde gestas gloriamque insignem ducis et augentis titulum imaginis posteros, ut, qui pro dictatore creatuserat, fuisse dictator crederetur, facile obtinuisse.
But it escaped both Coelius and the others that the right of naming a dictator belonged solely to the consul Gnaeus Servilius, who was then far away in the province of Gaul; and because the state, terrified by what was now a third disaster, could not brook this delay, recourse was had to this expedient, that one should be created by the people who should act in the place of a dictator; that the subsequent achievements, the distinguished glory of the commander, and his descendants, who magnified the inscription of his bust, easily established the belief that he who had been created acting dictator was believed to have been actual dictator.