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Livy · History of Rome §22.52.1-22.52.7

Surrender of the Roman Camps and Busa's Aid

Passage 646 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

Hannibal forced both the smaller and larger Roman camps to surrender, secured vast booty, and buried his fallen soldiers along with the Roman consul, while the Roman refugees at Canusium received generous material aid from a wealthy Apulian woman named Busa.

§22.52.1spoliis ad multum diei lectis Hannibal ad minora ducit castra oppugnanda et omnium primum bracchio obiecto flumine eos excludit.
When the spoils had been gathered far into the day, Hannibal led his forces to attack the smaller camp, and first of all, by throwing up a breastwork, cut them off from the river.
§22.52.2ceterum abi omnibus labore vigiliis vulneribus etiam fessis maturior ipsius spe deditio est facta.
However, as everyone was exhausted by labor, watchings, and also wounds, the surrender was made more quickly than his own expectation.
§22.52.3pacti, ut arma atque equos traderent, in capita Romana trecenis nummis quadrigatis, in socios ducenis, in servos centenis, e ut eo pretio persoluto cum singulis abirent uestimentis in castra hostis acceperunt, traditique in custodiam omnes sunt, seorsum cives sociique.
Having agreed to hand over their arms and horses, and to pay three hundred quadrigati coins for each Roman citizen, two hundred for each ally, and one hundred for each slave, and that upon paying this price they should depart with a single garment each, they admitted the enemy into the camp, and all were delivered into custody, the citizens and allies separately.
§22.52.4dum ibi tempus teritur, interea cum ex maioribus castris, quibus satis virium et animi fuit, ad quattuor milia hominum et ducenti equites, alii agmine, alii palati passim per agros, quod haud minus tutum erat, Canusium perfugissent, castra ipsa ab sauciis timidisque eadem condicione qua altera tradita hosti.
While time was being spent there, meanwhile, since about four thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry had fled from the larger camp (in which there was sufficient strength and courage) to Canusium—some in a body, others dispersing here and there through the fields, which was no less safe—the camp itself was surrendered to the enemy by the wounded and the fearful on the same terms as the other.
§22.52.5praeda ingens parta est, et praeter equos virosque et si quid argenti — quod plurimum in phaleris equorum erat, nam ad vescendum facto perexiguo, utique militantes, utebantur — omnis cetera praeda diripienda data est.
Immense booty was secured; and except for the horses, the men, and whatever silver there was—most of which was on the trappings of the horses, for they used very little silver wrought for eating, especially when on service—all the rest of the booty was given up to be plundered.
§22.52.6tum sepeliendi causa conferri unum corpora suorum iussit.
Then he ordered the bodies of his own men to be gathered into one place for burial.
ad octo milia fuisse dicuntur fortissimorum virorum.
They are said to have been about eight thousand of his bravest men.
consulem quoque Romanum conquisitum sepultumque quidam auctores sunt.
Some authors state that the Roman consul also was searched for and buried.
§22.52.7eos, qui Canusium perfugerant, mulier Apula nomine Busa, genere clara ac divitiis, moenibus tantum tectisque a Canusinis acceptos, frumento veste viatico etiam iuvit, pro qua ei munificentia postea, bello perfecto, ab senatu honores habiti sunt.
Those who had fled to Canusium, who had been received by the Canusians with only walls and roofs, were helped with grain, clothing, and even journey-money by an Apulian woman named Busa, noble in birth and wealth; for which munificence honors were afterwards paid to her by the senate, after the war was finished.

Notes

  1. 22.52.1spoliis ad multum diei lectis — Ablative absolute. `ad multum diei` is an adverbial expression meaning 'far into the day,' indicating that a long time was spent gathering the spoils.
  2. 22.52.3pacti — Perfect participle of the deponent verb `paciscor`, nominative plural masculine, agreeing with the subject of the clause (the surrendered Roman soldiers). It introduces the terms of the treaty with the following `ut` clauses and nouns of price.
  3. 22.52.3in castra hostis acceperunt — Here `hostis` is the accusative plural `hostīs` (= `hostes`), acting as the object of `acceperunt`. The subject is the Roman soldiers: 'they (the Romans) admitted the enemy (the Carthaginians) into the camp,' referring to their surrender and handing over of the camp.
  4. 22.52.4quod haud minus tutum erat — The neuter singular relative pronoun `quod` refers to the preceding clause or action (dispersing through the fields), explaining that this method of flight was 'no less safe' than marching in a body.
  5. 22.52.7moenibus tantum tectisque a Canusinis acceptos — The perfect participle `acceptos` (accusative plural of `accipio`) modifies `eos`, the object of the main clause. `moenibus tantum tectisque` are ablatives of means or instrument, indicating that the people of Canusium provided them only with physical shelter and protection, not with material relief.

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §22.52.1-22.52.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:22.52.1-22.52.7

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