§23.17.1Hannibal spe potiundae Nolae adempta cum Acerras recessisset, Marcellus extemplo clausis portis custodibusque dispositis, ne quis egrederetur, quaestionem in foro de iis, qui clam in conloquiis hostium fuerant, habuit;
When Hannibal, having lost hope of gaining Nola, had retreated to Acerrae, Marcellus immediately closed the gates and posted guards so that no one should go out, and held an inquiry in the forum concerning those who had secretly been in conferences with the enemy.
§23.17.2supra septuaginta damnatos proditionis securi percussit, bonaque eorum iussit publica populi Romani esse,
He executed with the axe more than seventy who were condemned for treason, and ordered their property to be confiscated to the Roman people.
§23.17.3et summa rerum senatui tradita cum exercitu omni profectus supra Suessulam castris positis consedit.
And having handed over the direction of affairs to the senate, he set out with his entire army and encamped above Suessula.
§23.17.4Poenus Acerras primum ad voluntariam deditionem conatus perlicere, postquam obstinatos videt, obsidere atque oppugnare parat.
The Carthaginian first attempted to entice Acerrae to a voluntary surrender, but when he saw that they were obstinate, he prepared to besiege and assault them.
ceterum Acerranis plus animi quam virium erat: §23.17.5itaque desperata tutela urbis, ut circumvallari moenia viderunt, priusquam continuarentur hostium opera, per intermissa munimenta neglectasque custodias silentio noctis dilapsi,
However, the people of Acerrae had more spirit than strength: therefore, despairing of the defense of their city, as they saw their walls being surrounded with siegeworks, before the enemy's works could be completed, they slipped away in the silence of the night through gaps in the fortifications and neglected outposts.
§23.17.6per vias inviaque, qua quemque aut consilium aut error tulit, in urbes Campaniae, quas satis certum erat non mutasse fidem, perfugerunt.
Through roads and trackless places, wherever either plan or wandering led each man, they fled to the cities of Campania, which it was sufficiently certain had not changed their allegiance.
§23.17.7Hannibal Acerris direptis atque incensis cum a Casino dictatorem Romanum legionesque * nimis accipi nuntiassent, ne quis tumultus tam propinquis hostium castris Capuae quoque oreretur, exercitum ad Casilinum ducit.
Hannibal, having plundered and burned Acerrae, when it was reported that the Roman dictator and his legions were being received at Casinum, lest any disturbance should arise in Capua also with the enemy's camp so near, led his army to Casilinum.
§23.17.8Casilinum eo tempore quingenti Praenestini habebant cum paucis Romanis Latinique nominis, quos eodem audita Cannensis clades contulerat.
At that time, five hundred Praenestines held Casilinum along with a few Romans and men of the Latin name, whom the news of the disaster at Cannae, heard at the same place, had driven together to that spot.
§23.17.9hi non confecto Praeneste ad diem dilectu serius profecti domo cum Casilinum ante famam adversae pugnae venissent et, allis adgregantibus sese Romanis sociisque, profecti a Casilino cum satis magno agmine irent, avertit eos retro Casilinum nuntius Cannensis pugnae.
These men, having set out from home later because the levy at Praeneste had not been completed by the appointed day, had arrived at Casilinum before the news of the defeat; and when, with other Romans and allies joining them, they had set out from Casilinum and were marching in a fairly large body, the news of the battle of Cannae turned them back to Casilinum.
§23.17.10ibi cum dies aliquot suspecti Campanis timentesque cavendis ac struendis in vicem insidiis traduxissent, ut de Capuae defectione agi accipique Hannibalem satis pro certo habuere, interfectis nocte oppidanis partem urbis, quae cis Volturnum est — eo enim dividitur amni —, occupavere; §23.17.11idque praesidii Casilini habebant Romani.
There, having spent several days suspected by the Campanians and themselves fearing them, in mutually guarding against and plotting conspiracies, as soon as they held it for sufficiently certain that the defection of Capua was being negotiated and that Hannibal was being received, they slew the townsfolk by night and occupied that part of the city which is on this side of the Volturnus—for it is divided by that river—; and this was the garrison that the Romans held at Casilinum.
additur et Perusina cohors, homines quadringenti sexaginta, eodem nuntio, quo Praenestini paucos ante dies, Casilinum conpulsi.
Added to this was also a Perusian cohort of four hundred and sixty men, driven to Casilinum by the same news a few days before the Praenestines.
§23.17.12et satis ferme armatorum ad tam exigua moenia et flumine altera parte cincta tuenda erat; penuria frumenti, nimium etiam ut videretur hominum, efficiebat.
And indeed, there were almost enough armed men to defend walls so small and surrounded on one side by the river; but the scarcity of grain made the number of men seem even too great.