§23.19.1ceterum mitescente iam hieme educto ex hibernis milite Casilinum redit, §23.19.2ubi, quamquam ab oppugnatione cessatum erat, obsidio tamen continua oppidanos praesidiumque ad ultimum inopiae adduxerat.
But, as the winter was now softening, having led the army out of winter quarters, Hannibal returned to Casilinum, where, although the assault had been suspended, a continuous siege had nevertheless brought the townspeople and the garrison to the extremity of want.
§23.19.3castris Romanis Ti.
Ti.
Sempronius praeerat dictatore auspiciorum repetendorum causa profecto Romam.
Sempronius was in command of the Roman camp, the dictator having set out for Rome for the purpose of taking the auspices anew.
§23.19.4Marcellum et ipsum cupientem ferre auxilium obsessis et Volturnus amnis inflatus aquis et preces Nolanorum Acerranorumque tenebant Campanos timentium, si praesidium Romanum abscessisset.
Both the Volturnus river, swollen with water, and the entreaties of the inhabitants of Nola and Acerrae, who feared the Campanians if the Roman garrison should withdraw, kept Marcellus back, although he himself also desired to bring aid to the besieged.
§23.19.5Gracchus adsidens tantum Casilino, quia praedictum erat dictatoris, ne quid absente eo rei gereret, nihil movebat, quamquam, quae facile omnem patientiam vincerent, nuntiabantur a Casilino: nam §23.19.6et praecipitasse se quosdam non tolerantes famem constabat, et stare inermes in muris nuda corpora ad missilium telorum ictus praebentes.
Gracchus, only sitting down near Casilinum, because there had been a command of the dictator that he should do nothing in his absence, made no move, although things that would easily overcome all patience were reported from Casilinum; for it was clear both that some, unable to endure the hunger, had thrown themselves down, and that they stood unarmed on the walls, exposing their bare bodies to the blows of missile weapons.
§23.19.7ea aegre patiens Gracchus, cum neque pugnam conserere dictatoris iniussu auderet — pugnandum autem esse, si palam frumentum inportaret, videbat — neque clam inportandi spes esset, §23.19.8farre ex agris circa undique convecto cum conplura dolia conplesset, nuntium ad magistratum Casilinum misit, ut exciperent dolia, quae amnis deferret.
Gracchus, bearing this with difficulty, since he neither dared to join battle without the dictator's order—and yet he saw that they must fight if he should bring in grain openly—nor was there any hope of bringing it in secretly, when he had filled several jars with wheat collected from all sides from the fields around, sent a messenger to the magistrate of Casilinum to receive the jars which the river would carry down.
§23.19.9insequenti nocte intentis omnibus in flumen ac spem ab nuntio Romano factam dolia medio missa amni defluxerunt; §23.19.10aequaliterque inter omnes frumentum divisum.
On the following night, while all were intent on the river and the hope held out by the Roman messenger, the jars, sent down the middle of the river, floated down; and the grain was divided equally among all.
id postero quoque die ac tertio factum est; nocte et mittebantur et perveniebant; eo custodias hostium fallebant.
This was done on the following day also and on the third; they were both sent and arrived by night; by this they deceived the guards of the enemy.
§23.19.11imbribus deinde continuis citatior solito amnis transverse vertice dolia impulit ad ripam, quam hostes servabant.
Then, owing to continuous rains, the river, swifter than usual, drove the jars sideways by its eddy to the bank which the enemy was guarding.
ibi haerentia inter obnata ripis salicta conspiciuntur, nuntiatumque Hannibali est, et deinde intentiore custodia cautum, ne quid falleret Volturno ad urbem missum.
There they were seen sticking among the willows growing on the banks, and it was reported to Hannibal; and thereafter, precaution was taken with stricter watch, lest anything sent down the Volturnus to the city should escape notice.
§23.19.12nuces tamen fusae ab Romanis castris, cum medio amni ad Casilinum defluerent, cratibus excipiebantur.
Yet walnuts, poured out from the Roman camp, when they floated down the middle of the river to Casilinum, were caught in wickerwork.
§23.19.13postremo ad id ventum inopiae est, ut lora detractasque scutis pelles, ubi fervida mollissent aqua, mandere conarentur nec muribus aliove animali abstinerent et omne herbarum radicumque genus aggeribus infimis muri eruerent.
Finally, they came to such a degree of want that they attempted to chew thongs and the hides stripped from their shields, when they had softened them in hot water, nor did they abstain from mice or any other animal, and they dug up every kind of herbs and roots from the lowest parts of the wall's ramparts.
§23.19.14et cum hostes obarassent, quidquid herbidi terreni extra murum erat, raporum semen iniecerunt, ut Hannibal “Eone usque, dum ea nascuntur, ad Casilinum sessurus sum?” exclamaret; §23.19.15et qui nullam antea pactionem auribus admiserat, tum demum agi secum est passus de redemptione liberorum capitum.
And when the enemy had ploughed up whatever grassy ground there was outside the wall, they sowed turnip seed, so that Hannibal exclaimed: "Am I to sit at Casilinum all the way until those grow?" and he who before had admitted no negotiation to his ears, then at last allowed himself to be treated with concerning the ransom of free persons.
§23.19.16septunces auri in singulos pretium convenit.
The price agreed upon was seven ounces of gold for each person.
fide accepta tradiderunt sese.
Having received a pledge, they surrendered themselves.
donec omne aurum persolutum est, in vinculis habiti; tum emissi summa cum fide.
Until all the gold was paid, they were kept in chains; then they were released with the utmost good faith.
§23.19.17id verius est quam ab equite in abeuntis inmisso interfectos.
This is more true than that they were killed by cavalry sent against them as they were departing.
Praenestini maxima pars fuere.
The Praenestines were the greatest part.
ex quingentis septuaginta, qui in praesidio fuerunt, minus dimidium ferrum famesque absumpsit; ceteri incolumes Praeneste cum praetore suo M. Anicio — scriba is antea fuerat — redierunt.
Out of five hundred and seventy who were in the garrison, less than half were consumed by sword and hunger; the rest returned safe to Praeneste with their praetor, M. Anicius, who had previously been a scribe.
§23.19.18statua eius indicio fuit Praeneste in foro statuta, loricata, amicta toga, velato capite, cum titulo lamnae aeneae inscripto, M. Anicium pro militibus, qui Casilini in praesidio fuerint, votum solvisse.
His statue was a proof, set up in the forum at Praeneste, armored, clad in a toga, with the head veiled, with an inscription on a bronze plate, that M. Anicius had paid his vow on behalf of the soldiers who had been in the garrison at Casilinum.
idem titulus tribus signis in aede Fortunae positis fuit subiectus.
The same inscription was placed under three statues set up in the temple of Fortuna.