§24.13.1ad Hannibalem, cum ad lacum Averni esset, quinque nobiles iuvenes ab Tarento venerunt, partim ad Trasumennum lacum partim ad Cannas capti dimissique domos cum eadem comitate, qua usus adversus omnes Romanorum socios Poenus fuerat. §24.13.2ei memores beneficiorum eius perpulisse magnam partem se iuventutis Tarentinae referunt, ut Hannibalis amicitiam ac societatem quam populi Romani mallent, legatosque ab suis missos rogare Hannibalem, ut exercitum propius Tarentum admoveat. §24.13.3si signa eius, si castra conspecta a Tarento sint, haud ullam intercessuram woram, quin urbs in potestatem eius tradatur: in potestate iuniorum plebem, in manu plebis rem Tarentinam esse. §24.13.4Hannibal conlaudatos eos oneratosque ingentibus promissis domum ad coepta maturanda redire iubet: se in tempore adfuturum esse. §24.13.5hac cum spe dimissi Tarentini.
While Hannibal was at Lake Avernus, five noble young men came to him from Tarentum, who had been captured partly at Lake Trasumene, partly at Cannae, and had been sent home with the same courtesy which the Carthaginian had shown toward all the allies of the Romans. Keeping his kindness in mind, they reported that they had induced a large part of the Tarentine youth to prefer the friendship and alliance of Hannibal to that of the Roman people, and that envoys sent by their people were asking Hannibal to move his army closer to Tarentum. If his standards, if his camp should be seen from Tarentum, there would be no delay in the city being delivered into his power; for the common people were under the control of the younger men, and the Tarentine state was in the hands of the common people. Hannibal highly praised them and, loading them with vast promises, ordered them to return home to hasten their undertakings, saying that he would be there in due time. With this hope the Tarentines were dismissed.
ipsum ingens cupido incesserat Tarenti potiundi.
An intense desire to gain possession of Tarentum had seized Hannibal himself.
urbem esse videbat cum opulentam nobilemque tum maritimam et in Macedoniam opportune versam, regemque Philippum hunc portum, si transiret in Italiam, quoiarm Brundisium Romani haberent, petiturum. §24.13.6sacro inde perpetrato, ad quod venerat, et, dum ibi moratur, pervastato agro Cumano usque ad Miseni promunturium, Puteolos repente agmen convertit ad opprimendum praesidium Romanum. §24.13.7sex milia hominum erant, et locus munimento quoque, non natura modo tutus.
He saw that the city was not only wealthy and famous, but also maritime and conveniently situated facing Macedonia, and that King Philip, if he should cross over to Italy, would make for this port, since the Romans held Brundisium. Having then completed the sacrifice for which he had come, and, while delaying there, having thoroughly devastated the territory of Cumae as far as the promontory of Misenum, he suddenly turned his march toward Puteoli to overwhelm the Roman garrison. There were six thousand men, and the place was secure not only by nature but also by fortifications.
triduum ibi moratus Poenus ab omni parte temptato praesidio, deinde, ut nihil procedebat, ad populandum agrum Neapolitanum magis ira quam potiundae urbis spe processit. §24.13.8adventu eius in propinquum agrum mota Nolana est plebs, iam diu aversa ab Romanis et infesta senatui suo.
Having delayed there for three days and having assailed the garrison from every side, when no progress was being made, the Carthaginian proceeded to lay waste the territory of Neapolis, moved more by anger than by any hope of taking the city. By his arrival in the neighboring territory, the common people of Nola were excited, having already for a long time been alienated from the Romans and hostile to their own senate.
itaque legati ad arcessendum Hannibalem cum haud dubio promisso tradendae urbis venerunt. §24.13.9praevenit inceptum eorum Marcellus consul a primoribus accitus.
Therefore, envoys came to summon Hannibal, with an explicit promise of surrendering the city. The consul Marcellus, summoned by the leading men, forestalled their attempt.
die uno Suessulam a Calibus, cum Vulturnus amnis traicientem moratus esset, contenderat; §24.13.10inde proxima nocte sex milia peditum equites quingentos, qui praesidio senatui essent, Nolam intromisit. §24.13.11et uti a consule omnia inpigre facta sunt ad praeoccupandam Nolam, ita Hannibal tempus terebat, bis iam ante nequiquam temptata re segnior ad credendum Nolanis factus.
In a single day he had marched from Cales to Suessula, although the river Vulturnus had delayed him as he was crossing. From there, on the following night, he introduced into Nola six thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry to serve as a guard for the senate. And just as everything was done energetically by the consul to preoccupy Nola, so Hannibal was wasting time, having become more reluctant to believe the Nolans since he had already twice before attempted the matter in vain.