§24.20.1quibus diebus a Casilino re bene gesta recessum est, eis Gracchus in Lucanis aliquot cohortes in ea regione conscriptas cum praefecto socium in agros hostium praedatum misit.
In those days when they retired from Casilinum after their successful operation, Gracchus sent some cohorts in Lucania, which had been enlisted in that region, with the prefect of the allies, into the territory of the enemy to plunder.
§24.20.2eos effuse palatos Hanno adortus haud multo minorem, quam ad Beneventum acceperat, reddidit hosti cladem atque in Bruttios raptim, ne Gracchus adsequeretur, concessit.
Hanno, having attacked them while they were scattered and plundering, inflicted upon the enemy a defeat not much less than the one he had received at Beneventum, and retired hastily into the territory of the Bruttii, lest Gracchus should overtake him.
§24.20.3consules Marcellus retro, unde venerat, Nolam rediit; Fabius in Samnites ad populandos agros recipiendasque armis quae defecerant urbes processit.
Of the consuls, Marcellus returned back to Nola, whence he had come; Fabius proceeded into Samnium to lay waste the lands and to recover by force of arms the cities which had revolted.
§24.20.4Caudinus Samnis gravius devastatus: perusti late agri, praedae pecudum hominumque actae; §24.20.5oppida vi capta Conpulteria, Telesia, Compsa inde; Fugifulae et Orbitanium ex Lucanis; Blanda et Apulorum Aecae oppugnatae.
The Caudine Samnites were more severely devastated: the fields were burned far and wide, and booty of cattle and men was driven off; the towns Compulteria, Telesia, and then Compsa were taken by force; next Fugifulae and Orbitanium from the Lucanians; Blanda and Aecae of the Apulians were besieged.
§24.20.6milia hostium in his urbibus viginti quinque capta aut occisa, et recepti perfugae trecenti septuaginta; quos cum Romam misisset consul, virgis in comitio caesi omnes ac de saxo deiecti.
Twenty-five thousand of the enemy were captured or killed in these cities, and three hundred and seventy deserters were recovered; when the consul had sent these to Rome, they were all beaten with rods in the comitium and thrown down from the rock.
§24.20.7haec a Q. Fabio intra paucos dies gesta.
These things were performed by Quintus Fabius within a few days.
Marcellum ab gerundis rebus valetudo adversa Nolae tenuit.
Adverse health detained Marcellus at Nola from active operations.
§24.20.8et a praetore Q. Fabio, cui circa Luceriam provincia erat, Acuca oppidum per eos dies vi captum stativaque ad Ardoneas communita.
And by the praetor Quintus Fabius, whose province was around Luceria, the town of Acuca was taken by force during those days, and a permanent camp was fortified near Ardoneas.
§24.20.9dum haec alia aliis locis, ab Romanis geruntur, iam Tarentum pervenerat Hannibal cum maxima omnium, quacumque ierat, clade; §24.20.10in Tarentino demum agro pacatur incedere agmen coepit.
While these things were being done by the Romans in different places, Hannibal had already arrived at Tarentum with the greatest destruction of all places through which he had passed; only when he was in the Tarentine territory did the column begin to march in a peaceful manner.
nihil ibi violatum neque usquam via excessum est; apparebatque non id modestia militum aut ducis *, sed ad conciliandos animos Tarentinorum fieri.
Nothing there was violated, nor did they anywhere depart from the road; and it was obvious that this was done, not through the moderation of the soldiers or the general, but to win over the minds of the Tarentines.
§24.20.11ceterum cum prope moenibus successisset nullo ad conspectum primum agminis, ut rebatur, motu facto castra ab urbe ferme passus mille locat.
However, when he had approached near the walls, and no movement was made at the first sight of the column, as he expected, he pitched his camp about a mile from the city.
§24.20.12Tarenti triduo ante, quam Hannibal ad moenia accederet, §24.20.13a M. Valerio propraetore, qui classi ad Brundisium praeerat, missus M. Livius inpigre conscripta iuventute dispositisque ad omnes portas circaque muros, qua res postulabat, stationibus die ac nocte iuxta intentus neque hostibus neque dubiis sociis loci quicquam praebuit ad temptandam vim.
At Tarentum, three days before Hannibal approached the walls, Marcus Livius, sent by Marcus Valerius the propraetor, who was in command of the fleet at Brundisium, having energetically enlisted the youth and stationed guards at all the gates and around the walls wherever circumstances required, and being equally intent day and night, gave no opportunity either to the enemy or to the doubtful allies for attempting force.
§24.20.14quare diebus aliquot frustra ibi absumptis Hannibal, cum eorum nemo, qui ad lacum Averni se adissent, §24.20.15aut ipsi venirent aut nuntium litterasve mitterent, vana promissa se temere secutum cernens castra inde movit, tum quoque intacto agro Tarentino, quamquam simulata lenitas nihildum profuerat, tamen spe labefactandae fidei haud absistens.
Therefore, after some days had been spent there in vain, Hannibal, since no one of those who had come to him at Lake Avernus either came themselves or sent any messenger or letter, seeing that he had rashly followed empty promises, moved his camp from there, even then leaving the Tarentine territory untouched, and although this feigned leniency had been of no use yet, he did not desist from the hope of shaking their loyalty.
Salapiam ut venit, frumentum ex agris Metapontino atque Heracleensi — iam enim aestas exacta erat et hibernis placebat locus — conportat.
When he came to Salapia, he collected corn from the territories of Metapontum and Heraclea—for summer was now over and the place pleased him for winter quarters.
§24.20.16praedatum inde Numidae Maurique per Sallentinum agrum proximosque Apuliae saltus dimissi, unde ceterae praedae haud multum, equorum greges maxime abacti, e quibus ad quattuor milia domanda equitibus divisa.
Thence the Numidians and Moors were sent out to plunder through the Sallentine territory and the neighboring pastures of Apulia, from which not much other booty but chiefly herds of horses were driven off, of which about four thousand were distributed among the cavalrymen to be tamed.