§24.3.1urbs Croto murum in circuitu patentem duodecim milia passuum habuit ante Pyrrhi in Italiam adventum.
The city of Croton had a wall extending twelve miles in circumference before the arrival of Pyrrhus in Italy.
§24.3.2post vastitatem eo bello factam vix pars dimidia habitabatur: flumen, quod medio oppido fluxerat, extra frequentia tectis loca praeterfluebat, et arx erat procul eis, quae habitabantur.
After the devastation caused by that war, scarcely half the area was inhabited; the river, which had flowed through the middle of the town, now flowed outside the densely populated areas, and the citadel was far from those places which were inhabited.
§24.3.3sex milia aberat ab urbe nobile templum, ipsa urbe nobilius, Laciniae Iunonis, sanctum omnibus circa populis.
Six miles away from the city was a famous temple, more famous than the city itself, dedicated to Lacinian Juno, sacred to all the surrounding peoples.
§24.3.4lucus ibi frequenti silva et proceris abietis arboribus saeptus laeta in medio pascua habuit, ubi omnis generis sacrum deae pecus pascebatur sine ullo pastore; §24.3.5separatimque greges sui cuiusque generis nocte remeabant ad stabula, numquam insidiis ferarum, non fraude violati hominum.
A grove there, enclosed by dense woods and tall fir trees, had rich pastures in its center, where sacred cattle of every kind belonging to the goddess grazed without any shepherd; and the herds of each kind returned separately to their stalls at night, never harmed by the ambushes of wild beasts nor by the treachery of men.
§24.3.6magni igitur fructus ex eo pecore capti columnaque inde aurea solida facta et sacrata est; inclitumque templum divitiis etiam, non tantum sanctitate fuit.
Therefore, great profits were derived from that cattle, and from them a solid golden column was made and consecrated; and the temple was famous for its wealth as well, not only for its sanctity.
§24.3.7ac miracula aliqua adfingunt, ut plerumque tam insignibus locis.
And they fabricate some miracles, as is usually the case in such distinguished places.
fama est aram esse in vestibulo templi, cuius cinerem nullus umquam moveat ventus.
There is a story that there is an altar in the vestibule of the temple, the ash of which no wind ever moves.
§24.3.8sed arx Crotonis una parte imminens mari, altera vergente in agrum, situ tantum naturali quondam munita, postea et muro cincta est, qua per aversas rupes ab Dionysio Siciliae tyranno per dolum fuerat capta.
But the citadel of Croton, hanging over the sea on one side and sloping toward the countryside on the other, once fortified only by its natural situation, was afterwards also surrounded by a wall on the side where it had been captured through guile by Dionysius, the tyrant of Sicily, via the cliffs at the rear.
§24.3.9ea tum arce satis, ut videbatur, tuta Crotoniatum optimates tenebant se, circumsedente cum Bruttiis eos etiam plebe sua.
In that citadel, which then seemed secure enough, the nobles of the Crotoniates held their ground, while even their own common people, along with the Bruttians, besieged them.
§24.3.10postremo Bruttii, cum suis viribus inexpugnabilem viderent arcem, coacti necessitate Hannonis auxilium inplorant.
Finally, when the Bruttians saw that the citadel was impregnable by their own strength, forced by necessity, they implored Hanno's help.
§24.3.11is his condicionibus ad deditionem compellere Crotoniates conatus, ut coloniam Bruttiorum eo deduci antiquamque frequentiam recipere vastam ac desertam bellis urbem paterentur, omnium neminem praeter Aristomachum movit.
He tried to force the Crotoniates to surrender on these conditions: that they should allow a colony of Bruttians to be led there, and that the city, devastated and deserted by wars, should regain its ancient populousness; but he moved no one of them all except Aristomachus.
§24.3.12morituros se adfirmabant citius quam inmixti Bruttiis in alienos ritus, mores legesque ac mox linguam etiam verterentur.
They declared that they would die sooner than, mixed with the Bruttians, change to foreign rites, customs, laws, and soon even language.
§24.3.13Aristomachus unus quando nec suadendo ad deditionem satis valebat nec, sicut urbem prodiderat, locum prodendae arcis inveniebat, transfugit ad Hannonem.
Since Aristomachus alone neither had enough influence in persuading them to surrender nor, as he had betrayed the city, could find an opportunity to betray the citadel, he fled to Hanno.
§24.3.14Locrenses brevi post legati, cum permissu Hannonis arcem intrassent, persuadent, ut traduci se Locros paterentur nec ultima experiri vellent.
Shortly afterwards, Locrian ambassadors, having entered the citadel with Hanno's permission, persuaded them to allow themselves to be transferred to Locri and not to wish to experience the worst.
§24.3.15iam hoc ut sibi liceret, impetraverant et ab Hannibale missis ad id ipsum legatis.
They had already obtained permission for this even from Hannibal, having sent ambassadors for this very purpose.
ita Crotone excessum est, deductique Crotoniatae ad mare naves conscendunt.
Thus Croton was evacuated, and the Crotoniates, being led down to the sea, boarded the ships.
§24.3.16Locros omnis multitudo abeunt. — in Apulia ne hiems quidem quieta inter Romanos atque Hannibalem erat.
The entire multitude departed for Locri. — In Apulia, not even the winter was quiet between the Romans and Hannibal.
Luceriae Sempronius consul, Hannibal haud procul Arpis hibernabat.
The consul Sempronius was wintering at Luceria, and Hannibal not far from Arpi.
§24.3.17inter eos levia proelia ex occasione aut opportunitate huius aut illius partis oriebantur, meliorque eis Romanus et in dies cautior tutiorque ab insidiis fiebat.
Between them, light battles arose as occasion or opportunity offered for one side or the other, and in these the Roman was becoming better, and day by day more cautious and safer from ambushes.