§24.35.1interim Marcellus cum tertia fere parte exercitus ad recipiendas urbes profectus, quae in motu rerum ad Carthaginienses defecerant, Helorum atque Herbesum dedentibus ipsis recepit,
Meanwhile, Marcellus, having set out with about a third part of his army to recover the cities which in the confusion of affairs had defected to the Carthaginians, recovered Helorus and Herbesus, as they themselves surrendered.
§24.35.2Megara vi capta diruit ac diripuit ad reliquorum ac maxime Syracusanorum terrorem.
Megara, captured by force, he demolished and plundered, to the terror of the rest and especially of the Syracusans.
§24.35.3per idem fere tempus et Himilco, qui ad Pachyni promunturium classem diu tenuerat, ad Heracleam, quam vocant Minoam, quinque et viginti milia peditum, tria equitum, duodecim elephantos exposuit, nequaquam cum quantis copiis ante tenuerat ad Pachynum classem.
About the same time, Himilco, who had long kept his fleet at the promontory of Pachynus, landed at Heraclea, which they call Minoa, twenty-five thousand infantry, three thousand cavalry, and twelve elephants, with forces by no means of the same size as those with which he had previously held the fleet at Pachynus.
§24.35.4sed, postquam ab Hippocrate occupatae Syracusae erant, profectus Carthaginem adiutusque ibi et ab legatis Hippocratis et litteris Hannibalis, qui venisse tempus aiebat Siciliae per summum decus repetendae, §24.35.5et ipse haud vanus praesens monitor facile perpulerat, ut quantae maximae possent peditum equitumque copiae in Siciliam traicerentur.
But, after Syracuse had been occupied by Hippocrates, having set out for Carthage, and being aided there both by the envoys of Hippocrates and by a letter from Hannibal, who said that the time had come for recovering Sicily with the greatest glory, and being himself no uninfluential adviser present in person, he easily persuaded them that the largest possible forces of infantry and cavalry should be transported into Sicily.
§24.35.6adveniens Heracliam, intra paucos inde dies Agrigentum recepit; aliarumque civitatium, quae partis Carthaginiensium erant, adeo accensae sunt spes ad pellendos Sicilia Romanos, ut postremo etiam qui obsidebantur Syracusis animos sustulerint.
Arriving at Heraclea, within a few days from there he recovered Agrigentum; and the hopes of the other states which were on the side of the Carthaginians were so kindled for driving the Romans out of Sicily, that finally even those who were being besieged in Syracuse raised their spirits.
§24.35.7et parte copiarum satis defendi urbem posse rati ita inter se munera belli partiti sunt, ut Epicydes praeesset custodiae urbis, Hippocrates Himilconi coniunctus bellum adversus consulem Romanum gereret.
And thinking that the city could be sufficiently defended by a part of the forces, they so divided the duties of the war among themselves, that Epicydes should command the defense of the city, while Hippocrates, united with Himilco, should wage war against the Roman consul.
§24.35.8cum decem milibus peditum, quingentis equitibus nocte per intermissa custodiis loca profectus castra circa Acrillas urbem ponebat.
Having set out by night with ten thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry through places left unguarded by the sentries, he began to pitch his camp around the city of Acrillae.
§24.35.9munientibus supervenit Marcellus ab Agrigento iam occupato, cum frustra eo praevenire hostem festinans tetendisset, rediens, nihil minus ratus quam illo tempore ac loco Syracusanum sibi exercitum obvium fore;
As they were fortifying their camp, Marcellus came upon them, returning from Agrigentum, which was already occupied, after having hastened thither in vain to forestall the enemy, and thinking of nothing less than that a Syracusan army would encounter him at that time and place.
§24.35.10sed tamen metu Himilconis Poenorumque, ut quibus nequaquam eis copiis, quas habebat, par esset, quam poterat maxime intentus atque agmine ad omnes casus composito ibat.
But yet, through fear of Himilco and the Carthaginians, since he was by no means a match for them with the forces which he had, he was marching as alert as possible and with his column formed for all emergencies.