§24.45.1in ea castra Dasius Altinius Arpinus clam nocte cum tribus servis venit promittens, si sibi praemio foret, se Arpos proditurum esse.
Dasius Altinius of Arpi came secretly by night with three slaves to that camp, promising that, if there should be a reward for him, he would betray Arpi.
§24.45.2eam rem ad consilium cum rettulisset Fabius, aliis pro transfuga verberandus necandusque videri ancipitis animi communis hostis, qui post Cannensem cladem, tamquam cum fortuna fidem stare oporteret, ad Hannibalem descisset traxissetque ad defectionem Arpos; §24.45.3tum, quoniam res Romana contra spem votaque eius velut resurgere ab stirpibus videatur, novam referre proditionem proditis polliceatur, aliunde stet semper, aliunde sentiat, infidus socius, vanus hostis; ad Faleriorum Pyrrhique proditorem tertium transfugis id documentum esset.
When Fabius had referred this matter to the council, to some it seemed that, as a deserter, this common enemy of wavering mind ought to be scourged and put to death, since after the disaster of Cannae, as if it were proper that loyalty should stand only with fortune, he had gone over to Hannibal and dragged Arpi into defection; now, because the Roman power seemed to rise again, as it were, from its roots contrary to his hope and prayers, he promised to deliver a new betrayal to those he had betrayed, always standing on one side but feeling with the other, an unfaithful ally, a worthless enemy; alongside the betrayers of Falerii and Pyrrhus, this should be a third warning to deserters.
§24.45.4contra ea consulis pater Fabius temporum oblitos homines in medio ardore belli, tamquam in pace, libera de quoque arbitria agere aiebat, §24.45.5ut, cum illud potius agendum atque cogitandum sit, si quo modo fieri possit, ne qui socii a populo Romano desciscant et novi concilientur, documentum autem dicatur statui oportere, si quis resipiscat et antiquam societatem respiciat quod si abire ab Romanis liceat, §24.45.6redire ad eos non liceat, cui dubium esse, quin brevi desperata ab sociis Romana res foederibus Punicis omnia in Italia iuncta visuri sint?
Against this, the consul's father, Fabius, said that men, forgetting the times, were exercising free judgment about each matter in the midst of the heat of war, as if in peace, so that, while it ought rather to be acted upon and thought of, if in any way it could be done, that no allies should revolt from the Roman people and new ones should be won over, yet it was said that an example must be set if anyone should repent and look back to the ancient alliance; but if it were permitted to depart from the Romans, yet not permitted to return to them, who could doubt that they would soon see the Roman state, despaired of by the allies, joined with Punic treaties throughout all Italy?
§24.45.7se autem non eum esse, qui Altinio fidei quicquam censeat habendum, sed mediam secuturum consilii viam.
He himself, however, was not one who thought that any trust should be placed in Altinius, but he would follow a middle course of counsel.
§24.45.8neque enim pro hoste neque pro socio in praesentia habitum libera custodia haud procul a castris placere in aliqua fida civitate eum servari per belli tempus: perpetrate bello tum consultandum, utrum prior defectio plus merita sit poenae, an hic reditus veniae.
For it was his opinion that he should be kept during the war in some loyal city not far from the camp under free custody, being treated in the meantime neither as an enemy nor as an ally; when the war was finished, it should then be deliberated whether his former defection deserved more punishment or this return deserved more pardon.
§24.45.9Fabio adsensum est, Calenisque legatis traditus et ipse et comites; et auri satis magnum pondus, quod secum attulerat, ei servari iussum.
Fabius was agreed with, and both he himself and his companions were delivered to the envoys of Cales; and a sufficiently large weight of gold, which he had brought with him, was ordered to be kept for him.
§24.45.10Calibus eum interdiu solutum custodes sequebantur, nocte clausum adservabant.
At Cales, guards followed him by day while he was at large, and guarded him locked up by night.
§24.45.11Arpis domi primum desiderari quaerique est coeptus; dein fama per totam urbem volgata tumultum ut principe amisso fecit, metuque rerum novarum extemplo nuntii missi.
At Arpi, he first began to be missed and searched for at home; then, the rumor being spread through the whole city, it caused a tumult as if a leader had been lost, and from fear of revolution messengers were immediately sent.
§24.45.12quibus nequaquam offensus Poenus, quia et ipsum ut ambiguae fidei virum suspectum iam pridem habebat et causam nactus erat tam ditis hominis bona possidendi vendendique; §24.45.13ceterum, ut irae magis quam avaritiae datum crederent homines, crudelitatem quoque ad aviditatem addidit, coniugemque eius ac liberos in castra accitos, §24.45.14quaestione prius habita primum de fuga Altini, dein, quantum auri argentique domi relictum esset, satis cognitis omnibus vivos combussit.
The Carthaginian was by no means offended by these, because he had long suspected the man himself as being of doubtful loyalty and had found an occasion for seizing and selling the property of so rich a man; but, so that men might believe it was given to anger rather than to greed, he added cruelty also to his avarice, and having summoned his wife and children to the camp, after holding an inquiry first about the flight of Altinius, and then about how much gold and silver had been left at home, when all things were sufficiently known, he burned them alive.