§25.11.1postero die ad oppugnandam arcem ducit; quam cum et a maria, quo in paeneinsulae modum pars maior circumluitur, praealtis rupibus et ab ipsa urbe muro et fossa ingenti saeptam videret eoque nec vi nec operibus expugnabilem esse, §25.11.2ne aut se ipsum cura tuendi Tarentinos a maioribus rebus moraretur, aut in relictos sine valido praesidio Tarentinos impetus ex arce, cum vellent, Romani facerent, vallo urbem ab arce intersaepire statuit non sine illa etiam spe, §25.11.3cum prohibentibus opus Romanis manum posse conseri et, si ferocius procucurrissent, magna caede ita attenuari praesidii vires, ut facile per se ipsi Tarentini urbem ab iis tueri possent.
On the following day he leads his troops to attack the citadel; which since he saw was enclosed both by very high cliffs from the sea, by which its greater part is washed around in the manner of a peninsula, and from the city itself by a wall and a huge ditch, and therefore could not be taken either by force or by siege-works, lest either the care of defending the Tarentines should delay himself from greater enterprises, or the Romans from the citadel should make an attack, whenever they wished, upon the Tarentines left without a strong garrison, he decided to shut off the city from the citadel with a rampart, not without that hope also, that, while the Romans were trying to prevent the work, battle could be joined, and, if they should sally forth too fiercely, the strength of the garrison would be so thinned by great slaughter that the Tarentines by themselves could easily defend the city against them.
§25.11.4ubi coeptum opus est, patefacta repente porta impetum in munientis fecerunt Romani pellique se statio passa est, quae pro opere erat, ut successu cresceret audacia pluresque et longius pulsos persequerentur.
When the work was begun, a gate being suddenly opened, the Romans made an attack on those building the fortifications, and the guard post which was in front of the work allowed itself to be driven back, so that their confidence might grow with success, and they might pursue them in greater numbers and driven further.
§25.11.5tum signo dato coorti undique Poeni sunt, quos instructos ad hoc Hannibal tenuerat.
Then, upon a given signal, the Carthaginians, whom Hannibal had kept drawn up for this very purpose, arose from all sides.
nec sustinuere impetum Romani, sed ab effusa fuga loci angustiae eos impeditaque alia opere iam coepto, alia apparatu operis morabantur.
Nor did the Romans withstand their onset, but in their headlong flight they were delayed by the narrowness of the place, and obstructed partly by the work already begun, partly by the apparatus for the work.
§25.11.6plurimi in fossam praecipitavere, occisique sunt plures in fuga quam in pugna.
Very many threw themselves headlong into the ditch, and more were killed in flight than in battle.
§25.11.7inde opus nullo prohibente fieri coeptum: fossa ingens ducta, et vallum intra eam erigitur; modicoque post intervallo murum etiam eadem regione addere parat, ut vel sine praesidio tueri se adversus Romanos possent.
Thereupon the work began to be carried out with no one opposing: a huge ditch was dug, and a rampart was erected inside it; and a short interval after, he also prepares to add a wall in the same region, so that even without a garrison they might be able to defend themselves against the Romans.
§25.11.8reliquit tamen modicum praesidium, simul ut in perficiendo muro adiuvaret.
He nevertheless left a moderate garrison, at the same time to help in completing the wall.
ipse profectus cum ceteris copiis ad Galaesum flumen — quinque milia ab urbe abest — posuit castra.
He himself, having set out with the rest of the forces to the river Galaesus — it is five miles from the city — pitched camp.
§25.11.9ex his stativis regressus ad inspiciendum, quod opus aliquantum opinione eius celerius creverat, spem cepit etiam arcem expugnari posse.
Returning from this stationary camp to inspect the work, which had grown considerably faster than his expectation, he conceived hope that the citadel also could be taken.
et est non altitudine, ut cetera, tuta, sed loco plano posita et ab urbe muro tantum ac fossa divisa.
For indeed it was not protected by height, like other parts, but situated on a flat place and divided from the city only by a wall and a ditch.
cum iam machinationum omni genere §25.11.10et operibus oppugnaretur, missum a Metaponto praesidium Romanis fecit animum, ut nocte ex inproviso opera hostium invaderent.
When now with every kind of engines and works it was being attacked, a garrison sent from Metapontum gave spirit to the Romans to attack the enemy's works by night unexpectedly.
alia disiecerunt, alia igni corruperunt.
Some they demolished, others they destroyed with fire.
isque finis Hannibali fuit ea parte arcem oppugnandi.
And that was the end for Hannibal of attacking the citadel on that side.
§25.11.11reliqua erat in obsidione spes nec ea satis efficax, quia arcem tenentes, quae in paeneinsula posita imminet faucibus portus, mare liberum habebant, urbs contra exclusa maritimis commeatibus propiusque inopiam erant obsidentes quam obsessi.
The remaining hope lay in a blockade, and that was not very effective, because those holding the citadel, which, situated on a peninsula, overlooks the mouth of the harbor, had the sea open, while on the contrary the city was shut out from maritime provisions, and the besiegers were closer to want than the besieged.
§25.11.12Hannibal convocatis principibus Tarentinis omnes praesentis difficultates exposuit: neque arcis tam munitae expugnandae cernere viam neque in obsidione quicquam habere spei, donec mari hostes potiantur.
Hannibal, having called together the chief men of the Tarentines, explained all the present difficulties: that he saw no way of taking so fortified a citadel, nor had he any hope in a blockade, as long as the enemy were masters of the sea.
§25.11.13quod si naves sint, quibus commeatus invehi prohibeat, extemplo aut arce cessuros aut dedituros se hostis.
But if there were ships, with which he might prevent provisions from being brought in, the enemy would immediately either withdraw from the citadel or surrender themselves.
§25.11.14adsentiebantur Tarentini; ceterum ei, qui consilium adferret, opem quoque in eam rem adferendam censebant esse.
The Tarentines agreed; but they thought that to him who brought the counsel, help must also be brought for that matter.
§25.11.15Punicas enim naves ex Sicilia accitas id posse facere; suas, quae sinu exiguo intus inclusae essent, cum claustra portus hostis haberet, quem ad modum inde in apertum mare evasuras?
For Carthaginian ships summoned from Sicily could do this; as for their own, which were shut up inside in a small bay, since the enemy held the mouth of the harbor, how were they to escape from there into the open sea?
§25.11.16“evadent” inquit Hannibal; “multa, quae inpedita natura sunt, consilio expediuntur.
"They will escape," said Hannibal; "many things which are obstructed by nature are cleared by counsel.
urbem in campo sitam habetis.
You have a city situated on a plain.
planae et satis latae viae patent in omnis partis.
Flat and wide enough streets lie open in all directions.
§25.11.17via, quae e portu per mediam urbem ad mare transmissa est, plaustris transveham naves haud magna mole.
By the street which runs across from the harbor through the middle of the city to the sea, I will transport the ships on wagons with no great trouble.
et mare nostrum erit, quo nunc hostes potiuntur; et illinc mari, hinc terra circumsedebimus arcem, immo brevi aut relictam ab hostibus aut cum ipsis hostibus capiemus. ” §25.11.18haec oratio non spem modo effectus sed ingentem etiam ducis admirationem fecit.
And the sea, which the enemy now possess, will be ours; and from that side by sea, from this by land, we will besiege the citadel; nay, shortly we shall capture it, either abandoned by the enemy or along with the enemy themselves." This speech produced not only hope of success but also immense admiration for the general.
contracta extemplo undique plaustra iunctaque inter se, et machinae ad subducendas naves admotae munitumque iter, quo faciliora plaustra minorque moles in transitu esset.
Wagons were immediately collected from all sides and joined together, and machines were brought up to draw up the ships, and the road was paved, so that the wagons might pass more easily and there might be less trouble in transit.
§25.11.19iumenta inde et homines contracti, et opus inpigre coeptum; paucosque post dies classis instructa ac parata circumvehitur arcem et ante os — ipsum portus ancoras iacit.
Beasts of burden and men were then collected, and the work was begun with energy; and a few days later, the fleet, equipped and ready, sails around the citadel and casts anchor before the very mouth of the harbor.
§25.11.20hunc statum rerum Han. nibal Tarenti relinquit regressus ipse in hiberna.
This state of affairs Hannibal leaves at Tarentum, having himself returned to winter quarters.
ceterum defectio Tarentinorum utrum priore anno an hoc facta sit, in diversum auctores trahunt.
However, whether the defection of the Tarentines took place in the previous year or in this one, authors draw in different directions.
plures propioresque aetate memoriae rerum hoc anno factam tradunt.
The majority and those closer in age to the memory of these events report that it occurred in this year.