§25.24.1iam mille armatorum muri ceperant partem, cum ceterae admotae sunt copiae pluribusque scalis in murum evadebant signo ab Hexapylo dato, §25.24.2quo per ingentem solitudinem erat perventum, quia magna pars in turribus epulati aut sopiti vino erant aut semigraves potabant paucos tamen eorum inproviso oppresses in cubilibus interfecerunt.
Already a thousand of the armed men had occupied a part of the wall, when suddenly the other forces were brought up and were climbing onto the wall with more ladders, a signal having been given from the Hexapylon, which had been reached through a vast solitude, because a large part in the towers had feasted or were lulled to sleep by wine, or, half-drunk, were still drinking; nevertheless, they killed a few of them, surprised unexpectedly in their beds.
§25.24.3prope Hexapylon est portula; ea magna vi refringi coepta et e muro ex composito tuba datum signum erat et iam undique non furtim, sed vi aperte gerebatur res.
Near the Hexapylon was a small gate; this began to be broken open with great force, and from the wall, according to agreement, a signal had been given by trumpet, and now on all sides the business was being carried on openly by force, not stealthily.
§25.24.4quippe ad Epipolas, frequentem custodiis locum, perventum erat, terrendique magis hostes erant quam fallendi, sicut territi sunt.
For indeed they had arrived at Epipolae, a place crowded with guards, and the enemy had to be terrified rather than deceived, as indeed they were terrified.
§25.24.5nam simulac tubarum est auditus cantus clamorque tenentium muros partemque urbis, omnia teneri custodes rati alii per murum fugere, alii salire de muro praecipitarique turba paventium.
For as soon as the sound of the trumpets and the shout of those holding the walls and a part of the city was heard, the guards, thinking that everything was occupied, some fled along the wall, others leaped down from the wall and were thrown headlong in a crowd of terrified men.
§25.24.6magna pars tamen ignara tanti mali erat et gravatis omnibus vino somnoque et in vastae magnitudinis urbe partium sensu non satis pertinente in omnia.
A large part, however, was ignorant of so great a disaster, both because all were heavy with wine and sleep, and because in a city of vast size the perception of the parts did not sufficiently extend to the whole.
§25.24.7sub lucem Hexapylo effracto Marcellus omnibus copiis urbem ingressus excitavit convertitque omnes ad arma capienda opemque, si quam possent, iam captae prope urbi ferendam.
Toward dawn, the Hexapylon having been broken open, Marcellus, having entered the city with all his forces, aroused and turned everyone to taking up arms and bringing help, if they could offer any, to the city which was already almost captured.
§25.24.8Epicydes ab Insula, quam ipsi Nason vocant, citato profectus agmine, haud dubius, quin paucos per neglegentiam custodum transgressos murum expulsurus foret, §25.24.9occurrentibus pavidis, tumultum augere eos dictitans et maiora ac terribiliora vero adferre, postquam conspexit omnia circa Epipolas armis conpleta, lacessito tantum hoste paucis missilibus retro in Achradinam agmen convertit, §25.24.10non tam vim multitudinemque hostium metuens, quam ne qua intestina fraus per occasionem oreretur clausasque inter tumultum Achradinae atque Insulae inveniret portas.
Epicydes, having set out with a rapid march from the Island, which they themselves call Nasos, was not doubting but that he would drive out a few who had climbed over the wall through the negligence of the guards; as he met the panicked people, repeatedly telling them that they were increasing the uproar and reporting things greater and more terrible than the truth, after he saw that everything around Epipolae was filled with arms, having merely harassed the enemy with a few missiles, he turned his column back into Achradina, fearing not so much the force and multitude of the enemy, as lest some internal treachery should arise because of the opportunity, and he should find the gates of Achradina and of the Island closed amidst the tumult.
§25.24.11Marcellus ut moenia ingressus ex superioribus locis urbem omnium ferme illa tempestate pulcherrimam subiectam oculis vidit, inlacrimasse dicitur partim gaudio tantae perpetratae rei, partim vetusta gloria urbis.
When Marcellus, having entered the walls, saw from the higher places the city, almost the most beautiful of all at that time, spread out before his eyes, he is said to have wept, partly from joy at so great an achievement accomplished, partly from the ancient glory of the city.
§25.24.12Atheniensium classes demersae et duo ingentes exercitus cum duobus clarissimis ducibus deleti occurrebant et tot bella cum Carthaginiensibus tanto cum discrimine gesta, §25.24.13tot tam opulenti tyranni regesque, praeter ceteros Hiero cum recentissimae memoriae rex, tum ante omnia, quae virtus ei fortunaque sua dederat, beneficiis in populum Romanum insignis.
The sunken Athenian fleets and two huge armies destroyed along with two most famous generals came to his mind, and so many wars waged with the Carthaginians with such great risk, so many and so wealthy tyrants and kings, and especially Hiero, a king of very recent memory, and above all that his own courage and fortune had given him, distinguished for his services to the Roman people.
§25.24.14ea cum universa occurrerent animo subiretque cogitatio, iam illa momento horae arsura omnia et ad cineres reditura, priusquam signa Achradinam admoveret, §25.24.15praemittit Syracusanos, qui intra praesidia Romana, ut ante dictum est, fuerant, ut adloquio leni inpellerent hostis ad dedendam urbem.
When all these things occurred to his mind, and the thought entered that soon, in a moment of an hour, all those things would burn and turn to ashes, before he moved his standards toward Achradina, he sent ahead the Syracusans who, as was said before, had been within the Roman lines, so that with gentle speech they might urge the enemy to surrender the city.