§25.40.1dum haec in Hispania geruntur, Marcellus captis Syracusis, cum cetera in Sicilia tanta fide atque integritate composuisset, ut non modo suam gloriam sed etiam maiestatem populi Romani augeret, ornamenta urbis, signa tabulasque, quibus abundabant Syracusae, Romam devexit, hostium quidem illa spolia et parta belli iure; §25.40.2ceterum inde primum initium mirandi Graecarum artium opera licentiaeque huic sacra profanaque omnia vulgo spoliandi factum est, quae postremo in Romanos deos, templum id ipsum primum, quod a Marcello eximie ornatum est, vertit.
While these things were being done in Spain, Marcellus, having captured Syracuse, after he had settled the other affairs in Sicily with such good faith and integrity that he increased not only his own glory but also the majesty of the Roman people, carried away to Rome the ornaments of the city, statues and paintings, with which Syracuse abounded—spoils of the enemy indeed, and acquired by the right of war; but from that began the first origin of admiring the works of Greek art, and of this license of plundering everywhere all things sacred and profane, which finally turned against the Roman gods, and first of all against that very temple which was exquisitely adorned by Marcellus.
§25.40.3visebantur enim ab externis ad portam Capenam dedicata a. M. Marcello templa propter excellentia eius generis ornamenta, quorum perexigua pars comparet.
For the temples dedicated at the Capena gate by Marcus Marcellus used to be visited by foreigners on account of the excellent ornaments of that kind, of which a very small part now appears.
§25.40.4legationes omnium ferme civitatium Siciliae ad eum conueniebant.
Deputations from almost all the states of Sicily came to him.
dispar ut causa earum, ita condicio erat.
As their causes were different, so was their condition.
qui ante captas Syracusas aut non desciverant aut redierant in amicitiam, ut socii fideles accepti cultique; quos metus post captas Syracusas dediderat, ut victi a victore leges acceperunt.
Those who before the capture of Syracuse had either not revolted or had returned to friendship, were received and treated as faithful allies; those whom fear had surrendered after the capture of Syracuse, received terms as the vanquished from the victor.
§25.40.5erant tamen haud parvae reliquiae belli circa Agrigentum Romanis, Epicydes et Hanno duces reliqui prioris belli et tertius novus ab Hannibale in locum Hippocratis missus, Libyphoenicum generis Hippacritanus — Muttinen populares vocabant —, vir inpiger et sub Hannibale magistro omnis belli artes edoctus.
Yet there remained no small remnants of the war for the Romans around Agrigentum: Epicydes and Hanno, the remaining leaders of the former war, and a third, a new one, sent by Hannibal in place of Hippocrates, a man of the Libyphoenician race, a native of Hippacra—his countrymen called him Muttines—, an active man and thoroughly instructed in all the arts of war under the master Hannibal.
§25.40.6huic ab Epicyde et Hannone Numidae dati auxiliares, cum quibus ita pervagatus est hostium agros, ita socios ad retinendos in fide animos eorum ferendo in tempore cuique auxilium adiit, §25.40.7ut brevi tempore totam Siciliam impleret nominis sui, nec spes alia maior apud faventis rebus Carthaginiensium esset.
To him, Numidians were given as auxiliaries by Epicydes and Hanno, with whom he so thoroughly traversed the lands of the enemy, and so visited the allies to keep their minds in allegiance by bringing aid to each in due time, that in a short time he filled all Sicily with his name, nor was there any other greater hope among those who favored the cause of the Carthaginians.
§25.40.8itaque inclusi ad id tempus moenibus Agrigenti dux Poenus Syracusanusque non consilio Muttinis quam fiducia magis ausi egredi extra muros ad Himeram amnem posuerunt castra.
Therefore, the Carthaginian and the Syracusan commanders, who until that time had been shut up within the walls of Agrigentum, daring to go outside the walls more from confidence in Muttines than by his advice, pitched their camp near the river Himera.
§25.40.9quod ubi perlatum ad Marcellum est, extemplo copias movit et ab hoste quattuor ferme milium intervallo consedit, quid agerent pararentve, expectaturus.
When this was reported to Marcellus, he immediately moved his forces and encamped at a distance of about four miles from the enemy, intending to wait and see what they were doing or preparing.
§25.40.10sed nullum neque locum neque tempus cunctationi consiliove dedit Muttines, transgressus amnem ac stationibus hostium cum ingenti terrore ac tumultu invectus.
But Muttines allowed no time or place for hesitation or counsel, having crossed the river and charged into the outposts of the enemy with great terror and confusion.
§25.40.11postero die prope iusto proelio compulit hostis intra munimenta.
On the following day, in an almost regular battle, he drove the enemy within their fortifications.
inde revocatus seditione Numidarum in castris facta, cum trecenti ferme eorum Heracleam Minoam concessissent, ad mitigandos revocandosque eos profectus magno opere monuisse duces dicitur, ne absente se cum hoste manus consererent.
Being recalled from there because a mutiny of the Numidians had broken out in the camp, since about three hundred of them had gone off to Heraclea Minoa, he set out to pacify and recall them, and is said to have earnestly warned the commanders not to engage with the enemy during his absence.
§25.40.12id ambo aegre passi duces, magis Hanno, iam ante anxius gloria eius: Muttinem sibi modum facere, degenerem Afrum imperatori Carthaginiensi misso ab senatu populoque? §25.40.13is perpulit cunctantem Epicyden, ut transgressi flumen in aciem exirent: nam si Muttinem opperirentur, et secunda pugnae fortuna evenisset, haud dubie Muttinis gloriam fore.
Both commanders took this ill, but Hanno more so, who was already anxious about his glory: "Was Muttines to prescribe a limit to him, a degenerate African to a Carthaginian commander sent by the senate and the people?" He persuaded the hesitating Epicydes to cross the river and go out into line of battle; for if they waited for Muttines, and a favorable fortune of battle should occur, the glory would undoubtedly be Muttines'.