§27.12.1transactis omnibus, quae Romae agenda erant, consules ad bellum profecti.
All things that had to be done at Rome having been dispatched, the consuls set out for the war.
§27.12.2prior Fulvius praegressus Capuam; post paucos dies consecutus Fabius, qui et conlegam coram obtestatus et per litteras Marcellum, ut quam acerrimo bello detinerent Hannibalem, dum ipse Tarentum oppugnaret: §27.12.3ea urbe adempta hosti iam undique pulso, nec ubi consisteret nec quod fidum respiceret habenti, ne remorandi quidem causam in Italia fore.
Fulvius went ahead first to Capua; Fabius followed a few days later, who both in person entreated his colleague and by letter Marcellus to detain Hannibal in as active a war as possible while he himself was besieging Tarentum: if that city were taken from the enemy, who was now driven on all sides and had neither a place to stand nor anything reliable to look back to, there would not even be a reason for him to delay in Italy.
§27.12.4regium etiam nuntium mittit ad praefectum praesidii, quod ab Laevino consule adversus Bruttios ibi locatum erat, octo milia hominum, pars maxima ab Agathyrna, sicut ante dictum est, ex Sicilia traducta, rapto vivere hominum adsuetorum; §27.12.5additi erant Bruttiorum indidem perfugae, et audacia et audendi omnia necessitatibus pares.
He also sent a messenger to Regium, to the commander of the garrison which had been stationed there by the consul Laevinus against the Bruttians, consisting of eight thousand men, the greatest part brought over from Sicily from Agathyrna, as has been said before, men accustomed to live by plunder; to these had been added deserters of the Bruttians from the same place, equal both in audacity and in the necessities for daring anything.
§27.12.6hanc manum ad Bruttium primum agrum depopulandum duci iussit, inde ad Cauloniam urbem oppugnandam.
He ordered this band to be led first to ravage the Bruttian territory, and then to besiege the city of Caulonia.
imperata non inpigre solum sed etiam avide exsecuti direptis fugatisque cultoribus agri summa vi urbem oppugnabant.
Having executed the orders not only with alacrity but even with greed, and having plundered and routed the cultivators of the land, they were besieging the city with the utmost force.
§27.12.7Marcellus et consulis litteris excitus et quia ita induxerat in animum neminem ducem Romanum tam parem Hannibali quam se esse, ubi primum in agris pabuli copia fuit, ex hibernis profectus ad Canusium Hannibali occurrit.
Marcellus, both excited by the consul's letter and because he had so persuaded himself that no Roman general was so equal to Hannibal as himself, as soon as there was plenty of forage in the fields, set out from winter quarters and met Hannibal at Canusium.
§27.12.8sollicitabat ad defectionem Canusinos Poenus; ceterum ut adpropinquare Marcellum audivit, castra inde movit.
The Carthaginian was soliciting the Canusians to a defection; but when he heard that Marcellus was approaching, he moved his camp from there.
aperta erat regio sine ullis ad insidias latebris; itaque in loca saltuosa cedere inde coepit.
The country was open, without any hiding places for an ambush; therefore he began to retreat from there into woody places.
§27.12.9Marcellus vestigiis instabat castraque castris conferebat et opere perfecto extemplo in aciem legiones educebat Hannibal turmatim per equites peditumque iaculatores levia certamina serens casum universae pugnae non necessarium ducebat.
Marcellus pressed on his tracks and pitched camp close to his camp, and as soon as the work was completed, he immediately led his legions out into line of battle. Hannibal, offering light skirmishes by his cavalry and the javelin throwers of the infantry in troops, did not think the hazard of a general battle necessary.
tractus est tamen ad id, quod vitabat, certamen.
He was, however, drawn into that very contest which he was avoiding.
§27.12.10nocte praegressum adsequitur locis planis ac patentibus Marcellus; castra inde ponentem pugnando undique in munitores operibus prohibet.
Marcellus overtook him on flat and open ground as he had gone ahead during the night; and as he was pitching his camp, Marcellus prevented his builders from their works by fighting them from all sides.
ita signa conlata pugnatumque totis copiis et, cum iam nox instaret, Marte aequo discessum est.
Thus the standards were joined and they fought with all their forces, and, as night was now pressing on, they parted on equal terms.
castra exiguo distantia spatio raptim ante noctem permunita.
The camps, separated by a small space, were hastily fortified before night.
§27.12.11postero die luce prima Marcellus in aciem copias eduxit; nec Hannibal detractavit certamen multis verbis adhortatus milites, ut memores Trasumenni Cannarumque contunderent ferociam hostis: §27.12.12urgere atque instare eum, non iter quietos facere, non castra ponere pati, non respirare aut circumspicere; cotidie simul orientem solem et Romanam aciem in campis videndam esse: si uno proelio haud incruentus abeat, §27.12.13quietius deinde tranquilliusque eum bellaturum.
On the following day at first light, Marcellus led his forces out into line of battle; nor did Hannibal decline the contest, having encouraged his soldiers with many words to remember Trasumene and Cannae and crush the insolence of the enemy: the enemy was pressing and pushing them, not allowing them to make their journey in quiet, nor to pitch camp, nor to breathe or look around; daily, at the same time as the rising sun, the Roman line of battle was to be seen in the fields: if he should depart not without bloodshed from one battle, he would fight more quietly and calmly thereafter.
his inritati adhortationibus simulque taedio ferociae hostium cotidie instantium lacessentiumque acriter proelium ineunt.
Excited by these exhortations, and at the same time weary of the insolence of the enemy daily pressing and provoking them, they entered the battle fiercely.
pugnatum amplius duabus horis est.
They fought for more than two hours.
§27.12.14cedere inde ab Romanis dextra ala et extraordinarii coepere.
Thereupon, the right wing of the Romans and the extraordinary cohorts began to give way.
quod ubi Marcellus vidit, duodeuicesimam legionem in primam aciem inducit.
When Marcellus saw this, he brought the eighteenth legion into the front line.
§27.12.15dum alii trepidi cedunt, alii segniter subeunt, turbata tota acies est, dein prorsus fusa, et vincente pudorem metu terga dabant.
While some gave way in panic and others came up slowly, the whole line of battle was thrown into confusion, then completely routed, and fear overcoming shame, they turned their backs.
§27.12.16cecidere in pugna fugaque ad duo milia et septingenti civium sociorumque; in iis quattuor Romani centuriones, duo tribuni militum, M. Licinius et M. Helvius.
There fell in the battle and the flight up to two thousand seven hundred citizens and allies; among them four Roman centurions, two military tribunes, Marcus Licinius and Marcus Helvius.
§27.12.17signa militaria quattuor de ala, prima quae fugit, duo de legione, quae cedentibus sociis successerat, amissa.
Four military standards were lost from the wing which first fled, and two from the legion which had succeeded the retreating allies.