§28.22.1res interim nihilo minus ab legatis gerebantur.
Meanwhile, matters were carried on no less vigorously by the lieutenants.
Marcius superato Baete amni, quem incolae Certim appellant, duas opulentas civitates sine certamine in deditionem accepit. §28.22.2Astapa urbs erat, Carthaginiensium semper partis; neque id tam dignum ira erat, quam quod extra necessitates belli praecipuum in Romanos gerebant odium. §28.22.3nec urbem aut situ aut munimento tutam habebant, quae ferociores iis animos faceret; sed ingenia incolarum latrocinio laeta, ut excursiones in finitimum agrum sociorum populi Romani facerent, impulerant, et vagos milites Romanos lixasque et mercatores exciperent. §28.22.4magnum etiam comitatum, quia paucis parum tutum fuerat, transgredientem fines positis insidiis circumventum iniquo loco interfecerant. §28.22.5ad hanc urbem oppugnandam cum admotus exercitus esset, oppidani conscientia scelerum, quia nec deditio tuta ad tam infestos videbatur, neque spes moenibus aut armis tuendae salutis erat, facinus in se ac suos foedum ac ferum consciscunt. §28.22.6locum in foro destinant quo pretiosissima rerum suarum congererent; super eum cumulum coniuges ac liberos considere cum iussissent, ligna circa exstruunt fascesque virgultorum coniciunt. §28.22.7quinquaginta deinde armatis iuvenibus praecipiunt, ut, donec incertus eventus pugnae esset, praesidium eo loco fortunarum suarum corporumque, quae cariora fortunis essent, servarent; §28.22.8si rem inclinatam viderent atque in eo iam esse, ut urbs caperetur, scirent omnes, quos euntes in proelium cernerent, mortem in ipsa pugna obituros; §28.22.9illos se per deos superos inferosque orare, ut memores libertatis, quae illo die aut morte honesta aut servitute infami finienda esset, nihil relinquerent, in quod saevire iratus hostis posset. §28.22.10ferrum ignemque in manibus esse; amicae ac fideles potius ea, quae peritura forent, absumerent manus, quam insultarent superbo ludibrio hostes. §28.22.11his adhortationibus execratio dira adiecta, si quem a proposito spes mollitiave animi flexisset.
Marcius, having crossed the Baetis river, which the inhabitants call Certis, received two wealthy cities into surrender without a contest. Astapa was a city always of the Carthaginian party; nor was that so deserving of anger as the fact that, beyond the necessities of war, they maintained a peculiar hatred against the Romans. Nor did they have a city safe either by situation or by fortification such as to make their spirits more fierce; but the disposition of the inhabitants, delighting in plunder, had impelled them to make incursions into the neighboring territory of the allies of the Roman people, and to intercept stray Roman soldiers, camp followers, and merchants. They had also, by placing ambushes, surrounded in an unfavorable place and killed a large company which was crossing the borders, because for a few it had been unsafe. When the army was brought up to besiege this city, the townsmen, from a consciousness of their crimes, because neither surrender seemed safe to enemies so hostile, nor was there any hope of preserving their safety by walls or arms, resolved upon a foul and savage deed against themselves and their own. They designated a place in the forum where they piled up the most precious of their things; having ordered their wives and children to sit upon that heap, they built up wood around it and threw bundles of brushwood upon it. Then they instructed fifty armed young men that, as long as the outcome of the battle was uncertain, they should guard the protection of their fortunes and of their bodies, which were dearer than fortunes, in that place; if they saw the battle turning and that it was already on the point of the city being taken, they should know that all whom they saw going into battle would meet death in the combat itself; that they implored them by the gods above and below, that, mindful of liberty, which on that day must be ended either by an honorable death or by infamous slavery, they should leave nothing upon which an angry enemy could vent his rage. Sword and fire were in their hands; let friendly and faithful hands consume those things which were destined to perish, rather than that enemies should insult them with proud mockery. To these exhortations a dreadful curse was added, if hope or softness of mind should turn anyone from his purpose.
inde concitato agmine patentibus portis ingenti cum tumultu erumpunt. §28.22.12neque erat ulla satis firma statio opposita, quia nihil minus, quam ne egredi obsessi moenibus auderent, timeri poterat.
Then, with a quickened march, they burst out from the open gates with a huge tumult. Nor was there any sufficiently strong guard post opposed to them, because nothing was less to be feared than that the besieged would dare to go out from the walls.
perpaucae equitum turmae levisque armatura repente e castris ad id ipsum emissa occurrit. §28.22.13acrior impetus atque animis quam compositior ullo ordine pugna fuit.
A very few squadrons of cavalry and light-armed troops, suddenly sent out from the camp for this very purpose, met them. The attack was more fierce, and the battle was fought with more spirit than with any order or arrangement.
itaque pulsus eques, qui primus se hosti obtulerat, terrorem intulit levi armaturae; pugnatumque sub ipso vallo foret, ni robur legionum perexiguo ad instruendum dato tempore aciem derexisset. §28.22.14ibi quoque trepidatum parumper circa signa est, cum caeci furore in vulnera ac ferrum vecordi audacia ruerent; dein vetus miles, adversus temerarios impetus pertinax, caede primorum insequentes suppressit. §28.22.15conatus paulo post ultro inferre pedem, ut neminem cedere atque obstinatos mori in vestigio quemque suo vidit, patefacta acie, quod ut facere posset multitudo armatorum facile suppeditabat, cornua hostium amplexus, in orbem pugnantes ad unum omnes occidit.
Therefore the cavalry, who had first offered themselves to the enemy, being driven back, brought terror to the light-armed troops; and the battle would have been fought under the very rampart, if the strength of the legions, a very small time being given for drawing up, had not deployed their line. There also there was some confusion for a short time around the standards, since, blind with rage, they rushed with mad audacity into wounds and the sword; then the veteran soldier, obstinate against rash attacks, suppressed those following by the slaughter of the foremost. Attempting a little later to advance of his own accord, when he saw that no one gave way and that each was determined to die on his very spot, having opened the line—which the multitude of armed men easily supplied resources to do—and embracing the flanks of the enemy, he slew them all to a man as they fought in a circle.