§28.3.1Scipio ubi animadvertit dissipatum passim bellum et circuit ferre ad singulas urbes arma diutini magis quam magni esse operis, retro vertit iter.
When Scipio noticed that the war was scattered in all directions and that carrying arms to individual cities in a circuit was a work of long duration rather than of great magnitude, he turned back.
§28.3.2ne tamen hostibus eam relinqueret regionem, L. Scipionem fratrem cum decem milibus peditum mille equitum ad oppugnandam opulentissimam in iis locis urbem — Orongin barbari appellabant — mittit.
Lest, however, he should leave that region to the enemy, he sent his brother Lucius Scipio with ten thousand infantry and one thousand cavalry to assault the wealthiest city in those parts — the barbarians called it Orongis.
§28.3.3sita in Maesessum finibus est, Bastetanae gentis, ager frugifer, argentum etiam incolae fodiunt.
It is situated in the territory of the Maesessi, a tribe of the Bastetani; the soil is fertile, and the inhabitants even mine silver.
ea arx fuerat Hasdrubali ad excursiones circa mediterraneos populos faciendas.
It had served Hasdrubal as a stronghold for making incursions among the inland peoples.
§28.3.5Scipio castris prope urbem positis priusquam circumvallaret urbem, misit ad portas qui ex propinquo alloquio animos temptarent suaderentque ut amicitiam potius quam vim experirentur Romanorum.
Scipio, having pitched his camp near the city before he should invest it, sent to the gates men to sound their dispositions by a close conversation and persuade them to experience the friendship rather than the force of the Romans.
ubi nihil pacati respondebatur, fossa duplicique vallo circumdata urbe in tres partes exercitum dividit, §28.3.6ut una semper pars quietis interim duabus oppugnaret.
When no peaceful response was returned, having surrounded the city with a ditch and a double rampart, he divided his army into three parts, so that one part might always be attacking while the other two, in the meantime, rested.
prima pars cum adorta oppugnare est, atrox sane et anceps proelium fuit: §28.3.7non subire, non scalas ferre ad muros prae incidentibus telis facile erat; etiam qui erexerant ad murum scalas, alii furcis ad id ipsum factis detrudebantur, in alios lupi superne ferrei iniecti, ut in periculo essent, ne suspensi in murum extraherentur.
When the first part advanced to attack, the battle was indeed fierce and of doubtful issue; it was not easy either to approach the walls or to carry ladders up to them because of the shower of missiles; even of those who had raised ladders against the wall, some were pushed down with forks made for that very purpose, while upon others iron "wolves" were thrown from above, so that they were in danger of being dragged up, suspended, onto the wall.
§28.3.8quod ubi animadvertit Scipio, nimia paucitate suorum exaequatum certamen esse, et iam eo superare hostem, quod ex muro pugnaret, §28.3.9duabus simul partibus, prima recepta, urbem est adgressus.
When Scipio noticed this — that the contest was made equal by the too small numbers of his men, and that the enemy now had the advantage in this respect, that they fought from the wall — he attacked the city with two parts at once, the first having been recalled.
quae res tantum pavoris iniecit fessis iam cum primis pugnando, ut et oppidani moenia repentina fuga desererent, et Punicum praesidium metu, ne prodita urbs esset, relictis stationibus in unum se colligeret.
This action struck so much terror into those who were already exhausted by fighting with the first force, that both the townsmen abandoned the walls in sudden flight, and the Carthaginian garrison, fearing lest the city had been betrayed, left their posts and gathered into one body.
§28.3.10timor inde oppidanos incessit, ne, si hostis urbem intrasset, sine discrimine, Poenus an Hispanus esset, obvii passim caederentur; §28.3.11itaque patefacta repente porta frequentes ex oppido sese eiecerunt, scuta prae se tenentes, ne tela procul coicerentur, dextras nudas ostentantes, ut gladios abiecisse appareret.
Then fear seized the townsmen lest, if the enemy should enter the city, those in their path should be slaughtered everywhere without distinction of whether they were Carthaginian or Spaniard; and so, a gate being suddenly opened, they rushed out of the town in crowds, holding their shields before them lest missiles should be thrown from a distance, and showing their bare right hands so that it might appear that they had thrown away their swords.
§28.3.12id utrum parum ex intervallo sit conspectum an dolus aliquis suspectus fuerit, incompertum est: impetus hostilis in transfugas factus, nec secus quam adversa acies caesi; eademque porta signa infesta urbi inlata.
Whether this was poorly seen from a distance, or some trick was suspected, is not known; a hostile charge was made upon the fugitives, and they were cut down no differently than an enemy battle line; and through that same gate, the standards were carried into the city to assault it.
§28.3.13et aliis partibus securibus dolabrisque caedebantur et refringebantur portae, et ut quisque intraverat eques, ad forum occupandum — ita enim praeceptum erat — citato equo pergebat; additum erat et triariorum equiti praesidium;
In other parts as well, the gates were hacked and broken open with axes and mattocks, and as soon as each horseman had entered, he proceeded at a gallop to occupy the forum — for so it had been commanded; a guard of triarii had also been added to the cavalry.
§28.3.14legionarii ceteras partis urbis pervadunt, direptione et caede obviorum, nisi qui armis se tuebantur, abstinuerunt.
The legionaries spread through the other parts of the city; they abstained from plundering and from killing those they met, except those who defended themselves with arms.
§28.3.15Carthaginienses omnes in custodiam dati sunt oppidanorum quoque trecenti ferme, qui clauserant portas; ceteris traditum oppidum, suae redditae res.
All the Carthaginians were put into custody, as well as about three hundred of the townsmen who had shut the gates; to the rest, the town was delivered up, and their property was restored to them.
§28.3.16cecidere in urbis eius oppugnatione hostium duo milia ferme, Romanorum haud amplius nonaginta.
In the assault on that city, there fell about two thousand of the enemy, and of the Romans, not more than ninety.