§29.24.1cum iis mandatis ab rege legati ad Scipionem missi Syracusis eum convenerunt.
With these instructions from the king, the envoys sent to Scipio met him at Syracuse.
§29.24.2Scipio quamquam magno momento rerum in Africa gerendarum magnaque spe destitutus erat, §29.24.3legatis propere, priusquam res vulgaretur, remissis in Africam litteras dat ad regem, quibus etiam atque etiam monet eum, ne iura hospitii secum neu cum populo Romano initae societatis neu fas, fidem, dexteras, deos testes atque arbitros conventorum fallat.
Although Scipio was deprived of a great support for conducting affairs in Africa and of a great hope, having quickly sent the envoys back to Africa before the matter should become known, he gave them a letter to the king, in which he repeatedly warned him not to violate the laws of hospitality with himself, nor the alliance entered into with the Roman people, nor sacred law, good faith, right hands, and the gods who were witnesses and arbiters of their agreements.
§29.24.4ceterum quando neque celari adventus Numidarum poterat — vagati enim in urbe obversatique praetorio erant — et, si sileretur, quid petentes venissent, periculum erat, ne vera eo ipso, quod celarentur, sua sponte magis emanarent, timorque in exercitum incideret, ne simul cum rege et Carthaginiensibus foret bellandum, avertit a vero falsis praeoccupando mentes hominum
But since the arrival of the Numidians could not be concealed — for they had wandered about in the city and had been seen in front of the headquarters — and, if silence were kept on what they had come to seek, there was a danger that the truth might spread all the more of its own accord by the very fact of its being concealed, and that a fear might fall upon the army lest they should have to wage war with both the king and the Carthaginians at the same time, he diverted their minds from the truth by prepossessing them with falsehood.
§29.24.5et vocatis ad contionem militibus non ultra esse cunctandum ait; instare, ut in Africam quam primum traiciat, socios reges; Masinissam prius ipsum ad C. Laelium venisse querentem, quod cunctando tempus tereretur; §29.24.6nunc Syphacem mittere legatos idem admirantem, quae tam diuturnae morae sit causa, postulantemque, ut aut traiciatur tandem in Africam exercitus aut, si mutata consilia sint, certior fiat, ut et ipse sibi ac regno suo possit consulere.
And having called the soldiers to an assembly, he said that they must delay no longer; that the allied kings were urging him to cross into Africa as soon as possible; that Masinissa had previously come in person to Gaius Laelius complaining that time was being wasted by delaying; now Syphax was sending envoys, wondering likewise what the cause of so long a delay was, and demanding either that the army should at last be crossed over into Africa or, if the plans had been changed, that he should be informed, so that he himself might consult for his own safety and that of his kingdom.
§29.24.7itaque satis iam omnibus instructis paratisque, et re iam non ultra recipiente cunctationem in animo sibi esse, Lilybaeum classe traducta eodemque omnibus peditum equitumque copiis contractis, quae prima dies cursum navibus daret, deis bene iuvantibus in Africam traicere.
Therefore, since all things were now sufficiently equipped and prepared, and the situation no longer admitted of delay, it was his intention, having transferred the fleet to Lilybaeum and assembled there all the forces of infantry and cavalry, to cross over into Africa with the favorable help of the gods on the first day that should give a fair course to the ships.
§29.24.8litteras ad M. Pomponium mittit, ut, si ei videretur, Lilybaeum veniret, ut communiter consulerent, quas potissimum legiones et quantum militum numerum in Africam traiceret.
He sent a letter to Marcus Pomponius, asking him, if it seemed good to him, to come to Lilybaeum, so that they might consult together which legions in particular and what number of soldiers he should transport into Africa.
§29.24.9item circum oram omnem maritimam misit, ut naves onerariae comprensae Lilybaeum omnes contraherentur.
He also sent word all along the sea coast that all the transport ships that had been seized should be assembled at Lilybaeum.
§29.24.10quidquid militum naviumque in Sicilia erat, cum Lilybaeum convenisset, et nec urbs multitudinem hominum neque portus naves caperet, §29.24.11tantus omnibus ardor erat in Africam traiciendi, ut non ad bellum duci viderentur, sed ad certa victoriae praemia.
When all the soldiers and ships that were in Sicily had assembled at Lilybaeum, and neither the city could contain the multitude of men nor the harbor the ships, so great was the ardor in all of them for crossing into Africa that they seemed not to be led to war, but to the certain rewards of victory.
praecipue qui superabant ex Cannensi exercitu milites illo, non alio duce credebant navata rei publicae opera finire se militiam ignominiosam posse.
Especially those soldiers who survived from the army of Cannae believed that under this leader, and no other, they could, by active service for the republic, put an end to their ignominious service.
§29.24.12et Scipio minime id genus militum aspernabatur ut qui neque ad Cannas ignavia eorum cladem acceptam sciret neque ullos aeque veteres milites in exercitu Romano esse, expertosque non variis proeliis modo sed urbibus etiam oppugnandis.
And Scipio by no means despised this class of soldiers, as he knew both that the disaster at Cannae had not been incurred through their cowardice, and that there were no soldiers in the Roman army of equal experience, they having been tried not only in various battles but also in besieging cities.
§29.24.13quinta et sexta Cannenses erant legiones; eas se traiecturum in Africam cum dixisset, singulos milites inspexit, relictisque, quos non idoneos credebat, in locum eorum subiecit, quos secum ex Italia adduxerat, §29.24.14supplevitque ita eas legiones, ut singulae sena milia et ducenos pedites, trecenos haberent equites.
The fifth and sixth were the Cannae legions; having said that he would transport these into Africa, he inspected the individual soldiers, and leaving behind those whom he did not believe to be fit, he substituted in their place those whom he had brought with him from Italy, and thus he filled up those legions so that each had six thousand two hundred infantry and three hundred cavalry.
sociorum item Latini nominis pedites equitesque de exercitu Cannensi legit.
He likewise selected infantry and cavalry from the allies of the Latin name out of the Cannae army.