§29.25.1quantum militum in Africam transportatum sit, non parvo numero inter auctores discrepat.
How many soldiers were transported to Africa differs by no small number among the authors.
§29.25.2alibi decem milia peditum duo milia et ducentos equites, alibi sedecim milia peditum, mille et sescentos equites, alibi parte plus dimidia rem auctam, quinque et triginta milia peditum equitumque in naves imposita invenio.
In one place I find ten thousand infantry and two thousand two hundred cavalry, in another sixteen thousand infantry and one thousand six hundred cavalry, in another that the number was increased by more than half, thirty-five thousand infantry and cavalry being put on board the ships.
quidam non adiecere numerum, §29.25.3inter quos me ipse in re dubia poni malim.
Some did not add the number, among whom I should prefer myself to be placed in a doubtful matter.
Coelius ut abstinet numero, ita ad inmensum multitudinis speciem auget: §29.25.4volucres ad terram delapsas clamore militum ait, tantamque multitudinem conscendisse naves, ut nemo mortalium aut in Italia aut in Sicilia relinqui videretur.
Coelius, just as he abstains from the number, so he exaggerates the appearance of the multitude to an infinite degree: he says that birds fell to the earth because of the shouting of the soldiers, and that so great a multitude boarded the ships that no mortal seemed to be left either in Italy or in Sicily.
§29.25.5milites ut naves ordine ac sine tumultu conscenderent, ipse eam sibi curam sumpsit; §29.25.6nauticos C. Laelius, qui classis praefectus erat, in navibus, ante conscendere coactos, continuit; commeatus imponendi M. Pomponio praetori cura data: quinque et quadraginta dierum cibaria, e quibus quindecim dierum cocta, imposita.
That the soldiers should board the ships in order and without tumult, he himself took that care upon himself; Gaius Laelius, who was the commander of the fleet, kept the sailors on the ships, having forced them to board beforehand; the care of putting the provisions on board was given to Marcus Pomponius the praetor: forty-five days' provisions, of which fifteen days' was cooked, were put on board.
§29.25.7ut omnes iam in navibus erant, scaphas circummisit, ut ex omnibus navibus gubernatoresque et magistri navium et bini milites in forum convenirent ad imperia accipienda.
When all were now in the ships, he sent boats around so that the helmsmen, the masters of the ships, and two soldiers from each of all the ships should assemble in the forum to receive orders.
§29.25.8postquam convenerunt, primum ab iis quaesivit, si aquam hominibus iumentisque in totidem dies, quot frumentum, imposuissent.
After they assembled, he first asked them if they had put on board water for the men and beasts for as many days as the corn.
ubi responderunt aquam dierum quinque §29.25.9et quadraginta in navibus esse, tum edixit militibus, ut silentium quieti nautis sine certamine ad ministeria exsequenda bene oboedientes praestarent.
When they answered that there was water for forty-five days on the ships, he then ordered the soldiers to maintain silence and quiet, being well obedient without contention to the sailors in executing their duties.
§29.25.10cum viginti rostratis se ac L. Scipionem ab dextro cornu, ab laevo totidem rostratas et C. Laelium praefectum classis cum M. Porcio Catone — quaestor is tum erat — onerariis futurum praesidio.
[He declared] that he himself and Lucius Scipio with twenty war-ships from the right wing, and from the left wing the same number of war-ships and Gaius Laelius, commander of the fleet, with Marcus Porcius Cato — who was then quaestor — would be a protection to the transports.
§29.25.11lumina in navibus singula rostratae, bina onerariae haberent; in praetoria nave insigne nocturnum trium luminum fore.
The war-ships should have single lights on each ship, the transports two; on the flagship there would be a night signal of three lights.
§29.25.12Emporia ut peterent, gubernatoribus edixit.
He ordered the helmsmen to head for Emporia.
fertilissimus ager eoque abundans omnium copia rerum est regio, et inbelles, quod plerumque in uberi agro evenit, barbari sunt, priusque, quam ab Carthagine subveniretur, opprimi videbantur posse.
That region is a very fertile land, and therefore abundant in a supply of all things, and the barbarians, as usually happens in a rich soil, are unwarlike, and they seemed able to be crushed before help could come from Carthage.
§29.25.13iis editis imperiis redire ad naves iussi et postero die deis bene iuvantibus signo dato solvere naves.
These orders having been issued, they were commanded to return to their ships, and on the following day, with the favorable help of the gods, on the given signal, to set sail.