§30.6.1relucentem flammam primo vigiles Carthaginiensium, deinde excitati alii nocturno tumultu cum conspexissent, ab eodem errore credere et ipsi sua sponte incendium ortum,
When first the sentries of the Carthaginians, and then others, aroused by the nightly tumult, beheld the reflecting flame, they too, from the same error, believed that the fire had started spontaneously.
§30.6.2et clamor inter caedem et vulnera sublatus, an ex trepidatione nocturna esset, confusis sensum veri adimebat.
And the shouting raised amidst the slaughter and wounds—whether it arose from nightly panic—deprived the confused of their perception of the truth.
§30.6.3igitur pro se quisque inermes, ut quibus nihil hostile suspectum esset, omnibus portis, qua cuique proximum erat, ea modo, quae restinguendo igni forent, portantes, in agmen Romanum ruebant.
Therefore, each man unarmed, as having no suspicion of any hostile action, rushed from all the gates, by whichever route was nearest to each, carrying only those things which might be useful for extinguishing the fire, right into the Roman column.
§30.6.4quibus caesis omnibus praeterquam hostili odio, etiam ne quis nuntius refugeret, extemplo Scipio neglectas ut in tali tumultu portas invadit;
When all of these had been slain—not only out of hostile hatred, but also to prevent any messenger from escaping—Scipio immediately invaded the gates, which had been left neglected in such a tumult.
§30.6.5ignibusque in proxima tecta coniectis effusa flamma primo velut sparsa pluribus locis reluxit, dein per continua serpens uno repente omnia incendio hausit.
And once fire was thrown onto the nearest buildings, the spread flame first shone as if scattered in several places, and then, creeping through those continuous, suddenly consumed everything in one conflagration.
§30.6.6ambusti homines iumentaque foeda primum fuga, dein strage obstruebant itinera portarum; quos non oppresserat ignis, ferro absumpti
Half-burned men and beasts, first in their foul flight and then in heaps of slaughter, blocked the pathways of the gates; those whom the fire had not overwhelmed were destroyed by the sword.
§30.6.7binaque castra clade una deleta.
Thus, two camps were destroyed by a single disaster.
duces tamen ambo et ex tot milibus armatorum duo milia peditum et quingenti equites semermes, magna pars saucii adflatique incendio effugerunt.
Yet both commanders, along with two thousand infantry and five hundred half-armed cavalry out of so many thousands of armed men, escaped, a great part of them wounded and scorched by the fire.
§30.6.8caesa aut hausta flammis ad quadraginta milia hominum sunt, capta supra quinque milia, multi Carthaginiensium nobiles, undecim senatores; §30.6.9signa militaria centum septuaginta quattuor, equi Numidici supra duo milia septingenti; elephanti sex capti, octo ferro flammaque absumpti.
Up to forty thousand men were slain or consumed by the flames, and over five thousand were captured, including many Carthaginian nobles and eleven senators; one hundred and seventy-four military standards, and over two thousand seven hundred Numidian horses were taken; six elephants were captured, and eight were destroyed by sword and flame.
magna vis armorum capta; ea omnia imperator Volcano sacrata incendit.
A great quantity of arms was captured, all of which the commander burned, consecrated to Vulcan.