§34.61.1in hanc sententiam cum adduxisset regem, praeparandos sibi ad id popularium animos ratus litteras, ne quo casu interceptae palam facerent conata scribere non est ausus; §34.61.2Aristonem quendam Tyrium nanctus Ephesi expertusque sollertiam levioribus ministeriis, partim donis, partim spe praemiorum oneratum, quibus etiam ipse rex adnuerat, Carthaginem cum mandatis mittit.
When he had brought the king to this opinion, thinking that the minds of his fellow-countrymen should be prepared by him for that purpose, he did not dare to write a letter, lest by any chance it might be intercepted and lay open his designs; having met at Ephesus a certain Tyrian, Aristo, and having tested his cleverness in lighter services, he loaded him partly with gifts, partly with the hope of rewards, to which even the king himself had agreed, and sent him to Carthage with instructions.
§34.61.3edit nomina eorum, quibus conventis opus esset; instruit etiam secretis notis, per quas haud dubie agnoscerent sua mandata esse.
He gave him the names of those whom it was necessary to meet; he also furnished him with secret tokens, by which they would without doubt recognize that the instructions were his.
§34.61.4hunc Aristonem Carthagine obversantem non prius amici quam inimici Hannibalis, qua de causa venisset, cognoverunt.
When this Aristo was seen about Carthage, the enemies of Hannibal no less quickly than his friends discovered for what reason he had come.
§34.61.5et primo in circulis conviviisque celebrata sermonibus res est; §34.61.6deinde in senatu quidam nihil actum esse dicere exilio Hannibalis, si absens quoque novas moliri res et sollicitando animos hominum turbare statum civitatis posset; §34.61.7Aristonem quendam, Tyrium advenam, instructum mandatis ab Hannibale et rege Antiocho venisse; certos homines cotidie cum eo secreta colloquia serere; in occulto coqui, quod mox in omnium perniciem erupturum esset.
And at first the matter was talked of in social gatherings and banquets; then in the senate some said that nothing had been accomplished by the exile of Hannibal, if even in his absence he could plot new schemes and disturb the state of the commonwealth by exciting the minds of men; that a certain Aristo, a Tyrian stranger, had come furnished with instructions from Hannibal and King Antiochus; that certain men were daily holding secret conferences with him; and that in secret was being brewed what would soon break out to the ruin of all.
§34.61.8conclamare omnes vocari Aristonem debere, et quaeri, quid venisset, et, nisi expromeret, cum legatis Romam mitti; satis pro temeritate unius hominis suppliciorum pensum esse; §34.61.9privatos suo periculo peccaturos; rem publicam non extra noxam modo sed etiam extra famam noxae conservandam esse.
All cried out that Aristo ought to be summoned, and questioned as to why he had come, and, unless he explained, sent to Rome with envoys; that a sufficient penalty of punishments had been paid for the rashness of one man; that private citizens might sin at their own risk, but the commonwealth must be kept not only free from guilt, but even free from the suspicion of guilt.
§34.61.10vocatus Aristo purgare sese et firmissimo propugnaculo uti, quod litterarum nihil ad quemquam attulisset; §34.61.11ceterum nec causam adventus satis expediebat et in eo maxime haesitabat, quod cum Barcinae solum factionis hominibus collocutum eum arguebant.
Summoned, Aristo cleared himself and made use of the strongest defense, that he had brought no letters to anyone; but he did not sufficiently explain the reason for his coming, and hesitated most of all on the point that they accused him of having spoken only with men of the Barcine faction.
§34.61.12orta inde altercatio est aliis pro speculatore comprehendi iam et custodiri iubentibus, aliis negantibus tumultuandi causam esse; §34.61.13mali rem exempli esse de nihilo hospites corripi; idem Carthaginiensibus et Tyri et in aliis emporiis, quo frequenter commeent, eventurum.
An altercation arose therefrom, some ordering that he should be immediately arrested and kept in custody as a spy, others denying that there was any reason for creating a disturbance; they argued that it was a bad precedent for guests to be seized on no grounds; and that the same thing would happen to Carthaginians both at Tyre and in other trading-posts which they frequently visited.
§34.61.14dilata eo die res est.
The matter was postponed for that day.
Aristo Punico ingenio inter Poenos usus tabellas conscriptas celeberrimo loco super sedem cotidianam magistratuum prima vespera suspendit, ipse de tertia vigilia navem conscendit et profugit.
Aristo, employing Punic guile among the Carthaginians, in the early evening suspended written tablets in a most frequented place over the daily seat of the magistrates, and he himself boarded a ship during the third watch and fled.
§34.61.15postero die cum sufetes ad ius dicendum consedissent, conspectae tabellae demptaeque et lectae.
On the following day, when the suffetes had taken their seats to administer justice, the tablets were seen, taken down, and read.
scriptum erat Aristonem privatim ad neminem, publice ad seniores — ita senatum vocabant — mandata habuisse.
It was written that Aristo had instructions for no one privately, but publicly for the elders—so they called the senate.
§34.61.16publicato crimine minus intenta de paucis quaestio erat; mitti tamen legatos Romam, qui rem ad consules et senatum deferrent, placuit, simul qui de iniuriis Masinissae quererentur.
Since the accusation had been made public, the inquiry concerning a few individuals became less intensive; nevertheless, it was decided that envoys should be sent to Rome to report the matter to the consuls and the senate, and at the same time to complain of the injuries done by Masinissa.