§36.41.1dum haec in Italia geruntur, Antiochus Ephesi securus admodum de bello Romano erat tamquam non transituris in Asiam Romanis; quam securitatem ei magna pars amicorum aut per errorem aut adsentando faciebat.
While these things were going on in Italy, Antiochus at Ephesus was quite secure regarding the Roman war, as if the Romans would not cross over into Asia; a security which a great part of his friends produced in him, either through error or by flattery.
§36.41.2Hannibal unus, cuius eo tempore vel maxima apud regem auctoritas erat, magis mirari se aiebat, quod non iam in Asia essent Romani, §36.41.3quam venturos dubitare; propius esse ex Graecia in Asiam quam ex Italia in Graeciam traicere, et multo maiorem causam Antiochum quam Aetolos esse; neque enim mari minus quam terra pollere Romana arma.
Hannibal alone, whose influence with the king was at that time by far the greatest, said that he wondered more that the Romans were not already in Asia, than doubted that they would come; for it was a shorter passage from Greece into Asia than from Italy into Greece, and Antiochus was a much greater cause of war than the Aetolians; nor indeed were the Roman arms less powerful by sea than by land.
§36.41.4iam pridem classem circa Maleam esse; audire sese nuper novas naves novumque imperatorem rei gerendae causa ex Italia venisse; §36.41.5itaque desineret Antiochus pacem sibi ipse spe vana facere.
For a long time now, the fleet had been around Malea; he himself had recently heard that new ships and a new commander had come from Italy to conduct the campaign; therefore, Antiochus should cease to create peace for himself with vain hope.
in Asia et de ipsa Asia brevi terra marique dimicandum ei cum Romanis esse, et aut imperium adimendum orbem terrarum adfectantibus, aut ipsi regnum amittendum.
In Asia and for Asia itself, he would shortly have to fight with the Romans by land and sea, and either take away the empire from those who aimed at the dominion of the world, or lose his own kingdom.
§36.41.6unus vera et providere et fideliter praedicere visus.
He alone seemed both to foresee the truth and to declare it faithfully.
itaque ipse rex navibus, quae paratae instructaeque erant, Chersonesum petit, ut ea loca, si forte terra venirent Romani, praesidiis firmaret; §36.41.7ceteram classem Polyxenidam parare et deducere iussit; speculatorias naves ad omnia exploranda circa insulas dimisit.
Therefore, the king himself, with the ships that were ready and equipped, hastened to the Chersonesus, in order to secure those places with garrisons if by chance the Romans should come by land; the rest of the fleet he ordered Polyxenidas to prepare and launch; and he dispatched scout-ships to explore everything around the islands.