§36.7.1cum circa hanc fere consultationem disceptatio omnis verteretur, Hannibal nominatim interrogatus sententiam in universi belli cogitationem regem atque eos, qui aderant, tali oratione avertit.
While all the discussion was turning on almost this very consultation, Hannibal, being asked his opinion by name, turned the king and those who were present away to the contemplation of the war as a whole by the following speech.
§36.7.2“si, ex quo traiecimus in Graeciam, adhibitus essem in consilium, cum de Euboea deque Achaeis et de Boeotia agebatur, eandem sententiam dixissem, quam hodie, cum de Thessalis agitur, dicam.
"If, from the time we crossed into Greece, I had been admitted to the council when the discussion was about Euboea, the Achaeans, and Boeotia, I should have expressed the very same opinion which I shall express today when the discussion is about the Thessalians.
§36.7.3ante omnia Philippum et Macedonas in societatem belli quacumque ratione censeo deducendos esse.
Before all things, I think that Philippus and the Macedonians should be brought into an alliance for the war by any means possible.
§36.7.4nam quod ad Euboeam Boeotosque et Thessalos attinet, cui dubium est, quin, ut quibus nullae suae vires sint, praesentibus adulando semper, quem metum in consilio habeant, eodem ad impetrandam veniam utantur, §36.7.5simul ac Romanum exercitum in Graecia viderint, ad consuetum imperium se avertant, nec iis noxiae futurum sit, quod, cum Romani procul abessent, vim tuam praesentis exercitusque tui experiri noluerint?
For as far as Euboea, the Boeotians, and the Thessalians are concerned, who can doubt that, since they have no strength of their own, they will always flatter those who are present and use the very fear they feel in their council to obtain pardon, and as soon as they see the Roman army in Greece, they will turn back to their customary masters, and that it will not count as a crime for them that, while the Romans were far away, they were unwilling to experience your power and that of your present army?
§36.7.6quanto igitur prius potiusque est Philippum nobis coniungere quam hos? cui, si semel in causam descenderit, nihil integri futurum sit, quique eas vires adferat, quae non accessio tantum ad Romanum esse bellum, sed per se ipsae nuper sustinere potuerint Romanos.
How much more prior and preferable is it, then, to join Philippus to us rather than these? For him, if he once embarks on the cause, no integrity of neutrality will remain, and he will bring those forces which are not merely an addition to the Roman war, but were recently able by themselves to withstand the Romans.
§36.7.7hoc ego adiuncto — absit verbo invidia — qui dubitare de eventu possim, cum, quibus adversus Philippum valuerint Romani, iis nunc fore videam, ut ipsi oppugnentur?
With him joined to us — if I may say so without offense — how can I doubt the outcome, when I see that those very forces by which the Romans prevailed against Philippus will now be used to attack the Romans themselves?
§36.7.8Aetoli, qui Philippum, quod inter omnes constat, vicerunt, cum Philippo adversus Romanos pugnabunt; §36.7.9Amynander atque Athamanum gens, quorum secundum Aetolos plurima fuit opera in eo bello, nobiscum stabunt; §36.7.10Philippus tum te quieto totam molem sustinebat belli; nunc duo maximi reges Asiae Europaeque viribus adversus unum populum, ut meam utramque fortunam taceam, patrum certe aetate ne uni quidem Epirotarum regi parem — qui quid tandem erat vobiscum comparatus? — geretis bellum.
The Aetolians, who defeated Philippus, as is well known to everyone, will fight with Philippus against the Romans; Amynander and the nation of the Athamanians, whose services in that war, next to those of the Aetolians, were greatest, will stand with us; Philippus at that time sustained the whole weight of the war while you remained quiet; now, two of the greatest kings of Asia and Europe, with their forces, will wage war against a single people, to say nothing of both my fortunes, who in our fathers' generation was not a match for even a single king of the Epiri — who, after all, what was he compared to you? — you will wage war.
§36.7.11quae igitur res mihi fiduciam praebet coniungi nobis Philippum posse? una, communis utilitas, quae societatis maximum vinculum est; altera, §36.7.12auctores vos Aetoli.
What then gives me confidence that Philippus can be joined to us? One is common interest, which is the strongest bond of alliance; the other is, you Aetolians, who are the guarantors.
vester enim legatus hic Thoas inter cetera, quae ad exciendum in Graeciam Antiochum dicere est solitus, ante omnia hoc semper adfirmavit, fremere Philippum et aegre pati sub specie pacis leges servitutis sibi impositas.
For your envoy here, Thoas, among other things which he was accustomed to say to summon Antiochus into Greece, always asserted this above all: that Philippus was chafing under his restrictions and was bearing with difficulty the terms of servitude imposed upon him under the guise of peace.
§36.7.13ille quidem ferae bestiae vinctae aut clausae et refringere claustra cupienti regis iram verbis aequabat.
Indeed, he compared the king's anger in words to a wild beast, bound or caged, and longing to break its bars.
cuius si talis animus est, solvamus nos eius vincula et claustra refringamus, ut erumpere diu coercitam iram in hostes communes possit.
If his mind is such, let us loosen his chains and break open his bars, so that his long-repressed anger may burst forth against our common enemies.
§36.7.14quod si nihil eum legatio nostra moverit, at nos, quoniam nobis eum adiungere non possumus, ne hostibus nostris ille adiungi possit, caveamus.
But if our embassy shall not move him at all, yet let us take care, since we cannot join him to ourselves, that he may not be joined to our enemies.
§36.7.15Seleucus filius tuus Lysimachiae est; qui si eo exercitu, quem secum habet, per Thraciam proxima Macedoniae coeperit depopulari, facile ab auxilio ferendo Romanis Philippum ad sua potissimum tuenda avertet.
Your son Seleucus is at Lysimachia; if he, with the army he has with him, begins to lay waste through Thrace the parts closest to Macedonia, he will easily divert Philippus from bringing aid to the Romans, to defend his own territories above all.
§36.7.16de Philippo meam sententiam habes; de ratione universi belli quid sentirem, iam ab initio non ignorasti.
You have my opinion concerning Philippus; as to what I thought concerning the plan of the war as a whole, you have not been ignorant from the very beginning.
quod si tum auditus forem, non in Euboea Chalcidem captam et castellum Euripi expugnatum Romani, sed Etruriam Ligurumque et Galliae Cisalpinae oram bello ardere, et, qui maximus iis terror est, Hannibalem in Italia esse audirent.
If I had been listened to then, the Romans would not now be hearing of Chalcis being captured in Euboea and the fort of Euripus being stormed, but that Etruria, and the coast of the Ligurians and Cisalpine Gaul, were ablaze with war, and, what is their greatest terror, that Hannibal was in Italy.
§36.7.17nunc quoque accersas censeo omnis navalis terrestrisque copias; sequantur classem onerariae cum commeatibus; nam hic sicut ad belli munera pauci sumus, sic nimis multi pro inopia commeatum.
Even now I think you should summon all naval and land forces; let transport ships with provisions follow the fleet; for here, just as we are too few for the tasks of war, so we are too many for the scarcity of provisions.
§36.7.18cum omnis tuas contraxeris vires, divisa classe partem Corcyrae in statione habebis, §36.7.19ne transitus Romanis liber ac tutus pateat, partem ad litus Italiae, quod Sardiniam Africamque spectat, traicies; ipse cum omnibus terrestribus copiis in Bullinum agrum procedes; §36.7.20inde Graeciae praesidebis, et speciem Romanis traiecturum te praebens et, si res poposcerit, traiecturus.
When you have concentrated all your forces, dividing the fleet, you will keep one part in station at Corcyra, so that a free and safe passage may not lie open to the Romans, and you will send another part to the coast of Italy which faces Sardinia and Africa; you yourself with all the land forces will advance into the territory of Bullis; from there you will protect Greece, and presenting to the Romans the appearance that you are about to cross, and actually about to cross if circumstances demand.
haec suadeo, qui ut non omnis peritissimus sim belli, cum Romanis certe bellare bonis malisque meis didici.
These things I advise, as one who, although not the most experienced in every kind of war, has certainly learned to fight with the Romans through both my successes and failures.
§36.7.21in quae consilium dedi, in eadem nec infidelem nec segnem operam polliceor.
In the matters on which I have given advice, I promise you my service, neither unfaithful nor slow.
dii approbent eam sententiam, quae tibi optima visa fuerit. ”
May the gods approve that opinion which shall seem best to you."