§37.34.1per eos forte dies legatus ab Antiocho in castra venerat Byzantius Heraclides, de pace adferens mandata; §37.34.2quam impetrabilem fore magnam ei spem attulit mora et cunctatio Romanorum, quos, simul Asiam attigissent, effuso agmine ad castra regia ituros crediderat.
About that time, Heraclides of Byzantium came to the camp as an ambassador from Antiochus, bringing proposals of peace; the delay and hesitation of the Romans brought him great hope that this peace would be obtainable, for he had believed that as soon as they touched Asia, they would march in a rapid rush to the royal camp.
§37.34.3statuit tamen non prius consulem adire quam P. Scipionem, et ita mandatum ab rege erat.
He decided, however, not to approach the consul before Publius Scipio, and such were the instructions from the king.
in eo maximam spem habebat, praeterquam quod et magnitudo animi et satietas gloriae placabilem eum maxime faciebat, §37.34.4notumque erat gentibus, qui victor ille in Hispania, qui deinde in Africa fuisset, etiam quod filius eius captus in potestate regis erat.
In him he placed his greatest hope, because, besides the fact that both his greatness of soul and his satiety of glory made him extremely placable, it was known to all nations what kind of victor he had been in Spain, and then in Africa, and also because his son, who had been captured, was in the power of the king.
§37.34.5is ubi et quando et quo casu captus sit, sicut pleraque alia, parum inter auctores constat.
Where, when, and by what accident he was captured, like most other things, is not well agreed among authors.
alii principio belli, a Chalcide Oreum petentem, circumventum ab regiis navibus tradunt; §37.34.6alii, postquam transitum in Asiam est, cum turma Fregellana missum exploratum ad regia castra, effuso obviam equitatu cum reciperet sese, in eo tumultu delapsum ex equo cum duobus equitibus oppressum, ita ad regem deductum esse.
Some report that at the beginning of the war, as he was making his way from Chalcis to Oreus, he was intercepted by the royal ships; others, that after the crossing into Asia was made, having been sent with a troop of Fregellans to reconnoiter the royal camp, when he was retreating as the enemy's cavalry rushed out to meet them, he fell from his horse in that confusion and was overwhelmed with two horsemen, and thus brought to the king.
§37.34.7illud satis constat, si pax cum populo Romano maneret hospitiumque privatim regi cum Scipionibus esset, neque liberalius neque benignius haberi colique adolescentem, quam cultus est, potuisse.
This much is sufficiently established, that if peace had existed with the Roman people, and a private hospitality had existed between the king and the Scipios, the young man could not have been treated and cherished more generously or more kindly than he actually was.
§37.34.8ob haec cum adventum P. Scipionis legatus expectasset, ubi is venit, consulem adit petitque, ut mandata audiret.
For these reasons, the ambassador had awaited the arrival of Publius Scipio; when he arrived, he went to the consul and requested that he would hear his proposals.