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Livy · History of Rome §39.56.1-39.56.7

Operations in Spain, Elections, and the Death of Hannibal

Passage 1503 of 1770 · Latin

Summary

This passage records the victories of Aulus Terentius in Celtiberia, the peace in Farther Spain and Liguria, the election of new consuls and praetors, and a public thanksgiving held due to portents, concluding with Valerius Antias' account of Hannibal's death.

§39.56.1eodem anno A. Terentius proconsul haud procul flumine Hibero, in agro Ausetano, et proelia secunda cum Celtiberis fecit, et oppida, quae ibi communierant, aliquot expugnavit.
In the same year, the proconsul Aulus Terentius, not far from the river Hiberus, in the territory of the Ausetani, both fought successful battles with the Celtiberians and stormed several towns which they had fortified there.
§39.56.2ulterior Hispania eo anno in pace fuit, quia et P. Sempronius proconsul diutino morbo est implicitus, et nullo lacessente peropportune quieverunt Lusitani.
Farther Spain was at peace that year, because both the proconsul Publius Sempronius was afflicted by a long illness, and the Lusitanians, since no one provoked them, remained quiet at a very opportune time.
§39.56.3nec in Liguribus memorabile quicquam a Q. Fabio consule gestum.
Nor was anything memorable achieved among the Ligurians by the consul Quintus Fabius.
ex Histria revocatus M. Marcellus exercitu dimisso Romam comitiorum causa rediit.
Marcus Marcellus, recalled from Istria, disbanded his army and returned to Rome for the elections.
§39.56.4creavit consules Cn. Baebium Tamphilum et L. Aemilium Paulum.
He conducted the election of the consuls Gnaeus Baebius Tamphilus and Lucius Aemilius Paulus.
cum M. Aemilio Lepido hic aedilis curulis fuerat; a quo consule quintus annus erat, cur is ipse Lepidus post duas repulsas consul factus esset.
The latter had been curule aedile with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus; it was the fifth year from his consulship, showing why Lepidus himself had been made consul only after two defeats.
§39.56.5praetores inde facti Q. Fulvius Flaccus M. Valerius Laevinus P. Manlius iterum M. Ogulnius Gallus L. Caecilius Denter C. Terentius Istra.
Next, the praetors elected were Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, Marcus Valerius Laevinus, Publius Manlius (for the second time), Marcus Ogulnius Gallus, Lucius Caecilius Denter, and Gaius Terentius Istra.
supplicatio extremo anno fuit prodigiorum causa, §39.56.6quod sanguine per biduum pluvisse in area Concordiae satis credebant, nuntiatumque erat haud procul Sicilia insulam, quae non ante fuerat, novam editam e mari esse.
At the end of the year, a thanksgiving was held because of portents, by which they fully believed that it had rained blood for two days in the area of Concordia, and it had been reported that not far from Sicily a new island, which had not existed before, had risen out of the sea.
§39.56.7Hannibalem hoc anno Antias Valerius decessisse est auctor legatis ad eam rem ad Prusiam missis praeter T Quinctium Flamininum, cuius in ea re celebre est nomen, L. Scipione Asiatico et P. Scipione Nasica.
Valerius Antias is the authority for the statement that Hannibal died in this year, and that the ambassadors sent to Prusias for that purpose, besides Titus Quinctius Flamininus, whose name is famous in that affair, were Lucius Scipio Asiaticus and Publius Scipio Nasica.

Notes

  1. 39.56.4a quo consule quintus annus erat, cur is ipse Lepidus post duas repulsas consul factus esset — The clause from "a quo consule" to "cur... factus esset" indicates the starting point of the five-year period. Here, "cur" functions similarly to "cum" or "ex quo" ("since"), explaining the circumstances of Lepidus' election after two defeats, and introduces a subjunctive verb ("factus esset").
  2. 39.56.6sanguine per biduum pluvisse — An accusative with infinitive construction where the impersonal verb "pluo" (to rain) in the perfect infinitive "pluvisse" is accompanied by the ablative of material/means "sanguine" ("with blood"). It serves as the object clause of "satis credebant".
  3. 39.56.7Hannibalem hoc anno Antias Valerius decessisse est auctor — The accusative with infinitive clause "Hannibalem... decessisse" (that Hannibal died in this year) depends on the main predicate "Antias Valerius est auctor" (Valerius Antias is the authority/source [for the statement]).

Cite this passage

Livy, History of Rome §39.56.1-39.56.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0914.phi001.humanitext-lat2:39.56.1-39.56.7

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