§42.23.1legati Carthaginienses eo tempore Romae erant et Gulussa, filius Masinissae.
At that time, Carthaginian ambassadors and Gulussa, the son of Masinissa, were in Rome.
inter eos magnae contentiones in senatu fuere.
There were great contentions between them in the senate.
§42.23.2Carthaginienses querebantur, praeter agrum, de quo ante legati ab Roma, qui in re praesenti cognoscerent, missi essent, amplius septuaginta oppida castellaque agri Carthaginiensis biennio proxumo Masinissam vi atque armis possedisse: §42.23.3id illi, cui nihil pensi sit, facile esse.
The Carthaginians complained that, in addition to the land concerning which commissioners had previously been sent from Rome to investigate on the spot, Masinissa had within the last two years seized by force of arms more than seventy towns and forts of the Carthaginian territory: this was easy for that man, to whom nothing was of any consequence.
Carthaginienses foedere inligatos silere; §42.23.4prohiberi enim extra fines efferre arma; quamquam sciant in suis finibus, si inde Numidas pellerent, se gesturos bellum, illo haud ambiguo capite foederis deterreri, quo diserte vetentur cum sociis populi Romani bellum gerere.
The Carthaginians, bound by the treaty, remained silent; for they were forbidden to carry arms outside their boundaries; although they knew that in their own territory, if they should drive the Numidians from there, they would be waging war, they were deterred by that unambiguous clause of the treaty, by which they were expressly forbidden to wage war with the allies of the Roman people.
§42.23.5sed iam ultra superbiam crudelitatemque et avaritiam eius pati non posse Carthaginienses.
But now the Carthaginians could no longer endure his insolence, cruelty, and avarice.
missos esse se, qui orarent senatum, ut trium harum rerum unam ab se impetrari sinerent: §42.23.6ut vel ex aequo inter regem socium populumque Carthaginiensem, quid cuiusque esset, disceptarent; vel permitterent Carthaginiensibus, ut adversus iniusta arma pio iustoque se tutarentur bello; vel ad extremum, si gratia plus quam veritas apud eos valeret, semel statuerent, quid donatum ex alieno Masisnissae vellent.
They had been sent to entreat the senate that they would allow one of these three things to be obtained by them: either that they should decide on equal terms between the allied king and the Carthaginian people what belonged to each; or that they should permit the Carthaginians to defend themselves against unjust arms by a pious and just war; or finally, if influence was of more weight with them than truth, that they should once and for all determine what they wished to be given to Masinissa out of another's property.
§42.23.7modestius certe daturos eos, et se scituros, quid dedissent; ipsum nullum praeterquam suae libidinis arbitrio finem facturum.
They would certainly give more moderately, and the Carthaginians would know what they had given up; whereas he himself would set no limit except by the decision of his own desire.
§42.23.8horum si nihil impetrarent, et aliquod suum post datam a P. Scipione pacem delictum esset, ipsi potius animadverterent in se.
If they should obtain none of these things, and if there had been any transgression on their part since the peace granted by Publius Scipio, they begged that the Romans themselves should rather punish them.
§42.23.9tutam servitutem se sub dominis Romanis quam libertatem expositam ad iniurias Masinissae malle; §42.23.10perire denique semel ipsis satius esse, quam sub acerbissimi carnificis arbitrio spiritum ducere.
they preferred safe servitude under Roman masters to a liberty exposed to the injuries of Masinissa; in short, it was better for them to perish once and for all, than to draw breath under the will of a most cruel executioner.
sub haec dicta lacrimantes procubuerunt stratique humi non sibi magis misericordiam quam regi invidiam conciliarunt.
Having spoken these words, they prostrated themselves weeping, and, stretched upon the ground, they excited not so much pity for themselves as hatred against the king.