(1) Intereā ad Hispāniās, ubi occīsīs duōbus Scīpiōnibus nūllus Rōmānus dux erat, P. Cornēlius Scīpiō mittitur fīlius P. Scīpiōnis, quī ibīdem bellum gesserat, annōs nātus quattuor et vīgintī, vir Rōmānōrum omnium et suā aetāte et posteriōre tempore ferē prīmus.
(2) Is Carthāginem Hispāniae capit, in quā omne aurum, argentum et bellī apparātum Āfrī habēbant, nōbilissimōs quoque obsidēs, quōs ab Hispānīs accēperant.
(3) Māgōnem etiam frātrem Hannibalis ibīdem capit, quem Rōmam cum aliīs mittit. Rōmae ingēns laetitia post hunc nūntium fuit. Scīpiō Hispānōrum obsidēs parentibus reddidit; quārē omnēs ferē Hispānīae ūnō animō ad eum trānsiērunt. Post quae Hasdrubalem Hannibalis frātrem victum fugat et praedam māximam capit.
notes
War in Spain, 210–206 BCE
(1) ad Hispāniās: P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus, called by Polybius (10.2) possibly the most illustrious man of any born before the current generation, was sent to Spain in 210. The following year he attacked New Carthage by land and sea and captured the city. Thereafter he drilled his army in Hannibal's tactics, equipped it with Spanish swords and won over many Spanish chiefs. In 208 BCE he forced Hasdrubal to give battle at Baecula and was victorious but did not seriously injure Hasdrubal’s army, which the latter then marched through Spain and Gaul into Italy (Bird).
occīsīs duōbus Scīpiōnibus: ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419). The Scipios [P. Cornelius and Gnaeus] were killed in 211 BCE (see Brev. 3.14.2).
mittitur: historical present (AG 469).
fīlius P. Scīpiōnis: Scipio Africanus was the son of Publius Scipio Africanus.
annōs nātus quattuor et vīgintī: "having been born four and twenty years, i.e. at age 24. He was too young to be elected to the consulship (Hazzard).
vir Rōmānōrum omnium et suā aetāte et posteriōre tempore ferē prīmus: order: vir ferē prīmus omnium Rōmānōrum in illō tempore et hodiē.
ferē: "possibly," softening the categorical hyperbole (as at Brev. 1.1.1)
(2) Is: Scīpiō
Carthāginem Hispāniae: called "New Carthage." A town still exists on the same spot bearing the name Cartagena (Hazzard).
(3) Māgōnem etiam, frātrem Hannibalis: see Mago Barca
capit: like the subsequent verbs mittit, fugat, and capit, a series of historical present tense verbs (AG 469)
Rōmam...Rōmae: Rōmam is accusative of place to which; Rōmae is locative (AG 427.3).
ūnō animō: "with one accord" (Hazzard)
ad eum: Scīpiōnem
Post quae: "after these things," connecting relative (AG 308.f)
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| Hispānus, a, um, adj. |
Spanish; as subst., Hispānus, ī, m., a Spaniard |
|
| P. |
abbreviation of the praenomen or nomen Publius |
|
| Cornēlius, ī, m. |
the name of a large and important gens at Rome. See Asina, Cinna, Dolābella, Faustus, Fuscus, Galbus, Lentulus, Rūfinus, Scīpiō, Sulla. |
|
| Scīpiō, ōnis, m. |
the name of one of the most illustrious families of Rome, Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 83 B.C., Cn. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 222 B.C., L. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō, consul 259 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 218 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 191 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, praetor 94 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus, consul 205 BC the conqueror of Hannibal in the First Punic War., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus (Minor), consul 147 B.C. He brought the Third Punic War to a close by capturing and destroying Carthage., L. Cornēlius Scīpiō Asiāgenēs, consul 83 B.C., P. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō Nāsīca, consul 91 B.C. |
|
| ibīdem [ibi], adv. |
in the same place, just there |
|
| nātus, a, um [nāscor], adj. |
lit. born; with annōs and numerals, old |
|
| Scīpiō, ōnis, m. |
the name of one of the most illustrious families of Rome, Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 83 B.C., Cn. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 222 B.C., L. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō, consul 259 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 218 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, consul 191 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō, praetor 94 B.C., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus, consul 205 BC the conqueror of Hannibal in the First Punic War., P. Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus (Minor), consul 147 B.C. He brought the Third Punic War to a close by capturing and destroying Carthage., L. Cornēlius Scīpiō Asiāgenēs, consul 83 B.C., P. (Cornēlius) Scīpiō Nāsīca, consul 91 B.C. |
|
| posterior, us, gen. ōris, comp. | later | |
| Carthāgō, inis, f. |
(1) Carthage, a city founded by the Phoenicians on the northern coast of Africa; destroyed by the Romans 146 BC; (2) Carthāgō Nova, a city founded by the Carthaginians on the eastern coast of Spain |
|
| Hispānia, ae, f. |
Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae. |
|
| apparātus, ūs, m. |
equipment, preparation; splendor, pomp |
|
| Āfer, Āfrī, m. |
an African, especially an inhabitant of Carthage |
|
| obses, idis [obsideō], m. and f. | a hostage | |
| Māgō, ōnis, m. |
the brother of Hannibal, captured by Scipio in Spain |
|
| Hannibal, alis, m. |
the son of Hamilcar Barca, the great general of the Carthaginians in the second Punic war |
|
| laetitia, ae [laetus, joyful], f. | joy, rejoicing | |
| Hasdrubal, alis, m. |
(1) Surnamed Calvus, "the Bald," commander of the Carthaginian expedition to Sardinia in the second Punic war 215 B.C.; (2) Brother of Hannibal, defeated and slain at the battle of the Metaurus 207 B.C.; (3) The leader of the Carthaginians in the third Punic war 149–146 B.C. |