3.14

Hannibal in Italy, 214–210 BCE

(1) P. Sulpiciō Cn. Fulviō cōnsulibus: ablative absolute with a form of esse understood (AG 419.a). Cn. Fulvius Centumalus Maximus and Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus were consuls in 211 BCE. In that year, Q. Fulvius Flaccus, Appius Claudius and Claudius Nero besieged Capua. Hannibal, unable to break the siege lines, marched on Rome, camped three miles from the city and sent his cavalry up to the Colline Gate in an effort to draw the Romans from Capua. Flaccus took a force of 16,000 men from Capua, leaving the rest of the Roman forces under the other two commanders to continue the siege, and marched to Rome which was well garrisoned. Bad weather prevented a decisive battle and Hannibal had to retire. Flaccus returned to Capua and the city was compelled to surrender (Polybius 9.3–9; Livy 25.22, 26.4–14) (Bird).

Hannibal ad Campāniam sē recēpit: This was not the first time that Hannibal had come perilously close to marching on Rome. Livy records a potentially apocryphal story in which Hannibal chose not to press the advantage he had gained from his decisive victory at Cannae, against his lieutenants' advice (see Brev. 3.10):

ūsque ad portam: According to the second century CE Greek historian Appian, Hannibal’s imminent invasion of Rome caused a panic as never before seen:

(2) ā frātre Hasdrubale ambō Scīpiōnēs: Livy (25.32–39) informs us that in 211 BCE the two Scipios [P. Cornelius and Gnaeus] divided their army into two divisions and marched south from Saguntum but were weakened by the large scale desertions of their Spanish allies (25.32.7). In the meantime the Carthaginians had been strongly reinforced and Gnaeus Scipio was defeated and killed by Hasdrubal Barca, Hannibal's brother, at Ilorci inland from New Carthage, while Publius Scipio suffered a similar fate on the upper Baetis. The remnants of the Roman forces, however, regrouped under L. Marcius north of the Ebro and inflicted a sound defeat on the pursuing Carthaginians (Bird).

cāsū enim magis erant quam virtūte dēceptī: order: enim dēceptī erant magis cāsū quam virtūte. Eutropius' order emphasizes the key word cāsū.

(3) Quō tempore etiam ā cōnsule Mārcellō: quō is a connecting relative pronoun modifying tempore (AG 308.f). Marcus Claudius Metellus was consul for the fourth time in 210 BCE.

nōbilissima urbs Syrācūsāna: also subject of capta est. After the death of Hiero II (215 BCE), Syracuse went over to the Carthaginians. It was besieged by Marcellus in 213 BCE and finally fell in 211 BCE (Livy 25.23–31, 25.40–41) (Bird).

(4) amīcitiam fēcit: In 211 BCE Laevinus negotiated alliances with the Aetolian League and with Attalus I of Pergamum. Philip was finally forced to sign a peace treaty at Phoenice in 205 BCE after a show of force by Sempronius Tuditanus. In 210 BCE Laevinus negotiated the surrender of Agrigentum and the rest of Sicily quickly submitted. Hanno escaped to Africa (Livy 26.24–25, 26.40) (Bird).

in dēditiōnem accēpit: "they received in surrender" (Hazzard)

omni Siciliā receptā et Macedoniā fractā: ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419)

Cn. Fulvium cōnsulem: Cn. Fulvius was praetor, not consul. He was surprised by Hannibal and slain before Herdonia [in 210 BCE] (Hazzard).