3.16 | Dickinson College Commentaries

(1) Intereā in Ītaliā cōnsul Q. Fabius Māximus Tarentum recēpit, in quā ingentēs cōpiae Hannibalis erant. Ibi etiam ducem Hannibalis Carthalōnem occīdit, XXV mīlia hominum cāptīvōrum vēndidit, praedam mīlitibus dispertāvit, pecūniam hominum vēnditōrum ad fiscum retulit. Tum multae cīvitātēs Rōmānōrum, quae ad Hannibalem trānsierant prius, rūrsus sē Fabiō Māximō dēdidērunt.

(2) Īnsequentī annō Scīpiō in Hispāniā ēgregiās rēs ēgit et per sē et per frātrem suum L. Scīpiōnem; LXX cīvitātēs recēpērunt. In Ītaliā tamen male pūgnātum est. Nam Claudius Mārcellus cōnsul ab Hannibale occīsus est.

notes(active tab)
vocabulary

notes

Recapture of Tarentum, 209 BCE

(1) cōnsul Q. Fabius Māximus: Fabius Maximus Cunctator was consul for the fifth time when he reconquered Tarentum and captured Carthalo in 209 BCE.

pecūniam hominum vēnditōrum: "the money derived from the sale of the prisoners" (Hazzard). vēnditōrum is a perfect passive participle form of vēndō.

ad fiscum: "to the treasury," a late meaning (Hazzard)

(2) Īnsequentī annō: in 208 BCE

Scīpiō in Hispāniā: for Scipio Africanus' campaign in Spain against the forces of Hannibal, see the previous chapter (Brev. 3.15)

ēgregiās rēs: "extraordinary exploits" (Hazzard)

per frātrem suum L. Scīpiōnem: Lucius Cornelius Scipio will gain the title Asiaticus in his involvement in the Syro-Aetolian War (Brev. 4.4). Eutropius occasionally substitutes per with the accusative for ablative or dative of agent (Hazzard).

male pūgnātum est: passive verb form used impersonally (AG 207.d)

Claudius Mārcellus cōnsul: In 208 BCE Hannibal ambushed Marcellus between Tarentum and Locri (Livy 27.26–27) (Bird).

vocabulary

Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

intereā [inter + is], adv.	in the meantime, meanwhile
Q.	abbreviation of the praenomen Quīntus
Fabius, ī, m.	the name of a Roman gens. Fabia familia, the Fabian gens. (1) C. Fabius, consul 477 B.C.; (2) Q. Fabius, the first Roman annalist; (3) C. Fabius Pīctor, consul 269 B.C.
Māximus, ī, m.	a Roman cognomen meaning "greatest, most powerful"; (1) Q. Fabius Māximus, consul six times; (2) Q. Fabius Māximus, defeated by the Samnites 292 B.C.; (3) Q. Fabius Māximus (Cunctātor), five times consul.
Tarentum, ī, n.	a flourishing Greek city on the southern coast of Italy
Hannibal, alis, m.	the son of Hamilcar Barca, the great general of the Carthaginians in the second Punic war
Carthalō, ōnis, m.	a leader of the Carthaginians, slain by Q. Fabius Maximus
captīvus, a, um [capiō], adj.	captive; as subst., captīvus, ī, m., captīva, ae, f., captive, prisoner of war
vēndō, ere, didī, ditus [contr. from venumdō]	to sell
dispertiō, īre, īvī, ītus [dis + partiō, to share]	to distribute, divide
fiscus, ī, m.	a purse; treasury
dēdō, dere, didī, ditus	to give up, surrender; devote
insequor, ī, secūtus sum	to pursue, follow up
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.
Hispānia, ae, f.	Spain (including Portugal). It was divided into two provinces, Hispania Citerior and Ulterior; hence the pl. Hispaniae.
Claudius, ī, m.	the name of one of the oldest and most famous of the Roman gentes. (1.) Claudius I. Tib. Claudius Drusus Nero, Roman emperor, 41–54 A.D.; (2) Claudius II., M. Aurelius Claudius Gothicus, Roman emperor, 268–270 A.D.
Mārcellus, ī, m.	the name of a famous Roman family; (1) M. Claudius Mārcellus, consul 222 B.C.; (2) (M.) Claudius Mārcellus, consul 166 B.C.; (3) (M.) Claudius Mārcellus, consul 51 B.C.