3.17-18 | Dickinson College Commentaries

17. Tertiō annō, postquam Scīpiō ad Hispāniās profectus fuerat, rūrsus rēs inclitās gerit. Rēgem Hispāniārum māgnō proeliō victum in amīcitiam accēpit et prīmus omnium ā victō obsidēs nōn poposcit.

18. (1) Dēspērāns Hannibal Hispāniās contrā Scīpiōnem diūtius posse retinērī frātrem suum Hasdrubalem ad Ītaliam cum omnibus cōpiīs ēvocāvit.

(2) Is veniēns eōdem itinere, quō etiam Hannibal vēnerat, ā cōnsulibus Ap. Claudiō Nerōne et M. Līviō Salīnātōre apud Sēnam Pīcēnī cīvitātem, in īnsidiās compositās incidit. Strēnuē tamen pūgnāns occīsus est, ingentēs eius cōpiae captae aut interfectae sunt, māgnum pondus aurī atque argentī Rōmam relatum est.

(3) Post haec Hannibal diffīdere iam dē bellī coepit ēventū. Rōmānīs ingēns animus accessit; itaque et ipsī ēvocāvērunt ex Hispāniā P. Cornēlium Scīpiōnem. Is Rōmam cum ingentī glōriā vēnit.

notes

Chapter 17: The Defeat of Carthaginian Forces in Spain (206 BCE)

Scīpiō: In 206 BCE, the forces in Spain at Ilipsa near Seville, Scipio totally defeated the Carthaginian forces. Attenes, chief of the Turdetani, went over to the Romans, as did the [Mauretanian] chiefs Masinissa and Syphax. The rest of Spain was rapidly conquered (Livy 28.17-37) (Bird).

profectus fuerat: i.e., profectus esset. Eutropius generally uses essem, etc. in the Pluperfect Passive Subjunctive; he ordinarily uses fueram, etc., for eram in the Pluperfect Passive Indicative (Hazzard).

rēs inclitās gerit: "extraordinary exploits" (Hazzard); gerit is historical present (AG 469).

prīmus omnium: "was the first of all to"

in amīcitiam accēpit: like the phrase in dēditiōnem accēpit (Brev. 2.21), it meant practical subjection in either case (Hazzard).

ā victō: supply hoste

obsidēs nōn poposcit: by pursuing the opposite course [in not demanding hostages] of the Carthaginians he hoped to win over the Spaniards (Hazzard).

Chapter 18: Battle of the Metaurus, 207 BCE

For details, see Polybius 11.1–3, Livy 27.46–49)

(1) Dēspērāns: “giving up all hope” (Hazzard), followed by indirect discourse construction (AG 577).

contrā Scīpiōnem: for Scipio Africanus’ campaign against Hannibal’s forces in Spain, see Brev. 3.15.

(2) Is: Hasdrubal

ā cōnsulibus Ap. Claudiō Nerōne et M. Līviō Salīnātōre...in īnsidiās compositās: it was not Appius Claudius Nero but Gaius Claudius Nero who was co-consul in 207 BCE and fellow commander in the battle at Metaurus.

apud Sēnam: one of the critical battles of Roman history. It is generally known as the battle of the Metaurus, from the name of the river near which it was fought.

The messenger sent by Hasdrubal to inform his brother Hannibal of his coming fell into the hands of the Romans. Nero, leaving a part of his forces to watch Hannibal, with a picked band hastened north, joined the force under Salinator, defeated Hasdrubal, who perished in the battle, and returned to his army in Apulia before Hannibal discovered his absence. It is said that he ordered the severed head of Hasdrubal to be flung into the camp of Hannibal. He "recognized the features of the brother whom he had so long and eagerly expected, and in them sadly saw the doom of Carthage" (Hazzard, citing Creighton).

(3) Hannibal diffīdere iam dē bellī coepit ēventū: [After the Battle of Metaurus] Hannibal retired to Bruttium where he maintained himself for the next four years, though with dwindling expectations (Bird).

ingēns animus accessit: lit., "great courage came to in addition" = "great courage was inspired in" (Hazzard)

et ipsī: = etiam (Hazzard)

Is: supply Scīpiō

vocabulary

Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

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.
obses, idis [obsideō], m. and f.	a hostage
dēspērō, āre, āvī, ātus [dē + spērō, to hope]	to give up hope, despair
Hannibal, alis, m.	the son of Hamilcar Barca, the great general of the Carthaginians in the second Punic war
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.
ēvocō, āre, āvī, ātus	to call out, summon
Appius, ī, m. (abbr. Ap.)	a praenomen especially common in the Claudian gens
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.
Nerō, ōnis, m.	(1) Nerō (Claudius Caesar Drūsus Germānicus), Roman emperor 54–68 A.D.; (2) Appius Claudius Nerō, consul 207 B.C.
M.	M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius
Līvius, ī, m.	the name of a Roman gens
Salīnātōr, ōris, m.	M. Līvius Salīnātōr, consul 210 B.C.
Sēna, ae, f.	a city in Umbria in Italy
Pīcēnum, ī, n.	a division of Italy on the Adriatic Sea, north of Latium
īnsidiae, ārum [īnsideō, to sit upon], pl. f.	ambush; treachery
strēnuē [strēnuus], adv., sup. strēnuissimē	vigorously
diffīdō, ere, fīsus sum [dis + fīdō, to trust]	to distrust, doubt
ēventus, ūs [ēveniō], m.	outcome, result; occurrence, event
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.