(1) Nam — ut omittam Philippum, quem absēns hostem reddidit Rōmānīs — omnium iīs temporibus potentissimus rēx Antiochus fuit. Hunc tantā cupiditāte incendit bellandī, ut ūsque ā rubrō marī arma cōnātus sit īnferre Italiae.
(2) Ad quem cum lēgātī vēnissent Rōmānī, quī dē ēius voluntāte explōrārent darentque operam, cōnsiliīs clandestīnīs, ut Hannibalem in suspīciōnem rēgī addūcerent, tamquam ab ipsīs corruptus alia atque anteā sentīret, neque id frūstrā fēcissent idque Hannibal comperisset sēque ab interiōribus cōnsiliīs sēgregārī vīdisset, tempore datō adiit ad rēgem.
(3) Eīque cum multa dē fidē suā et odiō in Rōmānōs commemorāsset, hoc adiūnxit: "Pater meus" inquit "Hamilcar puerulō mē, utpote nōn amplius novem annōs nātō, in Hispāniam imperātor proficīscēns, Karthāgine Iovī optimō maximō hostiās immolāvit.
(4) Quae dīvīna rēs dum cōnficiēbātur, quaesīvit ā mē, vellemne sēcum in castra proficīscī. Id cum libenter accēpissem atque ab eō petere coepissem, nē dubitāret dūcere, tum ille ‘Faciam’, inquit ‘sī mihi fidem, quam postulō, dederis.’ Simul mē ad āram addūxit, apud quam sacrificāre īnstituerat, eamque cēterīs remōtīs tenentem iūrāre iūssit numquam mē in amīcitiā cum Rōmānīs fore.
(5) Id ego iūs iūrandum patrī datum ūsque ad hanc aetātem ita cōnservāvī, ut nēminī dubium esse dēbeat, quīn reliquō tempore eādem mente sim futūrus.
(6) Quārē, sī quid amīcē dē Rōmānīs cōgitābis, nōn imprūdenter fēceris, sī mē cēlāris; cum quidem bellum parābis, tē ipsum frūstrāberis, sī nōn mē in eō prīncipem posueris."
notes
vocabulary
(1) omittō –mittere –mīsī –missum: neglect, omit
Philippus –ī m.: Phillip (V, king of Macedon)
absēns absentis: absent ※
Antiochus –ī m.: Antiochus (III, the Great, king of Syria) ※
cupiditās cupiditātis f.: longing, desire, passion
incendō –cendere –cendī –censum: inflame, set fire to ※
bellō –āre: wage war, fight, contend ※
ruber rubra rubrum: red
(2) explōrō –āre: investigate, inquire, put to the test ※
clandestīnus –a –um: secret, hidden, concealed
suspīciō suspīciōnis f.: mistrust, suspicion
anteā: before, earlier, already ※
comperiō –perīre –perī –pertum: find out, learn, know
interior interius: inner, more inward ※
sēgregō –āre: separate, exclude, remove
(3) commemorō –āre: recall, recount ※
adiungō –iungere –iūnxī –iūnctum: add, connect, join to ※
puerulus –ī m.: little boy
utpote: namely (reinforcing an explanation)
novem: nine
Hispānia –ae f.: Spain ※
Karthāgō Karthāginis f.: Carthage ※
Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter
hostia –ae f.: victim, sacrifice
immolō –āre: sacrifice, offer as sacrifice
(4) dīvīnus –a –um: divine
libenter: gladly, happily, willingly
postulō –āre: ask for, demand, require ※
sacrificō –āre: make sacrifice, sacrifice
removeō –movēre –mōvī –mōtum: remove, dismiss ※
(5) cōnservō –āre: retain, maintain, preserve ※
(6) imprūdēns imprūdentis: unaware, lacking foresight, imprudent
cēlō –āre: hide, conceal
frūstror frūstrārī frūstrātus sum: disappoint, frustrate