Cornelii Nepotis Vitae (Hamilton)/Hamilcar

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 XXI. De Regibus XXIII. Hannibal 
Hamilcar, filius Hannibalis, cognomine Barcas,
Hamilcar, son of Hannibal, by surname Barcas,
Carthaginiensis, primo Poenico bello, sed
the Carthaginian, in the first Punic war, but
extremis temporibus, coepit admodum adolescentulus
in the last times, began very young man
praeesse exercitui in Sicilia. Quum ante
to command to the army in Sicily. When before
adventum eius res Carthaginiensium
the coming of him the things of the Carthaginians
gererentur (sub.) male et mari et terra,
were carried on badly both by sea and by land,
ipse, ubi adfuit, cessit numquam
himself, where he was present, yielded never
hosti, neque dedit locum nocendi, que saepe
to enemy, nor gave place of hurting, and often
e-contrario, occasione data, lacessivit,
on the contrary, occasion being given, he provoked (attacked),
que semper discessit superior. Quo facto,
and always departed superior. Which being done,
quum Poeni amisissent (sub.) paene omnia
when the Carthaginians had lost almost all (things)
in Sicilia, ille sic defendit Erycem, ut bellum
in Sicily, he so defended Eryx, that the war
videretur (sub.) non gestum eo loco. Interim
did seem not carried on in that place. Meanwhile
Carthaginienses superati classe apud insulas
the Carthaginians being overcome in fleet at the islands
Aegates a Lutatio, consule Romanorum,
Aegates by Lutatius, the consul of the Romans,
statuerunt facere finem belli, que permiserunt
resolved to make an end of the war, and permitted
eam rem arbitrio Hamilcaris. Ille, etsi
that thing to the will of Hamilcar. He, although
flagrabat cupiditate bellandi, tamen putavit
he did burn with desire of warring, yet thought
serviendum paci, quod
to serve (that he ought to be subservient) to peace, because
intelligebat patriam, exhaustam sumtibus,
he did understand the country, exhausted with expenses,
posse non ferre diutius calamitates belli; sed
to be able not to bear longer the calamities of war; but
ita, ut statim agitaret (sub.) mente, si
so, that immediately he did agitate in mind, if
res refectae-essent modo paullum, renovare
things should be repaired only a little, to renew
bellum que persequi Romanos armis, donicum
the war and to pursue the Romans with arms, until
aut vicissent (sub.) certe, aut victi
either they had conquered surely, or being conquered
dedissent (sub.) manus. Hoc consilio conciliavit
they had given hands. With this counsel he procured
pacem, in qua fuit tanta ferocia, ut
peace, in which he was with so great ferocity, that
quum Catulus negaret (sub.) se compositurum
when Catulus did deny himself about to finish
bellum, nisi ille cum suis, qui tenuerunt
the war, unless he with his own, who held
Erycem, decederent Sicilia, armis relictis,
Eryx, should depart from Sicily, arms being left,
ipse dixerit (sub.), patria succumbente, se
himself said, country falling under, himself
periturum potius quam rediret domum
about to perish rather than he would return home
cum tanto flagitio; enim esse non
with so great disgrace; for to be not (the part)
suae virtutis, tradere adversariis arma
of his valour, to deliver to adversaries the arms
accepta a patria adversus hostes. Catulus
received from country against enemies. Catulus
cessit pertinaciae huius.
yielded to the steadfastness of him.


At ille, ut venit Carthaginem, cognovit
But he, when he came (to) Carthage, knew
rempublicam habentem se multo aliter ac
the republic having itself much otherwise than
sperabat. Namque tantum intestinum bellum
he did hope. For so great internal war
exarsit diuturnitate externi mali, ut
burnt forth by the continuance of the external evil, that
Carthago fuerit (sub.) numquam pari periculo,
Carthage was never in equal danger,
nisi quum deleta-est. Primo, mercenarii
unless when it was destroyed. First, the mercenary
milites, qui fuerent adversus Romanos, desciverunt,
soldiers, who had been against the Romans, revolted,
numerus quorum erat viginti millium. Hi
the number of whom was of twenty thousands. These
abalienarunt totam Africam, oppugnarunt
alienated the whole Africa, assaulted
Carthaginem ipsam. Poeni perterriti-sunt
Carthage itself. The Carthaginians were terrified
adeo quibus malis, ut petiverint (sub.)
so much with which evils, that they sought
auxilia etiam a Romanis, que impetraverint (sub.)
assistances even from the Romans, and obtained
ea. Sed extremo, quum pervenissent (sub.) iam
them. But at last, when they had arrived already
prope ad desperationem, fecerunt Hamilcarem
almost to despair, they made Hamilcar
imperatorem. Is non solum removit hostes a
commander. He not only removed enemies from
muris Carthaginis, quum facta-essent (sub.) amplius
the walls of Carthage, when they had been made more than
centum millia armatorum, sed etiam compulit
hundred thousands of armed (men), but also drove
eo, ut, clausi angustiis locorum, plures
to this, that, being shut in straits of places, more
interirent (sub.) fame, quam ferro. Restituit
did perish by hunger, than by the sword. He restored
patriae omnia abalienata oppida, in his
to country all disaffected towns, in (among) these
Uticam atque Hipponem, valentissima totius
Utica and Hippo, the most powerful of the whole
Africae. Neque fuit contentus eo, sed etiam
Africa. Nor was he content with that, but also
propagavit fines imperii, reddidit tantum
extended the bounds of empire, he restored so great
otium tota Africa, ut nullum bellum
ease in the whole Africa, that no war
videretur (sub.) fuisse in ea multis annis.
did seem to have been in it in many years.


His rebus peractis ex-sententia, animo
These things being finished to (his) wish, with mind
fidenti atque infesto Romanis, quo reperiret (sub.)
confident and hostile to the Romans, that he might find
caussam bellandi facilius, effecit ut
a cause of warring more easily, he effected that
mitteretur imperator cum exercitu in
he should be sent commander with an army into
Hispaniam, que duxit eo secum filium Hannibalem
Spain, and he led thither with him son Hannibal
novem annorum. Praeterea illustris, formosus
of nine years. Besides an illustrious, handsome
adolescens, Hasdrubal, erat cum eo, quem nonnulli
youth, Hasdrubal, was with him, whom some
loquebantur diligi turpius quam erat par,
did speak (say) to be beloved more basely than was equal (fit),
ab Hamilcare; enim maledici poterant non
by Hamilcar; for slanderous (persons) could not
deesse tanto viro. Quo factum-est,
to be wanting to so great a man. By which it happened,
ut Hasdrubal vetaretur (sub.) esse cum eo a
that Hasdrubal was forbidden to be with him by
praefecto morum. Ille dedit suam filiam huic
the prefect of manners. He gave his daughter to him
in matrimonium, quod, moribus eorum
into marriage, because, by the manners of them
gener poterat non interdici socero.
a son-in-law could not to be debarred to father-in-law.
Ideo fecimus mentionem de hoc,
On this account we have made mention about him,
quod, Hamilcare occiso, ille praefuit exercitui,
because, Hamilcar being slain, he commanded to army,
que gessit magnas res: et princeps pervertit
and carried on great things: and first he perverted
vetustos mores Carthaginiensium largitione, que
the ancient manners of the Carthaginians by bribery, and
post mortem eiusdem Hannibal accepit
after the death of the same Hannibal received
imperium ab exercitu. At Hamilcar, posteaquam
the command from army. But Hamilcar, after that
transiit mare, que venit in Hispaniam,
he passed over the sea, and came into Spain,
gessit magnas res secunda fortuna,
carried on great things with prosperous fortune,
subegit maximas que bellicosissimas gentes;
he subdued the greatest and most warlike nations;
locupletavit totam Africam equis, armis, viris,
he enriched the whole Africa with horses, arms, men,
pecunia. Quum hic meditaretur (sub.) inferre bellum
money. When he did meditate to carry war
in Italiam, occisus-est pugnans in praelio adversus
into Italy, he was slain fighting in battle against
Vettones, nono anno post-quam venerat
the Vettones, in the ninth year after that he had come
in Hispaniam. Perpetuum odium huius erga
into Spain. The perpetual hatred of him towards
Romanos videtur maxime concitasse secundum
the Romans seems chiefly to have excited the second
Poenicum bellum. Namque Hannibal, filius eius,
Punic war. For Hannibal, son of him,
perductus-est eo assiduis obtestationibus
was brought to this by constant injunctions
patris, ut mallet (sub.) interire quam non
of father, that he was more willing to perish than not
experiri Romanos.
to try the Romans.