BOOK III

1. After the Punic war (which dragged on for twenty-three years) came to an end, the Romans, now very famous, sent ambassadors to King Ptolemy of Egypt to offer assistance because King Antiochus of Syria had started a war against him. He thanked the Romans but accepted no assistance because the war had already ended. At the same time, Hiero, the most powerful king of Sicily, came to Rome to watch the games and gave a gift to the people of two hundred thousand modii [a measure of about two gallons] of wheat.

2. In the consulship of Lucius Cornelius Lentulus and Fulvius Flaccus, the same consulship in which Hiero had come to Rome, war was waged inside Italy against the Ligurians, and a triumph was held over them. In addition, the Carthaginians tried to renew the war by inciting the Sardinians (who by the terms of the peace treaty were bound to obey the Romans) to rebel. However, a delegation of Carthaginians came to Rome and procured peace.

3. In the consulship of Titus Manlius Torquatus and Caius Atilius Bulcus, a triumph was held over the Sardinians, and having made peace with all their neighbors, the Romans were not engaged in any war. This had only happened to them once (during the reign of Numa Pompilius) since the founding of the city.

4. The consuls Lucius Postumius Albinus and Cnaeus Fulvius Centumalus waged war against the Illyrians, and after capturing many of their cities, they also accepted the surrender of their kings. Then, for the first time, a triumph was celebrated over the Illyrians.

5. When Lucius Aemilius was consul, vast numbers of Gauls crossed the Alps. All Italy united behind the Romans, and as the historian Fabius (who was present in that war) related, eight hundred thousand men were assembled for war. The war, however, was successfully concluded by the consul alone. Forty thousand of the enemy were slain, and a triumph was decreed for Aemilius.

6. Several years later, during the consulship of Marcus Claudius Marcellus and Cnaeus Cornelius Scipio, a war was fought and concluded within Italy against the Gauls. Marcellus fought with a small group of cavalry and killed Viridomarus, the king of the Gauls, with his own hands. Afterwards, with his colleague, he killed a large number of Gauls, stormed Mediolanum, and carried a great amount of plunder back to Rome. Marcellus carried the spoils of the Gauls on a pole on his shoulders in his triumph.

7. In the consulship of Marcus Minucius Rufus and Publius Cornelius, war was waged against the Istrians because they had plundered some Roman ships that were carrying grain. They were completely subdued. In the same year, the second Punic war was started by Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, against the Romans. Hannibal, at twenty years of age, having gathered forty thousand men, moved against Saguntum, a city friendly to the Romans. Roman delegates demanded that Hannibal abstain from war, but he would not meet with them. The Romans also sent delegates to Carthage in order for Hannibal to be ordered not to wage war against the allies of the Roman people. The Carthaginians gave a harsh response. Meanwhile, the Saguntians succumbed to hunger and were taken by Hannibal, who inflicted the most severe punishments on them.

8. At that time, Publius Cornelius Scipio set out for Spain with his army, and Titus Sempronius set out for Sicily. War was declared against the Carthaginians. Hannibal left his brother Hasdrubal in Spain and crossed the Pyrenees. He opened a path for himself through the Alps which, up until that time, were impassable in that area. It is reported that he brought eighty thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, and thirty-seven elephants to Italy. Many Ligurians and Gauls also joined him. After finding out about Hannibal’s arrival in Italy, Sempronius Gracchus sent his army from Sicily to Ariminum.

9. Publius Cornelius Scipio was the first to encounter Hannibal. After the battle was joined, Scipio’s army was routed, and he himself returned to his camp wounded. Sempronius Gracchus and Hannibal fought at the river Trebia, and he also was defeated. Many in Italy surrendered to Hannibal. As Hannibal was going to Tuscia, he met the consul Flaminius and killed him. Twenty-five thousand of the Romans were slaughtered, and the rest were scattered. The Romans then sent Quintus Fabius Maximus against Hannibal. He broke Hannibal’s momentum by avoiding battle and soon, upon finding a favorable opportunity, defeated him.

10. In the five hundred and fortieth year since the founding of the city, Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Publius Terentius Varro succeeded Fabius and were sent against Hannibal. Fabius warned both consuls that they would not be able to defeat the skillful and impetuous general, Hannibal, unless they avoided entering a pitched battle. But due to the impatience of the consul Varro, even though the other consul Paulus was in disagreement, they joined in battle near a village named Cannae in Apulia, and both consuls were defeated by Hannibal. In this battle, three thousand of the Africans perished, and a great part of Hannibal’s army was wounded. However, in no other battle during the Punic wars did the Romans suffer more. In this battle, the consul Aemilius Paulus and twenty men of consular or praetorian rank perished. Thirty senators, three hundred noblemen, forty thousand soldiers, and thirty-five hundred cavalry were captured or slain. None of the Romans, however, even amid these disasters, considered mentioning peace. Slaves were freed and made soldiers, something which had never happened before.

11. After that battle, many cities which were under the Romans switched their allegiance to Hannibal. Hannibal offered the Romans the chance to redeem their prisoners, but the Senate replied that those citizens who allowed themselves to be taken while they were still armed were unimportant. Hannibal killed all of them afterwards by various tortures and sent three modii of gold rings, which he had pulled off the hands of Roman knights, senators, and soldiers, to Carthage. Meanwhile, in Spain, where Hannibal’s brother Hasdrubal remained with a large army in order to subjugate all of it for the Africans, Hasdrubal was defeated by the two Scipios, the Roman generals. In this battle, he lost thirty-five thousand men; ten thousand were captured, and twenty-five thousand were slain. The Carthaginians sent him twelve thousand infantry, four thousand cavalry, and twenty elephants to replenish his forces.

12. In the fourth year after Hannibal arrived in Italy, the consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus fought well against Hannibal at Nola, a city of Campania. Hannibal seized many Roman cities throughout Apulia, Calabria, and the land of the Bruttii. Also at this time, King Philip of Macedonia sent delegates to Hannibal promising assistance, but under the condition that, after the Romans had been defeated, he in return would receive assistance from Hannibal against the Greeks. The Romans captured the delegates, and after their mission was revealed, they ordered Marcus Valerius Laevinus to go to Macedonia and Titus Manlius Torquatus to go to Sardinia as proconsul; for the Sardinians, incited by Hannibal, had deserted the Romans.

13. Thus, at the same time, war was waged in four places: in Italy against Hannibal, in Spain against his brother Hasdrubal, in Macedonia against Philip, and in Sardinia against the Sardinians and another Carthaginian named Hasdrubal. Hasdrubal was taken alive by the proconsul, Titus Manlius, who had been sent to Sardinia. Twelve thousand were slain, fifteen hundred were captured, and Sardinia was subjugated by the Romans. A victorious Manlius brought the captives and Hasdrubal back to Rome. Meanwhile, Philip was also defeated in Macedonia by Laevinus, as were Hasdrubal and Mago (the third brother of Hannibal) by the two Scipios in Spain.

14. In the tenth year after Hannibal’s arrival in Italy, during the consulship of Publius Sulpicius and Cnaeus Fulvius, Hannibal came to the fourth milestone from the city, and his cavalry came all the way up to the gates. Soon, he retreated to Campania out of fear of the approaching consuls with the army. In Spain, both Scipios, who had been victorious for many years, were slain by Hannibal’s brother Hasdrubal; but their army remained unharmed, for they were taken by accident rather than in battle. At the same time, a large part of Sicily, which the Africans were beginning to take control of, was captured by the consul Marcellus, and an enormous amount of booty was brought to Rome from the renowned city of Syracuse. Laevinus made alliances with Philip in Macedonia, many Greek cities, and King Attalus of Asia. After setting out for Sicily, Laevinus captured a certain African general, Hanno, at Agrimentum, and captured the city itself as well. He sent Hanno and the captured nobles to Rome. He accepted the surrender of forty cities and stormed twenty-six others. After recovering all of Sicily and subduing Macedonia, Laevinus returned to Rome with great glory. In Italy, Hannibal attacked the consul Cnaeus Fulvius unexpectedly and killed him with eight thousand of his men.

15. Meanwhile, Publius Cornelius Scipio was sent to Spain, where there were no Roman generals after the two Scipios had been killed. He was twenty-four years old and the son of the same Publius Scipio who had waged war there before. He was regarded as first among the Romans, not only in his time, but in almost all later times as well. He captured New Carthage, where the Africans were keeping all of their gold, silver, and equipment of war, as well as the most noble hostages, which they had received from the Spaniards. He also captured Hannibal’s brother Mago there, whom he sent to Rome with the others. There was great rejoicing in Rome after this was announced. Scipio returned all the hostages to their relatives; for which deed nearly all the Spaniards crossed over to his side in unison. After this, he sent Hasdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, fleeing and seized a great amount of booty.

16. Meanwhile, in Italy, Quintus Fabius Maximus recovered Tarentum, where large forces of Hannibal were stationed, and killed Hannibal’s general, Karthalo, there as well. He sold at auction twenty-five thousand captives, distributed plunder to the soldiers, and returned the proceeds from the auctioned men to the public treasury. Then, many cities that formerly belonged to the Romans but had crossed over to Hannibal surrendered to Fabius Maximus. In Spain the following year, Scipio accomplished great things, both by himself and through his brother, Lucius Scipio, for they recovered seventy cities. In Italy, the Romans fought unsuccessfully, and the consul Claudius Marcellus was slain by Hannibal.

17. In the third year after Scipio set out for Spain, he again had notable achievements. After defeating a king of the Spaniards in a great battle, he made an alliance with him and became the first not to demand hostages from a defeated foe.

18. Hannibal, having lost hope that Spain could be held any longer against Scipio, summoned his brother Hasdrubal to Italy with all his forces. As Hasdrubal was traveling along the same route that Hannibal had taken, he fell into a trap placed by the consuls Appius Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius Salinator, near Sena, a city of Picenum, and died fighting bravely. A large number of his men were captured or slain, and a great amount of gold and silver was brought back to Rome. Hannibal began to despair about the outcome of the war after these events. The confidence of the Romans increased greatly, and they recalled Publius Cornelius Scipio from Spain. He arrived in Rome with great glory.

19. In the consulship of Quintus Caecilius and Lucius Valerius, all of the cities that Hannibal held in the land of the Bruttii surrendered to the Romans.

20. In the fourteenth year after Hannibal came to Italy, Scipio, who had accomplished much in Spain, was made consul and sent to Africa. It was thought that this man possessed a certain divine quality, so much so that it was believed that he held conversations with the gods. He fought in Africa against the African general Hanno and slaughtered his army. In a second battle, Scipio seized his camp, killed eleven thousand of his men, and captured four thousand five hundred. He captured Syphax, a king of Numidia who had joined with the Africans, and seized his camp. Syphax and the most noble of the Numidians were sent to Rome by Scipio along with vast plunder. Almost all of Italy deserted Hannibal after this was announced. Hannibal was ordered by the Carthaginians to return to Africa, which Scipio was laying waste.

21. Thus, Italy was freed from Hannibal in the seventeenth year. Carthaginian ambassadors sought peace from Scipio and were sent by him to the Senate in Rome. They were granted a truce of forty-five days, as long as it would take to travel to Rome and back, and thirty thousand pounds of silver were received from them. The Senate ordered peace to be made at the discretion of Scipio. Scipio offered these terms: they were not to keep more than thirty ships, they would pay five hundred thousand pounds of silver, and they would return Roman captives and fugitives.

22. Meanwhile, as Hannibal was arriving in Africa, the Africans committed many hostile acts, and the peace was broken. The ambassadors returning from Rome were captured but were released by the order of Scipio. Hannibal was defeated in a number of battles, and he himself sought peace from Scipio. When they met for a conference, the same terms were given as before but with an additional one hundred thousand pounds of silver added on account of the recent treachery. The Carthaginians were unhappy with the terms and ordered Hannibal to fight. Scipio and Masinissa, another king of the Numidians, who had allied with Scipio, brought the war to Carthage. Hannibal sent three scouts to the camp of Scipio. They were captured, and Scipio ordered for them to be led around the camp and to be shown the entire army. Then, Scipio had them fed and released in order for them to report to Hannibal what they had seen among the Romans.

23. Meanwhile, both generals prepared for a battle such as had almost never been seen before, since they were the most skilled men ever to lead forces to war. Scipio left victorious, almost capturing Hannibal, who at first escaped with many horsemen, then twenty, and finally, four. Twenty thousand pounds of silver, eighty pounds of gold, and an abundance of other goods were found in the camp of Hannibal. Peace was made with the Carthaginians after this battle. Scipio returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph with great glory. Henceforth, he was called “Africanus.” Thus, the second Punic war ended nineteen years after it had begun.

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