Nam ut omittam Philippum, quem absens hostem reddidit
Romanis, omnium his temporibus potentissimus rex Antiochus fuit. Hunc tanta
cupiditate incendit bellandi, ut usque a rubro mari arma conatus sit inferre
Italiae.
So that I might disregard (or: To say nothing of) Philip whom even though away he (i.e. Hannibal) rendered an
enemy to the Romans, king Antiochus was the most powerful of all at that time. He (i.e. Hannibal) inflamed him with so great a desire of waging war that he (i.e. Antiochus) endeavored to bring
weapons to Italy even from the red sea.
Ad quem cum legati venissent Romani, qui de eius
voluntate explorarent darentque operam, consiliis clandestinis ut Hannibalem in
suspicionem regi adducerent, tamquam ab ipsis corruptus alia atque antea
sentiret,
When the Roman envoys had come to him so
that they investigate about his intentions and try to bring Hannibal to the
suspicion of the king with their secret plans, as if having been bribed by them
he (i.e. Antiochus) would change his mind (or: he would think things other than before)
At the same time he led me to the altar at which he had started to
sacrifice, and, with the rest of the people having been set aside, he ordered
me, holding it, to swear that I will never be friends with the Romans.
neque id frustra fecissent idque Hannibal comperisset
seque ab interioribus consiliis segregari vidisset, tempore dato adiit ad
regem, eique cum multa de fide sua et odio in Romanos commemorasset, hoc
adiunxit:
and (when) they had not done that in vain and
Hannibal had discovered it and he had seen himself being excluded from the
inner council, when an opportunity appeared he went to the king
‘Pater meus’ inquit ‘Hamilcar puerulo me, utpote non
amplius IX annos nato in Hispaniam imperator proficiscens Carthagine, Iovi
optimo maximo hostias immolavit.
‘My father’ he said ‘Hamilcar when I was a
boy, that is not more that 9 years old, advancing from Carthage to Spain as a
general, he sacrificed victims to Jupiter Optimus Maximus.
Quae divina res dum conficiebatur, quaesivit a me,
vellemne secum in castra proficisci. Id cum libenter accepissem atque ab eo
petere coepissem, ne dubitare ducere, tum ille ‘Faciam’, inquit ‘si mihi fidem,
quam postulo, dederis.’
While this sacrifice was being performed, he
asked me if I was willing to set out with him into the camp. When I had
willingly accepted that and I had begun to ask (him) not to hesitate to lead
(me), then he said ‘I ‘ll do this, if you give me the promise that I ask.’
Simul me ad aram adduxit, apud quam sacrificare
instituerat, eamque ceteris remotis tenentem iurare iussit numquam me in
amicitiam cum Romanis fore.
Id ego ius iurandum patri datum usque ad hanc aetatem ita conservavi, ut nemini
dubium esse debeat, quin reliquo tempore eadem mente sim futurus.
I thus kept this oath that I gave to my
father continuously to this age that no one ought to doubt that I shall be of
the same mind for the rest of my life.
Quare, si quid amice de Romanis cogitabis, non
imprudenter feceris, si me celaris; cum quidem bellum parabis, te ipsum
frustraberis, si non me in eo principem posueris.’
Therefore, if you (will) think something
about the Romans in a friendly way, you will not act without imprudence if
you (will) hide this from me. When you
‘ll prepare (for) war, you will disappoint you yourself, if you will not make
me the leader in this (war).’
Hac igitur, qua diximus, aetate cum patre in Hispaniam
profectus est.
At this age therefore which we have said he
set forth with his father to Spain.
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