Liv. 21.12.1Nec Saguntī oppugnātiō segnior erat Maharbale Himilcōnis fīliō — eum praefēcerat Hannibal — ita inpigrē rem agente, ut ducem abesse nec cīvēs nec hostēs sentīrent.Nor was the siege of Saguntum any slacker, since Maharbal, son of Himilco — Hannibal had put him in charge — was conducting operations so energetically that neither citizens nor enemies felt the general's absence. Liv. 21.12.2Is et proelia aliquot secunda fēcit et tribus arietibus aliquantum mūrī discussit strātaque omnia recentibus ruīnīs advenientī Hannibalī ostendit.He fought several successful battles, knocked down a considerable part of the wall with three rams, and on Hannibal's arrival showed him everything laid flat with fresh ruins. Liv. 21.12.3Itaque ad ipsam arcem extemplō ductus exercitus, atrōxque proelium cum multōrum utrimque caede initum et pars arcis capta est.And so the army was at once led against the citadel itself, and a fierce battle was begun with heavy slaughter on both sides, and part of the citadel was taken. Liv. 21.12.3Temptāta deinde per duōs est exigua pācis spēs, Alcōnem Saguntīnum et Alorcum Hispānum.Then a slender hope of peace was tried through two men, Alco a Saguntine and Alorcus a Spaniard.
Liv. 21.12.4Alcō īnsciīs Saguntīnīs, precibus aliquid mōtūrum ratus, cum ad Hannibalem noctū trānsīsset, postquam nihil lacrimae movēbant condiciōnēsque trīstēs ut ab īrātō victōre ferēbantur, trānsfuga ex ōrātōre factus apud hostem mānsit, moritūrum adfirmāns, quī sub condiciōnibus iīs dē pāce ageret.Alco, without the knowledge of the Saguntines, thinking he would achieve something by entreaties, crossed over to Hannibal by night; when his tears had no effect and harsh terms were offered, as from an angry victor, he turned from spokesman into deserter and stayed with the enemy, declaring that anyone who negotiated for peace on those terms would be put to death. Liv. 21.12.5Postulābātur autem, redderent rēs Turdetānīs trāditōque omnī aurō atque argentō ēgressī urbe cum singulīs vestīmentīs ibi habitārent, ubi Poenus iussisset.The demands were that they should restore their property to the Turdetani, and, handing over all their gold and silver, should leave the city with a single garment each and live wherever the Carthaginian ordered. Liv. 21.12.6Hās pācis lēgēs abnuente Alcōne acceptūrōs Saguntīnōs, Alorcus, vincī animōs, ubi alia vincantur, adfirmāns, sē pācis eius interpretem fore pollicētur;When Alco denied that the Saguntines would accept these terms of peace, Alorcus, declaring that spirits are conquered when everything else is conquered, promises that he will be the intermediary for that peace; Liv. 21.12.6erat autem tum mīles Hannibalis, cēterum pūblicē Saguntīnīs amīcus atque hospes.he was at that time a soldier of Hannibal, but officially a friend and guest-friend of the Saguntines.
Liv. 21.12.7Trāditō palam tēlō custōdibus hostium trānsgressus mūnīmenta ad praetōrem Saguntīnum — et ipse ita iubēbat — est dēductus.Handing over his weapon openly to the enemy's guards, he crossed the fortifications and was taken — he himself asked for this — to the Saguntine commander. Liv. 21.12.8Quō cum extemplō concursus omnis generis hominum esset factus, summōtā cēterā multitūdine senātus Alorcō datus est, cuius tālis ōrātiō fuit:When a crowd of people of every kind had at once gathered there, the rest of the throng was moved away and Alorcus was given a hearing by the senate; his speech was as follows: