Liv. 21.50.1Ubi in altum ēvectī sunt Rōmānus cōnserere pugnam et ex propinquō vīrēs cōnferre velle;When they had sailed out into open water, the Roman wanted to close and match strength at close quarters; Liv. 21.50.2contrā ēlūdere Poenus et arte, nōn vī rem gerere nāviumque quam virōrum aut armōrum mālle certāmen facere.the Carthaginian, on the other hand, sought to evade him, to conduct the affair by skill, not force, and to make it a contest of ships rather than of men or arms. Liv. 21.50.3Nam ut sociīs nāvālibus adfatim īnstrūctam classem ita inopem mīlite habēbant, et, sīcubi cōnserta nāvis esset, haudquāquam pār numerus armātōrum ex eā pugnābat.For while they had a fleet amply furnished with seamen, they were short of soldiers, and wherever a ship had been grappled, a far from equal number of armed men fought from it. Liv. 21.50.4Quod ubi animadversum est, et Rōmānīs multitūdō sua auxit animum et paucitās illīs minuit.When this was noticed, their own numbers raised the spirits of the Romans, and their fewness lowered those of the enemy. Liv. 21.50.5Extemplō septem nāvēs Pūnicae circumventae, fugam cēterae cēpērunt.At once seven Punic ships were surrounded, and the rest took to flight.
Liv. 21.50.5Mīlle et septingentī fuēre in nāvibus captīs mīlitēs nautaeque, in hīs trēs nōbilēs Carthāginiēnsium.On the captured ships there were seventeen hundred soldiers and sailors, among them three Carthaginian nobles. Liv. 21.50.6Classis Rōmāna incolumis, ūnā tantum perforātā nāvī, sed eā quoque ipsā reduce, in portum rediit.The Roman fleet returned to harbour unharmed, with only one ship holed, and even that one came back safe. Liv. 21.50.7Secundum hanc pugnam nōndum gnārīs eius quī Messānae erant, Ti. Semprōnius cōnsul Messānam vēnit.After this battle, before those who were at Messana knew of it, the consul Tiberius Sempronius came to Messana. Liv. 21.50.8Eī fretum intrantī rēx Hierō classem ōrnātam armātamque obviam dūxit, trānsgressusque ex rēgiā in praetōriam nāvem grātulātus sōspitem cum exercitū et nāvibus advēnisse precātusque prosperum ac fēlīcem in Siciliam trānsitum, statum deinde īnsulae et Carthāginiēnsium cōnāta exposuit pollicitusque est, quō animō priōre bellō populum Rōmānum iuvenis adiūvisset, eō senem adiūtūrum;As he entered the strait, King Hiero led out a fleet, equipped and armed, to meet him, and crossing from the royal ship to the flagship he congratulated him on having arrived safe with his army and ships, and prayed for a prosperous and fortunate crossing into Sicily; then he set out the state of the island and the designs of the Carthaginians, and promised that with the same spirit with which he had helped the Roman people as a young man in the former war, he would help them as an old man; Liv. 21.50.10frūmentum vestīmentaque sēsē legiōnibus cōnsulis sociīsque nāvālibus grātīs praebitūrum;he would supply corn and clothing free of charge to the consul's legions and naval allies; Liv. 21.50.10grande perīculum Lilybaeō maritumīsque cīvitātibus esse, et quibusdam volentibus novās rēs fore.great danger threatened Lilybaeum and the coastal cities, and to some a revolution would be welcome.
Liv. 21.50.11Ob haec cōnsulī nihil cūnctandum vīsum, quīn Lilybaeum classe peteret.For these reasons the consul thought he should make no delay in making for Lilybaeum with his fleet. Liv. 21.50.11Et rēx rēgiaque classis ūnā profectī.The king and the royal fleet set out with him. Liv. 21.50.11Nāvigantēs inde pugnātum ad Lilybaeum fūsāsque et captās hostium nāvēs accēpēre.As they sailed, they learned that there had been a battle at Lilybaeum and that the enemy's ships had been routed and captured.