Liv. 21.6.1Cum Saguntīnīs bellum nōndum erat, cēterum iam bellī causā certāmina cum fīnitimīs serēbantur, māxumē Turdetānīs.With the Saguntines there was not yet war, but already, to provide a cause of war, quarrels were being sown with their neighbours, especially the Turdetani. Liv. 21.6.2Quibus cum adesset īdem, quī lītis erat sator, nec certāmen iūris, sed vim quaerī appārēret, lēgātī ā Saguntīnīs Rōmam missī auxilium ad bellum iam haud dubiē imminēns ōrantēs.Since the same man who was the sower of the dispute was supporting these, and it was clear that what was sought was not a contest of rights but force, envoys were sent by the Saguntines to Rome, begging help for the war that now beyond doubt threatened. Liv. 21.6.3Cōnsulēs tunc Rōmae erant P. Cornēlius Scīpiō et Ti. Semprōnius Longus.The consuls at Rome at that time were Publius Cornelius Scipio and Tiberius Sempronius Longus. Liv. 21.6.3Quī cum lēgātīs in senātum intrōductīs dē rē pūblicā rettulissent, placuissetque mittī lēgātōs in Hispāniam ad rēs sociōrum īnspiciendās, quibus sī vidērētur digna causa, et Hannibalī dēnūntiārent, ut ab Saguntīnīs, sociīs populī Rōmānī, abstinēret, et Carthāginem in Āfricam trāicerent ac sociōrum populī Rōmānī querimōniās dēferrent, - hāc lēgātiōne dēcrētā necdum missā, omnium spē celerius Saguntum oppugnārī allātum est.When they had brought the envoys into the senate and raised the question of state policy, and it had been decided to send envoys to Spain to look into the affairs of the allies, who, if they saw good cause, were both to warn Hannibal to keep his hands off the Saguntines, allies of the Roman people, and to cross to Carthage in Africa and lay the complaints of the allies of the Roman people before it — this embassy had been decreed but not yet sent when news came, sooner than anyone had expected, that Saguntum was under attack.
Liv. 21.6.5Tunc relāta dē integrō rēs ad senātum;Then the matter was referred afresh to the senate; Liv. 21.6.6et aliī prōvinciās cōnsulibus Hispāniam atque Āfricam dēcernentēs terrā marīque rem gerendam cēnsēbant, aliī tōtum in Hispāniam Hannibalemque intendēbant bellum;and some, proposing that Spain and Africa be assigned as provinces to the consuls, thought that the war should be waged by land and sea, while others wanted to direct the whole war against Spain and Hannibal; Liv. 21.6.7erant, quī nōn temerē movendam rem tantam expectandōsque ex Hispāniā lēgātōs cēnsērent.there were those who thought that so great an undertaking should not be set in motion rashly and that the envoys from Spain should be awaited. Liv. 21.6.8Haec sententia, quae tūtissima vidēbātur vīcit, lēgātī, que eō mātūrius missī P. Valerius Flaccus et Q. Baebius Tamphilus Saguntum ad Hannibalem atque inde Carthāginem, sī nōn absisterētur bellō, ad ducem ipsum in poenam foederis ruptī dēposcendum.This opinion, which seemed the safest, prevailed, and the envoys, Publius Valerius Flaccus and Quintus Baebius Tamphilus, were sent all the sooner to Saguntum to Hannibal, and from there to Carthage, if he did not desist from the war, to demand the general himself in punishment for the breaking of the treaty.