Liv. 22.22.1Hōc statū rērum in Hispāniā P. Scīpiō in prōvinciam vēnit, prōrogātō post cōnsulātum imperiō ab senātū missus cum trīgintā longīs nāvibus et octō mīlibus mīlitum magnōque commeātū advectō.With affairs in Spain in this state, Publius Scipio came to his province, sent by the senate with his command extended after his consulship, with thirty warships and eight thousand soldiers and a large convoy of supplies. Liv. 22.22.2Ea classis ingēns agmine onerāriārum procul vīsa cum magnā laetitiā cīvium sociōrumque portum Tarracōnis ex altō tenuit.That fleet, made huge by its line of transports, was seen from far off and, to the great joy of citizens and allies, made the harbour of Tarraco from the open sea. Liv. 22.22.3Ibi mīlite expositō profectus Scīpiō frātrī sē coniungit, ac deinde commūnī animō cōnsiliōque gerēbant bellum.There Scipio landed his soldiers, set out and joined his brother, and from then on they waged the war with a common purpose and common counsel. Liv. 22.22.4Occupātīs igitur Carthāginiēnsibus Celtibēricō bellō haud cūnctanter Hibērum trānsgrediuntur nec ūllō vīsō hoste Saguntum pergunt īre, quod ibi obsidēs tōtīus Hispāniae trāditōs ab Hannibale fāma erat modicō in arce custōdīrī praesidiō.So, while the Carthaginians were occupied with the Celtiberian war, they crossed the Ebro without hesitation and, seeing no enemy, pressed on to Saguntum, because it was reported that the hostages from all Spain, handed over by Hannibal, were being kept there in the citadel under a modest guard.
Liv. 22.22.5Id ūnum pignus inclīnātōs ad Rōmānam societātem omnium Hispāniae populōrum animōs morābātur, nē sanguine līberum suōrum culpā dēfectiōnis luerētur.That pledge alone was holding back the minds of all the peoples of Spain, though they leaned towards alliance with Rome, for fear that the guilt of defection should be paid for with the blood of their children. Liv. 22.22.6Eō vinculō Hispāniam vir ūnus sollertī magis quam fidēlī cōnsiliō exsolvit.From that bond one man set Spain free, by a plan more clever than loyal. Liv. 22.22.6Abelux erat Saguntī nōbilis Hispānus, fīdus ante Poenīs, tum, quālia plērumque sunt barbarōrum ingenia, cum fortūnā mūtāverat fidem.There was at Saguntum a Spanish noble, Abelux, previously loyal to the Carthaginians, but then, as the character of barbarians usually is, he had changed his loyalty along with fortune. Liv. 22.22.7Cēterum trānsfugam sine magnae reī prōditiōne venientem ad hostīs nihil aliud quam ūnum vīle atque īnfāme corpus esse ratus id agēbat, ut quam maxumum ēmolumentum novīs sociīs esset.But thinking that a deserter coming over to the enemy without the betrayal of something important was nothing but one worthless and disreputable body, he was aiming to be of the greatest possible advantage to his new allies.
Liv. 22.22.8Circumspectīs igitur omnibus, quae fortūna potestātis eius poterat facere, obsidibus potissimum trādendīs animum adiēcit, eam ūnam rem maximē ratus conciliātūram Rōmānīs prīncipum Hispāniae amīcitiam.So, having looked round at everything that fortune could put in his power, he set his mind above all on handing over the hostages, thinking that this one thing would most of all win the friendship of the leading men of Spain for the Romans. Liv. 22.22.9Sed cum iniussū Bostaris praefectī satis scīret nihil obsidum custōdēs factūrōs esse, Bostarem ipsum arte adgreditur.But since he knew well that the guards of the hostages would do nothing without the order of Bostar, the commander, he approaches Bostar himself with cunning. Liv. 22.22.10Castra extrā urbem in ipsō lītore habēbat Bostar, ut aditum eā parte interclūderet Rōmānīs.Bostar had his camp outside the city right on the shore, in order to cut off the Romans' approach on that side. Liv. 22.22.10Ibi eum in sēcrētum abductum velut ignōrantem monet, quō statū sit rēs: metum continuisse ad eam diem Hispānōrum animōs, quia procul Rōmānī abessent;There he takes him aside in private and advises him, as though he did not know, how matters stood: fear had held the minds of the Spaniards in check up to that day, because the Romans were far away; Liv. 22.22.11nunc cis Hibērum castra Rōmāna esse, arcem tūtam perfugiumque novās volentibus rēs;now there was a Roman camp this side of the Ebro, a safe stronghold and refuge for those who wanted revolution; Liv. 22.22.11itaque quōs metus nōn teneat, beneficiō et grātiā dēvinciendōs esse.so those whom fear did not hold must be bound by kindness and favour.
Liv. 22.22.12Mīrantī Bostarī percunctantīque, quodnam id subitum tantae reī dōnum posset esse, "Obsidēs" inquit "in cīvitātēs remitte.When Bostar in surprise asked what this sudden gift of such importance could be, 'Send the hostages,' he said, 'back to their communities. Liv. 22.22.13Id et prīvātim parentibus, quōrum maximum nōmen in cīvitātibus est suīs, et pūblicē populīs grātum erit.That will be welcome both privately to their parents, whose names are greatest in their own communities, and publicly to the peoples. Liv. 22.22.14Volt sibi quisque crēdī, et habita fidēs ipsam plērumque obligat fidem.Everyone wants to be trusted, and trust shown generally binds trust in return. Liv. 22.22.14Ministerium restituendōrum domōs obsidum mihimet dēposcō ipse, ut operā quoque inpēnsā cōnsilium adiuvem meum et reī suāpte nātūrā grātae quantam īnsuper grātiam possim adiciam."The task of returning the hostages to their homes I claim for myself, so that I may support my plan by the effort I spend on it too, and add as much further gratitude as I can to a thing welcome by its very nature.' Liv. 22.22.15Hominī .When he had won over the man, Liv. 22.22.15Nōn ad cētera Pūnica ingenia callidō ut persuāsit, nocte clam prōgressus ad hostium statiōnēs conventīs quibusdam auxiliāribus Hispānīs et ab hīs ad Scīpiōnem perductus, quid adferret, exprōmit, et fidē acceptā datāque ac locō et tempore cōnstitūtō ad obsidēs trādendōs Saguntum redit.who was not cunning by the standard of other Punic minds, he went out secretly by night to the enemy outposts, met some Spanish auxiliaries, was brought by them to Scipio and set out what he was bringing, and when pledges had been given and received and a place and time fixed for handing over the hostages, he returned to Saguntum.
Liv. 22.22.16Diem īnsequentem absūmpsit cum Bostare mandātīs ad rem agendam accipiendīs.The following day he spent with Bostar receiving instructions for carrying out the business. Liv. 22.22.17Dīmissus cum sē nocte itūrum, ut custōdiās hostium falleret, cōnstituisset, ad compositam cum iīs hōram excitātīs custōdibus puerōrum profectus, velutī ignārus in praeparātās suā fraude īnsidiās dūcit.Sent off, having arranged that he would go by night so as to evade the enemy's sentries, he roused the boys' guards at the hour agreed with the Romans, set out, and led them, as though unaware, into the trap prepared by his own deceit. Liv. 22.22.18In castra Rōmāna perductī;They were brought into the Roman camp; Liv. 22.22.18cētera omnia dē reddendīs obsidibus, sīcut cum Bostare cōnstitūtum erat, ācta per eum eōdem ōrdine, quō sī Carthāginiēnsium nōmine sīc agerētur.everything else concerning the return of the hostages, as had been arranged with Bostar, was done through him in the same order as if it were being done in the name of the Carthaginians. Liv. 22.22.18Maior aliquantō Rōmānōrum grātia fuit in rē parī, quam quanta futūra Carthāginiēnsium fuerat.The gratitude towards the Romans for the same deed was considerably greater than that towards the Carthaginians would have been.
Liv. 22.22.19Illōs enim gravīs superbōsque in rēbus secundīs expertōs fortūna et timor mītigāsse vidērī poterat;For it could have seemed that fortune and fear had softened them, men who had been found harsh and arrogant in prosperity; Liv. 22.22.20Rōmānus prīmō adventū incognitus ante ab rē clēmentī līberālīque initium fēcerat;the Roman, unknown before, had made his beginning on his first arrival with an act of mercy and generosity; Liv. 22.22.20et Abelux, vir prūdēns, haud frūstrā vidēbātur sociōs mūtāsse.and Abelux, a shrewd man, seemed not to have changed allies for nothing. Liv. 22.22.21Itaque ingentī cōnsēnsū dēfectiōnem omnēs spectāre;So with great unanimity all looked towards revolt; Liv. 22.22.21armaque extemplō mōta forent, nī hiems, quae Rōmānōs quoque et Carthāginiēnsēs concēdere in tēcta coēgit, intervēnisset.and arms would have been taken up at once, had not winter intervened, which forced the Romans and the Carthaginians too to retire under shelter.