LectitōOpen the reader

Lectitō › Livy › History of Rome, Book 22 › Ab Urbe Condita 22.23

Livy · Ab Urbe Condita XXII

Ab Urbe Condita 22.23

Fabius ransoms the prisoners

English onlyRead it word by word

Liv. 22.23.1Haec in Hispāniā secundā aestāte Pūnicī bellī gesta, cum in Ītaliā paulum intervallī clādibus Rōmānīs sollers cūnctātiō Fabiī fēcisset;These things were done in Spain in the second summer of the Punic War, while in Italy the shrewd delaying of Fabius had brought a little respite from Roman disasters; Liv. 22.23.2quae ut Hannibalem nōn mediocrī sollicitum cūrā habēbat, tandem eum mīlitiae magistrum dēlēgisse Rōmānōs cernentem, quī bellum ratiōne, nōn fortūnā gereret, ita contempta erat inter cīvīs armātōs pariter togātōsque, utique postquam absente eō temeritāte magistrī equitum laetō vērius dīxerim quam prosperō ēventū pugnātum fuerat.and while it kept Hannibal in no ordinary anxiety, seeing that the Romans had at last chosen a master of war who would wage war by reason, not by fortune, so it was held in contempt among the citizens, soldiers and civilians alike, especially after there had been a battle in his absence, through the rashness of the master of the horse, with an outcome which I should more truly call happy than successful. Liv. 22.23.4Accesserant duae rēs ad augendam invidiam dictātōris, ūna fraude ac dolō Hannibalis, quod, cum ā perfugīs eī mōnstrātus ager dictātōris esset, omnibus circā solō aequātīs ab ūnō eō ferrum ignemque et vim omnem hostīlem abstinērī iussit, ut occultī alicuius pactī ea mercēs vidērī posset, altera ipsīus factō, prīmō forsitan dubiō, quia nōn expectāta in eō senātūs auctōritās est, ad extrēmum haud ambigue in maximam laudem versō.Two things had been added to increase the unpopularity of the dictator: one through the deceit and trickery of Hannibal, because, when the dictator's estate had been pointed out to him by deserters, he ordered that, while everything around was levelled with the ground, sword and fire and all hostile violence should be kept from that alone, so that it might seem the reward of some secret pact; the other through his own act, doubtful perhaps at first, because the senate's authority was not waited for in that matter, but in the end turned without question to his highest praise.

Liv. 22.23.6In permūtandīs captīvīs, quod sīc prīmō Pūnicō bellō factum erat, convēnerat inter ducēs Rōmānum Poenumque, ut, quae pars plūrēs reciperet quam daret, argentī pondō bīna et sēlībrās in mīlitem praestāret.In exchanging prisoners it had been agreed between the Roman and Carthaginian commanders, as had been done in the first Punic War, that whichever side received more than it gave should pay two and a half pounds of silver for each soldier. Liv. 22.23.7Ducentīs quadrāgintā septem cum plūrēs Rōmānus quam Poenus recēpisset argentumque prō eīs dēbitum saepe iactātā in senātū rē, quoniam nōn cōnsuluisset patrēs tardius ērogārētur, inviolātum ab hoste agrum missō Rōmam Quīntō fīliō vēndidit fidemque pūblicam inpendiō prīvātō exsolvit.When the Roman had received two hundred and forty-seven more than the Carthaginian, and the silver owed for them, though the matter was often raised in the senate, was being paid out too slowly because he had not consulted the senators, he sent his son Quintus to Rome, sold the estate left untouched by the enemy, and discharged the public obligation at private cost. Liv. 22.23.9Hannibal prō Gereonī moenibus cuius urbis captae atque incēnsae ab sē in ūsum horreōrum pauca relīquerat tēcta, in statīvīs erat.Hannibal was in a standing camp before the walls of Gereonium, a city which he had captured and burned, leaving a few buildings for use as granaries.

Liv. 22.23.10Inde frūmentātum duās exercitūs partēs mittēbat;From there he would send two parts of his army to forage; Liv. 22.23.10cum tertiā ipse expedītā in statiōne erat simul castrīs praesidiō et circumspectāns, nēcunde impetus in frūmentātōrēs fieret.with the third, kept ready for action, he himself stood on guard, at once protecting the camp and looking round lest an attack be made on the foragers from any quarter.

Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō

Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×3, indirect statement ×1, gerunds and gerundives ×2, purpose clauses ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (165 words)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
secundus, -a, -umfollowing, favorable
aestās, -tātis, f.summer
Pūnicus, -a, -umPunic, Carthaginian; bella Pūnica: the wars with Carthage
bellum, -ī, n.war
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestuscarry, wear; carry on, do
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
paulum, adv.a little, somewhat
intervallum, -ī, n.interval, space, distance
clādēs, -is f.disaster, defeat, destruction
Rōmānus, -a, -umRoman
sollers, -ertisskilful, clever, ingenious
cūnctātiō, -ōnis f.delay, hesitation
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
nōn, adv.not
mediocris, -emoderate, ordinary
sollicitus, -a, -umtroubled, anxious
cūra, -ae f.care, concern (cūrae esse: to be a concern)
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
tandem, adv.at length or last, finally
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
mīlitia, -ae f.military service
magister, -trī, m.master
dēligō, -ligere, -lēgī, -lēctuschoose out, choose, select
cernō, cernere, crēvī, certus or crētusdiscern, perceive, make out
ratiō, -ōnis, f.plan, means, method, manner; reason; account
fortūna, -ae, f.fortune
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
contemnō, -ere, -tempsī, -temptusdespise, scorn, think little of
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
inter, prep, with acc.among, between
cīvis, -is, m. and f.citizen, fellow-citizen, subject
armātus, -a, -umarmed
pariter (adv.)equally, alike; at the same time
togātus, -a, -umwearing the toga; Gallia togata: Gaul this side of the Alps, whose people had Roman citizenship
que, enclitic conj.and
utique (adv.)certainly, by all means; yes indeed
postquam, conj.later than, after, when
absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrusbe away, be absent, be distant; be wanting
temeritās, -ātis f.rashness, recklessness
eques, equitis m.horseman; (pl.) cavalry
laetus, -a, -umglad, joyful
vērē (adv.)truly, really
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
prosperus, -a, -umfavourable, successful, prosperous
ēventus, -ūs m.outcome, result
pugnō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusfight
accēdō, -ere, accessī, accessumcome near, approach; be added
duo, -ae, -o, plur. adj.two
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
augeō, -ēre, auxī, auctumincrease, enlarge
invidia, -ae f.envy, jealousy, ill will
dictātor, -ōris m.dictator, a magistrate given supreme power in an emergency
ūnus, -a, -umone; only, alone
fraus, fraudis, f.deception, fraud
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
dolus, -ī, m.trick, craft
quod, conj.that, in that, because
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
perfuga, -ae m.deserter
mōnstrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuspoint out, show
ager, agri, m.field, land
omnis, -eall, every
circā (adv. and prep. + acc.)around, about
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
aequō, -āre, -āvī, -ātummake equal
ferrum, -ī n.iron; iron point, sword
ignis, -is, m.fire
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
vīs, vīs, f.violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
hostīlis, -eof the enemy, hostile
abstineō, -ēre, abstinuī, abstentumkeep away, hold back (from)
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
occultus, -a, -umhidden, secret
aliquī, -qua, -quod, indef. pron. adj.some, any
pactum, -ī n.agreement; quō pactō: in what way, how
mercēs, mercēdis, f.pay, reward, wages
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
alter, -era, -erumone or the other (of two); another, second
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
factum, -ī n.deed, act
prīmō, adv.at first
forsitan (adv.)perhaps
dubius, -a, -umdoubtful, uncertain
quia (conj.)because
exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātuslook out for, wait for, await, expect; wait
senātus, -ūs m.senate
auctōritās, -tātis f.influence, authority, prestige
extrēmus, -a, -umlast, extreme, furthest
haud, adv.not at all, by no means, not
ambiguus, -a, -umdoubtful, uncertain; in ambiguō: in doubt
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
laus, laudis f.praise, glory
vertō, vertere, vertī, versusturn
permūtō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusexchange, give in exchange (for: abl.)
captīvus, -a, -umcaptive
sīc, adv.so, thus
prīmus, -a, -umfirst, foremost
conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventuscome together, assemble
dux, ducis, m. and f.leader, commander
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
plūrēs, -a, plur. adj.more, many, several
recipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake or get back, recover; sē recipere, to betake oneself, withdraw; to collect oneself, recover
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
argentum, -ī, n.silver
pondō (indecl.)by weight; (with numbers) pounds
bīnī, -ae, -atwo each, two at a time
sēlībra, -ae f.half a pound
mīles, mīlitis, m.soldier
praestō, -stāre, -stitī, -stitusstand in front; show
ducentī, -ae, -atwo hundred
quadrāgintā (indecl.)forty
septemseven
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itusowe; with infin., ought
saepe, adv.often, frequently
iactō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumtoss about; discuss
quoniam, conj.since now, since
cōnsulō, -ere, -uī, -tusconsult
pater, patris, m.father
tardē (adv.)slowly; comp. tardius
ērogō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuspay out, spend
inviolātus, -a, -umunharmed; sacred, inviolable
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
quīntus, -a, -umfifth
fīlius, -ī, m.son
vēndō, -ere, vēndidī, vēnditumsell
fidēs, -eī f.faith, trust; pledge
pūblicus, -a, -umpublic, of the state (rēs pūblica: the state)
impendium, -ī n.expense, outlay, cost
prīvātus, -a, -umprivate
exsolvō, -ere, -solvī, -solūtusset free, release
moenia, -ium, n. plur.walls
urbs, urbis, f.city
capiō, capere, cēpī, captustake, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
incendō, -ere, -cendī, -cēnsumset on fire, burn
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
ūsus, -ūs, m.use; experience
horreum, -ī n.granary, storehouse
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.few
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
tēctum, -ī n.roof; house
statīva, -ōrum n. pl.a standing camp, permanent camp
inde (adv.)from there; then
frūmentor, -ārī, -ātusfetch grain, forage
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
cum, prep, with abl.with
tertius, -a, -umthird
expediō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusfree, set clear; get ready; arrange, settle
statiō, -ōnis f.outpost, picket
simul, adv.at the same time; simul atque or ac, as soon as
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.camp
praesidium, -ī, n.protection; guard, escort
circumspectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuslook round (at), keep looking about; watch for
nēcundelest from anywhere, so that from nowhere
impetus, -ūs, m.attack; impetum facere, to charge
frūmentātor, -ōris m.forager, one who gathers corn
fīō, fierī, factus sumbe done or made, become, happen
Livy, Ab Urbe Condita XXII. Latin text: B. O. Foster, Livy (Loeb, 1919–29), with some passages from W. Weissenborn and H. J. Müller (Teubner, 1884–1911), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.