Nepos, Hamilcar 1

Ham. 1.1Hamilcar, Hannibalis fīlius, cognōmine Barca, Karthāginiēnsis, prīmō Poenicō bellō, sed temporibus extrēmīs, admodum adulēscentulus in Siciliā praeesse coepit exercituī.

Hamilcar, son of Hannibal, surnamed Barca, a Carthaginian, in the first Punic War, but in its last years, began to command the army in Sicily while still quite a young man.

Note. The usual opening formula: name, father (Hannibalis fīlius: an older Hannibal, not the famous son), surname (cognōmine Barca, said to mean 'lightning'), city. prīmō Poenicō bellō: ablative of time; the First Punic War ran 264–241 BC, and Hamilcar took command in Sicily in 247. exercituī is dative after praeesse.

Ham. 1.2Cum ante eius adventum et marī et terrā male rēs gererentur Karthāginiēnsium, ipse ubi affuit, numquam hostī cessit neque locum nocendī dedit, saepeque ē contrāriō occāsiōne datā lacessīvit semperque superior discessit.

Although before his arrival things had been going badly for the Carthaginians on both sea and land, once he was there he never gave way to the enemy nor gave him a chance to do harm; on the contrary, he often attacked when an opportunity was offered, and always came off the better.

Note. Cum … gererentur: cum + subjunctive, 'although' or 'when'. locum nocendī: gerund in the genitive, 'a chance of doing harm'. ē contrāriō 'on the contrary'. superior discessit: 'came away the winner', a common military phrase.

Ham. 1.2Quō factō, cum paene omnia in Siciliā Poenī āmīsissent, ille Erycem sīc dēfendit, ut bellum eō locō gestum nōn vidērētur.

After this, when the Carthaginians had lost almost everything in Sicily, he defended Eryx so well that it seemed no war had been waged in that place.

Note. Quō factō: ablative absolute, 'after this was done'. sīc … ut + subjunctive: result clause. For years Hamilcar held out on Mount Eryx and nearby heights in western Sicily.

Ham. 1.3Interim Karthāginiēnsēs classe apud īnsulās Aegātēs ā C. Lutātiō, cōnsule Rōmānōrum, superātī statuērunt bellī facere fīnem eamque rem arbitriō permīsērunt Hamilcaris.

Meanwhile the Carthaginians, defeated with their fleet near the Aegates islands by Gaius Lutatius, consul of the Romans, decided to put an end to the war, and left that matter to Hamilcar's judgment.

Note. C. Lutātiō: the praenomen C. stands for Gāius. The Roman victory off the Aegates islands in 241 BC cut Hamilcar off from supplies, so Carthage made peace. arbitriō … permīsērunt: 'they left it to his discretion'.

Ham. 1.3Ille etsī flagrābat bellandī cupiditāte, tamen pācī serviundum putāvit, quod patriam exhaustam sūmptibus diūtius calamitātēs bellī ferre nōn posse intellegēbat, sed ita ut statim mente agitāret, sī paulum modo rēs essent refectae, bellum renovāre Rōmānōsque armīs persequī, dōnicum aut virtūte vīcissent aut victī manūs dedissent.

Although he burned with desire to fight, he still thought he must serve the cause of peace, because he understood that his country, drained by expense, could no longer bear the disasters of war; but only on these terms, that he at once began to turn over in his mind that, if only their affairs were restored a little, he would renew the war and pursue the Romans with arms until they either won by courage or, beaten, gave up.

Note. pācī serviundum (esse): an impersonal gerundive with an old -und- ending ('he must serve peace'). sed ita ut …: 'but only on condition that …'. Two archaisms: serviundum for serviendum, dōnicum for dōnec 'until'. manūs dare: to 'give one's hands', surrender.

Ham. 1.5Hōc cōnsiliō pācem conciliāvit, in quō tanta fuit ferōcia, cum Catulus negāret bellum compositūrum, nisi ille cum suīs, quī Erycem tenērent, armīs relictīs Siciliā dēcēderent, ut succumbente patriā ipse peritūrum sē potius dīxerit, quam cum tantō flāgitiō domum redīret: nōn enim suae esse virtūtis arma ā patriā accepta adversus hostēs adversāriīs trādere.

With this plan he arranged the peace, and in doing so his pride was such that, when Catulus said he would not end the war unless Hamilcar and his men who held Eryx laid down their arms and left Sicily, he said that he would rather die himself, with his country collapsing, than go home with such disgrace: for it was not in keeping with his courage to hand over to her enemies the arms he had received from his country to use against them.

Note. A long period. tanta fuit ferōcia … ut … dīxerit: result clause with a perfect subjunctive. Inside it: cum Catulus negāret … nisi … dēcēderent (conditions reported from Catulus' point of view). peritūrum sē (esse): future infinitive in indirect statement. nōn … suae esse virtūtis: genitive of characteristic, 'it was not a mark of his courage'. In fact the treaty let Hamilcar's men leave Sicily with their arms.

Ham. 1.5Huius pertināciae cessit Catulus.

Catulus gave way to his stubbornness.

Note. pertināciae is dative after cessit. Catulus is C. Lutatius Catulus, the consul of the previous sentence.