Nepos, Hannibal 11

Hann. 11.1Tālī cohortātiōne mīlitum factā classis ab utrīsque in proelium dēdūcitur.

When the soldiers had been encouraged in this way, the fleet is led out into battle by both sides.

Hann. 11.1Quārum aciē cōnstitūtā, priusquam signum pugnae darētur, Hannibal, ut palam faceret suīs, quō locō Eumenēs esset, tabellārium in scaphā cum cādūceō mittit.

When their lines had been drawn up, before the signal for battle was given, Hannibal, to make clear to his men where Eumenes was, sends a messenger in a small boat with a herald's staff.

Note. cum cādūceō: the herald's staff showed the messenger was protected by truce, so he could not be harmed.

Hann. 11.2Quī ubi ad nāvēs adversāriōrum pervēnit epistulamque ostendēns sē rēgem professus est quaerere, statim ad Eumenem dēductus est, quod nēmō dubitābat quīn aliquid dē pāce esset scrīptum.

When he reached the enemy ships, showing a letter and declaring that he was looking for the king, he was at once taken to Eumenes, because no one doubted that something about peace had been written in it.

Note. professus est is from the deponent profiteor: 'declared'. quīn … esset scrīptum after nēmō dubitābat.

Hann. 11.2Tabellārius ducis nāve dēclārātā suīs eōdem, unde erat ēgressus, sē recēpit.

The messenger, having pointed out the commander's ship to his own side, went back to the place he had come from.

Hann. 11.3At Eumenēs solūtā epistulā nihil in eā repperit nisi quae ad irrīdendum eum pertinērent.

But Eumenes, when he opened the letter, found nothing in it except things meant to mock him.

Note. ad irrīdendum eum 'for mocking him': gerund with ad expressing purpose.

Hann. 11.3Cuius reī etsī causam mīrābātur neque reperiēbat, tamen proelium statim committere nōn dubitāvit.

Although he wondered at the reason for this and could not find it, still he did not hesitate to join battle at once.

Hann. 11.4Hōrum in concursū Bīthȳnī Hannibalis praeceptō ūniversī nāvem Eumenis adoriuntur.

In the clash of the fleets the Bithynians, on Hannibal's instructions, all attack the ship of Eumenes together.

Hann. 11.4Quōrum vim rēx cum sustinēre nōn posset, fugā salūtem petiit, quam cōnsecūtus nōn esset, nisi intrā sua praesidia sē recēpisset, quae in proximō lītore erant collocāta.

Since the king could not withstand their force, he looked for safety in flight, and he would not have found it if he had not taken refuge behind his own defences, which had been set up on the nearby shore.

Note. quam cōnsecūtus nōn esset nisi … recēpisset: a past contrary-to-fact condition inside a relative clause.

Hann. 11.5Reliquae Pergamēnae nāvēs cum adversāriōs premerent ācrius, repente in eās vāsa fictilia, dē quibus suprā mentiōnem fēcimus, conicī coepta sunt.

When the other ships of Pergamum were pressing their enemy rather hard, suddenly the earthenware jars which we mentioned above began to be thrown at them.

Note. coepta sunt: coepī is used in the passive when the infinitive that goes with it is passive (conicī).

Hann. 11.5Quae iacta initiō rīsum pugnantibus concitārunt, neque quārē id fieret poterat intellegī.

At first these missiles made the fighters laugh, and no one could understand why it was being done.

Note. risum pugnantibus concitārunt 'raised a laugh among the fighters' (dative).

Hann. 11.6Postquam autem nāvēs suās opplētās cōnspexērunt serpentibus, novā rē perterritī, cum, quid potissimum vītārent, nōn vidērent, puppēs vertērunt sēque ad sua castra nautica rettulērunt.

But when they saw their ships filled with snakes, terrified by the strange thing, and not seeing what to avoid first, they turned their sterns and went back to their naval camp.

Note. puppēs vertērunt 'turned their sterns', i.e. fled.

Hann. 11.7Sīc Hannibal cōnsiliō arma Pergamēnōrum superāvit, neque tum sōlum, sed saepe aliās pedestribus cōpiīs parī prūdentiā pepulit adversāriōs.

So Hannibal beat the arms of Pergamum by cunning, and not only then, but often at other times too he drove back his enemies with land forces by the same skill.