Nepos, Hannibal 12

Hann. 12.1Quae dum in Asiā geruntur, accidit cāsū ut lēgātī Prūsiae Rōmae apud T. Quīntium Flāminīnum cōnsulārem cēnārent, atque ibi dē Hannibale mentiōne factā ex iīs ūnus dīceret eum in Prūsiae regnō esse.

While this was happening in Asia, it chanced that envoys of Prusias were dining at Rome at the house of the ex-consul Titus Quinctius Flamininus, and that, when mention was made of Hannibal, one of them said that he was in Prusias' kingdom.

Note. T. Quinctius Flamininus, the conqueror of Philip V, was consul in 198 BC. accidit ut … cēnārent … dīceret: result clauses after accidit 'it happened that'.

Hann. 12.2Id posterō diē Flāminīnus senātuī dētulit.

The next day Flamininus reported this to the senate.

Hann. 12.2Patrēs cōnscrīptī, quī Hannibale vīvō numquam sē sine īnsidiīs futūrōs exīstimārent, lēgātōs in Bīthȳniam mīsērunt, in eīs Flāminīnum, quī ab rēge peterent, nē inimīcissimum suum sēcum habēret sibique dēderet.

The senators, who believed that they would never be free from plots while Hannibal was alive, sent envoys to Bithynia, Flamininus among them, to ask the king not to keep his worst enemy with him but to hand him over to them.

Note. Patrēs cōnscrīptī is the formal name for the senators, here subject of the sentence. Hannibale vīvō 'while Hannibal was alive', an ablative absolute without a participle (sum has none).

Hann. 12.2Hīs Prūsia negāre ausus nōn est;

Prusias did not dare to refuse them this;

Hann. 12.3illud recūsāvit, nē id ā sē fierī postulārent, quod adversus iūs hospitiī esset: ipsī, sī possent, comprehenderent: locum, ubi esset, facile inventūrōs.

one thing he did refuse: they should not ask him to do something that was against the law of hospitality; they could arrest him themselves if they could; they would easily find where he was.

Note. Prusias' answer is in indirect speech. Note the indirect commands without ut: nē … postulārent 'they should not ask', comprehenderent 'let them arrest him'. The law of hospitality (iūs hospitiī) forbade betraying a guest.

Hann. 12.3Hannibal enim ūnō locō sē tenēbat, in castellō quod eī ā rēge datum erat mūnerī, idque sīc aedificārat, ut in omnibus partibus aedificiī exitūs habēret, scīlicet verēns nē ūsū venīret, quod accidit.

For Hannibal kept to one place, a fortified house which had been given him by the king as a gift, and he had built it so that it had exits on every side of the building, obviously fearing that the very thing would happen which did happen.

Note. mūnerī is a predicative dative ('as a gift'). nē ūsū venīret 'that it might happen' (ūsū venīre 'to happen in practice').

Hann. 12.4Hūc cum lēgātī Rōmānōrum vēnissent ac multitūdine domum eius circumdedissent, puer ab iānuā prōspiciēns Hannibalī dīxit plūrēs praeter cōnsuētūdinem armātōs appārēre.

When the Roman envoys had come there and surrounded his house with a large force, a slave boy looking out from the door told Hannibal that more armed men than usual were in sight.

Hann. 12.4Quī imperāvit eī, ut omnēs forēs aedificiī circumīret ac properē sibi nūntiāret, num eōdem modō undique obsidērētur.

Hannibal ordered him to go round all the doors of the building and report to him quickly whether he was being besieged in the same way on every side.

Hann. 12.5Puer cum celeriter, quid vīdisset, renūntiāsset omnēsque exitūs occupātōs ostendisset, sēnsit id nōn fortuītō factum, sed sē petī neque sibi diūtius vītam esse retinendam.

When the boy had quickly reported what he had seen and shown that all the exits were occupied, Hannibal realized that this had not happened by chance, but that he was the one being hunted, and that he should not keep his life any longer.

Note. sēnsit id nōn fortuītō factum [esse] … sē petī … vītam esse retinendam: three accusative-and-infinitive clauses after sēnsit.

Hann. 12.5Quam nē aliēnō arbitriō dīmitteret, memor prīstinārum virtūtum venēnum, quod semper sēcum habēre cōnsuērat, sūmpsit.

So as not to give it up at someone else's will, remembering his former courage, he took the poison which he had always been in the habit of carrying with him.

Note. Quam = vītam. alienō arbitriō 'at another's will'. consuērat = cōnsuēverat. Hannibal took poison in 183 or 182 BC.