Nepos, Hannibal 6

Hann. 6.1Hinc invictus patriam dēfēnsum revocātus bellum gessit adversus P. Scīpiōnem, fīlium eius Scīpiōnis, quem ipse prīmō apud Rhodanum, iterum apud Padum, tertiō apud Trebiam fugārat.

Undefeated, he was called back from here to defend his country, and waged war against Publius Scipio, the son of the Scipio whom he himself had routed first at the Rhone, again at the Po, and a third time at the Trebia.

Note. dēfēnsum is the supine of dēfendō: 'to defend'; the accusative supine expresses purpose after a verb of motion (revocātus). P. Scipio the son is Africanus, who carried the war to Africa (204 BC).

Hann. 6.2Cum hōc exhaustīs iam patriae facultātibus cupīvit impraesentiārum bellum compōnere, quō valentior posteā congrederētur.

With him, since his country's resources were now exhausted, he wanted to settle the war for the moment, so that he might fight later with greater strength.

Note. impraesentiārum 'for the present', an old colloquial word. quō valentior … congrederētur: quō introduces a purpose clause that contains a comparative.

Hann. 6.2Inde colloquium convēnit, condiciōnēs nōn convēnērunt.

So they agreed on a meeting, but they did not agree on terms.

Note. A play on convenīre: colloquium convēnit 'a meeting was agreed', condiciōnēs nōn convēnērunt 'the terms were not agreed'. The two generals met before Zama.

Hann. 6.3Post id factum paucīs diēbus apud Zamam cum eōdem cōnflīxit;

A few days after this he fought with the same man near Zama;

Note. Zama (202 BC): Scipio's victory ended the Second Punic War.

Hann. 6.3pulsus (incrēdibile dictū) bīduō et duābus noctibus Hadrūmētum pervēnit, quod abest ab Zamā circiter mīlia passuum trecenta.

beaten, he reached Hadrumetum, which is about three hundred miles from Zama, in (incredible to say) two days and two nights.

Note. incrēdibile dictū 'incredible to say' uses the ablative supine dictū. bīduō et duābus noctibus are ablatives of time within which. mīlia passuum trecenta 'three hundred miles' (a Roman mile was 1,000 paces): an exaggeration; the real distance is nearer 120 Roman miles.

Hann. 6.4In hāc fugā Numidae, quī simul cum eō ex aciē excesserant, īnsidiātī sunt eī, quōs nōn sōlum effūgit, sed etiam ipsōs oppressit.

In this flight some Numidians who had left the battle line along with him laid a trap for him; he not only escaped them but even crushed them.

Hann. 6.4Hadrūmētī reliquōs ē fugā collēgit, novīs dīlēctibus paucīs diēbus multōs contrāxit.

At Hadrumetum he gathered the survivors of the rout and with new levies collected many men within a few days.

Note. Hadrūmētī is locative. novīs dīlēctibus 'by new levies' (dīlēctus 'a choosing', i.e. recruitment).