Numquam tantum pavōris Rōmae fuit, quantum[7] ubi acceptae
clādis nūntius advēnit. Neque tamen ūlla pācis mentiō facta est;
quīn[8] etiam animō cīvitās adeō māgnō fuit, ut Varrōnī ex tantā
[40] clāde redeuntī obviam īrent et grātiās agerent, quod dē rē pūblicā
nōn dēspērāsset: quī, sī Poenōrum dux fuisset,[9] temeritātis poenās
omnī suppliciō dedisset.[9] Nōn autem vītae cupiditāte, sed reī
pūblicae amōre sē superfuisse[10] reliquō aetātis suae tempore
approbāvit. Nam et barbam capillumque submīsit,[11] et posteā numquam
[45] recubāns[12] cibum cēpit; honōribus quoque, cum eī dēferrentur ā
populō, renūntiāvit, dīcēns fēlīciōribus magistrātibus[1] reī pūblicae
opus esse. Dum igitur Hannibal sēgniter et ōtiōsē agēbat.
CONVĪVIUM Rōmānī interim respīrāre[2]
coepērunt. Arma nōn
[50] erant: dētrācta sunt
templīs[3] vetera hostium
spolia. Deerat iuventūs:
servī manūmissī et armātī
sunt. Egēbat aerārium:
[55] opēs suās libēns senātus in medium prōtulit, nec praeter quod in
bullīs singulīsque[4] ānulīs erat quidquam sibi aurī relīquērunt.
Patrum exemplum secūtī sunt equitēs imitātaeque equitēs omnēs
tribūs. Dēnique vix[5] suffēcēre tabulae, vix scrībārum manūs, cum
omnēs prīvātae opēs in pūblicum dēferrentur.
[60] Cum Hannibal redimendī[6] suī cōpiam captīvīs Rōmānīs fēcisset,
decem ex ipsīs Rōmam eā dē rē missī sunt; nec pīgnus aliud
fideī ab iīs pōstulātum est, quam ut iūrārent sē, sī nōn impetrāssent,
in castra esse reditūrōs. Eōs senātus nōn redimendōs cēnsuit
responditque eōs cīvēs nōn esse necessāriōs, quī, cum armātī
[65] essent, capī potuissent. Ūnus ex iīs lēgātīs ē castrīs Poenōrum
ēgressus, velutī[7] aliquid[8] oblītus, paulō post in castra erat
regressus, deinde comitēs ante noctem adsecūtus erat. Is ergō, rē
nōn impetrātā, domum abiit; reditū enim in castra sē līberātum
esse iūreiūrandō interpretābātur.[9] Quod ubi innōtuit, iussit senātus
[70] illum comprehendī et vinctum dūcī ad Hannibalem. Ea rēs
Hannibalis audāciam māximē frēgit, quod senātus populusque
Rōmānus rēbus[1] adflīctīs tam excelsō esset animō.
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[48.12] Since the battle at Lake Trasumenus (XIX, 17), there had been no general engagement between the Romans and Hannibal. The latter, closely watched and followed by Fabius, had marched into southern Italy, hoping to induce the peoples there to desert Rome and join him. When Fabius resigned the dictatorship at the end of the legal period, C. Terentius Varro and L. Aemilius Paulus were elected consuls. Their army numbered 80,000 men, and their instructions were to fight as speedily as possible.
[49.1] A further cause of trouble between the consuls was the fact that Paulus was a patrician, Varro a plebeian.
[49.2] invītō conlēgā: abl. abs.: ‘though opposed by his colleague.’ How literally? The consuls held supreme command on alternate days.
[49.3] Construe with adversī.
[49.4] H 83, 5 (51, 5): M 152: A 40, c: G 33, 2: B 25, 1.