34. gelu: frost, cold.
cetera…foediora: i.e., more dreadful than words can describe.
erigentibus…agmen (35):to those directing their line of march = to those marching.
35. clivos: clivus, slope, hill.
imminentes: modifies tumulos, here hilltops, obj. of insidentes montani (mountaineers).
36. consistere signa: to set up the standards, i.e., to encamp.
In crossing the Alps Hannibal’s army suffers from both the cold and the hostility of the natives.
“Snow Storm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps” Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1812 Tate Gallery, London, Great Britain
Clore Collection, Tate Gallery, London/Art Resource, NY.
Mont Blanc, viewed from the southeast
James C. Anderson, jr.
Hannibal a Druentia campestri maxime itinere ad Alpes cum bona pace incolentium ea loca Gallorum pervenit. Tum, 30 quamquam fama prius praecepta res erat, tamen ex propinquo visa montium altitudo nivesque caelo prope immixtae, tecta informia imposita rupibus, pecora iumentaque torpida frigore, homines intonsi et inculti, animalia inanimaque omnia rigentia gelu, cetera visu quam dictu foediora, terrorem renovarunt. Erigentibus 35 in primos agmen clivos apparuerunt imminentes tumulos insidentes montani. Hannibal consistere signa iussit; Gallisque ad visenda loca praemissis, castra quam extentissima potest valle locat. Die deinde simulando aliud quam quod paratur consumpto, ubi primum digresses tumulis montanos laxatasque 40 sensit custodias, ipse cum expeditis, acerrimo quoque viro, raptim angustias evadit iisque ipsis tumulis, quos hostes tenuerant, consedit. Prima deinde luce castra mota, et agmen reliquum incedere coepit. Iam montani, signo dato, ex castellis ad stationem solitam conveniebant, cum repente conspiciunt 45 alios arce occupata sua supra caput imminentes, alios via transire hostes; diversis rupibus, iuxta in vias ac devia adsueti, decurrunt. Tum vero simul ab hostibus simul ab iniquitate locorum Poeni oppugnabantur, plusque inter ipsos, sibi quoque tendente ut periculo primus evaderet, quam cum hostibus certaminis 50 erat. Equi maxime infestum agmen faciebant, qui et clamoribus dissonis, quos nemora etiam repercussaeque valles augebant, territi trepidabant, et icti forte aut vulnerati adeo consternabantur ut stragem ingentem simul hominum ac sarcinarum omnis generis facerent; multosque turba, cum praecipites deruptaeque 55 utrimque angustiae essent, in immensum altitudinis deiecit, quosdam et armatos; sed, ruinae maxime modo, iumenta cum oneribus devolvebantur. Quae quamquam foeda visu erant, stetit parumper tamen Hannibal ac suos continuit ne tumultum ac trepidationem augeret. Sed is tumultus momento temporis, 60 postquam liberata itinera fuga montanorum erant, sedatur. Castellum inde, quod caput eius regionis erat, viculosque capit et captivo cibo ac pecoribus per triduum exercitum aluit. (XXI.32.6–33.11, excerpts)
37. quam…valle (38): sc. in; Livy often omits the prep. in ABL. OF PLACE WHERE constructions, as again with tumulis below (39).
38. die…consumpto (39): ABL. ABS.
aliud: Hannibal actually fortified his camp, but he pretended that he would try to lead his army through the pass at the foot of the heights held by the mountaineers. At the end of the day, however, when the natives finally realized that Hannibal was not going to carry out this apparent intention, they withdrew from their posts on the heights and returned home in the evening; Hannibal then built a large number of camp fires to make the enemy think that his army was spending the night in camp.
40. expeditis: sc. militibus, his light-armed soldiers.
quoque: from quisque.
41. raptim: adv., quickly, hurriedly.
angustias: angustiae, pl., narrow pass, defile.
evadit: evadere,to go forth, escape, travel over; here, marched up to (i.e., out of the valley).
42. prima…luce: i.e., at daybreak.
mota: sc. sunt.
43. castellis: castellum, fort, fortified village.
45. alios…alios: both with hostes (46).
via:by the (regular) road, which ran along at the foot of the heights; ABL. OF ROUTE, a common construction related to the ABL. OF MEANS.
46. iuxta: equally.
in…adsueti:(the mountaineers) being accustomed to.
47. ab iniquitate: the prep., not usual with an ABL. OF MEANS, is here employed to balance ab hostibus.
48. plus: with certaminis (PARTITIVE GEN.) erat.
quoque: from quisque.
49. ut…primus: he might be the first to.
certaminis: certamen,contest, struggle, fight.
50. infestum: unsafe, hostile, dangerous; OBJ. COMPL.
qui…consternabantur (52): the basic structure of the rel. cl. is qui et…territi trepidabant, et icti…consternabantur.
51. nemora: nemus, grove.
repercussae:re-echoing.
augebant: augere,to increase, amplify.
