287. cessandum: sc. esse, impers. pass., that there ought to be no delay at all.
288. immo: adv., on the contrary, indeed.
289. Capitolio: Capitolium was used both of the temple and the hill, apparently regarded as the caput of Rome; here either on the Capitoline or in the Capitol.
epulaberis: epulari,to banquet, feast.
equite: here used as a collective noun.
265 Ad ea consul: “Tu quidem, Cn. Corneli, macte virtute esto; sed cave, frustra miserando, exiguum tempus e manibus hostium evadendi absumas. Abi; nuntia publice patribus urbem Romanam muniant ac, priusquam victor hostis advenit, praesidiis firment; privatim Q. Fabio Aemilium, praeceptorum eius 270 memorem, et vixisse adhuc et mori. Memet in hac strage militum meorum patere exspirare, ne aut reus iterum e consulatu sim aut accusator collegae exsistam ut alieno crimine innocentiam meam protegam.”
Haec eos agentes prius turba fugientium civium, deinde 275 hostes oppressere; consulem ignorantes quis esset, obruere telis; Lentulum inter tumultum abripuit equus. Tum undique effuse fugiunt. Consul alter, seu forte seu consilio nulli fugientium insertus agmini, cum quinquaginta fere equitibus Venusiam perfugit. (XXII.49.1–14, excerpts)
The Romans’ catastrophic losses.
280 Quadraginta quinque milia quingenti pedites, duo milia septingenti equites, et tantadem prope civium sociorumque pars caesi dicuntur. Capta eo proelio tria milia peditum et equites mille et quingenti dicuntur. Haec est pugna Cannensis. (XXII.49.15–50.1, excerpts)
Hannibal fails to follow up his victory.
Hannibali victori cum ceteri circumfusi gratularentur suaderentque 285 ut, tanto perfunctus bello, diei quod reliquum esset noctisque insequentis quietem et ipse sibi sumeret et fessis daret militibus, Maharbal, praefectus equitum, minime cessandum ratus, “Immo ut quid hac pugna sit actum scias, die quinto,” inquit, “victor in Capitolio epulaberis. Sequere; cum equite, ut 290 prius venisse quam venturum sciant, praecedam.” Hannibali nimis laeta res est visa maiorque quam ut eam statim capere animo posset. Itaque voluntatem se laudare Maharbalis ait, ad consilium pensandum temporis opus esse. Tum Maharbal: “Non omnia nimirum eidem di dedere: vincere scis, Hannibal; victoria 295 uti nescis.” Mora eius diei satis creditur saluti fuisse urbi atque imperio. (XXII.51.1–4)
290. prius venisse quam venturum: sc. esse with venturum and te as subj. of both infs.; cp. Eng., “you will be there before they know it.”
291. maiorque quam ut: and greater than (that) he could = too great for him to be able; the ut clause is result.
293. pensandum: pensare, to weigh carefully.
opus esse:there is need, it is necessary; in this common phrase, opus is indecl. and can be accompanied by various constructions including the abl. (very common), the gen. (less commonly), the inf.
294. nimirum: adv., doubtless, of course, to be sure.
295. saluti…urbi atque imperio (296): DAT. OF PURPOSE + DAT. OF REF., sometimes called the DOUBLE DAT., for the salvation for (of) the city and the empire.
297. nulla…esset: POTENTIAL SUBJUNCT. Throughout this entire passage we see Roman character at its best; surely one of the clearest reasons for Rome’s greatness is this morale and pertinacity, this gravitas and virtus, which had an epic quality that both Vergil and Livy appreciated, admired, and recorded for the inspiration of their readers.
profecto: adv., surely, actually, really.
mole: moles,mass, large structure; with cladis, Eng. would use an adj., so massive a calamity.
298. praetores: again in the absence of the consuls.
curiam Hostiliam (299): the Curia Hostilia was the regular meeting place of the senate down to the time of Caesar; located in the Roman Forum, it was said to have been built by Tullus Hostilius, Rome’s third king.
301. expeditos: light-armed and therefore swift.
302. Appia et Latina via: the two major highways leading south from Rome.
obvios:those in the way opposite = those whom they met; i.e., fugitives straggling back to Rome.
percunctando: percunctari,to question.
303. referant: REL. CL. OF PURPOSE; note that, for a more vivid narrative, Livy uses primary sequence after a historical main vb.
304. quid: with reliquum…fecerint; freely, have left any remnant.
nominis: here, power.
305. quo: adv., where.
306. acturus…sit: what he is going to do; ACT. PERIPHRASTIC, commonly employed to indicate fut. tense in an IND. QUEST.
haec…esse (307): IND. STATE., in parallel with equites…mittendos, depending on censuit in the preceding sent.
307. impigros: energetic
illud:the following, looking ahead to, and explained by, the lengthy series of appositional JUSSIVE NOUN CLS. that follow.
patres: = patres conscripti, senatores; per patres, like per impigros iuvenes, in place of the DAT. OF AGENT.
308. tollant: tollere can mean either to raise up or to suppress, here the latter.
publico: i.e., indoors and away from public places.
309. arceant: arcere, to keep away, restrain, prevent.
comploratus:loud wailing, lamentations, acc. pl.
312. nisi…salvis (313): ABL. ABS. with conditional force.
