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[31] Aduersus haec 
imperator Romanus 
in hanc fere sententiam respondit: 
'non me fallebat, Hannibal, 
aduentus tui spe 
Carthaginienses 
et praesentem indutiarum fidem 
et spem pacis turbasse; 
neque tu id sane dissimulas 
qui de condicionibus 
superioribus pacis 
omnia subtrahas 
praeter ea 
quae iam pridem 
in nostra potestate sunt. 
ceterum ut tibi curae est 
sentire ciues tuos 
quanto per te onere leuentur, 
sic mihi laborandum est 
ne quae tum pepigerunt 
hodie subtracta 
ex condicionibus pacis 
praemia perfidiae habeant. 
indigni 
quibus eadem pateat condicio, 
etiam ut prosit uobis fraus 
petitis. 
neque patres nostri 
priores de Sicilia 
neque nos de Hispania fecimus bellum; 
et tunc Mamertinorum sociorum 
periculum 
et nunc Sagunti excidium 
nobis pia 
ac iusta induerunt arma. 
uos lacessisse 
et tu ipse fateris 
et di testes sunt 
qui et illius belli exitum 
secundum ius fasque dederunt 
et huius dant 
et dabunt.
'Quod ad me attinet, 
et humanae infirmitatis 
memini 
et uim fortunae reputo 
et omnia quaecumque agimus 
subiecta esse mille casibus scio; 
ceterum quemadmodum 
superbe et uiolenter 
me faterer facere 
si priusquam in Africam traiecissem 
te tua uoluntate 
cedentem Italia 
et imposito in naues exercitu 
ipsum uenientem ad pacem petendam 
aspernarer, 
sic nunc cum 
prope manu conserta restitantem 
ac tergiuersantem 
in Africam attraxerim 
nulla sum tibi uerecundia obstrictus. 
proinde 
si quid ad ea 
in quae 
tum pax conuentura uidebatur, 
quasi multa 
nauium cum commeatu 
per indutias expugnatarum 
legatorumque uiolatorum, 
adicitur, 
est quod 
referam ad consilium: 
sin illa quoque 
grauia uidentur, 
bellum parate 
quoniam pacem pati non potuistis.' 
ita infecta pace 
ex conloquio 
ad suos cum se recepissent, 
frustra uerba temptata 
renuntiant: 
armis decernendum esse 
habendamque eam fortunam 
quam di dedissent. 

[30.31]To these arguments 
the Roman commander 
made the following reply: 
"I was quite aware, Hannibal, 
that it was the hope of your arrival 
that led the Carthaginians 
to break the truce 
and cloud all prospect of peace. 
In fact, you yourself admit as much, 
since from the terms        )
of peace formerly proposed  )
you are eliminating all 
that has not 
already been long 
in our power. 
However, just as you are anxious 
that your countrymen should realise 
what a great relief you are bringing them, 
so I must work hard to ensure 
that they shall not have the conditions )
they formerly agreed to                 )
struck out today                        )
as a reward for their perfidy. 
You do not deserve 
to have the old proposals still open 
and yet you are seeking   )
to profit by dishonesty!  ) 
Our fathers were not 
the aggressors in the war for Sicily, 
nor were we the aggressors in Spain, 
but the dangers which threatened     )
our Mamertine allies then,           )
and now the destruction of Saguntum  
made our case a righteous one 
and justified our arms. 
That you provoked the war in each case 
you yourself admit, 
and the gods bear witness to the fact; 
they guided the former war 
to a just and righteous issue, 
and they are doing 
and will do the same with this one. 
As for myself, 
human weakness
is something I do not forget 
I bear in mind the force of Fortune 
and I know that all we do
is subject to a thousand accidents. 
But just as
I admit that I should have acted     )
in a high-handed and arbitrary spirit)
if, before I'd crossed to Africa,
you (of your own free will 
as you were leaving Italy 
and had embarked your army) 
had then come with proposals for peace, 
and I had rejected them, 
so now when,
with you resisting almost hand-to-hand
and being evasive,
I have dragged you to Africa 
I am not bound to you by any respect. 
So then, 
if in addition to the terms 
on which 
peace might then have been agreed, 
a large recompense
for our transport ships
being attacked during the truce 
and our envoys being ill-treated
is added, 
I shall have something 
to lay before the council. 
But if those terms also
seem to you unacceptable, 
then prepare for war 
as you have been unable to endure peace." 
Thus, since no peace was achieved
from their conversation, 
the commanders rejoined their armies. 
They reported                          )
that the discussion had been fruitless,) 
that the matter must be decided by arms, 
and they must take whatever fortune
the gods might send them.