Notes on Livy 30.4
Download these notes in Rich Text Format
mitteret ... mittebat: Both verbs are imperfect, indicating that Scipio used to send envoys frequently, not just once.
uagi per castra: The fact that enemy people, even if they were apparently humble camp servants, were allowed to wander freely through the Carthaginian camp, which we have already been told was laid out without orderly lines, is a further indication of the lax discipline and security in the camp.
alius alia: A brief way of saying that one man went in one direction and others in other directions.
et uniuersorum castrorum et partium: both of the camp as a whole and of the parts ...
qua Poeni qua Numidae: The two phrases introduced by the same word are an example of the rhetorical device known as 'anaphora'. Often Latin writers used such a word three times, not just twice. "Where the Carthaginians had (their quarters), where the Numidians (had theirs).
quantum intervalli: Literally 'how much of interval', a partitive genitive. The word 'intervallum' strictly means 'between defensive ramparts', and so is the obvious one to use of the distance between two military camps.
stationum vigiliarumque: statio is a guard-post, a standing-place; vigilia is a staying awake, so means either the men who kept watch at night, or the length of their time of duty. The Romans divided the night, not into hours, but into four 'vigiliae', watches. The Navy has a similar system today. It would be useful for the Romans to know where the sentries were based, and when the guard was changed. The best time to attack at night is just after new sentries have been posted, before their eyes have become accustomed to the darkness.
insidianti: Literally 'for someone sitting in ambush.' opportuniores grammatically describes the sentries. Perhaps the idea is 'whether the sentries were easier for a stealthy attacker to surprise by day or by night.'
quo pluribus...: When a purpose clause includes a comparative adjective or adverb (here, pluribus) quo is used instead of ut.
cum saepius agitata res certiorem spem pacis ... faceret: Livy is being quite bold in his grammar here, making 'saepius agitata res', 'the matter rather often discussed', into the subject of faceret spem. The meaning is 'When the frequency of the discussions was making Syphax... more hopeful of peace.'
detur: Verbs in subordinate clauses in indirect speech are in the subjunctive.
seu ipsi staret iam sententia: 'Whether to himself the opinion was now standing firm', whether he had now made up his mind. Remember that Scipio's aim (chapter 3) was to win Syphax over to the Roman side.
consuleret: Let him consult. Because this is part of indirect speech in past (historic) tenses, the present subjunctive has become an imperfect.
tempus esse: The verb aiunt, they said, is not repeated, but everything down to 'naviter geri' depends on it. There are indirect statement clauses:
vetitos se ...; tempus esse ... There is an indirect command: consuleret.
naviter: actively. Note that this word has nothing to do with navis, a ship. It was originally 'gnaviter'; the opposite to 'gnavus', active, is 'ignavus', lazy.
Hasdrubal ab Syphace, ab Hasdrubale Carthaginienses: Note the word order, nominative ablative, ablative nominative. This is called chiasmus, after the Greek letter chi, written X.
et speculatores ... et Scipio .... tempus habuit.: Both the spies had time for their work, and Scipio had time for his. The verb habuit is singular, even though it has both a plural and a singular subject. Often the Romans made the verb agree with the nearer subject (in this case Scipio).
in rem: a neat and economical way of saying 'necessary for the task in hand.'
et ex mentione ac spe pacis: Why does Livy use ac instead of et? If he had used et, there would have been et ... et, which the reader would have understoo as both ... and.
neglegentia - paterentur.: It would seem unsporting, to say the least, to set a deadline for a reply during peace negotiations, and then to attack before the deadline expires. The Carthaginians can hardly be blamed for lowering their guard. Or can they?
quae peropportune cupienti tollere indutias Scipioni causam praebuere: Literally: (conditions) which most opportunely provided Scipio, desiring to end the truce, with an excuse (to do so).
relaturum se: Indirect statement with 'esse' omitted, as very often, from the future infinitive. refero can be a technical term for bringing forward a proposal.
se uno frustra tendente nulli alii pacem placuisse: Indirect statement again: pacem placuisse - that peace had been pleasing. Again, mihi placet can be a technical term meaning "I vote for the proposal." Do you believe Scipio when he says that he spoke for peace, but the rest of the council voted him down?
nullam aliam spem pacis quam relictis Carthaginiensibus Syphaci cum Romanis esse.: Scipio finally comes out with the demand that was his aim all along.
libera fide: 'without breach of faith': Was Scipio really acting in good faith?
deductisque nauibus:
See previous note on keeping ships on dry land.
Find your way through these purpose clauses thus:
simul ut ... conuerteret hostium animos ...; simul ne qua ... eruptio ... et impetus ... fieret.
Map of the region.
