E quibus Hannibal mature adeo patria vestigia subsecutus est ut, eo exercitum in Hispaniam traiecturo et ob id sacrificante, novem annorum altaria tenens iuraret se, cum primum per aetatem potuisset, acerrimum hostem populi Romani futurum <et> pertinacissimis precibus instantis belli commilitium exprimeret
One of them, Hannibal, followed at an early age in his fathers footsteps so closely that when Hamilcar was about to transport an army into Spain and was offering sacrifice on that account, the nine-year-old boy swore with his hands upon the altar that as soon as he was old enough he would be a deadly enemy to the Roman people, and by persistent entreaties extorted permission to serve in the impending war.
final_alignments\Valerius_Memorable_Book9.json