en en en en en en la en en la la en en en en en en en en la en en la la en ca en en it la en la en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr pt en it en ca it en de it fr it en de en fr it it it en en en it en de pt la ceb ceb it it en sv en en ca nl sv sv en fr it en en it it it en de en en en en en fr it it pt en fr en de pt en it en en la ceb it en ru en hbs_lat en en en cs cs en en en cs cs da en da cs en en cs da en en en cs cs da en da cs en en cs cs en en en fr cs da en da cs en en cs da en en en en en en en en en en en en cs cs da en da cs en en cs cs en en en cs cs da en da cs en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
The Latin reading blog: Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hamilcar (part 2).
Here is part two of Nepos’ Life of Hamilcar.
Summary: Hamilcar goes to Spain as commander. He takes Hannibal with him and Hasdrubal, with whom he is said by some to have a sexual relationship. After the death of Hamilcar, Hasdrubal takes over the command of the army.
[3] Rebus his ex sententia peractis, fidenti animo atque infesto Romanis, quo facilius causam bellandi reperiret, effecit, ut imperator cum exercitu in Hispaniam mitteretur, eoque secum duxit filium Hannibalem annorum novem. 2 Erat praeterea cum eo adulescens illustris, formosus, Hasdrubal; quem nonnulli diligi turpius, quam par erat, ab Hamilcare loquebantur. Non enim maledici tanto viro deesse poterant. Quo factum est, ut a praefecto morum Hasdrubal cum eo vetaretur esse. Huic ille filiam suam in matrimonium dedit, quod moribus eorum non poterat interdici socero genero. 3 De hoc ideo mentionem fecimus, quod Hamilcare occiso ille exercitui praefuit resque magnas gessit et princeps largitione vetustos pervertit mores Carthaginiensium eiusdemque post mortem Hannibal ab exercitu accepit imperium.
Rebus his ex sententia peractis: abl. abs.  ex sententia `according to his plans’
fidenti animo atque infesto Romanis: with his mind confident and hostile towards the Romans
quo facilius causam bellandi reperiret, effecit, ut imperator cum exercitu in Hispaniam mitteretur = effecit, ut imperator cum exercitu in Hispaniam mitteretur, quo facilius causam bellandi reperiret
reperio repperi  repertum: to seek
quem nonnulli diligi turpius, quam par erat, ab Hamilcare loquebantur: whom some say to be loved by Hamilcar in a more shameful way, than was proper
praefectus morum: guardian of public morals
in matrimonium do:  to give in marriage
poterat interdici socero genero: it could not be forbidden to a father-in-law (socer) to be with his son-in-law (gener)
Hamilcare occiso: after the death of Hamilcar (occido occidi occisum: to slay, kill)
largitio –ionis (f.): bribery
vetus veteris: old, ancient
Summary: Hamilcar is successful in Spain, but is killed before he is able to fight against the Romans again. He has filled his son Hannibal with so much hatred against the Romans, that this seems to be the reason for the Second Punic war.
[4] At Hamilcar posteaquam mare transiit in Hispaniamque venit, magnas res secunda gessit fortuna; maximas bellicosissimasque gentes subegit; equis, armis, viris, pecunia totam locupletavit Africam. 2 Hic cum in Italiam bellum inferre meditaretur, nono anno, postquam in Hispaniam venerat, in proelio pugnans adversus Vettones occisus est. 3 Huius perpetuum odium erga Romanos maxime concitasse videtur secundum bellum Poenicum. Namque Hannibal, filius eius, assiduis patris obtestationibus eo est perductus, ut interire quam Romanos non experiri mallet.
secunda fortuna: with good luck
bellum infero in: wage war against
Vettones: tribe in Lusitania, Spain
secundum bellum Poenicum: 218-201 BC
obtestatio –ionis (f.): instigation
inter-eo: to perish, die
experior expertus sum: (here) to measure strength with
Translation by John Selby Watson, MA (1889)
III. These objects being executed according to his desire, he then, by dint of a spirit confident and incensed against the Romans, contrived, in order more easily to find a pretext for going to war with them, to be sent as commander-in-chief with an army into Spain, and took with him thither his son Hannibal, then nine years old. There also accompanied him a young man named Hasdrubal, a person of high birth and great beauty, who, as some said, was beloved by Hamilcar with less regard to his character than was becoming; for so great a man could not fail to have slanderers. Hence it happened that Hasdrubal was forbidden by the censor of public morals  to associate with him; but Hamilcar then gave him his daughter in marriage, because, according to their usages, a son-in-law could not be interdicted the society of his father-in-law. We have inserted this notice of Hasdrubal, because, after Hamilcar was killed, he took the command of the army, and achieved great exploits; and he was also the first that corrupted the ancient manners of the Carthaginians by bribery. After his death Hannibal received the command from the army.
IV. Hamilcar, however, after he had crossed the sea, and arrived in Spain, executed some great undertakings with excellent success; he subdued some very powerful and warlike nations, and supplied all Africa with horses, arms, men, and money. But as he was meditating to carry the war into Italy, in the ninth year after his arrival in Spain, he was killed in a battle with the Vettones.
His constant hatred to the Romans seems to have been the chief cause of producing the second Punic war; for Hannibal, his son, was so wrought upon by the continual instigations of his father, that he would have chosen to die rather than not make trial of the Romans.
Posted by Leo Tepper at 11:01
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
There was an error in this gadget
caesarius of heisterbach (1)
early christian latin (1)
gregory of tours (6)
johannis de capua (2)
paulinus of nola (1)
pliny the younger (4)
Walter of Châtillon (1)
Lucretius: why the soul is not immortal.
Alcuin: Let the cuckoo come!
Beda Venerabilis: repent before it is too late!
Cicero, Laelius de amicitia, 18 and 19: Friendship...
Catullus 34: a song for Diana.
Cornelius Nepos, Life of Hamilcar (part 2).
Cornelius Nepos: Life of Hamilcar (part 1)
Pseudo-Matthew 20: The palm tree in the desert.
Prudentius: some vivid details of the massacre of ...
These blogs are meant for anyone interested in Latin and are the result of my own curiosity. Have f
View my complete profile
Lucretius I.80-101: tantum religio potuit suadere malorum or on the crimes of religion.
The Roman poet Lucretius (99-55 BC) was a follower of the Greek philosopher Epicurus   (341-270 BC). Epicurus did not believe in gods a...
An early Cristmas post.
I know it is still a bit early for Christmas posts, but a befriended cellist and leader of a baroque ensemble asked me to translate the...
Martial, Liber Speculatorum VII. A gruesome scene at the arena.
I n this poem Martial describes the performance of a mimus in the amphitheatre.  A mimus is a kind of play with often comic situations es...
Carmina Burana 211: My belly is my god!
Whenever the Carmina Burana is mentioned, the music by Carl Orff will come to mind. It is less known that Orff only orchestrated 24 of t...
Propertius 2.12: war with Amor.
This week I returned from a short holiday to Normandy and Brittany.   A lovely countryside with many remains from the Middle Ages and m...
Paulus Diaconus, Historia Longobardorum 1.4: the miracle of the seven sleepers
During the great migrations of the 4 th -6 th century, the Roman empire, or rather what was left of it, was invaded by Germanic tribes...
Some Roman Epitaphs. Memento mori!
Whenever I see an old church, I walk around the graveyard, reading the inscriptions on the graves, provided they have not faded away thro...
Propertius 3,12: Don't join the army!
In 22 BC a certain Postumus was about to enter the army for an expedition to Armenia. Augustus wanted to confront the Persians there ...
Song of songs: Nigra sum, sed formosa!
Some time ago I saw a documentary on Dutch television about a new trend amongst dark skinned women, namely to use cream to whiten their...
Petronius, Cena Trimalchionis c. 61 and 62. A were-wolf story....
This extract is from the Cena Trimalchionis  `Trimalchio’s Dinner’, which is a part of the Satyricon written by Petronius Arbiter (27-66)...
There was an error in this gadget
Watermark theme. Powered by Blogger.