- Source
- Polybius. Vols. 1-4. Büttner-Wobst, Theodor, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.11.1-1.11.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The Roman commons, persuaded by the generals, decide to assist the Mamertines and dispatch the consul Appius Claudius. After entering Messene, Appius attempts to negotiate with the besieging Carthaginian and Syracusan forces, but upon their refusal, he attacks and defeats the army of King Hiero of Syracuse.
πολὺν μὲν χρόνον ἐβουλεύσαντο, καὶ τὸ μὲν συνέδριον οὐδʼ εἰς τέλος ἐκύρωσε τὴν γνώμην διὰ τὰς ἄρτι ῥηθείσας αἰτίας. ἐδόκει γὰρ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἀλογίαν τῆς τοῖς Μαμερτίνοις ἐπικουρίας ἰσορροπεῖν τοῖς ἐκ τῆς βοηθείας συμφέρουσιν.
They debated for a long time, and the senate did not ratify the proposal even at the end, for the reasons just mentioned. For the inconsistency of sending help to the Mamertines seemed to be balanced by the advantages to be derived from the assistance.
οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ τετρυμένοι μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν προγεγονότων πολέμων καὶ προσδεόμενοι παντοδαπῆς ἐπανορθώσεως, ἅμα δὲ τοῖς ἄρτι ῥηθεῖσι περὶ τοῦ κοινῇ συμφέρειν τὸν πόλεμον καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν ἑκάστοις ὠφελείας προδήλους καὶ μεγάλας ὑποδεικνυόντων τῶν στρατηγῶν,1 ἔκριναν βοηθεῖν.
But the commons, worn out by the previous wars and in need of every kind of recovery, at the same time as the generals pointed out, in addition to what had just been said about the common interest, clear and great advantages for each individual, decided to send help.
κυρωθέντος δὲ τοῦ δόγματος ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, προχειρισάμενοι τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὑπάτων στρατηγὸν Ἄππιον Κλαύδιον ἐξαπέστειλαν, κελεύσαντες βοηθεῖν καὶ διαβαίνειν εἰς Μεσσήνην.
The decree having been ratified by the people, they appointed Appius Claudius, one of the consuls, as commander and dispatched him, ordering him to send help and cross over to Messene.
οἱ δὲ Μαμερτῖνοι τὸν μὲν τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγὸν ἤδη κατέχοντα τὴν ἄκραν ἐξέβαλον, τὰ μὲν καταπληξάμενοι, τὰ δὲ παραλογισάμενοι· τὸν δʼ Ἄππιον ἐπεσπῶντο καὶ τούτῳ τὴν πόλιν ἐνεχείριζον.
The Mamertines, partly by terrifying and partly by deceiving him, expelled the Carthaginian commander who already held the citadel; and they invited Appius and handed over the city to him.
Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ τὸν μὲν στρατηγὸν αὐτῶν ἀνεσταύρωσαν, νομίσαντες αὐτὸν ἀβούλως, ἅμα δʼ ἀνάνδρως προέσθαι τὴν ἀκρόπολιν·
The Carthaginians crucified their commander, believing that he had abandoned the citadel thoughtlessly and at the same time cowardly;
αὐτοὶ δὲ τῇ μὲν ναυτικῇ δυνάμει περὶ Πελωριάδα στρατοπεδεύσαντες, τῷ δὲ πεζῷ στρατεύματι περὶ τὰς Σύνεις καλουμένας ἐνεργῶς προσέκειντο τῇ Μεσσήνῃ.
and they themselves encamped with their naval force near Pelorias, and with their land army pressed hard upon Messene near the place called the Syneis.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον Ἱέρων νομίσας εὐφυῶς ἔχειν τὰ παρόντα2 πρὸς τὸ τοὺς βαρβάρους τοὺς τὴν Μεσσήνην κατέχοντας ὁλοσχερῶς ἐκβαλεῖν ἐκ τῆς Σικελίας, τίθεται πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους συνθήκας.
At this juncture, Hiero, thinking that the present situation was favorable for completely expelling from Sicily the barbarians who held Messene, made a treaty with the Carthaginians.
καὶ μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀναζεύξας ἐκ τῶν Συρακουσῶν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ τὴν προειρημένην πόλιν· καταστρατοπεδεύσας δʼ ἐκ θατέρου μέρους περὶ τὸ Χαλκιδικὸν ὄρος καλούμενον ἀπέκλεισε καὶ ταύτης τῆς ἐξόδου τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει.
And after this, setting out from Syracuse, he marched towards the aforementioned city; and having encamped on the other side near the mountain called Chalcidicon, he shut off those in the city from this exit as well.
ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων Ἄππιος νυκτὸς καὶ παραβόλως περαιωθεὶς τὸν πορθμὸν ἧκεν εἰς τὴν Μεσσήνην.
Appius, the Roman commander, crossed the strait by night and at great risk, and arrived at Messene.
ὁρῶν δὲ πανταχόθεν ἐνεργῶς προσηρεικότας τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ συλλογισάμενος ἅμα μὲν αἰσχράν, ἅμα δʼ ἐπισφαλῆ γίνεσθαι τὴν πολιορκίαν αὑτῷ,3 τῆς τε γῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπικρατούντων καὶ τῆς θαλάττης, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον διεπρεσβεύετο πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους, βουλόμενος ἐξελέσθαι τοῦ πολέμου τοὺς Μαμερτίνους· οὐδενὸς δὲ προσέχοντος αὐτῷ, τέλος ἐπαναγκαζόμενος ἔκρινε διακινδυνεύειν καὶ πρῶτον ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς Συρακοσίοις.
Seeing that the enemy were vigorously pressing on them from all sides, and reflecting that the siege would be at once disgraceful and dangerous for himself, as the enemy had command of both land and sea, first sent embassies to both parties, wishing to rescue the Mamertines from the war; but as no one paid attention to him, he was finally compelled to decide to run the risk and attack the Syracusans first.
ἐξαγαγὼν δὲ τὴν δύναμιν παρέταξε πρὸς μάχην, ἑτοίμως εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα συγκαταβάντος αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ τῶν Συρακοσίων βασιλέως·
Having led out his force, he drew them up for battle, and the king of the Syracusans also readily came down to meet him in the contest.
ἐπὶ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον διαγωνισάμενος ἐπεκράτησεν τῶν πολεμίων καὶ κατεδίωξε τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἕως εἰς τὸν χάρακα πάντας.
After struggling for a long time, he prevailed over the enemy and pursued all the opponents as far as their entrenchments.
Ἄππιος μὲν οὖν σκυλεύσας τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐπανῆλθεν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Μεσσήνην. ὁ δʼ Ἱέρων ὀττευσάμενός τι περὶ τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων,4 ἐπιγενομένης τῆς νυκτὸς ἀνεχώρησε κατὰ σπουδὴν
Appius, then, having despoiled the dead, returned again to Messene. But Hiero, having boded ill concerning the whole state of affairs, retreated in haste when night came on.
- 1.11.2ὑποδεικνυόντων τῶν στρατηγῶν
A genitive absolute construction, expressing the cause ("since the generals pointed out...") for the decision of the main subject (οἱ δὲ πολλοί).
- 1.11.7εὐφυῶς ἔχειν τὰ παρόντα
An accusative with infinitive clause serving as the object of the participle νομίσας. The construction of the intransitive ἔχω with an adverb (εὐφυῶς) means "to be in a certain state," here meaning "the present situation (τὰ παρόντα) was favorable." The subsequent πρός with the articular infinitive denotes the purpose or object of this fitness.
- 1.11.10γίνεσθαι τὴν πολιορκίαν αὑτῷ
An accusative with infinitive construction acting as the object of the participle συλλογισάμενος ("reflecting that..."). The dative αὑτῷ is a dative of reference or interest, meaning "for himself" (referring to Appius).
- 1.11.15ὀττευσάμενός τι περὶ τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων
The verb ὀττεύομαι ("to bode," "to take omen") here takes the accusative pronoun τι as an internal object ("boding something"), while the prepositional phrase περὶ τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων limits the scope ("concerning the whole state of affairs").