- 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-grc2:1.23.1-1.23.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The Roman commander Gaius Bilius engaged the Carthaginian fleet near Mylae. The unexpected effectiveness of the "ravens" neutralized the Carthaginian tactics, resulting in a major Roman victory.
ρασκευῇ1 καιρὸν ἐπετήρουν πρὸς ναυμαχίαν· ὁ δὲ Γάιος Βίλιος ὡς θᾶττον ἔγνω τὴν περιπέτειαν τοῦ τῆς ναυτικῆς δυνάμεως ἡγουμένου, παραδοὺς τὰ πεζικὰ στρατόπεδα τοῖς χιλιάρχοις αὐτὸς διεκομίσθη πρὸς τὸν στόλον.
[with this] preparation, they were watching for a favorable opportunity for a naval battle. Meanwhile, Gaius Bilius, as soon as he learned of the disaster that had befallen the commander of the naval forces, handed over the land forces to the military tribunes and personally crossed over to the fleet.
πυθόμενος δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους πορθεῖν τὴν Μυλαῗτιν χώραν ἐπιπλεῖ στόλῳ παντί.
Learning that the enemy were ravaging the territory of Mylae, he sailed against them with his whole fleet.
συνιδόντες δʼ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ σπουδῆς ἀνήγοντο ναυσὶν ἑκατὸν καὶ τριάκοντα, καταφρονοῦντες τῆς ἀπειρίας τῶν Ῥωμαίων, καὶ πάντες ἔπλεον ἀντίπρωρροι τοῖς πολεμίοις, οὐδὲ τάξεως καταξιώσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον,2 ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπὶ λείαν τινὰ πρόδηλον.
When the Carthaginians saw this, they put to sea with a hundred and thirty ships, full of joy and eagerness, despising the inexperience of the Romans; and they all sailed straight for the enemy, not even deigning to form any order of battle, but as if towards an obvious prey.
ἡγεῖτο δʼ Ἀννίβας αὐτῶν — οὗτος δʼ ἦν ὁ τὰς δυνάμεις ἐκκλέψας νυκτὸς ἐκ τῆς τῶν Ἀκραγαντίνων πόλεως — ἔχων ἑπτήρη τὴν γενομένην Πύρρου τοῦ βασιλέως.
Their commander was Hannibal—the same who had escaped with his forces by night from the city of Agrigentum—sailing in a septireme which had belonged to King Pyrrhus.
ἅμα δὲ τῷ πλησιάζειν3 συνθεωροῦντες ἀνανενευκότας τοὺς κόρακας ἐν ταῖς ἑκάστων πρώρραις, ἐπὶ ποσὸν μὲν ἠπόρουν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, ξενιζόμενοι ταῖς τῶν ὀργάνων κατασκευαῖς· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τελέως κατεγνωκότες τῶν ἐναντίων ἐνέβαλον οἱ πρῶτοι πλέοντες τετολμηκότως.
As they neared, seeing the “ravens” raised high on the prows of each ship, the Carthaginians were perplexed for a time, surprised by the design of the engines; nevertheless, thoroughly despising their opponents, those sailing in front boldly made their onset.
τῶν δὲ συμπλεκομένων σκαφῶν ἀεὶ δεδεμένων τοῖς ὀργάνοις,4 καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν εὐθὺς ἐπιπορευομένων διʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ κόρακος καὶ συμπλεκομένων ἐπὶ τοῖς καταστρώμασιν, οἱ μὲν ἐφονεύοντο τῶν Καρχηδονίων, οἱ δὲ παρεδίδοσαν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκπληττόμενοι τὸ γινόμενον· παραπλήσιον γὰρ πεζομαχίας συνέβαινε τὸν κίνδυνον ἀποτελεῖσθαι.
As the colliding vessels were in every case bound fast by the engines, and the men immediately boarded by means of the “raven” itself and fought on the decks, some of the Carthaginians were slain, and others surrendered in utter amazement at what was happening; for the battle had come to resemble a land fight.
διὸ καὶ τριάκοντα μὲν τὰς πρώτας συμβαλούσας ναῦς αὐτάνδρους ἀπέβαλον, σὺν αἷς ἐγένετʼ αἰχμάλωτον καὶ τὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ πλοῖον· Ἀννίβας δʼ ἀνελπίστως καὶ παραβόλως αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ σκάφῃ διέφυγεν.
Therefore they lost the first thirty ships that engaged, crew and all, among which was captured the commander’s own ship; Hannibal himself, beyond expectation and by a desperate venture, escaped in the ship’s boat.
τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἐποιεῖτο μὲν τὸν ἐπίπλουν ὡς εἰς ἐμβολήν, ἐν δὲ τῷ συνεγγίζειν θεωροῦντες τὸ συμβεβηκὸς περὶ τὰς προπλεούσας ναῦς ἐξέκλινον καὶ διένευον τὰς τῶν ὀργάνων ἐπιβολάς.
The rest of the Carthaginian fleet sailed up as if to charge, but as they drew near, seeing what had happened to the ships in front, they veered off and avoided the blows of the engines.
πιστεύοντες δὲ τῷ ταχυναυτεῖν, οἱ μὲν ἐκ πλαγίων, οἱ δὲ κατὰ πρύμναν ἐκπεριπλέοντες ἀσφαλῶς ἤλπιζον ποιήσασθαι τὰς ἐμβολάς.
Relying on the swiftness of their ships, some from the sides and others sailing round to the stern, they hoped to make their charges in safety.
πάντη δὲ καὶ πάντως ἀντιπεριισταμένων καὶ συνδιανευόντων τῶν ὀργάνων5 οὕτως ὥστε κατʼ ἀνάγκην τοὺς ἐγγίσαντας συνδεδέσθαι, τέλος ἐγκλίναντες ἔφυγον οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, καταπλαγέντες τὴν καινοτομίαν τοῦ συμβαίνοντος, πεντήκοντα ναῦς ἀποβαλόντες.
But since the engines swung round and faced them in every direction and in every way, so that those who approached were inevitably grappled, the Carthaginians at last turned and fled, terrified by the novelty of the experience, having lost fifty ships.
- 1.23.1ρασκευῇ
Combined with πα at the end of the previous chunk, it forms παρασκευῇ. It is a dative of means ("with this preparation").
- 1.23.3οὐδὲ τάξεως καταξιώσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον
Meaning "not even deigning to form any order of battle for the conflict." The verb καταξιόω here takes an accusative of the action (τὸν κίνδυνον) and a genitive of value (τάξεως).
- 1.23.5ἅμα δὲ τῷ πλησιάζειν
The preposition ἅμα with the dative of the articular infinitive τῷ πλησιάζειν expresses simultaneity ("at the moment of drawing near").
- 1.23.6τῶν δὲ συμπλεκομένων σκαφῶν ἀεὶ δεδεμένων τοῖς ὀργάνοις
A genitive absolute construction. The following clause and ton andron euthys epiporeuomenon is also in the genitive absolute, coordinated with this one, both leading to the main clause hoi men ephoneyonto....
- 1.23.10πάντη δὲ καὶ πάντως ἀντιπεριισταμένων καὶ συνδιανευόντων τῶν ὀργάνων
Another genitive absolute construction, with tōn organōn as the logical subject, expressing the circumstances or reason ("since the engines swung round and faced them in every direction").