- 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-grc2:1.30.1-1.30.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The Carthaginians appoint three generals, including Hamilcar, to counter the Romans, but by encamping on a hill near Adys, they render their cavalry and elephants useless and suffer a crushing defeat, allowing the Romans to occupy Tunes.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι θεωροῦντες τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παρασκευὴν χρονιωτέραν οὖσαν,1 πρῶτον μὲν στρατηγοὺς ἑαυτῶν εἵλοντο δύο, τόν τʼ Ἄννωνος Ἀσδρούβαν καὶ Βώσταρον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Ἀμίλκαν ἔπεμπον εἰς τὴν Ἡράκλειαν, καλοῦντες κατὰ τάχος αὐτόν.
The Carthaginians, seeing that the enemy’s preparations were of a more permanent character, first of all elected two generals from among themselves, Hasdrubal son of Hanno, and Bostar, and next sent to Hamilcar at Heraclea, summoning him in haste.
ὁ δʼ ἀναλαβὼν ἱππεῖς πεντακοσίους καὶ πεζοὺς πεντακισχιλίους παρῆν εἰς τὴν Καρχηδόνα· καὶ κατασταθεὶς στρατηγὸς τρίτος ἐβουλεύετο μετὰ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν πῶς δεῖ χρῆσθαι τοῖς παροῦσιν.
He, taking five hundred cavalry and five thousand infantry, arrived at Carthage; and being appointed as a third general, consulted with Hasdrubal and his colleague as to how they should deal with the present situation.
ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς βοηθεῖν τῇ χώρᾳ καὶ μὴ περιορᾶν αὐτὴν ἀδεῶς πορθουμένην.
It seemed best to them, therefore, to go to the assistance of the country and not to look on while it was being pillaged without fear of opposition.
ὁ δὲ Μάρκος μετά τινας ἡμέρας ἐπεπορεύετο, τὰ μὲν ἀτείχιστα τῶν ἐρυμάτων ἐξ ἐφόδου διαρπάζων, τὰ δὲ τετειχισμένα πολιορκῶν.
Marcus, after some days, advanced, plundering by assault the unfortified strongholds and besieging the fortified ones.
ἀφικόμενος δὲ πρὸς πόλιν Ἀδὺν ἀξιόχρεω, περιστρατοπεδεύσας ταύτην συνίστατο μετὰ σπουδῆς ἔργα καὶ πολιορκίαν.
Arriving at a city of importance called Adys, he encamped around it and vigorously set about the siege works and the blockade.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τῇ τε πόλει σπουδάζοντες βοηθῆσαι καὶ τῶν ὑπαίθρων ἀντιποιεῖσθαι κρίνοντες ἐξῆγον τὴν δύναμιν.
The Carthaginians, eager to relieve the city and determined to dispute the possession of the open country, led out their forces.
καὶ καταλαβόμενοι λόφον ὑπερδέξιον μὲν τῶν πολεμίων, ἀφυῆ δὲ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεσιν, ἐν τούτῳ κατεστρατοπέδευσαν.
And occupying a hill which commanded the enemy indeed, but was unsuited for their own forces, they encamped on it.
λοιπὸν ἔχοντες μὲν τὰς πλείστας ἐλπίδας ἐν τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς θηρίοις, ἀφέμενοι δὲ τῶν ἐπιπέδων χωρίων καὶ συγκλείσαντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς εἰς τόπους ἐρυμνοὺς καὶ δυσβάτους, ἔμελλον διδάξειν2 τοὺς πολεμίους ὃ δέον ἦν πράττειν κατʼ αὐτῶν. ὃ δὴ καὶ συνέβη γενέσθαι.
In short, though they placed their chief reliance on their cavalry and elephants, they abandoned the level ground and cooped themselves up in steep and inaccessible places, thus being about to teach the enemy what was the proper course to take against them; which indeed was what happened.
συννοήσαντες γὰρ οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμόνες ἐμπείρως ὅτι τὸ πρακτικώτατον καὶ φοβερώτατον τῆς τῶν ὑπεναντίων δυνάμεως ἠχρείωται διὰ τοὺς τόπους, οὐκ ἀνέμειναν ἕως ἐκεῖνοι καταβάντες εἰς τὰ πεδία παρετάξαντο, χρώμενοι δὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις καιροῖς ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ προσέβαινον ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους πρὸς τὸν λόφον.
For the Roman generals, perceiving with experience that the most effective and formidable part of the enemy’s force was rendered useless by the nature of the terrain, did not wait until they came down to the plains and drew up in battle array, but taking advantage of their own opportunity, advanced at daybreak from both sides against the hill.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἱππεῖς καὶ τὰ θηρία τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ἦν ἄχρηστα τελέως· οἱ δὲ μισθοφόροι πάνυ γενναίως καὶ προθύμως ἐκβοηθήσαντες τὸ μὲν πρῶτον στρατόπεδον ἠνάγκασαν ἐκκλῖναι καὶ φυγεῖν·
Thus the cavalry and the elephants were entirely useless to the Carthaginians; but their mercenaries, sallying out very gallantly and eagerly, forced the first camp to give way and flee.
ἐπεὶ δὲ προπεσόντες3 καὶ κυκλωθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ θατέρου μέρους προσβαινόντων ἐτράπησαν, μετὰ ταῦτα πάντες εὐθὺς ἐκ τῆς στρατοπεδείας ἐξέπεσον.
But when, having advanced too far, they were surrounded by those who were ascending from the other side and were routed, after this all immediately fled from the camp.
τὰ μὲν οὖν θηρία μετὰ τῶν ἱππέων, ἐπεὶ τάχιστα τῶν ὁμαλῶν ἥψατο, μετʼ ἀσφαλείας ἐποιοῦντο τὴν ἀποχώρησιν·
The elephants, then, along with the cavalry, as soon as they reached the level ground, made their retreat in safety;
οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι τοὺς πεζοὺς βραχὺν ἐπιδιώξαντες τόπον καὶ τὸν χάρακα διαρπάσαντες, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πᾶσαν ἐπιπορευόμενοι τὴν χώραν καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἀδεῶς ἐπόρθουν.
while the Romans, after pursuing the infantry for a short distance and plundering the palisade, henceforth traversed the whole country and pillaged the cities without fear of opposition.
γενόμενοι δὲ τῆς προσαγορευομένης πόλεως Τύνητος ἐγκρατεῖς, εὐφυοῦς ὑπαρχούσης πρὸς τὰς προκειμένας ἐπιβολάς, ἔτι δὲ κειμένης εὐκαίρως κατά τε τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῆς σύνεγγυς ταύτῃ χώρας, κατεστρατοπέδευσαν εἰς αὐτήν.
Having made themselves masters of the city called Tunes, which was well suited for their projected enterprises, and was also conveniently situated against both the city and its surrounding country, they encamped in it.
- 1.30.1θεωροῦντες τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παρασκευὴν χρονιωτέραν οὖσαν
χρονιωτέραν οὖσαν is a participle in predicate position agreeing with the accusative noun τὴν ... παρασκευήν, functioning as a factual object clause after the participle θεωροῦντες (perceiving).
- 1.30.8ἔμελλον διδάξειν
ἔμελλον is used with the future infinitive διδάξειν to express an imminent outcome or destiny ('they were about to teach'). The verb διδάσκω (to teach) here governs a double accusative: the person in the accusative (τοὺς πολεμίους) and the matter in the relative clause (ὃ δέον ἦν...).
- 1.30.12προπεσόντες
An aorist active participle, used here in a spatial and tactical sense meaning 'having rushed forward too far' or 'having advanced too precipitately', which broke their formation and led to their encirclement.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1