- 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-grc2:1.43.1-1.43.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
During the siege of Lilybaeum, some mercenary officers plot to betray the city to the Romans, but their conspiracy is exposed by Alexon the Achaean and foiled by Himilco's prompt measures, narrowly saving the Carthaginians from total ruin.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους τῶν ἡγεμόνων τινὲς τῶν τὰς μεγίστας χώρας ἐχόντων ἐν τοῖς μισθοφόροις1 συλλαλήσαντες ἑαυτοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἐνδοῦναι τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις καὶ πεπεισμένοι πειθαρχήσειν σφίσι τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους, ἐξεπήδησαν νυκτὸς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ διελέγοντο τῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγῷ περὶ τούτων.
At this time, some of the officers who held the highest ranks among the mercenaries, having conferred among themselves about surrendering the city to the Romans, and being convinced that their subordinates would obey them, stole out of the city by night to the Roman camp and conversed with the Roman general about these matters.
ὁ δʼ Ἀχαιὸς Ἀλέξων ὁ καὶ τοῖς Ἀκραγαντίνοις κατὰ τοὺς ἐπάνω χρόνους αἴτιος γενόμενος τῆς σωτηρίας, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἐπεβάλοντο παρασπονδεῖν αὐτοὺς οἱ τῶν Συρακοσίων μισθοφόροι, καὶ τότε πρῶτος συνεὶς τὴν πρᾶξιν2 ἀνήγγειλε τῷ στρατηγῷ τῶν Καρχηδονίων.
But Alexon the Achaean, who on a former occasion had been the author of salvation to the people of Agrigentum, at the time when the Syracusan mercenaries attempted to betray them, on this occasion also was the first to detect the plot and reported it to the Carthaginian general.
ὁ δὲ διακούσας παραχρῆμα συνῆγε τοὺς καταλειπομένους τῶν ἡγεμόνων καὶ παρεκάλει μετὰ δεήσεως, μεγάλας δωρεὰς καὶ χάριτας ὑπισχνούμενος, ἐὰν ἐμμείνωσι τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν πίστει καὶ μὴ κοινωνήσωσι τοῖς ἐξεληλυθόσι τῆς ἐπιβολῆς.
The general, having heard the story, immediately assembled the remaining officers and exhorted them with entreaties, promising great rewards and favors if they would remain faithful to him and not take part in the plot of those who had gone out.
δεχομένων δὲ προθύμως τοὺς λόγους,3 εὐθέως μετʼ αὐτῶν ἀπέστειλε πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Κελτοὺς Ἀννίβαν τὸν υἱὸν τὸν Ἀννίβου τοῦ μεταλλάξαντος ἐν Σαρδόνι διὰ τὴν προγεγενημένην ἐν τῇ στρατείᾳ πρὸς αὐτοὺς συνήθειαν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους μισθοφόρους Ἀλέξωνα διὰ τὴν παρʼ ἐκείνοις ἀποδοχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ πίστιν·
Upon their readily accepting his proposal, he immediately sent with them, to the Celts, Hannibal, the son of that Hannibal who died in Sardinia, on account of the familiarity he had previously formed with them during the campaign, and to the other mercenaries, Alexon, because of his popularity and the credit he enjoyed among them.
οἳ καὶ συναγαγόντες τὰ πλήθη4 καὶ παρακαλέσαντες, ἔτι δὲ πιστωσάμενοι τὰς προτεινομένας ἑκάστοις δωρεὰς ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, ῥᾳδίως ἔπεισαν αὐτοὺς μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων.
These men, having assembled the multitudes and exhorted them, and having further guaranteed the rewards offered to each by the general, easily persuaded them to remain in their duty.
διὸ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα, τῶν ἐκπηδησάντων ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς ἐρχομένων πρὸς τὰ τείχη καὶ βουλομένων παρακαλεῖν καὶ λέγειν τι περὶ τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐπαγγελίας, οὐχ οἷον προσεῖχον αὐτοῖς,5 ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς οὐδʼ ἀκούειν ἠξίουν, βάλλοντες δὲ τοῖς λίθοις καὶ συνακοντίζοντες ἀπεδίωξαν ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους.
Consequently, after this, when those who had fled came openly to the walls and wished to exhort them and speak of the Roman promises, they not only paid no attention to them, but absolutely refused even to listen, and by throwing stones and hurling javelins at them, they drove them away from the wall.
Καρχηδόνιοι μὲν οὖν διὰ τὰς προειρημένας αἰτίας παρὰ μικρὸν ἦλθον ἀπολέσαι τὰ πράγματα,6 παρασπονδηθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν μισθοφόρων·
Thus the Carthaginians, for the reasons mentioned above, came within a hair’s breadth of losing their whole cause, being betrayed by their mercenaries.
Ἀλέξων δὲ πρότερον Ἀκραγαντίνοις ἔσωσε διὰ τὴν πίστιν οὐ μόνον τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, τότε δὲ Καρχηδονίοις αἴτιος ἐγένετο τοῦ μὴ σφαλῆναι τοῖς ὅλοις.
Alexon, who previously had saved for the Agrigentines, through his loyalty, not only their city and country but also their laws and liberty, now became the cause of the Carthaginians not suffering complete disaster.
- 1.43.1τῶν τὰς μεγίστας χώρας ἐχόντων ἐν τοῖς μισθοφόροις
Meaning 'those holding the greatest offices among the mercenaries.' Although χώρα generally means 'place' or 'region,' here it is used in the sense of military 'post,' 'office,' or 'rank.'
- 1.43.2καὶ τότε πρῶτος συνεὶς τὴν πρᾶξιν
The adverb καί ('also') coordinates the present action with Alexon's past achievement in Agrigentum ('on this occasion also'). πρῶτος functions predicatively, meaning 'he was the first to detect,' highlighting his swiftness in uncovering the plot before anyone else.
- 1.43.4δεχομένων δὲ προθύμως τοὺς λόγους
A genitive absolute construction with the omitted semantic subject referring to 'the remaining officers' (τοὺς καταλειπομένους τῶν ἡγεμόνων) mentioned in the preceding sentence.
- 1.43.5οἳ καὶ συναγαγόντες τὰ πλήθη
The relative pronoun οἵ is used connectively (equivalent to 'And they...'), starting a new main clause. The antecedent consists of the two individuals sent in the preceding clause: Hannibal and Alexon.
- 1.43.6οὐχ οἷον προσεῖχον αὐτοῖς
An idiomatic use of οὐχ οἷον ('so far from doing...', 'not only not...'), which correlates with the subsequent contrastive clause (ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς...) to express a strong negation: 'so far from paying attention to them, they did not even deign to listen.'
- 1.43.7παρὰ μικρὸν ἦλθον ἀπολέσαι τὰ πράγματα
The idiomatic expression παρὰ μικρὸν ἔρχομαι ('to come within a little of...', 'almost to do something') followed by the consecutive infinitive ἀπολέσαι. The phrase τὰ πράγματα here refers to 'their affairs,' 'their cause,' or 'their empire.'