- 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-grc2:1.49.1-1.49.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Upon hearing of the heavy losses at Lilybaeum, Rome sends reinforcements to Sicily. The consul Publius Claudius decides on a surprise night attack against Drepana, but the Carthaginian general Adherbal quickly realizes the threat, rallies his forces, and sails out to intercept.
εἰς δὲ τὴν Ῥώμην προσπεσόντων τούτων, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πλειόνων ἀναγγελλόντων1 διότι συμβαίνει τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόλου πληρωμάτων τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος ἔν τε τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ τῇ καθόλου πολιορκίᾳ διεφθάρθαι, σπουδῇ κατέγραφον ναύτας καὶ συναθροίσαντες εἰς μυρίους ἐξέπεμψαν εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν.
When these tidings reached Rome, and when subsequently more and more people reported that the greater part of the crews of the fleet had been destroyed in the works and in the siege as a whole, they hastily enlisted sailors, and having collected about ten thousand, sent them to Sicily.
ὧν διὰ τοῦ πορθμοῦ περαιωθέντων καὶ πεζῇ παραγενομένων εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, συναγαγὼν τοὺς χιλιάρχους ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων Πόπλιος Κλαύδιος ἔφη καιρὸν εἶναι πλεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ Δρέπανα παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ.
When these had crossed the straits and arrived at the camp by land, the Roman consul, Publius Claudius, assembled the tribunes and said that it was the right moment to sail for Drepana with the whole fleet.
τὸν γὰρ στρατηγὸν τῶν Καρχηδονίων Ἀτάρβαν τὸν τεταγμένον ἐπʼ αὐτῶν ἀπαράσκευον εἶναι2 πρὸς τὸ μέλλον, ἀγνοοῦντα μὲν τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν πληρωμάτων, πεπεισμένον δὲ μὴ δύνασθαι πλεῖν τὸν αὑτῶν στόλον διὰ τὴν γεγενημένην ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ καταφθορὰν τῶν ἀνδρῶν. προχείρως δʼ αὐτῶν συγκατατιθεμένων, εὐθέως ἐνεβίβαζε τά τε προϋπάρχοντα καὶ τὰ προσφάτως παραγεγονότα πληρώματα, τοὺς δʼ ἐπιβάτας ἐκ παντὸς ἐπέλεξε τοῦ στρατεύματος ἐθελοντὴν τοὺς ἀρίστους, ἅτε δὴ τοῦ μὲν πλοῦ σύνεγγυς ὄντος, τῆς δʼ ὠφελείας ἑτοίμου προφαινομένης.3
For Adherbal, the Carthaginian general in command there, was, he said, unprepared for what was coming, as he was ignorant of the arrival of the new crews, and convinced that the Roman fleet could not sail owing to the heavy loss of men in the siege. When they readily agreed, he immediately embarked both the old and the recently arrived crews, and selected as marines the best men from the whole army, who volunteered because the voyage was short and the prospect of booty seemed certain.
ταῦτα δὲ παρασκευασάμενος ἀνήχθη περὶ μέσας νύκτας, λαθὼν τοὺς πολεμίους. καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς ἅθρους ἔπλει, δεξιὰν ἔχων τὴν γῆν.
Having made these preparations, he put to sea about midnight, unobserved by the enemy; and at first he sailed in a compact body, keeping the land on his right.
ἅμα δὲ τῷ φωτὶ τῶν πρώτων ἐπὶ τὰ Δρέπανα νεῶν ἐπιφαινομένων, κατιδὼν Ἀτάρβας τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐξενίσθη διὰ τὸ παράδοξον·
At daybreak, when the leading ships came in sight off Drepana, Adherbal, on seeing them, was at first startled by the unexpectedness of the event;
ταχὺ δʼ ἐν αὑτῷ γενόμενος καὶ νοήσας τὸν ἐπίπλουν τῶν ὑπεναντίων ἔκρινε παντὸς ἔργου πεῖραν λαμβάνειν καὶ πᾶν ὑπομένειν χάριν τοῦ μὴ περιιδεῖν σφᾶς εἰς πρόδηλον συγκλεισθέντας πολιορκίαν.4
but quickly recovering his presence of mind and understanding the approach of the enemy, he decided to try every means and face every danger rather than allow themselves to be blockaded in an obvious siege.
διόπερ εὐθέως τὰ μὲν πληρώματα συνῆγε πρὸς τὸν αἰγιαλόν, τοὺς δʼ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως μισθοφόρους ἥθροιζε μετὰ κηρύγματος.
Therefore, he immediately assembled the crews on the shore, and collected the mercenaries from the city by means of a herald.
τῶν δὲ συλλεχθέντων, ἐπεβάλετο διὰ βραχέων εἰς ἔννοιαν αὐτοὺς ἄγειν τῆς τε τοῦ νικᾶν ἐλπίδος, ἐὰν τολμήσωσι ναυμαχεῖν, καὶ τῆς ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ δυσχρηστίας, ἐὰν καταμελλήσωσι προϊδόμενοι τὸν κίνδυνον.
When they were assembled, he endeavored in a few words to bring to their minds the hope of victory if they dared to fight at sea, and the hardships of a siege if they shrank from the danger when they saw it coming.
ἑτοίμως δʼ αὐτῶν παρορμηθέντων πρὸς τὴν ναυμαχίαν καὶ βοώντων ἄγειν καὶ μὴ μέλλειν, ἐπαινέσας καὶ δεξάμενος τὴν ὁρμὴν παρήγγειλε κατὰ τάχος ἐμβαίνειν καὶ βλέποντας πρὸς τὴν αὑτοῦ ναῦν ἕπεσθαι ταύτῃ κατὰ πρύμναν.
As they readily responded to his encouragement to fight, crying out to lead them on and not delay, he commended their spirit and accepted their enthusiasm, and ordered them to embark at once and follow close in the wake of his own ship, keeping their eyes on it.
διασαφήσας δὲ τὰ προειρημένα κατὰ σπουδὴν πρῶτος ἐποιεῖτο τὸν ἀνάπλουν, ὑπʼ αὐτὰς τὰς πέτρας ἐπὶ θάτερα μέρη τοῦ λιμένος ἐξάγων τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων εἴς
Having explained these instructions, he hastily put out to sea first, leading the way close under the rocks on the opposite side of the harbor from that where the enemy...
- 1.49.1προσπεσόντων τούτων, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πλειόνων ἀναγγελλόντων
Two consecutive genitive absolute constructions connected by καί, providing the cause or background ('when these tidings reached... and when subsequently more people reported...') for the main verb κατέγραφον.
- 1.49.4τὸν γὰρ στρατηγὸν ... ἀπαράσκευον εἶναι
An accusative and infinitive construction in indirect speech, dependent on the verb ἔφη in §1.49.3. The participles ἀγνοοῦντα and πεπεισμένον agree in gender, number, and case with the accusative subject τὸν ... στρατηγὸν Ἀτάρβαν.
- 1.49.5ἅτε δὴ τοῦ μὲν πλοῦ σύνεγγυς ὄντος, τῆς δʼ ὠφελείας ἑτοίμου προφαινομένης
The particle ἅτε (here ἅτε δή) with the genitive absolute expresses an objective cause or reason ('since the voyage was short and...'). The two reasons are contrasted by the particles μέν and δέ.
- 1.49.8χάριν τοῦ μὴ περιιδεῖν σφᾶς εἰς πρόδηλον συγκλεισθέντας πολιορκίαν
The postpositional χάριν with the articular infinitive τοῦ μὴ περιιδεῖν expresses purpose ('for the sake of not allowing...'). The verb περιιδεῖν (aorist of περιοράω, 'to overlook' or 'allow') takes the accusative object σφᾶς and the supplementary participle συγκλεισθέντας, meaning 'to allow themselves to be blockaded'.