- 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-grc2:1.68.1-1.68.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Realizing their strategic errors, the Carthaginians try to appease the encamped mercenaries by conceding to their demands, but the emboldened mercenaries continuously escalate their monetary claims. The mercenaries refuse to refer the dispute to Amilcar, whom they feel neglected by, and agree instead to trust Gesco with the arbitration.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τότε πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐλάμβανον τὴν αὑτῶν ἄγνοιαν, ὅτʼ ἦν οὐδὲν ὄφελος.
And the Carthaginians then took their own ignorance before their eyes, when it was of no use.
μεγάλα μὲν γὰρ ἥμαρτον, εἰς ἕνα τόπον ἁθροίσαντες τοσοῦτο πλῆθος μισθοφόρων, ἔχοντες οὐδεμίαν ἐλπίδα πολεμικῆς χρείας ἐν ταῖς πολιτικαῖς δυνάμεσι·
For they had made a great mistake in assembling so great a multitude of mercenaries into one place, while having no hope of military utility in their own citizen forces;
τούτου δὲ μεῖζον ἔτι, προέμενοι τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ σὺν τούτοις τὰς ἀποσκευάς· οἷς ἐξῆν ὁμήροις χρησαμένους1 ἀσφαλέστερον μὲν αὐτοὺς βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων, εὐπειθεστέροις δʼ ἐκείνοις χρῆσθαι πρὸς τὸ παρακαλούμενον, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ καταπλαγέντες τὴν στρατοπεδείαν πᾶν ὑπέμενον, σπουδάζοντες ἐξιλάσασθαι τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ τάς τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀγορὰς ἐκπέμποντες δαψιλεῖς ἐπώλουν, καθὼς ἐκεῖνοι βούλοιντο καὶ τάττοιεν τὰς τιμάς, τῶν τε τῆς γερουσίας ἀεί τινας ἐξαπέστελλον πρέσβεις, ὑπισχνούμενοι ποιήσειν πᾶν ὅ,τι ποτʼ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἀξιώσαιεν εἰ κατὰ δύναμιν.
and even greater than this, in having let go their children and wives, and with them their baggage; whereas they might have used these as hostages, and so have deliberated more safely themselves about the emergencies, and have found the mercenaries more obedient to their demands. Nevertheless, being terrified by their encampment, they submitted to everything, endeavoring to appease their anger; and they sent out abundant supplies of provisions and sold them at whatever prices the mercenaries wished and fixed, and they continually dispatched some of the members of the senate as envoys, promising to do whatever they might demand, if it was within their power.
ἦν δὲ πολὺ τὸ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παρὰ τοῖς μισθοφόροις ἐπινοούμενον, ἅτε δὴ κατατεθαρρηκότων μὲν καὶ συντεθεωρηκότων2 τὴν κατάπληξιν καὶ πτοίαν τῶν Καρχηδονίων, πεφρονηματισμένων δὲ καὶ πεπεισμένων διὰ τοὺς προγεγονότας αὐτοῖς ἐν Σικελίᾳ πρὸς τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ στρατόπεδα κινδύνους μὴ οἷον Καρχηδονίους ἀντοφθαλμῆσαί ποτʼ ἂν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ3 τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων μηδένα ῥᾳδίως.
But the demands devised day by day by the mercenaries grew greater, inasmuch as they had become utterly bold and had perceived the consternation and dread of the Carthaginians, and being proud and convinced, because of the dangers they had previously gone through in Sicily against the Roman armies, that not only would the Carthaginians never dare to look them in the face in arms, but neither would any other of mankind easily do so.
διόπερ ἅμα τῷ συγχωρῆσαι τὰ περὶ τῶν ὀψωνίων αὐτοῖς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους εὐθέως ἐπέβαινον καὶ τῶν τεθνεώτων ἵππων ἀπῄτουν τὰς ἀξίας.
Therefore, as soon as the Carthaginians conceded their demands concerning the pay, they immediately went further and demanded the value of the horses that had died.
προσδεξαμένων δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, πάλιν τῆς προσοφειλομένης σιτομετρίας ἐκ πλείονος χρόνου τὴν μεγίστην γεγονυῖαν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τιμὴν ἔφασκον αὑτοὺς δεῖν κομίζεσθαι.
Upon their accepting this also, they again declared that they ought to receive the value of the corn-rations which had been due for a longer time, calculated at the highest price that had occurred during the war.
καθόλου δʼ ἀεί τι νέον καὶ καινὸν προσεξεύρισκον, εἰς ἀδύνατον ἐκβάλλοντες τὴν διάλυσιν διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς καχέκτας καὶ στασιώδεις ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν.
In general, they always devised something new and novel, driving the settlement into impossibility because there were many ill-conditioned and mutinous men among them.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ δυνατὸν ὑπισχνουμένων τῶν Καρχηδονίων, κατένευσαν ἐπιτρέψειν περὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων ἑνὶ τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ γεγονότων στρατηγῶν.
Nevertheless, as the Carthaginians promised everything possible, they agreed to refer the disputed matters to one of the generals who had been in Sicily.
πρὸς μὲν οὖν Ἀμίλκαν τὸν Βάρκαν, μεθʼ οὗ συγκεκινδυνεύκεσαν ἐν τῇ Σικελίᾳ, δυσχερῶς εἶχον, δοκοῦντες οὐχ ἥκιστα διʼ ἐκεῖνον ὀλιγωρεῖσθαι τῷ μήτε πρεσβεύειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τήν τε στρατηγίαν ἑκουσίως δοκεῖν ἀποτεθεῖσθαι·4
Now, towards Amilcar Barca, with whom they had shared dangers in Sicily, they were ill-disposed, thinking that they were neglected not least through his fault, because he did not come as an envoy to them and because he seemed to have resigned his command voluntarily;
πρὸς δὲ Γέσκωνα πάνυ διέκειντο φιλανθρώπως, ὃς ἐγεγόνει μὲν ἐν Σικελίᾳ στρατηγός, ἐπεποίητο δʼ αὐτῶν πρόνοιαν τὴν ἐνδεχομένην ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ μάλιστα περὶ τὴν ἀνακομιδήν. διόπερ ἐπέτρεψαν τούτῳ περὶ τῶν
but towards Gesco they were very well-disposed, who had been a general in Sicily, and had shown them all possible consideration, both in other matters and especially concerning their repatriation. Therefore they referred to him concerning the...
- 1.68.3οἷς ἐξῆν ὁμήροις χρησαμένους
The relative pronoun οἷς is in the neuter plural dative, referring to the children, wives, and baggage. The impersonal past verb ἐξῆν with the infinitive expresses a past possibility that was not realized (contrary to fact). The accusative plural participle χρησαμένους agrees in case with the unexpressed subject of the infinitive, namely the Carthaginians, treated as an accusative subject.
- 1.68.6ἅτε δὴ κατατεθαρρηκότων μὲν καὶ συντεθεωρηκότων
Genitive absolute construction consisting of the conjunction ἅτε with particle δή and the genitive plural perfect participles. The subject of the genitive absolute (the mercenaries) is omitted as it is obvious from the context. The conjunction ἅτε indicates an objective, factual ground or reason for the statement.
- 1.68.7μὴ οἷον Καρχηδονίους ἀντοφθαλμῆσαί ποτʼ ἂν... ἀλλὰ μηδὲ...
The formula μὴ οἷον ... ἀλλὰ μηδέ ... is a correlative scalar construction meaning 'not only not... but not even...'. The infinitive ἀντοφθαλμῆσαι is modified by the potential particle ἄν, functioning as an accusative with infinitive clause dependent on the participle of conviction, πεπεισμένων.
- 1.68.12τῷ μήτε πρεσβεύειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τήν τε στρατηγίαν ἑκουσίως δοκεῖν ἀποτεθεῖσθαι
This consists of two coordinated articular infinitive clauses (μήτε πρεσβεύειν and δοκεῖν ἀποτεθεῖσθαι) nominalized by the neuter singular dative article τῷ. The dative articular infinitive functions here as a dative of cause, explaining the ground of their resentment.