- 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-grc2:1.79.1-1.79.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Describes how the mercenaries in Sardinia rebelled against Carthage, briefly ruled the island, and were eventually expelled, followed by the plot of Mathos and others in Africa to incite the masses through new impieties.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς οἱ τὴν Σαρδόνα [τὴν νῆσον] παραφυλάττοντες τῶν μισθοφόρων, ζηλώσαντες τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μάθω καὶ Σπένδιον, ἐπιτίθενται τοῖς ἐν τῇ νήσῳ Καρχηδονίοις.
At about the same time, those of the mercenaries who were guarding Sardinia [the island], emulating Mathos and Spendius, attacked the Carthaginians on the island.
καὶ τὸν μὲν τότε παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὄντα βοήθαρχον Βώσταρον συγκλείσαντες εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν μετὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πολιτῶν ἀπέκτειναν.
And having shut up Bostar, who was then their military commander among them, into the citadel along with his fellow citizens, they killed him.
αὖθις δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγὸν ἐξαποστειλάντων μετὰ δυνάμεως Ἄννωνα, κἄπειτα καὶ τούτων τῶν δυνάμεων ἐγκαταλιπουσῶν1 τὸν Ἄννωνα καὶ μεταθεμένων πρὸς σφᾶς, γενόμενοι ζωγρίᾳ κύριοι τοῦ προειρημένου, παραυτίκα τοῦτον μὲν ἀνεσταύρωσαν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα παρηλλαγμένας ἐπινοοῦντες τιμωρίας πάντας τοὺς ἐν τῇ νήσῳ Καρχηδονίους στρεβλοῦντες ἀπέκτειναν·
And when the Carthaginians again sent out Hanno as general with a force, and then these forces too deserted Hanno and went over to them, becoming masters of the aforementioned by capture, they immediately crucified him, and after this, devising extraordinary punishments, they tortured and killed all the Carthaginians on the island.
καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη ποιησάμενοι τὰς πόλεις ὑφʼ ἑαυτοὺς εἶχον ἐγκρατῶς τὴν νῆσον, ἕως οὗ στασιάσαντες πρὸς τοὺς Σαρδονίους ἐξέπεσον ὑπʼ ἐκείνων εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν.
And henceforth, having made the cities subject to themselves, they held the island securely, until they revolted against the Sardinians and were driven out by them into Italy.
ἡ μὲν οὖν Σαρδὼ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀπηλλοτριώθη Καρχηδονίων, νῆσος καὶ τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τῇ πολυανθρωπίᾳ καὶ τοῖς γεννήμασι διαφέρουσα.
Thus Sardinia was alienated from the Carthaginians, an island outstanding both in size, population, and products.
τῷ δὲ πολλοὺς καὶ πολὺν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς πεποιῆσθαι λόγον2 οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον ἡγούμεθʼ εἶναι ταυτολογεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὁμολογουμένων.
But because many have spoken at great length about it, we think it is not necessary to repeat what is universally agreed upon.
Μάθως δὲ καὶ Σπένδιος, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις Αὐτάριτος ὁ Γαλάτης ὑπιδόμενοι τὴν Ἀμίλκου φιλανθρωπίαν εἰς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους καὶ φοβηθέντες μὴ τῷ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ ψυχαγωγηθέντες ὁρμήσωσι πρὸς τὴν ὑποδεικνυμένην ἀσφάλειαν οἵ τε Λίβυες καὶ τὸ τῶν μισθοφόρων πλῆθος, ἐβουλεύοντο πῶς ἂν καινοτομήσαντές τι τῶν πρὸς ἀσέβειαν εἰς τέλος ἀποθηριώσειαν3 τὰ πλήθη πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους.
But Mathos and Spendius, and with them Autaritus the Gaul, suspecting Hamilcar’s humanity toward the prisoners, and fearing lest, won over in this manner, both the Libyans and the mass of the mercenaries should rush toward the safety offered to them, deliberated how they might, by introducing some new outrage against religion, utterly brutalize the masses against the Carthaginians.
ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς συναθροῖσαι τοὺς πολλούς. γενομένου δὲ τούτου γραμματοφόρον εἰσήγαγον, ὡς ἀπεσταλμένον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ τῆς Σαρδόνος αἱρετιστῶν.
They decided therefore to assemble the multitude. When this was done, they introduced a letter-carrier, supposedly sent by those who chose the same cause in Sardinia.
ἡ δʼ ἐπιστολὴ διεσάφει τόν τε Γέσκωνα καὶ τοὺς μετʼ αὐτοῦ πάντας, οὓς παρεσπόνδησαν ἐν τῷ Τύνητι, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προεῖπον, φυλάττειν ἐπιμελῶς, ὡς πραττόντων τινῶν ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ὑπὲρ τῆς τούτων σωτηρίας.
The letter declared that they should guard Gesco and all those with him, whom they had treacherously seized in Tunis, as I mentioned above, with great care, as some in the camp were plotting with the Carthaginians for their safety.
λαβόμενος δὲ τῆς ἀφορμῆς ταύτης ὁ Σπένδιος πρῶτον μὲν παρεκάλει μὴ πιστεύειν τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τοῦ τῶν Καρχηδονίων γεγενημένην φιλανθρωπίαν πρὸς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους·
Spendius, taking hold of this pretext, first exhorted them not to trust the humanity shown by the general of the Carthaginians toward the prisoners;
οὐ γὰρ σῶσαι προαιρούμενον αὐτὸν ταῦτα βεβουλεῦσθαι περὶ τῶν ἁλόντων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀφέσεως ἡμῶν ἐγκρατῆ γενέσθαι σπουδάζοντα, πρὸς τὸ μὴ τινὰς ἀλλὰ πάντας ἡμᾶς ἅμα τιμωρήσασθαι πιστεύσαντας αὐτῷ.
for he said that he had not decided on these measures concerning the captives with the intention of saving them, but was eager to get us into his power through their release, so as to punish not just some but all of us together when we have trusted him.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις φυλάττεσθαι παρῄνει μὴ προέμενοι τοὺς περὶ τὸν Γέσκωνα καταφρονηθῶσι μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, μεγάλα δὲ βλάψωσι τὰς ἰδίας πράξεις, ἄνδρα τοιοῦτον καὶ στρατηγὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐάσαντες διαφυγεῖν, ὃν εἰκὸς ἐχθρὸν αὐτοῖς ἔσεσθαι φοβερώτατον.
In addition to this, he advised them to be on their guard lest, by giving up Gesco and his men, they should be despised by their enemies and greatly damage their own prospects, by letting such a man and a good general escape, who was likely to be their most formidable enemy.
ἔτι δὲ ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ παρῆν ἄλλος γραμματοφόρος, ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Τύνητος ἀπεσταλμένος, παρα
While he was still saying these things, another letter-carrier arrived, as if sent from those in Tunis, conveying similar...
- 1.79.3τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγὸν ἐξαποστειλάντων... κἄπειτα καὶ τούτων τῶν δυνάμεων ἐγκαταλιπουσῶν...
Two genitive absolute constructions (tōn Karchedoniōn... exaposteilantōn and toutōn tōn dynameōn egkatalipousōn... kai metathemenōn) are placed in succession. The subject of the second, toutōn tōn dynameōn, refers back to the dynamis which was the object of the first.
- 1.79.7τῷ δὲ πολλοὺς καὶ πολὺν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς πεποιῆσθαι λόγον
An articular infinitive in the dative case (tōi) without a preposition, functioning as a dative of cause ('because...'). pollous acts as the subject accusative of the infinitive pepoiēsthai.
- 1.79.8πῶς ἂν... ἀποθηριώσειαν
A construction of ἄν with the optative (apothēriōseian) introduced by the interrogative πῶς, forming an indirect question of method expressing potentiality ('how they might...').
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1