- 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-grc2:1.83.1-1.83.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
As Carthage was besieged and fell into distress, Hiero of Syracuse and the Romans actively assisted the Carthaginians, driven by the principle of balance of power and a commitment to treaty obligations.
τούτοις ἦν. οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι περικλειόμενοι πανταχόθεν ἠναγκάζοντο καταφεύγειν ἐπὶ τὰς συμμαχίδων πόλεων ἐλπίδας. Ἱέρων δʼ ἀεὶ μέν ποτε κατὰ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πόλεμον μεγάλην ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν εἰς πᾶν τὸ παρακαλούμενον ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, τότε δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο, πεπεισμένος συμφέρειν ἑαυτῷ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐν Σικελίᾳ δυναστείαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων φιλίαν τὸ σῴζεσθαι Καρχηδονίους, ἵνα μὴ παντάπασιν ἐξῇ τὸ προτεθὲν ἀκονιτὶ συντελεῖσθαι τοῖς ἰσχύουσι,1 πάνυ φρονίμως καὶ νουνεχῶς λογιζόμενος.
were in this state. But the Carthaginians, being hemmed in on all sides, were forced to resort to the hopes of their allied cities. Hiero had always during the present war shown great zeal in response to every request made by them, but at that time he was even more eager to help, being convinced that it was to his own interest, both for his dominion in Sicily and for his friendship with the Romans, that the Carthaginians should be saved, so that it might not be entirely possible for those in power to accomplish their designs without a struggle—a very wise and sensible calculation.
οὐδέποτε γὰρ χρὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα παρορᾶν οὐδὲ τηλικαύτην οὐδενὶ συγκατασκευάζειν δυναστείαν, πρὸς ἣν οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ὁμολογουμένων ἐξέσται δικαίων ἀμφισβητεῖν.
For one should never overlook such matters, nor help to establish for anyone a power so great that it will not even be possible to dispute with them concerning acknowledged rights.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι τηροῦντες τὰ κατὰ τὰς συνθήκας δίκαια προθυμίας οὐδὲν ἀπέλειπον.
Moreover, the Romans also, observing their treaty obligations, did not fail in goodwill.
ἐν ἀρχαῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐγένετό τις ἀμφισβήτησις ἐξ ἀμφοῖν διά τινας τοιαύτας αἰτίας.
For at first there arose some dispute between the two parties for reasons such as the following.
τῶν Καρχηδονίων τοὺς πλέοντας ἐξ Ἰταλίας εἰς Λιβύην καὶ χορηγοῦντας τοῖς πολεμίοις καταγόντων ὡς αὑτούς,2 καὶ σχεδὸν ἁθροισθέντων τούτων εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν εἰς τοὺς πεντακοσίους, ἠγανάκτησαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι.
When the Carthaginians brought to their ports those who sailed from Italy to Libya supplying the enemy, and when these captives assembled in prison numbered nearly five hundred, the Romans were indignant.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διαπρεσβευσάμενοι καὶ κομισάμενοι διὰ λόγου πάντας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εὐδόκησαν ὥστε παραχρῆμα τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ἀντιδωρήσασθαι τοὺς ὑπολειπομένους παρʼ αὐτοῖς αἰχμαλώτους ἐκ τοῦ περὶ Σικελίαν πολέμου.
But after this, having sent embassies and recovered them all by negotiation, they were so pleased that they immediately made a return gift to the Carthaginians of the remaining prisoners from the Sicilian war who were still in their hands.
ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου τοῦ καιροῦ πρὸς ἕκαστα τῶν παρακαλουμένων ἑτοίμως καὶ φιλανθρώπως ὑπήκουον.
From that time forward, they readily and generously complied with every request made of them.
διὸ καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Καρχηδονίους ἐπέτρεψαν τοῖς ἐμπόροις ἐξαγαγεῖν αἰεὶ τὸ κατεπεῖγον, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκώλυσαν.
Therefore they permitted their merchants to export what was urgently needed to the Carthaginians, but forbade them to do so to the enemy.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῶν μὲν ἐν τῇ Σαρδόνι μισθοφόρων, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἀπὸ τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἀπέστησαν, ἐπισπωμένων αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν· τῶν δʼ Ἰτυκαίων ἐγχειριζόντων σφᾶς, οὐ προσεδέξαντο, τηροῦντες τὰ κατὰ τὰς συνθήκας δίκαια.
And subsequently, when the mercenaries in Sardinia, at the time they revolted from the Carthaginians, invited them to take the island, they did not comply; and when the Uticans offered to surrender themselves, they did not accept, observing their treaty obligations.
Καρχηδόνιοι μὲν οὖν τῆς παρὰ τῶν προειρημένων φίλων τυγχάνοντες ἐπικουρίας ὑπέμενον τὴν
Thus the Carthaginians, receiving support from the aforementioned friends, endured the
- 1.83.3ἵνα μὴ παντάπασιν ἐξῇ τὸ προτεθὲν ἀκονιτὶ συντελεῖσθαι τοῖς ἰσχύουσι
The subject of the subjunctive of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι (ἐξῇ) is the infinitive συντελεῖσθαι (or the entire infinitive phrase with its grammatical subject, the neuter participle τὸ προτεθέν "what has been proposed"). τοῖς ἰσχύουσι ("those in power") is a dative of interest depending on ἐξῇ. The adverb ἀκονιτὶ literally means "without raising dust," i.e., "without a struggle / effortlessly."
- 1.83.7τῶν Καρχηδονίων τοὺς πλέοντας ἐξ Ἰταλίας εἰς Λιβύην καὶ χορηγοῦντας τοῖς πολεμίοις καταγόντων ὡς αὑτούς
This is a genitive absolute construction where τῶν Καρχηδονίων acts as the subject of the present participle καταγόντων ("bringing into port"). The direct object of the participle is the accusative participial phrase τοὺς πλέοντας ... καὶ χορηγοῦντας ("those who were sailing ... and supplying"). The genitive absolute is used because the subject is different from the main clause's subject (οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι).