- 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-grc2:1.86.1-1.86.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Hamilcar begins the siege of Tunis, the rebels' key stronghold, and crucifies Spendius. However, a sudden counter-attack by the enemy results in the capture and execution of the Carthaginian general Hannibal, forcing Hamilcar to retreat.
πράξας δὲ τὰ προδεδηλωμένα τοῖς μὲν Καρχηδονίοις αὖθις ἐλπίδα παρέστησε μεγάλην πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον, καίπερ ἀπεγνωκόσιν1 ἤδη τὴν σωτηρίαν· αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ Ναραύα καὶ μετʼ Ἀννίβου τὴν χώραν ἐπῄει καὶ τὰς πόλεις.
Having performed the actions mentioned above, he again restored a great hope of a turn for the better to the Carthaginians, although they had already despaired of safety; as for himself, with Naravas and Hannibal, he went through the country and the cities.
προσχωρούντων δὲ καὶ μετατιθεμένων2 πρὸς αὐτοὺς τῶν Λιβύων διὰ τὸ γεγονὸς εὐτύχημα, ποιησάμενοι τὰς πλείστας πόλεις ὑφʼ ἑαυτοὺς ἧκον ἐπὶ τὸν Τύνητα καὶ πολιορκεῖν ἐνεχείρησαν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μάθω.
Since the Libyans were coming over and changing sides to them because of the successful event that had occurred, they brought most of the cities under their subjection and came to Tunis and undertook to besiege Mathos and his men.
κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀπὸ Καρχηδόνος πλευρὰν προσεστρατοπέδευσεν Ἀννίβας, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπέναντι ταύτης Ἀμίλκας.
On the side, then, looking towards Carthage, Hannibal encamped, and on the opposite side to this, Hamilcar.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα προσαγαγόντες πρὸς τὰ τείχη τοὺς περὶ τὸν Σπένδιον αἰχμαλώτους ἐσταύρωσαν ἐπιφανῶς.
After this, having brought Spendius and the other prisoners to the walls, they crucified them in a conspicuous manner.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μάθω κατανοήσαντες τὸν Ἀννίβαν ῥᾳθύμως καὶ κατατεθαρρηκότως ἀναστρεφόμενον,3 ἐπιθέμενοι τῷ χάρακι πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἀπέκτειναν, πάντας δʼ ἐξέβαλον ἐκ τῆς στρατοπεδείας, ἐκυρίευσαν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς ἁπάσης, ἔλαβον δὲ καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν Ἀννίβαν ζωγρίᾳ.
But Mathos and his men, observing that Hannibal was conducting himself carelessly and with overconfidence, attacked the palisade and killed many of the Carthaginians, drove them all out of the camp, made themselves masters of all the baggage, and took the general Hannibal alive.
τοῦτον μὲν οὖν παραχρῆμα πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Σπενδίου σταυρὸν ἀγαγόντες καὶ τιμωρησάμενοι πικρῶς ἐκεῖνον μὲν καθεῖλον, τοῦτον δʼ4 ἀνέθεσαν ζῶντα καὶ περικατέσφαξαν τριάκοντα τῶν Καρχηδονίων τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους περὶ τὸ τοῦ Σπενδίου σῶμα, τῆς τύχης ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες ἐκ παραθέσεως ἀμφοτέροις ἐναλλὰξ διδούσης ἀφορμὰς εἰς ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κατʼ ἀλλήλων τιμωρίας.
Therefore, leading him immediately to the cross of Spendius and taking cruel vengeance on him, they took down the latter but hung up the former alive, and slaughtered thirty of the most distinguished of the Carthaginians around the body of Spendius, fortune, as if on purpose, giving in turn to both sides, by way of contrast, opportunities for extreme vengeance against each other.
ὁ δὲ Βάρκας ὀψὲ μὲν συνῆκε τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως διὰ τὴν ἀπόστασιν τῶν στρατοπέδων· οὐδὲ μὴν συνεὶς οὐδʼ οὕτως5 κατετάχει πρὸς τὴν βοήθειαν διὰ τὰς μεταξὺ δυσχωρίας.
But Barca understood the attack of those from the city late, because of the distance between the camps; nor, indeed, even when he did understand it, did he hasten to the rescue in time because of the difficult ground between them.
διόπερ ἀναζεύξας ἀπὸ τοῦ Τύνητος καὶ παρελθὼν ἐπὶ τὸν Μακάραν ποταμὸν κατεστρατοπέδευσε πρὸς τῷ στόματι τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ.
For this reason, breaking up his camp from Tunis and passing on to the river Macaras, he encamped near the mouth of the river and the sea.
- 1.86.1καίπερ ἀπεγνωκόσιν
Perfect active participle dative plural, agreeing with the preceding dative noun phrase τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις, and accompanied by the conjunction καίπερ to express concession ("although they had..."). The perfect tense denotes a completed state of despair.
- 1.86.2προσχωρούντων δὲ καὶ μετατιθεμένων
Genitive absolute construction consisting of two present participles with the genitive noun τῶν Λιβύων as their logical subject. It is used because the subject of these actions is different from that of the main clause, here indicating the cause or reason.
- 1.86.5τὸν Ἀννίβαν ... ἀναστρεφόμενον
Present participle agreeing with the accusative object τὸν Ἀννίβαν of the verb of perceiving κατανοήσαντες. It functions as indirect discourse, expressing "observing that Hannibal was conducting himself...".
- 1.86.6ἐκεῖνον μὲν ... τοῦτον δʼ
Two contrasting demonstrative pronouns. ἐκεῖνος (remote) refers to Spendius, who was already on the cross, while οὗτος (near, accusative τοῦτον) refers to Hannibal, who had just been brought there alive as the immediate subject of attention.
- 1.86.8οὐδὲ μὴν συνεὶς οὐδʼ οὕτως
The aorist participle συνεὶς (from συνίημι), combined with οὐδʼ οὕτως ("not even so"), strengthens the concessive meaning ("even when he did understand, he still did not...").