- 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-grc2:10.1.1-10.1.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Explains the geographical advantages and importance of the harbor of Taras (Tarentum) in comparison with neighboring territories, and shows why Fabius focused his plans on it.
ὄντων γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ πορθμοῦ καὶ τῆς Ῥηγίνων πόλεως σταδίων εἰς Τάραντα πλειόνων ἢ δισχιλίων,1 εἰς τέλος ἀλίμενον εἶναι συμβαίνει τὴν πλευρὰν τῆς Ἰταλίας ταύτην πλὴν τῶν ἐν Τάραντι λιμένων·
For since the distance from the strait and the city of the Rhegians to Taras is more than two thousand stades, it happens that this side of Italy is completely harborless except for the harbors in Taras;
ἣ τέτραπται μὲν εἰς τὸ Σικελικὸν πέλαγος, νεύει δὲ πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα τόπους, ἔχει δὲ τῶν τε βαρβάρων ἐθνῶν τὰ πολυανθρωπότατα καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων τὰς ἐπιφανεστάτας.
which is turned towards the Sicilian sea, inclines towards the regions of Greece, and contains the most populous of the barbarian tribes and the most illustrious of the Greek cities.
Βρέττιοι γὰρ καὶ Λευκανοὶ καί τινα μέρη τῶν Δαυνίων, ἔτι δὲ Καλαβροὶ καὶ πλείους ἕτεροι τοῦτο τὸ κλῖμα νέμονται τῆς Ἰταλίας·
For the Bruttians, Lucanians, and certain parts of the Daunians, as well as the Calabrians and many others, inhabit this region of Italy;
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων Ῥήγιον καὶ Καυλωνία καὶ Λοκροὶ καὶ Κρότων, ἔτι δὲ Μεταπόντιον καὶ Θούριοι ταύτην ἐπέχουσι τὴν παραλίαν, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Σικελίας καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος φερομένους ἐπί τινα τόπον τῶν προειρημένων κατʼ ἀνάγκην ὁρμεῖν ἐν τοῖς τῶν Ταραντίνων λιμέσι, καὶ τὰς ἀμείψεις καὶ τὰς οἰκονομίας πρὸς πάντας τοὺς κατέχοντας ταύτην τὴν πλευρὰν τῆς Ἰταλίας ἐν ταύτῃ ποιεῖσθαι2 τῇ πόλει.
likewise, of the Greek cities, Rhegium, Caulonia, Locri, Croton, and furthermore Metapontum and Thurii, occupy this coast, consequently, those sailing both from Sicily and from Greece to any of the aforementioned places must of necessity anchor in the harbors of the Tarentines, and carry out their exchanges and business transactions in this city with all who hold this side of Italy.
τεκμήραιτο δʼ ἄν τις τοῦ τόπου τὴν εὐκαιρίαν ἐκ τῆς περὶ Κροτωνιάτας γενομένης εὐδαιμονίας. ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ θερινοὺς ἔχοντες ὅρμους καὶ βραχεῖάν τινα παντελῶς προσαγωγήν, μεγάλην εὐδαιμονίαν δοκοῦσι περιποιήσασθαι διʼ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ διὰ τὴν τῶν τόπων εὐφυΐαν, ἣν οὐδὲ συγκρίνειν ἄξιόν ἐστι τοῖς Ταραντίνων λιμέσι καὶ τόποις.
One might judge the advantageousness of the site from the prosperity that befell the Crotoniates. For they, having only summer anchorages and an altogether narrow approach, are considered to have acquired great prosperity through nothing other than the natural excellence of their site, which is not even worthy of comparison with the harbors and territory of the Tarentines.
τέτακται δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ τὸν Ἀδρίαν λιμένας εὐφυῶς καὶ νῦν μέν, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ἦν πρὸ τοῦ.
It is also advantageously situated with respect to the harbors along the Adriatic, and while this is so now, it was even more so in the past.
ἀπὸ γὰρ ἄκρας Ἰαπυγίας ἕως εἰς Σιποῦντα πᾶς ὁ προσφερόμενος ἐκ τῶν ἀντιπέρας καὶ καθορμισθεὶς πρὸς τὴν Ἰταλίαν εἰς Τάραντʼ ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ὑπερβολήν, καὶ ταύτῃ συνεχρῆτο τῇ πόλει πρὸς τὰς ἀλλαγὰς καὶ μεταθέσεις οἷον [εἰ] ἐμπορίῳ·
For from the Iapygian promontory to Sipontum, everyone who approached from the opposite shore and anchored in Italy made their crossing to Taras, and used this city for their exchanges and transfers of goods as if it were an emporium;
οὐδέπω γὰρ συνέβαινε τότε τὴν τῶν Βρεντεσίνων ἐκτίσθαι πόλιν.
for at that time, it had not yet happened that the city of the Brentesini was founded.
διόπερ ὁ Φάβιος, ἐν μεγάλῳ τιθέμενος τὴν ἐπιβολήν, τἄλλα παρεὶς πρὸς ταῖς εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἦν ἐπινοίαις.3
Therefore Fabius, setting great store by this enterprise, dismissed other matters and devoted himself to plans concerning this region.
- 10.1.1ὄντων γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ πορθμοῦ καὶ τῆς Ῥηγίνων πόλεως σταδίων εἰς Τάραντα πλειόνων ἢ δισχιλίων
Genitive absolute construction. The grammatical subject is πλειόνων ἢ δισχιλίων σταδίων ("more than two thousand stades"), accompanying the present participle ὄντων to express a causal relation.
- 10.1.5ὥστε καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Σικελίας καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος φερομένους ... ὁρμεῖν ... καὶ ... ποιεῖσθαι
The conjunction ὥστε expressing result is followed by an accusative and infinitive construction, where τοὺς ... φερομένους serves as the subject of the infinitives ὁρμεῖν and ποιεῖσθαι.
- 10.1.10ἦν πρὸς ταῖς εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἐπινοίαις
The verb ἦν (third-person singular imperfect of εἰμί) is constructed with the prepositional phrase πρὸς ταῖς ... ἐπινοίαις to mean 'was devoted to/occupied with the plans'.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)
- 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1