- 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-grc2:10.39.1-10.39.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
Publius ordered his light troops to attack the ridge and divided his main force to assault Hasdrubal's left and right flanks. Caught by surprise, Hasdrubal retreated, and Publius, fearing an attack from other Carthaginian generals, chose to plunder the camp rather than pursue.
τὴν μὲν οὖν ἄλλην δύναμιν ἑτοιμάσας πρὸς μάχην συνεῖχεν ἐν τῷ χάρακι, τοὺς δὲ γροσφομάχους καὶ τῶν πεζῶν τοὺς ἐπιλέκτους ἐξαφιεὶς ἐκέλευε προσβάλλειν πρὸς τὴν ὀφρὺν καὶ καταπειράζειν τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐφεδρείας.
So, having prepared the rest of his force for battle, he kept them within the camp, but sending out the velites and the elite of the infantry, he ordered them to attack the ridge and make trial of the enemy’s outposts. So, having prepared the rest of his force for battle, he kept them within the camp, but sending out the velites and the elite of the infantry, he ordered them to attack the ridge and make trial of the enemy’s outposts.
τῶν δὲ ποιούντων τὸ παραγγελθὲν εὐψύχως,1 τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς ὁ τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγὸς ἐκαραδόκει τὸ συμβαῖνον· θεωρῶν δὲ διὰ τὴν τόλμαν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τοὺς παρʼ αὑτῶν πιεζομένους καὶ κακῶς πάσχοντας, ἐξῆγε τὴν δύναμιν καὶ παρενέβαλε παρὰ τὴν ὀφρύν, πιστεύων τοῖς τόποις.
While they were performing their orders with high spirit, the Carthaginian general at first waited to see what would happen; but seeing his own men hard pressed and suffering heavily because of the daring of the Romans, he led out his force and drew them up along the ridge, trusting to the strength of the position. While they were performing their orders with high spirit, the Carthaginian general at first waited to see what would happen; but seeing his own men hard pressed and suffering heavily because of the daring of the Romans, he led out his force and drew them up along the ridge, trusting to the strength of the position.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ὁ Πόπλιος τοὺς μὲν εὐζώνους ἅπαντας ἐπαφῆκε, συντάξας βοηθεῖν τοῖς προκινδυνεύουσι, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἑτοίμους ἔχων, τοὺς μὲν ἡμίσεις αὐτὸς ἔχων, περιελθὼν τὴν ὀφρὺν κατὰ τὸ λαιὸν τῶν ὑπεναντίων, προσέβαλλε τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις, τοὺς δʼ ἡμίσεις Λαιλίῳ δοὺς ὁμοίως παρήγγειλε τὴν ἔφοδον ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιὰ μέρη τῶν πολεμίων.
At this juncture Publius sent forward all his light-armed troops, ordering them to support those who were already engaged; and holding the rest of his men in readiness, he took half of them himself, and wheeling round the ridge on the enemy’s left, fell upon the Carthaginians. While giving the other half to Laelius, he similarly ordered him to make an attack on the enemy’s right. While giving the other half to Laelius, he similarly ordered him to make an attack on the enemy’s right.
οὗ συμβαίνοντος ὁ μὲν Ἀσδρούβας ἀκμὴν2 ἐκ τῆς στρατοπεδείας ἐξῆγε τὴν δύναμιν· τὸν γὰρ πρὸ τούτου χρόνον ἐπέμενε πιστεύων τοῖς τόποις καὶ πεπεισμένος μηδέποτε τολμήσειν τοὺς πολεμίους ἐγχειρεῖν αὐτοῖς· διὸ παρὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν γεγενημένης τῆς ἐπιθέσεως καθυστέρει τῆς ἐκτάξεως.
While this was taking place, Hasdrubal was only just leading his force out of the camp; for up to that moment he had remained there, trusting to the strength of the position and convinced that the enemy would never venture to attack them; therefore, as the assault took place contrary to his expectation, he was late in drawing up his army. While this was taking place, Hasdrubal was only just leading his force out of the camp; for up to that moment he had remained there, trusting to the strength of the position and convinced that the enemy would never venture to attack them; therefore, as the assault took place contrary to his expectation, he was late in drawing up his army.
οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι κατὰ κέρας ποιούμενοι τὸν κίνδυνον, οὐδέπω τῶν πολεμίων κατειληφότων τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων τόπους, οὐ μόνον ἐπέβησαν ἀσφαλῶς ἐπὶ τὴν ὀφρύν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσάγοντες ἔτι παρεμβαλλόντων καὶ κινουμένων τῶν ὑπεναντίων τοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν προσπίπτοντας ἐκ πλαγίων ἐφόνευον, τοὺς δὲ παρεμβάλλοντας ἐξ ἐπιστροφῆς φεύγειν ἠνάγκαζον.
The Romans, making their attack on the flanks before the enemy had yet occupied the positions on the wings, not only ascended the ridge in safety, but also, advancing while the opponents were still deploying and in motion, slaughtered those who fell upon them from the flank, and forced those who were drawing up to turn and fly. The Romans, making their attack on the flanks before the enemy had yet occupied the positions on the wings, not only ascended the ridge in safety, but also, advancing while the opponents were still deploying and in motion, slaughtered those who fell upon them from the flank, and forced those who were drawing up to turn and fly.
Ἀσδρούβας δὲ κατὰ τοὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς διαλογισμούς, θεωρῶν κλινούσας καὶ διατετραμμένας τὰς αὑτοῦ δυνάμεις, τὸ μὲν ψυχομαχεῖν μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἐλπίδος ἀπεδοκίμαζε, λαβὼν δὲ τά τε χρήματα καὶ τὰ θηρία, καὶ τῶν φευγόντων ὅσους ἠδύνατο πλείστους ἐπισπασάμενος, ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀναχώρησιν παρὰ τὸν Τάγον ποταμὸν ὡς ἐπὶ τὰς Πυρήνης ὑπερβολὰς καὶ τοὺς ταύτῃ κατοικοῦντας Γαλάτας.
Hasdrubal, in accordance with his original plans, seeing his forces giving way and thrown into confusion, rejected the idea of fighting to the death to the very last hope; and taking his money and his elephants, and collecting as many of the fugitives as he could, he made his retreat along the river Tagus towards the passes of the Pyrenees and the Gauls who inhabited that region.
Πόπλιος δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐκ ποδὸς ἕπεσθαι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν οὐχ ἡγεῖτο συμφέρειν τῷ δεδιέναι3 τῶν ἄλλων στρατηγῶν τὴν ἔφοδον, τὸν δὲ χάρακα τῶν ὑπεναντίων ἐφῆκε τοῖς αὑτοῦ στρατιώταις διαρπάζειν.
Publius did not think it advantageous to pursue Hasdrubal closely, because he feared an attack by the other generals, but he allowed his own soldiers to plunder the enemy’s camp. Publius did not think it advantageous to pursue Hasdrubal closely, because he feared an attack by the other generals, but he allowed his own soldiers to plunder the enemy’s camp.
- 10.39.2τῶν δὲ ποιούντων τὸ παραγγελθὲν εὐψύχως
A genitive absolute construction with the present participle ποιούντων. It sets the ongoing action of the Roman light infantry as the background to the main verbs (ἐξῆγε, παρενέβαλε) in the main clause.
- 10.39.5ἀκμὴν
The accusative singular used adverbially. Although in Classical Greek it meant 'at the prime/height,' in Hellenistic Greek (such as in Polybius) it commonly functions as a temporal adverb meaning 'just then' or 'only now.'
- 10.39.9τὸ μὲν ἐκ ποδὸς ἕπεσθαι... οὐχ ἡγεῖτο συμφέρειν τῷ δεδιέναι
The articular infinitive τὸ ... ἕπεσθαι ('pursuing closely') serves as the direct object (accusative) of ἡγεῖτο, with συμφέρειν as its predicate infinitive. The articular infinitive in the dative, τῷ δεδιέναι, functions as an adverbial phrase expressing cause ('because of his fear').