- 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-grc2:11.23.1-11.23.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
The passage describes how the Roman forces under Publius executed complex wheeling and deploying maneuvers to launch a simultaneous flank attack in column against both wings of the enemy while the central Iberian force held back.
στρέφειν ἐπὶ δόρυ,1 τῷ δʼ εὐωνύμῳ τἀναντία. καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὸς μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ, Λεύκιος δὲ Μάρκιος καὶ Μάρκος Ἰούνιος ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων τρεῖς ἴλας ἱππέων τὰς ἡγουμένας, καὶ πρὸ τούτων γροσφομάχους τοὺς εἰθισμένους καὶ τρεῖς σπείρας — τοῦτο δὲ καλεῖται τὸ σύνταγμα τῶν πεζῶν παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις κοόρτις2 —
to wheel to the right, and to the left wing the opposite. And taking, he himself from the right wing, and Lucius Marcius and Marcus Junius from the left, the three leading squadrons of cavalry, and in front of these the usual velites and three cohorts—this division of infantry is called a cohort by the Romans—
πλὴν οἱ μὲν ἐπʼ ἀσπίδα περικλάσαντες τούτους, οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ δόρυ, προῆγον ὀρθίους3 ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, ἐνεργῆ ποιούμενοι τὴν ἔφοδον, ἀεὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐπιβαλλόντων καὶ κατὰ περίκλασιν ἑπομένων.
except that some wheeled them to the left and others to the right, they led them in column against the enemy, making an energetic attack, with those next in order always falling in and following by wheeling.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τούτους μὲν οὐ πολὺ συνέβαινε τῶν πολεμίων ἀπέχειν, τοὺς δʼ Ἴβηρας ἐν τῇ κατὰ πρόσωπον πλευρᾷ τόπον ἱκανὸν ἔτι διεστάναι4 τῷ βάδην ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπαγωγήν, προσέβαλλον τοῖς κέρασιν ἀμφοτέροις ἅμα τοῖς τῶν ὑπεναντίων ὀρθίαις ταῖς Ῥωμαϊκαῖς δυνάμεσι κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν.
When these came to be not far distant from the enemy, while the Iberians on the frontal side were still separated by a considerable distance as they were advancing at a walk, the Roman forces, according to their original intention, fell upon both wings of the enemy simultaneously in column.
αἱ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα κινήσεις, διʼ ὧν συνέβαινε τοὺς ἑπομένους, ἐπιπαρεμβάλλοντας ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν εὐθεῖαν τοῖς ἡγουμένοις, συγκαθίστασθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις εἰς τὴν μάχην, τὴν ἐναντίαν εἶχον διάθεσιν ἀλλήλαις, καὶ καθόλου τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας τῷ λαιῷ καὶ κατὰ μέρος οἱ πεζοὶ τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν.
The subsequent movements, by which the followers, falling into line on the same straight line as the leaders, came to engage in battle with the enemy, had a direction opposite to one another; and as a whole, the right wing was opposite to the left, and in detail, the infantry to the cavalry.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρως ἱππεῖς μετὰ τῶν εὐζώνων, ἐκ δόρατος ἐπιπαρεμβάλλοντες, ὑπερκερᾶν ἐπειρῶντο τοὺς πολεμίους, οἱ δὲ πεζοὶ τοὐναντίον ἐξ ἀσπίδος παρενέβαλλον·
For the cavalry on the right wing, together with the light-armed troops, deploying on the right, attempted to outflank the enemy, while the infantry on the contrary deployed on the left;
τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὸ λαιὸν οἱ μὲν ἐν ταῖς σπείραις ἐκ δόρατος, οἱ δʼ ἱππεῖς μετὰ τῶν γροσφομάχων ἐξ ἡνίας.
while of those on the left wing, the infantry in the cohorts deployed on the right, and the cavalry with the velites on the left.
ἐγεγόνει μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν εὐζώνων ἀμφοτέρων τῶν κεράτων ἐκ ταύτης τῆς κινήσεως τὸ δεξιὸν εὐώνυμον.5
As a result of this movement, therefore, in the case of the cavalry and light-armed troops of both wings, the right had become the left.
οὗ μικρὸν λόγον θέμενος ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ μείζονος ἐποιήσατο πρόνοιαν, τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ὑπερκέρασιν, ὀρθῶς λογιζόμενος·
Of this the general took little account, but paid attention to the more important matter, that of outflanking, reasoning correctly;
εἰδέναι μὲν γὰρ δεῖ τὸ γινόμενον, χρῆσθαι δὲ ταῖς πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν ἁρμοζούσαις κινήσεσιν.
for though one must be aware of what is happening, one must employ the movements suited to the occasion.
- 11.23.1ἐπὶ δόρυ
An ancient military term meaning 'to the spear-side' (to the right), since weapons were held in the right hand. In contrast, the left side is referred to as 'ἐπʼ ἀσπίδα' (to the shield-side) in §11.23.2, and as 'ἐξ ἡνίας' (from the rein-side) in §11.23.6 because reins were held in the left hand.
- 11.23.1κοόρτις
A Greek transliteration of the Latin military term 'cohors' (cohort). Polybius uses this term to clarify for his Greek readers what Roman military formation corresponds to his Greek word 'σπείρα'.
- 11.23.2ὀρθίους
A technical military usage meaning 'in column' or 'with narrow front'. It refers to a tactical formation where troops advance rapidly in a deep, narrow column before deploying into a broad line (phalanx).
- 11.23.3διεστάναι
The infinitive forming the core of the accusative-and-infinitive construction 'τοὺς δʼ Ἴβηρας ... διεστάναι'. Governed by 'ἐπεὶ δὲ', it sets up the contrast: while the flanking forces were close to the enemy, the central Iberians still stood at a distance.
- 11.23.7τὸ δεξιὸν εὐώνυμον
Literally 'the right became the left'. It refers to the tactical situation where, as a result of the complex wheeling and deployment on both wings, the relative positioning of the troops (right and left) became reversed from their normal order.