- 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-grc2:11.32.1-11.32.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
Publius crosses the Ebro and encamps near the enemy, successfully baiting and destroying a light force of Iberians with his cavalry in a valley. Enraged by this setback, the Iberians recklessly deploy their entire army on the flat ground of the valley, while Publius bides his time, confident in his troops' superiority.
τότε μὲν οὖν ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν διαφῆκε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. τῇ δʼ ἐπαύριον ἀναζεύξας προῆγε, καὶ παραγενηθεὶς ἐπὶ τὸν Ἴβηρα ποταμὸν δεκαταῖος1 καὶ περαιωθεὶς τῇ τετάρτῃ μετὰ ταύτην προσεστρατοπέδευσε τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις, λαβὼν αὐλῶνά τινα μεταξὺ τῆς αὑτοῦ καὶ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπεδείας.
At that time, having spoken thus, he dismissed the assembly. On the following day, having broken camp, he advanced, and arriving at the river Ebro on the tenth day and crossing it on the fourth day after that, he encamped near the enemy, having occupied a certain valley between his own camp and that of the enemy.
τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς εἰς τὸν προειρημένον αὐλῶνα προσέβαλέ τινα θρέμματα τῶν παρεπομένων τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, συντάξας ἑτοίμους ἔχειν τοὺς ἱππεῖς τῷ Γαΐῳ, τοὺς δὲ γροσφομάχους ἐπέταξε τῶν χιλιάρχων τισὶ παρασκευάζειν.
On the next day, he drove some of the cattle following the army into the aforementioned valley, having ordered Gaius to have the cavalry ready, and commanded some of the tribunes to prepare the javelin-throwers.
ταχὺ δὲ τῶν Ἰβήρων ἐπιπεσόντων ἐπὶ τὰ θρέμματʼ ἐξαφῆκε τῶν γροσφομάχων τινάς. γινομένης δὲ διὰ τούτων συμπλοκῆς καὶ προσβοηθούντων ἑκατέροις πλειόνων, συνέστη μέγας ἀκροβολισμὸς τῶν πεζῶν περὶ τὸν αὐλῶνα.
Since the Iberians quickly fell upon the cattle, he sent out some of the javelin-throwers. A conflict arising because of them, and more reinforcements coming to help on both sides, a great skirmish of infantry took place around the valley.
τοῦ δὲ καιροῦ παραδιδόντος εὐλόγους ἀφορμὰς πρὸς ἐπίθεσιν, ἔχων ὁ Γάιος ἑτοίμους τοὺς ἱππεῖς κατὰ τὸ συνταχθὲν ἐπεβάλετο τοῖς ἀκροβολιζομένοις, ἀποτεμόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς παρωρείας, ὥστε τοὺς πλείους αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν αὐλῶνα σκεδασθέντας ὑπὸ τῶν ἱππέων διαφθαρῆναι. γενομένου δὲ τούτου, παροξυνθέντες οἱ βάρβαροι, καὶ διαγωνιάσαντες μὴ διὰ τὸ προηττῆσθαι δόξωσι2 καταπεπλῆχθαι τοῖς ὅλοις, ἐξῆγον ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ καὶ παρέταττον εἰς μάχην ἅπασαν τὴν δύναμιν.
Since the opportunity offered a reasonable pretext for an attack, Gaius, having his cavalry ready according to instructions, attacked those engaged in skirmishing, cutting them off from the mountain slope, so that the majority of them, having been scattered along the valley, were destroyed by the cavalry. When this had occurred, the barbarians, being exasperated and fearing lest, because of their previous defeat, they should seem to have been utterly terrified, led out their whole force at daybreak and drew them up for battle.
ὁ δὲ Πόπλιος ἕτοιμος μὲν ἦν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν, θεωρῶν δὲ τοὺς Ἴβηρας ἀλογίστως συγκαταβαίνοντας εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα καὶ τάττοντας οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἱππεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις, ἐπέμενε, βουλόμενος ὡς πλείστους ταύτῃ χρήσασθαι τῇ παρεμβολῇ,3 πιστεύων μὲν καὶ τοῖς ἱππεῦσι τοῖς ἰδίοις, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς πεζοῖς, διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὰς ἐξ ὁμολόγου καὶ συστάδην μάχας τόν τε καθοπλισμὸν καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς παρʼ αὑτοῦ πολὺ διαφέρειν τῶν Ἰβήρων.
Publius was ready for action, but seeing that the Iberians were foolishly descending into the valley and drawing up on the level ground not only their cavalry but also their infantry, he held back, wishing to catch as many as possible in this position, trusting as he did in his own cavalry, but still more in his infantry, because in a fair and close-quarter fight both the arms and the men on his side far excelled those of the Iberians.
- 11.32.1δεκαταῖος
A nominative adjective agreeing with the subject (Publius) but functioning adverbially to express time ("on the tenth day"). In Greek, adjectives denoting time or order frequently agree with the subject rather than appearing as simple adverbs.
- 11.32.5διαγωνιάσαντες μὴ ... δόξωσι
A μὴ clause with the subjunctive (δόξωσι, aorist subjunctive third-person plural) introduced by a participle of fearing or anxiety (διαγωνιάσαντες), expressing apprehension ("fearing lest they should seem").
- 11.32.6χρήσασθαι τῇ παρεμβολῇ
The noun παρεμβολή usually means "encampment" or "tactical deployment," but in this context, it refers to the "narrow passage" or "specific position/terrain" in the valley. It stands in the dative case as the object of the verb χράομαι ("to use, take advantage of").