Defeat of the Enemy in the Valley and Return of Publius — Polybius, The Histories Book 11 (11.33.1–11.33.8), Greek & English

§11.33.1

ἐπεὶ δʼ ἔδοξε τὸ δέον αὐτῷ γίνεσθαι, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἐν τῇ παρωρείᾳ τεταγμένους τῶν πολεμίων ἀντέταττε¹ πρὸς δὲ τοὺς εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα καταβεβηκότας ἅθρους ἄγων ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐπὶ τέτταρας κοόρτις² προσέβαλε τοῖς πεζοῖς τῶν ὑπεναντίων.

When he decided that what was necessary was taking place, against those of the enemy drawn up on the mountain slope he opposed [some troops], while against those who had descended into the valley, leading four cohorts in close order from the camp, he attacked the infantry of the enemy.

§11.33.2

κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον καὶ Γάιος Λαίλιος, ἔχων τοὺς ἱππεῖς, προῆγε διὰ τῶν λόφων τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐπὶ τὸν αὐλῶνα κατατεινόντων, καὶ προσέβαλλε τοῖς τῶν Ἰβήρων ἱππεῦσι κατὰ νώτου, καὶ συνεῖχε τούτους ἐν τῇ πρὸς αὑτὸν μάχῃ. λοιπὸν οἱ μὲν πεζοὶ τῶν ὑπεναντίων, ἐρημωθέντες τῆς τῶν ἱππέων χρείας, οἷς πιστεύσαντες εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα κατέβησαν, ἐπιεζοῦντο καὶ κατεβαροῦντο τῇ μάχῃ, οἱ δʼ ἱππεῖς τὸ παραπλήσιον ἔπασχον·

At this same time, Gaius Laelius also, having the cavalry, advanced through the hills extending from the camp to the valley, and attacked the cavalry of the Iberians from behind, keeping them occupied in the fight against himself. Consequently, the infantry of the enemy, being deprived of the help of the cavalry, trusting in whom they had descended into the valley, were hard pressed and overwhelmed in the battle, while the cavalry suffered a similar fate;

§11.33.4

ἀπειλημμένοι γὰρ ἐν στενῷ καὶ δυσχρηστούμενοι πλείους ὑφʼ αὑτῶν³ ἢ τῶν πολεμίων διεφθείροντο, τῶν μὲν ἰδίων πεζῶν ἐκ πλαγίου προσκειμένων αὐτοῖς, τῶν δὲ πολεμίων τῶν πεζῶν κατὰ πρόσωπον, τῶν δʼ ἱππέων κατὰ νώτου περιεστώτων.

for, shut up in a narrow space and rendered helpless, they were destroyed in greater numbers by their own men than by the enemy, as their own infantry pressed upon them from the flank, the enemy’s infantry in front, and the cavalry surrounding them from behind.

§11.33.5

τοιαύτης δὲ γενομένης τῆς μάχης οἱ μὲν εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα καταβάντες σχεδὸν ἅπαντες διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δʼ ἐν τῇ παρωρείᾳ διέφυγον.

Such being the nature of the battle, almost all of those who had descended into the valley were destroyed, while those on the mountain slope escaped.

§11.33.6

οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν εὔζωνοι, τρίτον δὲ μέρος τῆς ἁπάσης δυνάμεως, μεθʼ ὧν καὶ τὸν Ἀνδοβάλην συνέβη διασωθέντα φυγεῖν εἴς τι χωρίον ὀχυρόν. — Πόπλιος δέ, συντέλειαν ἐπιτεθεικὼς τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν ἔργοις, παρῆν εἰς τὸν Ταρράκωνα μετὰ μεγίστης χαρᾶς, κάλλιστον θρίαμβον καὶ καλλίστην νίκην τῇ πατρίδι κατάγων.

These were light-armed troops, a third part of the whole force, with whom Andobales also succeeded in escaping safely to a certain strong place. — As for Publius, having put the finishing touch to his operations in Iberia, he arrived at Tarraco with the greatest joy, bringing home a most glorious triumph and a most glorious victory for his country.

§11.33.8

σπεύδων δὲ μὴ καθυστερεῖν τῆς ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ καταστάσεως τῶν ὑπάτων, πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν διατάξας καὶ παραδοὺς τὸ στρατόπεδον τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἰούνιον καὶ Μάρκιον,⁴ αὐτὸς ἀπέπλευσε μετὰ Γαΐου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φίλων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην.

Being anxious not to be late for the election of the consuls in Rome, having arranged all affairs in Iberia and handed over the army to the Junius and Marcius and their staff, he himself sailed for Rome with Gaius and his other friends.

Syntax notes4 items

11.33.1ἀντέταττε
The object (such as 'some troops') is omitted. It means that Publius drew up a part of his army to oppose the enemy on the mountain slope.
11.33.1ἅθρους ... ἐπὶ τέτταρας κοόρτις
The adjective ἅθρους (in close order) is masculine accusative plural, modifying the omitted object of ἄγων (the soldiers) or agreeing with the sense of ἐπὶ τέτταρας κοόρτις (to the depth/scale of four cohorts). ἐπί with the accusative here indicates the scale or formation depth.
11.33.4ὑφʼ αὑτῶν
The reflexive pronoun αὑτῶν (themselves) refers to the Iberians themselves. It describes a chaotic situation in the narrow valley where more were killed by their own retreating infantry (τῶν μὲν ἰδίων πεζῶν) than by the enemy.
11.33.8τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἰούνιον καὶ Μάρκιον
The Greek idiom 'οἱ περί + accusative' is used here to refer to Marcus Junius Silanus and Lucius Marcius Septimus.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.33.1-11.33.8