- 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-grc2:14.1.1-14.1.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
While exchanging envoys with the Numidian king Syphax, Publius Scipio learns that the enemy camps are constructed of highly flammable materials and sends spies disguised as slaves to reconnoiter for a planned attack by fire.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ὕπατοι περὶ ταύτας ἐγίνοντο τὰς πράξεις, ὁ δὲ Πόπλιος ἐν τῇ Λιβύῃ κατὰ τὴν παραχειμασίαν πυνθανόμενος ἐξαρτύειν στόλον τοὺς Καρχηδονίους,1 ἐγίνετο μὲν καὶ περὶ ταύτην τὴν παρασκευήν, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν τῆς Ἰτύκης πολιορκίαν.
The consuls, then, were occupied with these matters, and Publius in Libya, learning during his wintering that the Carthaginians were fitting out a fleet, was occupied indeed with preparation for this as well, but no less also with the siege of Utica.
οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τῆς κατὰ τὸν Σόφακα τελέως ἐλπίδος ἀφίστατο, διεπέμπετο δὲ συνεχῶς διὰ τὸ μὴ πολὺ ἀφεστάναι τὰς δυνάμεις ἀλλήλων, πεπεισμένος μετακαλέσειν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Καρχηδονίων συμμαχίας·
However, he did not completely abandon his hope concerning Syphax, but kept sending messengers continuously because their forces were not stationed far from one another, convinced that he could recall him from his alliance with the Carthaginians.
οὐ γὰρ ἀπεγίνωσκε καὶ τῆς παιδίσκης αὐτὸν ἤδη κόρον ἔχειν,2 διʼ ἣν εἵλετο τὰ Καρχηδονίων, καὶ καθόλου τῆς πρὸς τοὺς Φοίνικας φιλίας διά τε τὴν φυσικὴν τῶν Νομάδων ἁψικορίαν καὶ διὰ τὴν πρός τε τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀθεσίαν.
For he did not despair of his being already sated with the young girl, because of whom he had chosen the side of the Carthaginians, and in general with his friendship with the Phoenicians, both on account of the natural fickleness of the Numidians and because of their faithlessness towards both gods and men.
ὢν δὲ περὶ πολλὰ τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ ποικίλας ἔχων ἐλπίδας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος διὰ τὸ κατορρωδεῖν τὸν ἔξω κίνδυνον τῷ πολλαπλασίους εἶναι τοὺς ὑπεναντίους,3 ἐπελάβετό τινος ἀφορμῆς τοιαύτης.
Being occupied in mind with many things and having various expectations about the future because he dreaded the danger from without since the enemy was many times more numerous, he seized upon a certain opportunity of this kind.
τῶν γὰρ διαπεμπομένων πρὸς τὸν Σόφακά τινες ἀνήγγειλαν αὐτῷ διότι συμβαίνει τοὺς μὲν Καρχηδονίους ἐκ παντοδαπῶν ξύλων καὶ φυλλάδος ἄνευ γῆς ἐν τῇ παραχειμασίᾳ κατεσκευακέναι τὰς σκηνάς, τῶν δὲ Νομάδων τοὺς μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐκ καλάμων, τοὺς δʼ ἐπισυναγομένους ἐκ τῶν πόλεων κατὰ τὸ παρὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς φυλλάδος σκηνοποιεῖσθαι, τοὺς μὲν ἐντός, τοὺς δὲ πλείους αὐτῶν ἐκτὸς τῆς τάφρου καὶ τοῦ χάρακος.
For some of those sent to Syphax reported to him that the Carthaginians had constructed their huts in their winter quarters out of all kinds of wood and foliage without any earth, and that of the Numidians, some from the beginning had made theirs of reeds, and others, who were assembling from the cities, were at present constructing theirs of foliage itself, some within, but the majority of them outside the trench and the palisade.
νομίσας οὖν ὁ Πόπλιος παραδοξοτάτην μὲν τοῖς πολεμίοις, πραγματικωτάτην δὲ σφίσιν εἶναι τὴν διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐπιβολήν, ἐγένετο περὶ ταύτην τὴν κατασκευήν.
Therefore, Publius, thinking that an attack by fire would be most unexpected for the enemy and most effective for themselves, set about this preparation.
ὁ δὲ Σόφαξ ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τὸν Πόπλιον διαποστολαῖς ἀεί πως ἐπὶ ταύτην κατήντα τὴν γνώμην ὅτι δέοι Καρχηδονίους μὲν ἐκ τῆς Ἰταλίας ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, Ῥωμαίους δὲ παραπλησίως ἐκ τῆς Λιβύης, τὰ δὲ μεταξὺ τούτων ἔχειν ἀμφοτέρους ὡς τότε κατεῖχον.
Syphax, in his communications with Publius, always came down to this opinion: that the Carthaginians must depart from Italy, and the Romans likewise from Libya, and that both should hold the territories between these as they then held them.
ὧν ὁ Πόπλιος ἀκούων ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τοῦ χρόνοις οὐδαμῶς ἀνείχετο· τότε δὲ τῷ Νομάδι βραχεῖαν ἔμφασιν ἐποιήσατο διὰ τῶν ἀποστελλομένων ὡς οὐκ ἀδυνάτου τῆς ἐπιβολῆς οὔσης, ἧς ἐπιβάλλεται.4
Listening to these things, Publius in former times by no means tolerated them; but then he gave the Numidian a slight hint through his envoys that the proposal which he was attempting was not impossible.
διʼ οὗ συνέβη τὸν Σόφακα κουφισθέντα πολλαπλασίως ἐπιρρωσθῆναι πρὸς τὴν ἐπιπλοκήν.
As a result, it happened that Syphax, being encouraged, became many times more eager for the negotiation.
οὗ γινομένου πλείους ἦσαν οἱ διαπεμπόμενοι καὶ πλεονάκις· ἔστι δʼ ὅτε καί τινας ἡμέρας ἔμενον παρʼ ἀλλήλοις ἀπαρατηρήτως.
Since this was happening, the envoys sent were more numerous and more frequent; and sometimes they even remained with one another for some days without being watched.
ἐν αἷς ὁ Πόπλιος ἀεί τινας μὲν τῶν πραγματικῶν, οὓς δὲ καὶ στρατιωτικῶν, ῥυπῶντας καὶ ταπεινούς, εἰς δουλικὰς ἐσθῆτας διασκευάζων, μετὰ τῶν ἀποστελλομένων ἐξέπεμπε χάριν τοῦ τὰς προσόδους καὶ τὰς εἰσόδους τὰς εἰς ἑκατέραν τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀσφαλῶς ἐξερευνῆσαι καὶ κατοπτεῦσαι.
During these days, Publius always disguised some experienced men, and some soldiers, who were dirty and humble, in slaves’ clothing, and sent them out with the envoys for the purpose of safely investigating and scouting the approaches and entrances into each of the camps.
δύο γὰρ ἦσαν στρατοπεδεῖαι, μία μὲν ἣν Ἀσδρούβας εἶχε μετὰ πεζῶν τρισμυρίων καὶ τρισχιλίων ἱππέων, ἄλλη δὲ περὶ δέκα σταδίους ἀφεστῶσα ταύτης, ἡ τῶν Νομάδων, ἱππεῖς μὲν εἰς μυρίους ἔχουσα, πεζοὺς δὲ περὶ πεντακισμυρίους.
For there were two camps: one which Hasdrubal held with thirty thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry; and another about ten stades away from it, that of the Numidians, having about ten thousand cavalry and about fifty thousand infantry.
ἣ δὴ καὶ μᾶλλον εὐέφοδος ἦν καὶ τὰς σκηνὰς εἶχε τελέως εὐφυεῖς πρὸς ἐμπυρισμὸν διὰ τὸ τοὺς Νομάδας, ὡς ἀρτίως εἶπον, μὴ διὰ ξύλων μηδὲ διὰ γῆς, ἁπλῶς δὲ κάνναις καὶ καλάμοις χρῆσθαι πρὸς τὰς σκηνοποιίας.
This latter was indeed more easy to attack and had huts perfectly suited for conflagration, because the Numidians, as I said just now, did not use wood or earth, but simply reeds and rushes for their hut-building.
- 14.1.2πυνθανόμενος ἐξαρτύειν στόλον τοὺς Καρχηδονίους
Indirect discourse with accusative and infinitive introduced by the participle πυνθανόμενος ("learning"), where τοὺς Καρχηδονίους is the subject accusative and ἐξαρτύειν is the infinitive.
- 14.1.4τῆς παιδίσκης αὐτὸν ἤδη κόρον ἔχειν
The infinitive clause αὐτὸν ἤδη κόρον ἔχειν ("that he was already sated") functions as the object of the main verb ἀπεγίνωσκε, and the genitives τῆς παιδίσκης (and the following τῆς ... φιλίας) are objective genitives governed by the noun κόρον ("satiety").
- 14.1.5τῷ πολλαπλασίους εἶναι τοὺς ὑπεναντίους
The articular infinitive in the dative without a preposition (τῷ εἶναι) expressing cause ("because..."). τοὺς ὑπεναντίους is the subject accusative of the infinitive, and πολλαπλασίους is its predicate.
- 14.1.10ἧς ἐπιβάλλεται
The relative pronoun ἧς is either attracted to the genitive case of its antecedent ἐπιβολῆς (from an expected accusative or dative), or directly governed in the genitive by the middle verb ἐπιβάλλεται in the sense of "attempting" or "undertaking."
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