- 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-grc2:15.1.1-15.1.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Indignant at the Carthaginian capture of Roman supply ships, Poplius Scipio sends envoys to Carthage to protest and announce the ratification of the treaty. Before the Carthaginian senate and assembly, the Roman envoys denounce their faithlessness, contrasting their past submissive pleas with their current foolish reliance on the defeated Hannibal.
ὅτι1 τῶν Καρχηδονίων λαβόντων αἰχμαλώτους τὰς φορτηγοὺς νῆας τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ χορηγίας πλῆθος ἐξαίσιον ὁ Πόπλιος βαρέως μὲν ἔφερεν ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ μόνον σφίσι παρῃρῆσθαι τὴν χορηγίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς παρεσκευάσθαι δαψίλειαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων, ἔτι δὲ βαρύτερον ἐπὶ τῷ παραβεβηκέναι τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τὰς συνθήκας τοὺς Καρχηδονίους καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἄλλης ἀρχῆς ἐγείρεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον.
That, when the Carthaginians had captured the merchant ships of the Romans and an extraordinary amount of supplies, Poplius was deeply displeased, not only because their own supplies had been taken away, but also because an abundance of necessities had been prepared for their enemies, and still more displeased that the Carthaginians had transgressed their oaths and treaty, and that the war was being rekindled from a new beginning.
διὸ καὶ παραυτίκα προχειρισάμενος πρεσβευτὰς Λεύκιον Σέργιον καὶ Λεύκιον Βαίβιον καὶ Λεύκιον Φάβιον ἐξαπέστειλε διαλεξομένους τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ὑπὲρ τῶν γεγονότων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ δηλώσοντας ὅτι κεκύρωκε τὰς συνθήκας ὁ δῆμος τῶν Ῥωμαίων·
For which reason, having immediately chosen Lucius Sergius, Lucius Baebius, and Lucius Fabius as envoys, he sent them to parley with the Carthaginians concerning what had occurred, and at the same time to declare that the Roman people had ratified the treaty.
ἄρτι γὰρ ἧκε τῷ Ποπλίῳ γράμματα διασαφοῦντα περὶ τῶν προειρημένων.
For letters explaining the aforementioned matters had just arrived for Poplius.
οἱ δὲ παραγενηθέντες εἰς τὴν Καρχηδόνα τὸ μὲν πρῶτον εἰς τὴν σύγκλητον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάλιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολλοὺς παραχθέντες, ἔλεγον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεστώτων μετὰ παρρησίας, πρῶτον μὲν ἀναμιμνήσκοντες ὡς οἱ παρʼ ἐκείνων πρεσβευταί, παραγενηθέντες εἰς Τύνητα πρὸς σφᾶς καὶ παρελθόντες εἰς τὸ συνέδριον, οὐ μόνον τοὺς θεοὺς ἀσπάσαιντο2 καὶ τὴν γῆν προσκυνήσαιεν, καθάπερ ἔστιν ἔθος τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πεσόντες ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἀγεννῶς τοὺς πόδας καταφιλοῖεν τῶν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀναστάντες [ὡς] κατηγορήσαιεν σφῶν αὐτῶν, διότι καὶ τὰς ἐξ ἀρχῆς γενομένας συνθήκας Ῥωμαίοις καὶ Καρχηδονίοις ἀθετήσαιεν αὐτοί.
And they, having arrived in Carthage, were brought first before the senate, and after this again before the assembly of the people, and spoke with frankness concerning the present situation, first reminding them how their own envoys, having come to them at Tunes and entered the council, had not only saluted the gods and worshipped the earth, as is the custom of other men, but also, falling ignobly upon the ground, had kissed the feet of those in the council, and then rising again, had accused themselves because they had themselves violated the treaty originally made between the Romans and Carthaginians.
διόπερ ἔφασαν3 οὐκ ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι πᾶν εἰκότως ἂν πάθοιεν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλὰ τῆς τύχης ἕνεκα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐδέοντο μηδὲν παθεῖν ἀνήκεστον· ἔσεσθαι γὰρ τὴν σφετέραν ἀβουλίαν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς Ῥωμαίων καλοκἀγαθίας.
Therefore they had declared that they were not ignorant that they deserved to suffer any treatment at the hands of the Romans, but for the sake of human fortune, they begged to suffer nothing irremediable; for their own folly would be a proof of the magnanimity of the Romans.
ὧν μνημονεύοντα τὸν στρατηγὸν ἔφασαν [τὸν] αὐτὸν οἱ πρέσβεις καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ τότε γεγονότας ἐκπλήττεσθαι, τίνι ποτὲ πιστεύοντες ἐπελανθάνοντο μὲν τῶν τότε ῥηθέντων, ἀθετεῖν δὲ τολμῶσι τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τὰς συνθήκας.
Recalling these things, the envoys said that the general himself and those who had then been present in the council were astonished at what they could possibly trust in, that they were forgetting what was then said, and daring to violate their oaths and treaty.
σχεδὸν δὲ τοῦτʼ εἶναι δῆλον ὡς Ἀννίβᾳ πεποιθότες καὶ ταῖς μετὰ τούτου παρούσαις δυνάμεσι ταῦτα τολμῶσι ποιεῖν, κακῶς φρονοῦντες·
And that this was almost clear, that trusting in Hannibal and the forces present with him, they dared to do these things, thinking foolishly;
σαφῶς γὰρ εἰδέναι πάντας ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι δεύτερον ἔτος ἤδη φεύγοντες ἐκ πάσης Ἰταλίας εἰς τοὺς περὶ Λακίνιον τόπους, κἀκεῖ συγκεκλεισμένοι καὶ μόνον οὐ πολιορκούμενοι, μόλις ἑαυτοὺς ἐκσεσωκότες ἥκουσι νῦν.
for everyone clearly knew that those men, now fleeing for the second year already from the whole of Italy into the regions around Lacinium, and there shut up and all but besieged, have now arrived having barely saved themselves.
"οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ4 νενικηκότες τοὺς ἐκεῖ παρῆσαν, καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔμελλον διακινδυνεύειν τοὺς δυσὶ μάχαις ἑξῆς ὑμᾶς ἤδη νενικηκότας, ὅμως ἀμφιδόξους ἔχειν ἔδει τὰς ἐλπίδας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος, καὶ μὴ μόνον τοῦ νικᾶν ἔννοιαν λαμβάνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ σφαλῆναι πάλιν. οὗ συμβάντος ποίους ἐπικαλέσεσθε"
”Nay, even if they had arrived here after conquering their enemies there, and were about to risk battle against us who have already conquered you in two successive battles, yet you ought to hold your hopes for the future doubtful, and to take thought not only of victory, but also of being defeated again. If this should happen, what kind of gods will you call upon?”
ἔφη "θεούς; ποίοις δὲ χρώμενοι λόγοις τὸν ἐκ τῶν κρατούντων ἔλεον ἐπισπάσεσθε πρὸς τὰς ἑαυτῶν συμφοράς;
said he, “the gods? And using what arguments will you draw the mercy of the victors toward your own misfortunes?
πάσης εἰκὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλπίδος ἀποκλεισθήσεσθαι καὶ παρὰ θεῶν καὶ παρʼ ἀνθρώπων διὰ τὴν ἀθεσίαν καὶ τὴν ἀβουλίαν."
It is likely that you will be excluded from all hope both by gods and by men because of your faithlessness and folly.”
- 15.1.1ὅτι
A characteristic particle in the Byzantine excerpts of Polybius, introducing a summary statement ("That..."). It is translated here as an introductory particle leading into the main action.
- 15.1.6ἀσπάσαιντο
An oblique optative (optativus obliquus) in indirect speech introduced by ὡς after a past main verb (ἔλεγον / ἀναμιμνήσκοντες), representing an original indicative past/aorist. The subsequent verbs προσκυνήσαιεν, καταφιλοῖεν, κατηγορήσαιεν, and ἀθετήσαιεν are in the same construction.
- 15.1.8ἔφασαν
The subject is not the Roman envoys, but the Carthaginian envoys whom they are recalling. This creates a nested indirect speech: the Roman envoys are reporting that the Carthaginian envoys had said ("ἔφασαν") that they were not ignorant ("οὐκ ἀγνοεῖν").
- 15.1.12οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ
An idiomatic expression meaning "nevertheless, even if...", which grants a concession to the preceding point while introducing a stronger contrast. Here, it temporarily sets aside the fact of Hannibal's flight to introduce a concessive assumption ("even if they had arrived having conquered...").
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