Hannibal on the Whims of Fortune and Terms of Peace — Polybius, The Histories Book 15 (15.7.1–15.7.9), Greek & English

§15.7.1

περ εἰ νηπίοις παισὶ χρωμένη· σὲ δʼ ἀγωνιῶ, Πόπλιε, λίαν" ἔφη "καὶ διὰ τὸ νέον εἶναι κομιδῇ καὶ διὰ τὸ πάντα σοι κατὰ λόγον κεχωρηκέναι καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην καὶ μηδέπω μέχρι γε τοῦ νῦν εἰς τὴν τῆς τύχης ἐμπεπτωκέναι παλιρρύμην, μήποτʼ οὐ πεισθῇς¹ διὰ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις, καίπερ οὖσι πιστοῖς.

just as if she were playing with young children. “But for you, Publius,” he said, “I am deeply anxious, both because you are quite young, and because everything has gone according to your wish both in Iberia and in Libya, and you have not yet, up to this very moment, experienced the reverse tide of Fortune; I fear lest for these reasons you may not be persuaded by my words, even though they are trustworthy.

§15.7.2

σκόπει δʼ ἀφʼ ἑνὸς τῶν λόγων τὰ πράγματα, μὴ τὰ τῶν προγεγονότων, ἀλλὰ τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς αὐτούς.

But consider the facts not from the examples of past men, but from our own case.

§15.7.3

εἰμὶ τοιγαροῦν Ἀννίβας ἐκεῖνος, ὃς μετὰ τὴν ἐν Κάνναις μάχην σχεδὸν ἁπάσης Ἰταλίας ἐγκρατὴς γενόμενος μετά τινα χρόνον ἧκον πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν Ῥώμην, καὶ στρατοπεδεύσας ἐν τετταράκοντα σταδίοις ἐβουλευόμην ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ τῆς ὑμετέρας πατρίδος ἐδάφους πῶς ἐστί μοι χρηστέον,² ὃς νῦν ἐν Λιβύῃ πάρειμι πρὸς σὲ Ῥωμαῖον ὄντα περὶ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν Καρχηδονίων σωτηρίας κοινολογησόμενος. εἰς ἃ βλέποντα παρακαλῶ σε μὴ μέγα φρονεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀνθρωπίνως βουλεύεσθαι περὶ τῶν ἐνεστώτων· τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ τῶν μὲν ἀγαθῶν ἀεὶ τὸ μέγιστον, τῶν κακῶν δὲ τοὐλάχιστον αἱρεῖσθαι.

For I am that Hannibal who, after the battle of Cannae, having become master of almost all Italy, came after a certain time to Rome itself, and having encamped at forty stades, was deliberating concerning you and the soil of your fatherland, how I should treat you; who now am present in Libya before you, a Roman, to confer about my own safety and that of the Carthaginians. Looking at these things, I exhort you not to be high-minded, but to deliberate about present circumstances like a mortal; and this is always to choose the greatest of goods, and the least of evils.

§15.7.6

τίς οὖν ἂν ἕλοιτο νοῦν ἔχων πρὸς τοιοῦτον ὁρμᾶν κίνδυνον οἷος σοὶ νῦν ἐνέστηκεν; ἐν ᾧ νικήσας μὲν οὔτε τῇ σαυτοῦ δόξῃ μέγα τι προσθήσεις οὔτε τῇ τῆς πατρίδος, ἡττηθεὶς δὲ πάντα τὰ πρὸ τούτου σεμνὰ καὶ καλὰ διʼ αὑτὸν ἄρδην ἀναιρήσεις.

For who that has sense would choose to run into such danger as now confronts you? In which, if you win, you will add nothing great to your own glory or to that of your fatherland, but if you are defeated, you will completely destroy, by your own act, all your former splendid and noble achievements.

§15.7.7

τί οὖν ἐστιν ὃ προτίθεμαι τέλος τῶν νυνὶ λόγων;

What then is the end that I propose for my present words?

§15.7.8

πάντα περὶ ὧν πρότερον ἠμφισβητήσαμεν, Ῥωμαίων ὑπάρχειν — ταῦτα δʼ ἦν Σικελία, Σαρδώ, τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν — καὶ μηδέποτε Καρχηδονίους Ῥωμαίοις ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀντᾶραι πόλεμον· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας νήσους, ὅσαι μεταξὺ κεῖνται τῆς Ἰταλίας καὶ Λιβύης, Ῥωμαίων ὑπάρχειν.

That all the territories about which we formerly disputed—these were Sicily, Sardinia, and the regions of Iberia—should belong to the Romans, and that the Carthaginians should never wage war against the Romans for these; and likewise that the other islands also, as many as lie between Italy and Libya, should belong to the Romans.

§15.7.9

ταύτας γὰρ πέπεισμαι τὰς συνθήκας καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφαλεστάτας μὲν εἶναι Καρχηδονίοις, ἐνδοξοτάτας δὲ σοὶ καὶ πᾶσι Ῥωμαίοις."

For I am persuaded that this treaty is both for the future safest for the Carthaginians, and most honorable for you and all the Romans.”

Syntax notes2 items

15.7.1μήποτʼ οὐ πεισθῇς
A dependent clause introduced by the verb of apprehension ἀγωνιῶ ('I am anxious'). The combination of μή (lest / that) and οὐ (not) creates a negative apprehension, meaning 'lest you might not be persuaded' (fearing that you will not believe). It takes the subjunctive πεισθῇς.
15.7.3χρηστέον
The neuter singular of the verbal adjective derived from the verb χράομαι (to use, treat), used in an impersonal construction to express necessity or duty. The agent is expressed by the dative μοι (by me), meaning 'how I ought to treat [you]'.

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

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:15.7.1-15.7.9