- 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-grc2:16.19.1-16.19.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Polybius points out the tactical and logical contradictions in the historian Zeno's account, criticizing the inconsistencies regarding the movement of the elephants during the clash, the number of the king's sons, and the retreat of Scopas.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτά φησι καταπροτερουμένην τὴν φάλαγγα ταῖς εὐχειρίαις καὶ πιεζομένην ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἀναχωρεῖν ἐπὶ πόδα,1 τὰ δὲ θηρία τοὺς ἐγκλίνοντας ἐκδεχόμενα καὶ συμπίπτοντα τοῖς πολεμίοις μεγάλην παρέχεσθαι χρείαν.
After these things, he says that the phalanx, being worsted by the skill of the Aetolians and hard pressed, retreated step by step, while the beasts, receiving those who gave way and clashing with the enemy, rendered great service.
πῶς δὲ ταῦτα γέγονεν ὀπίσω τῆς φάλαγγος οὐ ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν, ἢ πῶς γενόμενα παρείχετο χρείαν μεγάλην·
But how these things took place behind the phalanx is not easy to understand, or how, by taking place, they rendered great service.
ὅτε γὰρ ἅπαξ αἱ φάλαγγες συνέπεσον ἀλλήλαις, οὐκέτι δυνατὸν ἦν κρῖναι τὰ θηρία2 τίς τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων φίλιος ἢ πολέμιός ἐστι.
For once the phalanxes had clashed with one another, it was no longer possible for the beasts to distinguish which of those falling under them was a friend or an enemy.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις φησὶ τοὺς Αἰτωλῶν ἱππέας δυσχρηστεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸν κίνδυνον διὰ τὴν ἀσυνήθειαν τῆς τῶν θηρίων φαντασίας.
In addition to these, he says that the cavalry of the Aetolians was thrown into difficulty during the danger because of their unacquaintance with the appearance of the beasts.
ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ταχθέντες ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀκέραιοι διέμενον, ὡς αὐτός φησι· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν ἱππέων τὸ μερισθὲν ἐπὶ τὸ λαιὸν ἐπεφεύγει πᾶν ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον ἡττημένον.3
But those stationed on the right wing remained from the beginning unharmed, as he himself says; while the rest of the multitude of the cavalry, which had been assigned to the left, had all fled, defeated by those under Antiochus.
ποῖον οὖν μέρος τῶν ἱππέων ἦν κατὰ μέσην τὴν φάλαγγα τὸ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἐκπληττόμενον;
Which part of the cavalry, then, was it in the center of the phalanx that was terrified by the elephants?
ποῦ δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς γέγονεν, ἢ τίνα παρέσχηται χρείαν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ, τὸ κάλλιστον σύστημα περὶ αὑτὸν ἐσχηκὼς καὶ τῶν πεζῶν καὶ τῶν ἱππέων; ἁπλῶς γὰρ οὐδὲν εἴρηται περὶ τούτων.
And where did the king go, or what service did he render in the battle, having the finest body of both infantry and cavalry around himself? For absolutely nothing has been said about these things.
ποῦ δʼ ὁ πρεσβύτερος τῶν υἱῶν Ἀντίοχος ὁ μετὰ μέρους τινὸς τῆς δυνάμεως προκαταλαβόμενος τοὺς ὑπερδεξίους τόπους;
And where was the elder of the sons, Antiochus, who with a certain part of the force had preoccupied the commanding positions?
οὗτος μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ εἰς τὴν στρατοπεδείαν ἀνακεχώρηκεν αὐτῷ μετὰ τὴν μάχην. εἰκότως· δύο γὰρ Ἀντιόχους ὑπέθετο τοῦ βασιλέως υἱούς, ὄντος ἑνὸς τοῦ τότε συνεστρατευμένου.4
For he did not even return with him to the camp after the battle. Naturally so; for he assumed that there were two sons of the king named Antiochus, whereas there was only one who was then campaigning with him.
πῶς δʼ ὁ Σκόπας ἅμα μὲν αὐτῷ πρῶτος, ἅμα δʼ ἔσχατος ἀναλέλυκεν ἐκ τοῦ κινδύνου; φησὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἰδόντα τοὺς περὶ τὸν νεώτερον Ἀντίοχον ἐκ τοῦ διώγματος ἐπιφαινομένους κατὰ νώτου τοῖς φαλαγγίταις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰς τοῦ νικᾶν ἐλπίδας ἀπογνόντα, ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀποχώρησιν·
And how did Scopas withdraw from the danger both first and last at the same time? For he says that, seeing those under the younger Antiochus appearing from the pursuit on the rear of the phalangites, and because of this despairing of the hope of winning, he made his retreat;
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συστῆναι τὸν μέγιστον κίνδυνον, κυκλωθείσης τῆς φάλαγγος ὑπό τε τῶν θηρίων καὶ τῶν ἱππέων, καὶ τελευταῖον ἀποχωρῆσαι τὸν Σκόπαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κινδύνου.
but after these things, the greatest danger arose, the phalanx being surrounded by both the beasts and the cavalry, and last of all Scopas withdrew from the danger.
- 16.19.1ἀναχωρεῖν ἐπὶ πόδα
The idiomatic expression 'ἀναχωρεῖν ἐπὶ πόδα' means 'to retreat step by step' or 'to fall back slowly without turning one's back on the enemy.'
- 16.19.3τὰ θηρία
The accusative 'τὰ θηρία' functions as the subject of the infinitive 'κρῖναι', meaning 'it was no longer possible for the beasts to distinguish.'
- 16.19.5ἡττημένον
The main verb of this clause is the pluperfect 'ἐπεφεύγει' (had fled), and the perfect participle 'ἡττημένον' (having been defeated) expresses the cause or state of that flight.
- 16.19.9ὄντος ἑνὸς τοῦ τότε συνεστρατευμένου
A genitive absolute construction. 'ὄντος' is the participle, 'τοῦ τότε συνεστρατευμένου' (the one who was then campaigning) acts as its subject, and 'ἑνὸς' is the predicate.