- 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-grc2:18.28.1-18.28.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The author begins a comparison between Roman and Macedonian equipment and tactical formations, as promised in Book 6. Before doing so, he explains that Roman defeats against Hannibal and Pyrrhus were not due to inferior equipment or formations.
ἀπέβη τὸ τέλος· ἐγὼ δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἕκτην βύβλον ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ καταλιπὼν1 ὅτι λαβὼν τὸν ἁρμόζοντα καιρὸν σύγκρισιν ποιήσομαι τοῦ καθοπλισμοῦ Ῥωμαίων καὶ Μακεδόνων, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῆς συντάξεως τῆς ἑκατέρων, τί διαφέρουσιν ἀλλήλων πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον καὶ τί πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον, νῦν ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πράξεων πειράσομαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐπὶ τέλος ἀγαγεῖν.
Such was the end. But having left a promise in my sixth book that, when I found a fitting opportunity, I would make a comparison between the equipment of the Romans and the Macedonians, and likewise between the tactical formations of both, showing in what respects they differ from each other for the worse and in what for the better, I will now attempt on the basis of the facts themselves to bring my promise to fulfillment.
ἐπεὶ2 γὰρ ἡ μὲν Μακεδόνων σύνταξις ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τοῦ χρόνοις, διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων διδοῦσα τὴν πεῖραν, ἐκράτει τῶν τε κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν συντάξεων, ἡ δὲ Ῥωμαίων τῶν τε κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην προσεσπερίων ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων, ἐν δὲ τοῖς καθʼ ἡμᾶς καιροῖς οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ πλεονάκις γέγονε τούτων τῶν τάξεων καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους διάκρισις, χρήσιμον καὶ καλὸν ἂν εἴη τὸ τὴν διαφορὰν ἐρευνῆσαι, καὶ παρὰ τί3 συμβαίνει Ῥωμαίους ἐπικρατεῖν καὶ τὸ πρωτεῖον ἐκφέρεσθαι τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἀγώνων, ἵνα μὴ τύχην λέγοντες μόνον μακαρίζωμεν τοὺς κρατοῦντας ἀλόγως, καθάπερ οἱ μάταιοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλʼ εἰδότες τὰς ἀληθεῖς αἰτίας ἐπαινῶμεν καὶ θαυμάζωμεν κατὰ λόγον τοὺς ἡγουμένους.
For while the Macedonian formation in former times, proving its value by actual experience, was victorious over the formations of Asia and Greece, and that of the Romans was victorious over those of Libya and all the western nations of Europe, and since in our own times these formations and these men have been brought into conflict with one another not once but on many occasions, it would be useful and worthy of interest to investigate their differences, and owing to what reason it happens that the Romans prevail and carry off the prize in the struggles of war, in order that we may not, like thoughtless people, foolishly congratulate the victors by attributing everything to fortune, but, knowing the true causes, may praise and admire their leaders in accordance with reason.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν πρὸς Ἀννίβαν ἀγώνων γεγονότων Ῥωμαίοις καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις ἐλαττωμάτων οὐδὲν ἂν δέοι πλείω λέγειν· οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τὸν καθοπλισμὸν οὐδὲ παρὰ τὴν σύνταξιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἐπιδεξιότητα τὴν Ἀννίβου καὶ τὴν ἀγχίνοιαν περιέπιπτον τοῖς ἐλαττώμασι.
Now, regarding the struggles of the Romans against Hannibal and their setbacks in them, there is no need to say more; for it was not owing to their equipment or their formation, but to the skill and sagacity of Hannibal that they met with these defeats.
δῆλον δὲ τοῦτο πεποιήκαμεν ἡμεῖς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν ὑποδεικνύοντες τῶν ἀγώνων.
And this we have made clear by showing it in the course of describing the battles themselves.
μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τοῖς ἡμετέροις λόγοις πρῶτον μὲν τὸ τέλος τοῦ πολέμου· προσγενομένου γὰρ στρατηγοῦ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις παραπλησίαν δύναμιν ἔχοντος Ἀννίβᾳ, ταχέως καὶ τὸ νικᾶν συνεξηκολούθησε τοῖς προειρημένοις·4
Our words are testified to, first, by the end of the war; for as soon as a general was opposed to Hannibal who possessed a capacity similar to his, victory quickly followed the aforementioned Romans.
εἶτα καὶ αὐτὸς Ἀννίβας ἀποδοκιμάσας τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχοντα καθοπλισμόν, ἅμα τῷ νικῆσαι τῇ πρώτῃ μάχῃ παραχρῆμα τοῖς Ῥωμαίων ὅπλοις καθοπλίσας τὰς οἰκείας δυνάμεις, τούτοις διετέλεσε χρώμενος τὸν ἑξῆς χρόνον.
Secondly, Hannibal himself, rejecting the equipment which they had from the beginning, immediately after winning the first battle armed his own forces with Roman weapons, and continued to use these for the subsequent time.
Πύρρος γε μὴν οὐ μόνον ὅπλοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυνάμεσιν Ἰταλικαῖς συγκέχρηται, τιθεὶς ἐναλλὰξ σημαίαν καὶ σπεῖραν φαλαγγιτικὴν ἐν τοῖς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀγῶσιν.
Indeed, Pyrrhus used not only Italian weapons but also Italian troops, placing alternately a cohort and a phalanx division in his battles against the Romans.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὐδʼ οὕτως ἐδύνατο νικᾶν, ἀλλʼ ἀεί πως ἀμφίδοξα τὰ τέλη τῶν κινδύνων αὐτοῖς ἀπέβαινε.
But nevertheless, not even so was he able to win, but the results of their conflicts always turned out somehow or other undecided.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ἀναγκαῖον ἦν προειπεῖν χάριν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντεμφαίνειν ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἀποφάσεσιν· ἐπάνειμι δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν προκειμένην σύγκρισιν.
Regarding these matters, then, it was necessary to speak beforehand, so that nothing might appear to contradict our assertions; but I will now return to the proposed comparison.
- 18.28.1καταλιπών
An aorist active participle in the nominative, subordinate to the main verb πειράσομαι ('I will attempt'). It recalls the promise made in Book 6 and provides the background ('having left a promise') leading to the current discussion.
- 18.28.2ἐπεί
This conjunction ἐπεί governs the clauses in both §18.28.2 and §18.28.3, introducing the reason for the main clause in §18.28.4 ἂν εἴη ('it would be useful...'). Care must be taken not to lose the subordinate relationship in this lengthy construction.
- 18.28.4παρὰ τί
Consisting of the preposition παρά (with the accusative, meaning 'because of, owing to') and the neuter singular accusative interrogative pronoun τί, it means 'owing to what' or 'for what reason'. It introduces an indirect question clause that functions as part of the subject infinitive phrase.
- 18.28.8τοῖς προειρημένοις
A substantivized perfect passive participle in the dative masculine plural, referring back to the immediately preceding τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ('the Romans'). In the context of the struggle against Carthage, it indicates that victory accompanied 'the aforementioned Romans' once a competent general (Scipio) joined them.