- 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-grc2:2.32.1-2.32.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The new consuls Furius and Flaminius invade the territory of the Insubres, who assemble their forces for a decisive battle. Suspicious of their Celtic allies, the Romans place themselves in a position with their backs to the river to prepare for the conflict.
σούσης1 αὐτοῖς, εἰς τέλος ἄπρακτον εἶχον.2 μετὰ δὲ τούτους κατασταθέντες Πόπλιος Φούριος καὶ Γάιος Φλαμίνιος αὖθις ἐνέβαλον εἰς τὴν Κελτικὴν διὰ τῆς τῶν Ἀνάρων χώρας, οἷς συμβαίνει μὴ μακρὰν ἀπὸ Μασσαλίας3 ἔχειν τὴν οἴκησιν. οὓς εἰς τὴν φιλίαν προσαγαγόμενοι διέβησαν εἰς τὴν τῶν Ἰνσόμβρων γῆν κατὰ τὰς συρροίας τοῦ τʼ Ἀδόα καὶ Πάδου ποταμοῦ.
as [the disease] broke out among them, they had in the end a fruitless result. After them, Publius Furius and Gaius Flaminius, having been appointed consuls, again invaded Celtic territory through the country of the Anares, who happen, not far from Massalia, to have their dwelling. Having brought them over to their friendship, they crossed into the land of the Insubres at the confluence of the rivers Adua and Padus.
λαβόντες δὲ πληγὰς περί τε τὴν διάβασιν καὶ περὶ τὴν στρατοπεδείαν παραυτίκα μὲν ἔμειναν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα σπεισάμενοι καθʼ ὁμολογίαν ἀνέλυσαν ἐκ τῶν τόπων.
But having suffered losses both during the crossing and during the encampment, they remained there for the moment, but after this, having made a treaty by agreement, they departed from those places.
περιελθόντες δὲ πλείους ἡμέρας καὶ διελθόντες τὸν Κλούσιον ποταμὸν ἦλθον εἰς τὴν τῶν Γονομάνων χώραν καὶ προσλαβόντες τούτους, ὄντας συμμάχους, ἐνέβαλον πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὰς Ἄλπεις τόπων εἰς τὰ τῶν Ἰνσόμβρων πεδία καὶ τήν τε γῆν ἐδῄουν καὶ τὰς κατοικίας αὐτῶν ἐξεπόρθουν.
Having marched around for several days and crossed the river Clusius, they came to the country of the Gonomani, and taking these along, who were allies, they invaded again from the regions near the Alps into the plains of the Insubres, and they both ravaged the land and plundered their settlements.
οἱ δὲ τῶν Ἰνσόμβρων προεστῶτες θεωροῦντες ἀμετάθετον οὖσαν τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἔκριναν τῆς τύχης λαβεῖν πεῖραν καὶ διακινδυνεῦσαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁλοσχερῶς.
The leaders of the Insubres, seeing that the purpose of the Romans was unalterable, decided to make trial of fortune and risk a decisive battle against them.
συναθροίσαντες οὖν ἁπάσας τὰς ὑπαρχούσας δυνάμεις ἐπὶ ταὐτὸν καὶ τὰς χρυσᾶς σημείας τὰς ἀκινήτους λεγομένας καθελόντες ἐκ τοῦ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἱεροῦ καὶ τἄλλα παρασκευασάμενοι δεόντως μετὰ ταῦτα τεθαρρηκότως καὶ καταπληκτικῶς ἀντεστρατοπέδευσαν τοῖς πολεμίοις, ὄντες τὸ πλῆθος εἰς πέντε μυριάδας.
Therefore, having assembled all their available forces in one place, and having taken down the golden standards called ‘immovable’ from the temple of Athena, and having made other necessary preparations, they after this encamped opposite the enemy full of confidence and in a terrifying manner, being about fifty thousand in number.
οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ μὲν ὁρῶντες σφᾶς ἐλάττους ὄντας παρὰ πολὺ τῶν ἐναντίων, ἐβούλοντο συγχρῆσθαι ταῖς τῶν συμμαχούντων αὐτοῖς Κελτῶν δυνάμεσι·
The Romans, on one hand seeing themselves to be far fewer than their opponents, wished to make use of the forces of the Celts who were allied with them;
τὰ δὲ συλλογισάμενοι τήν τε Γαλατικὴν ἀθεσίαν καὶ διότι πρὸς ὁμοφύλους τῶν προσλαμβανομένων μέλλουσι ποιεῖσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον, εὐλαβοῦντο τοιούτοις ἀνδράσιν τοιούτου καιροῦ καὶ πράγματος κοινωνεῖν.
but on the other hand, reflecting upon both Gallic faithlessness and because they were about to engage in conflict against the kinsmen of those whom they were taking along, they were cautious of sharing such a critical moment and action with such men.
τέλος δʼ οὖν αὐτοὶ μὲν ὑπέμειναν ἐντὸς τοῦ ποταμοῦ, τοὺς δὲ τῶν Κελτῶν σφίσι συνόντας διαβιβάσαντες εἰς τὸ πέραν ἀνέσπασαν τὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ ῥείθρου γεφύρας, ἅμα μὲν ἀσφαλιζόμενοι τὰ πρὸς ἐκείνους, ἅμα δὲ μίαν ἑαυτοῖς ἀπολείποντες ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας τὴν ἐν τῷ νικᾶν διὰ τὸ κατόπιν αὐτοῖς ἄβατον ὄντα παρακεῖσθαι τὸν προειρημένον ποταμόν.
In the end, therefore, they themselves remained on this side of the river, but having sent across to the other side those of the Celts who were with them, they pulled up the bridges over the stream, at once securing themselves against them, and at the same time leaving for themselves only one hope of safety, that of victory, because the aforementioned river lay behind them, being impassable.
πράξαντες δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τῷ διακινδυνεύειν ἦσαν.4
Having done these things, they were on the point of risking the battle.
- 2.32.1σούσης
The second part of the genitive absolute participle ἐμπεσούσης ('having broken out'), continuing from ἐμπε at the very end of the previous chunk. Its subject is the preceding λοιμικῆς διαθέσεως ('a pestilential disease').
- 2.32.1εἰς τέλος ἄπρακτον εἶχον
The verb εἶχον either transitively takes the campaign (τῆς στρατείας) mentioned in the previous sentence as its implied object, or is used intransitively to mean 'matters were in a certain state,' resulting in the meaning 'their campaign ended in failure.'
- 2.32.1Μασσαλίας
Although the manuscripts read 'Massalia' (modern Marseille), this is highly unnatural given the geographical position of the Anares (south of the Po river in Northern Italy). Scholars often emend it to 'Adriatic' (Ἀδρίου), but the translation here adheres to the reading of the provided text.
- 2.32.11πρὸς τῷ διακινδυνεύειν ἦσαν
An idiomatic construction consisting of the preposition πρός with a dative articular infinitive and the verb εἶναι, expressing an imminent state or readiness ('to be on the point of doing' or 'to be fully occupied with').
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1