- 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-grc2:2.34.1-2.34.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Describes how the new consuls Marcus Claudius and Gnaeus Cornelius rejected the Celtic peace proposals and, through the siege of Acerrae and a cavalry engagement at Clastidium, defeated the Gallic forces at Mediolanum.
τῷ δʼ ἑξῆς ἔτει, διαπρεσβευσαμένων τῶν Κελτῶν ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης καὶ πᾶν ποιήσειν ὑπισχνουμένων, ἔσπευσαν οἱ κατασταθέντες ὕπατοι Μάρκος Κλαύδιος καὶ Γνάιος Κορνήλιος τοῦ μὴ συγχωρηθῆναι τὴν εἰρήνην αὐτοῖς.1
In the following year, although the Celts sent embassies for peace and promised to do whatever was required, the newly appointed consuls Marcus Claudius and Gnaeus Cornelius exerted themselves to prevent peace from being granted to them.
οἱ δʼ ἀποτυχόντες καὶ κρίναντες ἐξελέγξαι τὰς τελευταίας ἐλπίδας, αὖθις ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ τὸ μισθοῦσθαι τῶν περὶ τὸν Ῥοδανὸν Γαισάτων Γαλατῶν εἰς τρισμυρίους· οὓς παραλαβόντες εἶχον ἐν ἑτοίμῳ καὶ προσεδόκων τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἔφοδον.
Having failed in this and resolved to test their last hopes, they again set about hiring some thirty thousand of the Gaesatae Gauls from around the Rhone; and taking these into their service, they kept them in readiness and awaited the onslaught of the enemy.
οἱ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγοὶ τῆς ὥρας ἐπιγενομένης ἀναλαβόντες τὰς δυνάμεις ἦγον εἰς τὴν τῶν Ἰνσόμβρων χώραν.
When the season arrived, the Roman generals, taking their forces, led them into the territory of the Insubres.
παραγενόμενοι δὲ καὶ περιστρατοπεδεύσαντες πόλιν Ἀχέρρας, ἣ μεταξὺ κεῖται τοῦ Πάδου καὶ τῶν Ἀλπεινῶν ὀρῶν, ἐπολιόρκουν ταύτην.
Arriving there, they encamped around the city of Acerrae, which lies between the Po and the Alps, and besieged it.
οἱ δʼ Ἴνσομβρες βοηθεῖν μὲν οὐ δυνάμενοι διὰ τὸ προκαταληφθῆναι τοὺς εὐφυεῖς τόπους, σπεύδοντες δὲ λῦσαι τὴν πολιορκίαν τῶν Ἀχερρῶν, μέρος τι τῆς δυνάμεως διαβιβάσαντες τὸν Πάδον εἰς τὴν τῶν Ἀνάρων χώραν ἐπολιόρκουν τὸ προσαγορευόμενον Κλαστίδιον. προσπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος τοῖς στρατηγοῖς,2 ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς ἱππεῖς Μάρκος Κλαύδιος καί τινας τῶν πεζικῶν ἠπείγετο, σπεύδων βοηθῆσαι τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις.
The Insubres, being unable to bring help because the strategic positions had been occupied beforehand, but eager to raise the siege of Acerrae, sent a part of their forces across the Po into the territory of the Anares and besieged the place called Clastidium. When this event was reported to the generals, Marcus Claudius, taking the cavalry and some of the infantry, hastened, eager to bring help to those besieged.
οἱ δὲ Κελτοὶ πυθόμενοι τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν ὑπεναντίων, λύσαντες τὴν πολιορκίαν ὑπήντων καὶ παρετάξαντο.
The Celts, learning of the presence of their adversaries, raised the siege and went to meet them, drawing up in battle array.
τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν3 ἐξ ἐφόδου τολμηρῶς σφίσι προσπεσόντων, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς ἀντεῖχον· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα περιισταμένων καὶ κατὰ νώτου καὶ κατὰ κέρας, δυσχρηστούμενοι τῇ μάχῃ τέλος ἐτράπησαν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἱππέων.
When the Romans with their cavalry alone boldly fell upon them in an onslaught, they held out at first; but when afterwards they were surrounded both in the rear and on the flank, being hard pressed in the fight, they were finally routed by the cavalry itself.
καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ἐμπεσόντες ὑπὸ τοῦ ῥεύματος διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ πλείους ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων κατεκόπησαν.
And many, falling into the river, were swept away by the current and perished, while the majority were cut down by the enemy.
ἔλαβον δὲ καὶ τὰς Ἀχέρρας οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι σίτου γεμούσας, ἐκχωρησάντων εἰς τὸ Μεδιόλανον τῶν Γαλατῶν, ὅσπερ ἐστὶ κυριώτατος τόπος τῆς τῶν Ἰνσόμβρων χώρας.
The Romans also captured Acerrae, which was full of grain, since the Gauls had retreated to Mediolanum, which is the most important place in the territory of the Insubres.
οἷς ἐκ ποδὸς ἐπακολουθήσαντος τοῦ Γναΐου καὶ προσβαλόντος ἄφνω πρὸς τὸ Μεδιόλανον, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἡσυχίαν ἔσχον·
Gnaeus followed them closely, and when he suddenly attacked Mediolanum, at first they remained quiet;
ἀπολυομένου δʼ αὐτοῦ πάλιν εἰς τὰς Ἀχέρρας, ἐπεξελθόντες καὶ τῆς οὐραγίας ἁψάμενοι θρασέως πολλοὺς μὲν νεκροὺς ἐποίησαν, μέρος δέ τι καὶ φυγεῖν αὐτῶν ἠνάγκασαν, ἕως ὁ Γνάιος ἀνακαλεσάμενος τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πρωτοπορείας παρώρμησε στῆναι καὶ συμβαλεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις.
but when he was withdrawing again towards Acerrae, they sallied out and, boldly attacking the rear-guard, killed many of them and forced a part of them to flee, until Gnaeus, recalling those from the vanguard, encouraged them to stand their ground and engage the enemy.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαῖοι πειθαρχήσαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ διεμάχοντο πρὸς τοὺς ἐπικειμένους εὐρώστως.
The Romans, obeying their general, fought vigorously against their assailants.
οἱ δὲ Κελτοὶ διὰ τὸ παρὸν εὐτύχημα μείναντες ἐπὶ ποσὸν εὐθαρσῶς, μετʼ οὐ πολὺ τραπέντες ἔφευγον εἰς τὰς παρωρείας. ὁ δὲ Γνάιος ἐπακολουθήσας τήν τε χώραν ἐπόρθει καὶ τὸ Με
The Celts, encouraged for a while by their temporary success, stood their ground, but not long after they turned and fled to the foothills. Gnaeus followed them, laying waste to the country and [capturing] Medi[olanum by storm...]
- 2.34.1τοῦ μὴ συγχωρηθῆναι τὴν εἰρήνην αὐτοῖς
Genitive infinitive of purpose or intent (τοῦ + negative μή + passive infinitive) dependent on ἔσπευσαν ('they exerted themselves'), meaning 'so that peace should not be granted to them.'
- 2.34.5προσπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος τοῖς στρατηγοῖς
Genitive absolute construction. τοῦ συμβαίνοντος is the substantivized neuter singular present participle meaning 'the occurring event' (i.e., the siege of Clastidium), and τοῖς στρατηγοῖς is the dative of interest or reference dependent on the verb implied in the event or directly on προσπεσόντος.
- 2.34.8αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν
The pronoun αὐτός in agreement with the noun in the dative case expresses limitation or exclusion, meaning 'with the cavalry alone' (without infantry support).