- 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-grc2:2.36.1-2.36.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
This section records the assassination of Hasdrubal, the succession of Hannibal to the command in Iberia, and the rising tensions and mutual suspicions between Carthage and Rome leading to the brink of war.
Ἀσδρούβας δʼ ὁ τῶν Καρχηδονίων στρατηγός — ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτων παρεξέβημεν τῆς ἐξηγήσεως1 — ἔτη χειρίσας ὀκτὼ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν ἐτελεύτησε, δολοφονηθεὶς ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ καταλύμασι νυκτὸς ὑπό τινος Κελτοῦ τὸ γένος ἰδίων ἕνεκεν ἀδικημάτων, οὐ μικρὰν ἀλλὰ μεγάλην ποιήσας ἐπίδοσιν τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις πράγμασιν, οὐχ οὕτω διὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἔργων ὡς διὰ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς δυνάστας ὁμιλίας.
Hasdrubal, the Carthaginian general—for it was from their affairs that we digressed in our narrative—died after having managed the affairs of Iberia for eight years, being assassinated at night in his own quarters by a certain Celt by birth on account of private grievances, having brought no small but great increase to the Carthaginian power, not so much by warlike deeds as by his intercourse with the native chieftains.
τὴν δὲ στρατηγίαν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν Ἀννίβᾳ περιέθεσαν, ὄντι νέῳ, διὰ τὴν ὑποφαινομένην ἐκ τῶν πράξεων ἀγχίνοιαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τόλμαν.
The Carthaginians conferred the command in Iberia upon Hannibal, who was still young, on account of the shrewdness and daring that were manifested in his actions.
ὃς παραλαβὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν εὐθέως δῆλος ἦν ἐκ τῶν ἐπινοημάτων πόλεμον ἐξοίσων2 Ῥωμαίοις. ὃ δὴ καὶ τέλος ἐποίησε, πάνυ βραχὺν ἐπισχὼν χρόνον.
As soon as he assumed the command, it was evident from his designs that he was going to make war upon the Romans; which indeed he ultimately did, after waiting only a very short time.
τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ Καρχηδονίους καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἀπὸ τούτων ἤδη τῶν καιρῶν ἐν ὑποψίαις ἦν πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ παρατριβαῖς.
So, from this time forward, the relations between the Carthaginians and the Romans were characterized by mutual suspicions and frictions.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπεβούλευον, ἀμύνασθαι σπεύδοντες διὰ τὰς περὶ Σικελίαν ἐλαττώσεις,3 οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι διηπίστουν, θεωροῦντες αὐτῶν τὰς ἐπιβολάς.
For the former were plotting, eager to avenge their losses in Sicily, while the Romans were distrustful, observing their designs.
ἐξ ὧν δῆλον ἦν τοῖς ὀρθῶς σκοπουμένοις ὅτι μέλλουσι πολεμεῖν ἀλλήλοις οὐ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον.
From which things it was clear to correct observers that they would go to war with each other before long.
- 2.36.1ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτων παρεξέβημεν τῆς ἐξηγήσεως
The pronoun τούτων refers to the Carthaginians and their affairs, marking the return to the main narrative line from the long digression on the Gauls in the preceding chapters.
- 2.36.4δῆλος ἦν ... πόλεμον ἐξοίσων
This is a construction of the adjective δῆλος with the future active participle ἐξοίσων (from ἐκφέρω), meaning 'it was evident that he would wage [war]', expressing a clear intention or future certainty of the subject.
- 2.36.6ἀμύνασθαι σπεύδοντες διὰ τὰς περὶ Σικελίαν ἐλαττώσεις
The present participle σπεύδοντες (striving or eager to do something) takes the infinitive ἀμύνασθαι (to avenge) as its object/complement, which is further modified by the causal prepositional phrase διὰ ... ἐλαττώσεις (because of the defeats around Sicily).