- 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-grc2:3.100.1-3.100.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Hannibal captures and occupies the grain-rich town of Gerunium for winter quarters, dividing his forces to conduct large-scale foraging and guard duties.
ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς Ἀννίβας, ὅθεν ἀπελίπομεν,1 πυνθανόμενος παρὰ τῶν κατασκόπων πλεῖστον ὑπάρχειν σῖτον ἐν τῇ περὶ τὴν Λουκαρίαν καὶ τὸ καλούμενον Γερούνιον χώρᾳ, πρὸς δὲ τὴν συναγωγὴν εὐφυῶς ἔχειν τὸ Γερούνιον, κρίνας ἐκεῖ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν παραχειμασίαν, προῆγε ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν παρὰ τὸ Λίβυρνον ὄρος ἐπὶ τοὺς προειρημένους τόπους. ἀφικόμενος δὲ πρὸς τὸ Γερούνιον, ὃ τῆς Λουκαρίας ἀπέχει διακόσια στάδια, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς διὰ λόγων τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας εἰς φιλίαν προυκαλεῖτο καὶ πίστεις ἐδίδου τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν, οὐδενὸς δὲ προσέχοντος, πολιορκεῖν ἐπεβάλετο.
The general Hannibal, resuming from where we left off, having learned from his scouts that there was a very great abundance of grain in the district around Luceria and the town called Gerunium, and that Gerunium was well situated for the collection of it, decided to establish his winter quarters there, and advanced, making his march along Mount Liburnum to the aforementioned places. Having arrived at Gerunium, which is two hundred stades distant from Luceria, at first he invited the inhabitants to friendship through negotiations, offering pledges for his promises; but since no one paid attention, he undertook to besiege it.
ταχὺ δὲ γενόμενος κύριος τοὺς μὲν οἰκήτορας κατέφθειρε, τὰς δὲ πλείστας οἰκίας ἀκεραίους διεφύλαξε καὶ τὰ τείχη, βουλόμενος σιτοβολίοις χρήσασθαι πρὸς τὴν παραχειμασίαν.
Having quickly made himself master of the place, he put the inhabitants to the sword, but preserved most of the houses and the walls intact, wishing to use them as granaries for the wintering.
τὴν δὲ δύναμιν πρὸ τῆς πόλεως παρεμβαλὼν ὠχυρώσατο τάφρῳ καὶ χάρακι τὴν στρατοπεδείαν.
Pitching his army before the city, he fortified the camp with a trench and a palisade.
γενόμενος δʼ ἀπὸ τούτων τὰ μὲν δύο μέρη τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπὶ τὴν σιτολογίαν ἐξέπεμπε, προστάξας καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τακτὸν ἀναφέρειν μέτρον ἕκαστον τοῖς ἰδίοις, ἐπιβολὴν τοῦ τάγματος τοῖς προκεχειρισμένοις ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταύτην,2 τῷ δὲ τρίτῳ μέρει τήν τε στρατοπεδείαν ἐτήρει καὶ τοῖς σιτολογοῦσι παρεφήδρευε3 κατὰ τόπους.
Having finished these tasks, he sent out two-thirds of his forces for grain-gathering, ordering each man to bring back daily a fixed measure for his own unit, imposing this task on those who had been appointed to this administration, while with the remaining third he guarded the camp and stood by as a protection in their respective locations for those who were gathering grain.
οὔσης δὲ τῆς μὲν χώρας τῆς πλείστης εὐεφόδου καὶ πεδιάδος, τῶν δὲ συναγόντων ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν4 ἀναριθμήτων, ἔτι δὲ τῆς ὥρας ἀκμαζούσης πρὸς τὴν συγκομιδήν, ἄπλετον συνέβαινε καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἁθροίζεσθαι τοῦ σίτου τὸ πλῆθος.
Since most of the country was easy of access and level, and those gathering the crop were, so to speak, countless, and moreover the season was at its height for the harvest, it happened that an immense quantity of grain was collected every day.
- 3.100.1ὅθεν ἀπελίπομεν
A parenthetical clause indicating that the author Polybius is returning to the narrative of Hannibal's campaign in Italy, which had been suspended to describe the operations in Spain (the end of the previous chapter, §3.99.9).
- 3.100.6ἐπιβολὴν τοῦ τάγματος τοῖς προκεχειρισμένοις ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταύτην
An accusative phrase in apposition to the action or order described. It details the nature of the command, meaning "imposing this task (or quota) on those who had been pre-appointed to this administration."
- 3.100.7τοῖς σιτολογοῦσι παρεφήδρευε
The verb παρεφεδρεύω ("to sit near as a reserve, protect") governs the dative case (τοῖς σιτολογοῦσι). It indicates that Hannibal (with the remaining third of the army) stood by as a covering force or guard for the soldiers gathering grain.
- 3.100.8ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν
A limiting or qualifying idiomatic phrase meaning "so to speak" or "as it were," used here to qualify the hyperbolic term "countless" (ἀναριθμήτων).