- 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-grc2:3.105.1-3.105.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Fabius rescues the Roman army under Marcus from Hannibal's ambush, prompting Hannibal to withdraw. This event makes the contrast between Marcus's rashness and Fabius's prudence clear to all, leading the Romans to reunite under Fabius while both sides prepare for winter quarters.
παραπλήσιον τὸν χειρισμόν. ἄρτι δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας διαφαινούσης, καὶ πάντων ταῖς τε διανοίαις καὶ τοῖς ὄμμασι περιεσπασμένων1 περὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ γεωλόφῳ κινδυνεύοντας, ἀνύποπτος ἦν ἡ τῶν ἐνεδρευόντων ὑποβολή.
a similar arrangement of each. Just as day was dawning, and since everyone’s minds and eyes were distracted by those who were in danger on the hill, the placement of those in ambush went unsuspected.
τοῦ δʼ Ἀννίβου συνεχῶς μὲν ἐπαποστέλλοντος τοῖς ἐν τῷ λόφῳ τοὺς βοηθήσοντας, ἑπομένου δὲ κατὰ πόδας αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως, ταχέως συνέβη καὶ τοὺς ἱππεῖς συμπεσεῖν ἀλλήλοις.
As Hannibal was continually sending reinforcements to those on the hill, and following close behind in person with his cavalry and main force, it soon happened that the cavalry also clashed with one another.
οὗ γενομένου, καὶ πιεζομένων τῶν Ῥωμαίων εὐζώνων ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἱππέων, ἅμα μὲν οὗτοι καταφεύγοντες εἰς τὰ βαρέα τῶν ὅπλων θόρυβον ἐποίουν, ἅμα δὲ τοῦ συνθήματος ἀποδοθέντος τοῖς ἐν ταῖς ἐνέδραις, πανταχόθεν ἐπιφαινομένων καὶ προσπιπτόντων τούτων,2 οὐκέτι περὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους μόνον, ἀλλὰ3 περὶ πᾶν τὸ στράτευμα μέγας κίνδυνος συνειστήκει τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις.
When this occurred, and the Roman light-armed troops were hard pressed by the multitude of the cavalry, on the one hand they caused confusion by fleeing to the heavy infantry, and on the other hand, the signal having been given to those in ambush, as these appeared and fell upon them from all sides, a great danger confronted the Romans, no longer for the light-armed alone, but for the entire army.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον Φάβιος θεωρῶν τὸ γινόμενον καὶ διαγωνιάσας μὴ σφαλῶσι τοῖς ὅλοις, ἐξῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐβοήθει τοῖς κινδυνεύουσι.
At this juncture, Fabius, seeing what was happening and fearing greatly lest they should suffer a total defeat, led out his forces and came in haste to the rescue of those in danger.
ταχὺ δὲ συνεγγίσαντος αὐτοῦ, πάλιν ἀναθαρρήσαντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, καίπερ λελυκότες ἤδη τὴν ὅλην τάξιν, αὖθις ἁθροιζόμενοι περὶ τὰς σημείας ἀνεχώρουν καὶ κατέφευγον ὑπὸ τὴν τούτων ἀσφάλειαν, πολλοὺς μὲν ἀπολελωκότες τῶν εὐζώνων, ἔτι δὲ πλείους ἐκ τῶν ταγμάτων καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους ἄνδρας.
As he quickly drew near, the Romans, although they had already broken their entire formation, recovered their courage, and rallying again around their standards, retreated and took refuge under their protection, though they had lost many of the light-armed, and still more of the legions, and those the bravest men.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀννίβαν καταπλαγέντες τὴν ἀκεραιότητα καὶ σύνταξιν τῶν παραβεβοηθηκότων στρατοπέδων ἀπέστησαν τοῦ διωγμοῦ καὶ τῆς μάχης.
Hannibal’s forces, on the other hand, being struck by the fresh and orderly state of the legions that had come to the rescue, desisted from pursuit and battle.
τοῖς μὲν οὖν παρʼ αὐτὸν γενομένοις τὸν κίνδυνον4 ἦν ἐναργὲς ὅτι διὰ μὲν τὴν Μάρκου τόλμαν ἀπόλωλε τὰ ὅλα, διὰ δὲ τὴν εὐλάβειαν τοῦ Φαβίου σέσωσται καὶ πρὸ τοῦ καὶ νῦν·
Thus, to those who were in the very midst of the danger, it was manifest that, whereas through the boldness of Marcus the whole army was lost, through the caution of Fabius it had been saved, both on previous occasions and now.
τοῖς δʼ ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ τότʼ ἐγένετο φανερὸν ὁμολογουμένως τί διαφέρει στρατιωτικῆς προπετείας καὶ κενοδοξίας στρατηγικὴ πρόνοια καὶ λογισμὸς ἑστὼς καὶ νουνεχής.
And to those in Rome, it then became indisputably clear how great a difference there is between soldierly rashness and vanity, and general-like foresight and a steadfast, sensible judgment.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν Ῥωμαῖοι διδαχθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ βαλόμενοι χάρακα πάλιν ἕνα πάντες ἐστρατοπέδευσαν ὁμόσε καὶ λοιπὸν ἤδη Φαβίῳ προσεῖχον τὸν νοῦν καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τούτου παραγγελλομένοις.
Nevertheless, the Romans, having been taught by these events and having set up a single palisade, all encamped together again in the same place, and from then on paid attention to Fabius and his orders.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι τὸν μὲν μεταξὺ τόπον τοῦ βουνοῦ καὶ τῆς σφετέρας παρεμβολῆς διετάφρευσαν, περὶ δὲ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ καταληφθέντος λόφου χάρακα περιβαλόντες καὶ φυλακὴν ἐπιστήσαντες λοιπὸν ἤδη πρὸς τὴν χειμασίαν ἀσφαλῶς ἡτοιμάζοντο.
The Carthaginians, on their part, dug a trench across the space between the hill and their own camp, and having thrown a palisade around the crest of the captured hill and stationed a garrison, they securely prepared for winter quarters from then on.
- 3.105.1πάντων ταῖς τε διανοίαις καὶ τοῖς ὄμμασι περιεσπασμένων
A genitive absolute construction ("with everyone's minds and eyes being distracted..."). περιεσπασμένων is the genitive perfect middle-passive participle of περισπάω ("to distract" or "draw away").
- 3.105.4τοῦ συνθήματος ἀποδοθέντος ... ἐπιφαινομένων καὶ προσπιπτόντων τούτων
Two separate genitive absolute constructions in succession. The former (τοῦ συνθήματος ἀποδοθέντος) indicates time, while the latter (ἐπιφαινομένων καὶ προσπιπτόντων τούτων) indicates simultaneous action.
- 3.105.3οὐ μὴν ἀλλά
An idiomatic expression ("nevertheless," "but indeed") used to introduce a strong positive contrast following the negative undertones of the preceding sentence regarding the heavy losses.
- 3.105.8τοῖς μὲν οὖν παρʼ αὐτὸν γενομένοις τὸν κίνδυνον
The prepositional phrase παρʼ αὐτὸν τὸν κίνδυνον ("by the danger itself," meaning "in the very midst of the danger") is embedded within the dative participle phrase τοῖς γενομένοις. It functions as the dative of reference for the main predicate ἦν ἐναργὲς ὅτι ("it was manifest to...").