- 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-grc2:3.114.1-3.114.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
This chunk describes the differences in equipment and appearance between the opposing forces at Cannae, details the command positions on both sides, and notes how the orientation of the battle lines affected their exposure to the rising sun.
ἦν δʼ ὁ καθοπλισμὸς τῶν μὲν Λιβύων Ῥωμαϊκός, οὓς πάντας Ἀννίβας τοῖς ἐκ τῆς προγεγενημένης μάχης σκύλοις ἐκλέξας κατακεκοσμήκει·1
The equipment of the Libyans was Roman, all of whom Hannibal had outfitted with the spoils selected from the previous battle.
τῶν δʼ Ἰβήρων καὶ Κελτῶν ὁ μὲν θυρεὸς ἦν παραπλήσιος, τὰ δὲ ξίφη τὴν ἐναντίαν εἶχε διάθεσιν·
But the shields of the Iberians and Celts were very similar, while their swords had an opposite character.
τῆς μὲν2 γὰρ οὐκ ἔλαττον τὸ κέντημα τῆς καταφορᾶς ἴσχυε πρὸς τὸ βλάπτειν, ἡ δὲ Γαλατικὴ μάχαιρα μίαν εἶχε χρείαν τὴν ἐκ καταφορᾶς, καὶ ταύτην ἐξ ἀποστάσεως.
For of the former, the thrust was no less effective for inflicting injury than the cut, whereas the Galatian sword had only one use, that of cutting, and this only from a distance.
ἐναλλὰξ δὲ ταῖς σπείραις αὐτῶν παρατεταγμένων,3 καὶ τῶν μὲν Κελτῶν γυμνῶν, τῶν δʼ Ἰβήρων λινοῖς περιπορφύροις χιτωνίσκοις κεκοσμημένων κατὰ τὰ πάτρια, ξενίζουσαν ἅμα καὶ καταπληκτικὴν συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὴν πρόσοψιν.
And as they were drawn up in alternating cohorts, with the Celts naked, and the Iberians adorned with linen tunics bordered with purple according to their ancestral custom, the appearance turned out to be at once strange and terrifying.
ἦν δὲ τὸ μὲν τῶν ἱππικῶν πλῆθος τὸ σύμπαν τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις εἰς μυρίους, τὸ δὲ τῶν πεζῶν οὐ πολὺ πλείους τετρακισμυρίων4 σὺν τοῖς Κελτοῖς. εἶχε δὲ τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων Αἰμίλιος, τὸ δʼ εὐώνυμον Γάιος, τὰ δὲ μέσα Μάρκος καὶ Γνάιος οἱ τῷ πρότερον ἔτει στρατηγοῦντες.
The total number of the cavalry of the Carthaginians was about ten thousand, and that of the infantry not much more than forty thousand, including the Celts. And Aemilius held the right wing of the Romans, Gaius the left, and the center Marcus and Gnaeus, who had been consuls in the preceding year.
τῶν δὲ Καρχηδονίων τὸ μὲν εὐώνυμον Ἀσδρούβας εἶχε, τὸ δὲ δεξιὸν Ἄννων· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς μέσοις αὐτὸς ἦν Ἀννίβας, ἔχων μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ Μάγωνα τὸν ἀδελφόν.
Of the Carthaginians, Hasdrubal held the left wing, and Hannon the right; and Hannibal himself was in the center, having with him his brother Mago.
βλεπούσης δὲ τῆς μὲν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τάξεως5 πρὸς μεσημβρίαν, ὡς ἐπάνω προεῖπα, τῆς δὲ τῶν Καρχηδονίων πρὸς τὰς ἄρκτους, ἑκατέροις ἀβλαβῆ συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὴν κατὰ τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατολήν.
Since the Roman line faced south, as I said above, and that of the Carthaginians faced north, it resulted that the rising of the sun was harmless to both sides.
- 3.114.1οὓς πάντας Ἀννίβας τοῖς ἐκ τῆς προγεγενημένης μάχης σκύλοις ἐκλέξας κατακεκοσμήκει
In this relative clause, οὓς is an accusative relative pronoun referring to the antecedent των Λιβύων. The aorist participle ἐκλέξας ('having selected') functions adverbially to show an action prior to or as a means of the main pluperfect verb κατακεκοσμήκει ('had equipped').
- 3.114.3τῆς μὲν
A feminine genitive singular referring back to the Iberians' swords in the previous sentence. The feminine noun μάχαιρα ('sword') is understood from context, contrasting with the subsequent ἡ δὲ Γαλατικὴ μάχαιρα ('the Galatian sword').
- 3.114.4ἐναλλὰξ δὲ ταῖς σπείραις αὐτῶν παρατεταγμένων
A genitive absolute construction where αὐτῶν (referring to the Iberians and Celts) acts as the subject and παρατεταγμένων as the participle. The subsequent phrases των μὲν Κελτῶν γυμνῶν (with the participle ὄντων understood) and των δ' Ἰβήρων... κεκοσμημένων are subordinate to this structure, leading to the main verb συνέβαινε.
- 3.114.5τετρακισμυρίων
This is a genitive of comparison dependent on the comparative adjective πλείους ('more'), translating to 'more than forty thousand'.
- 3.114.8βλεπούσης δὲ τῆς μὲν των Ῥωμαίων τάξεως
A genitive absolute construction where βλεπούσης is the participle, and its subjects are της μὲν των Ῥωμαίων τάξεως and της δὲ των Καρχηδονίων (with τάξεως understood). It establishes the causal background for the main clause ἑκατέροις ἀβλαβῆ συνέβαινε....