- 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-grc2:3.115.1-3.115.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
In the Battle of Cannae, the fight between light-armed troops is initially equal, but the Carthaginian left-wing cavalry overwhelms the Romans. The Roman infantry advances and pushes back the Celtic crescent but, by protruding, is flanked on both sides by the heavily armed Libyans.
γενομένης δὲ τῆς συμπλοκῆς τῆς πρώτης ἐκ τῶν προτεταγμένων, τὰς μὲν ἀρχὰς αὐτῶν τῶν εὐζώνων ἔπισος ἦν ὁ κίνδυνος, ἅμα δὲ τῷ τοὺς Ἴβηρας καὶ Κελτοὺς ἱππεῖς ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων πελάσαι1 τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐποίουν οὗτοι μάχην ἀληθινὴν καὶ βαρβαρικήν·
When the first clash of the advanced guard took place, at first the contest between the light-armed troops themselves was equal, but as soon as the Iberian and Celtic cavalry from the left wing approached the Romans, they began a battle that was genuine and savage;
οὐ γὰρ ἦν κατὰ νόμους ἐξ ἀναστροφῆς καὶ μεταβολῆς ὁ κίνδυνος, ἀλλʼ εἰσάπαξ συμπεσόντες ἐμάχοντο συμπλεκόμενοι κατʼ ἄνδρα, παρακαταβαίνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων.
for the contest was not according to the rules of turning back and wheeling round, but having once clashed, they dismounted from their horses and fought hand to hand, grappling man to man.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἐκράτησαν οἱ παρὰ τῶν Καρχηδονίων καὶ τοὺς μὲν πλείστους ἀπέκτειναν ἐν τῇ συμπλοκῇ, πάντων ἐκθύμως καὶ γενναίως διαγωνιζομένων τῶν Ῥωμαίων, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἤλαυνον παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν φονεύοντες καὶ προσφέροντες τὰς χεῖρας ἀπαραιτήτως, τότε δὴ τὰ πεζικὰ στρατόπεδα διαδεξάμενα τοὺς εὐζώνους συνέπεσεν ἀλλήλοις.
And when the Carthaginians got the upper hand and killed most of them in the clash, though all the Romans fought with spirit and bravery, and pursued the rest along the river, slaughtering them and showing no mercy, then indeed the infantry forces, succeeding the light-armed troops, clashed with one another.
ἐπὶ βραχὺ μὲν οὖν τῶν Ἰβήρων καὶ τῶν Κελτῶν ἔμενον αἱ τάξεις καὶ διεμάχοντο τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις γενναίως· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῷ βάρει θλιβόμενοι κλίνοντες ὑπεχώρουν εἰς τοὐπίσω, λύσαντες τὸν μηνίσκον.
For a short time, then, the ranks of the Iberians and Celts held their ground and fought bravely against the Romans; but after this, hard pressed by the weight, they gave way and retreated to the rear, breaking the crescent.
αἱ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων σπεῖραι κατὰ τὴν ἐκθυμίαν ἑπόμεναι τούτοις διέκοψαν ῥᾳδίως τὴν τῶν ὑπεναντίων τάξιν, ἅτε δὴ τῶν μὲν Κελτῶν ἐπὶ λεπτὸν ἐκτεταγμένων, αὐτοὶ δὲ πεπυκνωκότες ἀπὸ τῶν κεράτων ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα καὶ τὸν κινδυνεύοντα τόπον·
And the Roman cohorts, following them up with spirit, easily broke through the line of their opponents, inasmuch as the Celts were drawn up in a thin line, while they themselves had consolidated from the wings towards the center and the point of danger;
οὐ γὰρ ἅμα συνέβαινε τὰ κέρατα καὶ τὰ μέσα συμπίπτειν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτα τὰ μέσα διὰ τὸ τοὺς Κελτοὺς ἐν μηνοειδεῖ σχήματι τεταγμένους πολὺ προπεπτωκέναι τῶν κεράτων, ἅτε τοῦ μηνίσκου τὸ κύρτωμα πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἔχοντος.
for the wings and the center did not clash at the same time, but the center first, because the Celts, drawn up in a crescent form, had projected far in advance of the wings, since the curve of the crescent was turned towards the enemy.
πλὴν ἑπόμενοί γε τούτοις οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ συντρέχοντες ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα καὶ τὸν εἴκοντα τόπον τῶν πολεμίων οὕτως ἐπὶ πολὺ προέπεσον ὥστʼ ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους κατὰ τὰς ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων ἐπιφανείας τοὺς Λίβυας αὐτῶν γενέσθαι τοὺς ἐν τοῖς βαρέσι καθοπλισμοῖς·
However, the Romans, pursuing them and rushing together towards the center and the yielding part of the enemy, advanced so far forward that on both sides of them, on their flanks, the Libyans in heavy armor came to be positioned;
ὧν οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ κέρατος κλίναντες ἐπʼ ἀσπίδα2 καὶ τὴν ἐμβολὴν ἐκ δόρατος ποιούμενοι παρίσταντο παρὰ πλευρὰν τοῖς πολεμίοις, οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων ἐπὶ δόρυ ποιούμενοι τὴν κλίσιν ἐξ ἀσπίδος ἐπιπαρενέβαλλον, αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ὃ δέον ἦν ποιεῖν ὑποδεικνύντος.
of whom those from the right wing, facing to the shield (left) and making a charge with the spear, stood along the flank of the enemy, while those from the left wing, facing to the spear (right), deployed from the flank, the very circumstance pointing out what they ought to do.
ἐξ οὗ συνέβη κατὰ τὴν Ἀννίβου πρόνοιαν μέσους ἀποληφθῆναι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὑπὸ τῶν Λιβύων κατὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Κελτοὺς παράπτωσιν.
As a result of this, according to the foresight of Hannibal, it happened that the Romans were cut off in the center by the Libyans during their charge upon the Celts.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν οὐκέτι φαλαγγηδόν, ἀλλὰ κατʼ ἄνδρα καὶ κατὰ σπείρας στρεφόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων προς3
They, therefore, no longer in phalanx but man to man and by cohorts, turning towards those who were attacking them from the flanks...
- 3.115.2ἅμα δὲ τῷ ... πελάσαι
The construction "ἅμα τῷ + infinitive (with accusative subject)" expresses temporal simultaneity ("as soon as", "at the same time as"). Here τοὺς Ἴβηρας καὶ Κελτοὺς ἱππεῖς functions as the subject of the infinitive πελάσαι.
- 3.115.9ἐπʼ ἀσπίδα
An ancient military term meaning "to the shield-side" (i.e., "to the left"), since soldiers carried their shields (ἀσπίς) in their left hands. Together with the contrasting ἐπὶ δόρυ ("to the spear-side", i.e., "to the right"), it is a standard expression for changing formation direction.
- 3.115.12προς
The manuscript ends abruptly at προς, which is generally conjectured to be the beginning of a present participle such as προσπίπτοντας ("those who were attacking"). The translations reflect this incomplete state by ending mid-sentence.