- 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-grc2:3.42.1-3.42.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Hannibal reaches the Rhone, purchasing boats and gathering timber to prepare for the crossing. To bypass the hostile barbarians on the opposite bank, he dispatches a detachment under Hanno upstream to cross first and take them from behind.
Ἀννίβας δὲ προσμίξας τοῖς περὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τόποις εὐθέως ἐνεχείρει ποιεῖσθαι τὴν διάβασιν κατὰ τὴν ἁπλῆν ῥύσιν, σχεδὸν ἡμερῶν τεττάρων ὁδὸν ἀπέχων στρατοπέδῳ1 τῆς θαλάττης.
Hannibal, having reached the areas near the river, immediately attempted to make the crossing where the stream was single, being with his army at a distance of about four days’ journey from the sea.
καὶ φιλοποιησάμενος παντὶ τρόπῳ τοὺς παροικοῦντας τὸν ποταμὸν ἐξηγόρασε παρʼ αὐτῶν τά τε μονόξυλα πλοῖα πάντα καὶ τοὺς λέμβους, ὄντας ἱκανοὺς τῷ πλήθει διὰ τὸ ταῖς ἐκ τῆς θαλάττης ἐμπορίαις πολλοὺς χρῆσθαι τῶν παροικούντων τὸν Ῥοδανόν.
And having conciliated the inhabitants along the river in every way, he bought up from them all their canoes and boats, which were sufficient in number because many of those living along the Rhone engaged in trade from the sea.
ἔτι δὲ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν ξυλείαν ἐξέλαβε πρὸς τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν μονοξύλων· ἐξ ὧν ἐν δυσὶν ἡμέραις πλῆθος ἀναρίθμητον ἐγένετο πορθμείων, ἑκάστου σπεύδοντος2 μὴ προσδεῖσθαι τοῦ πέλας, ἐν αὑτῷ δʼ ἔχειν τὰς τῆς διαβάσεως ἐλπίδας.
Moreover, he took the timber suitable for the construction of canoes; from which in two days an innumerable quantity of ferry-boats was produced, as everyone hastened not to depend on his neighbor, but to have in himself the hopes of crossing.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐν τῷ πέραν πλῆθος ἡθροίσθη βαρβάρων χάριν τοῦ κωλύειν τὴν τῶν Καρχηδονίων διάβασιν.
At this time a multitude of barbarians had gathered on the opposite bank for the purpose of preventing the crossing of the Carthaginians.
εἰς οὓς ἀποβλέπων Ἀννίβας καὶ συλλογιζόμενος ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ὡς οὔτε διαβαίνειν μετὰ βίας δυνατὸν εἴη τοσούτων πολεμίων ἐφεστώτων, οὔτʼ ἐπιμένειν, μὴ πανταχόθεν προσδέξηται τοὺς ὑπεναντίους,3 ἐπιγενομένης τῆς τρίτης νυκτὸς ἐξαποστέλλει μέρος τι τῆς δυνάμεως, συστήσας καθηγεμόνας ἐγχωρίους, ἐπὶ δὲ πάντων Ἄννωνα τὸν Βοαμίλκου τοῦ βασιλέως.
Hannibal, looking at them and concluding from the present circumstances that it was neither possible to cross by force with so many enemies standing against them, nor to remain, lest he should be beset by enemies from all sides, when the third night came on, dispatched a part of his force, associating with them native guides, and placing over them all Hanno, the son of the king Bomilcar.
οἳ ποιησάμενοι τὴν πορείαν ἀντίοι τῷ ῥεύματι παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐπὶ διακόσια στάδια, παραγενόμενοι πρός τινα τόπον, ἐν ᾧ συνέβαινε περί τι χωρίον νησίζον περισχίζεσθαι τὸν ποταμόν, ἐνταῦθα κατέμειναν.
These, making their march against the stream along the river for about two hundred stades, when they arrived at a certain place where it happened that the river divided around a small island-like spot, remained there.
ἐκ δὲ τῆς παρακειμένης ὕλης τὰ μὲν συμπηγνύντες τῶν ξύλων τὰ δὲ συνδεσμεύοντες ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πολλὰς ἥρμοσαν σχεδίας, ἀρκούσας τῇ χρείᾳ πρὸς τὸ παρόν· ἐφʼ αἷς διεκομίσθησαν ἀσφαλῶς οὐδενὸς κωλύοντος.
And from the neighboring wood, partly fitting the timbers together and partly binding them, in a short time they constructed many rafts, sufficient for the immediate need; upon which they crossed over safely, no one opposing them.
καταλαβόμενοι δὲ τόπον ἐχυρὸν ἐκείνην μὲν τὴν ἡμέραν ἔμειναν ἀναπαύοντες σφᾶς ἐκ τῆς προγεγενημένης κακοπαθείας, ἅμα δὲ παρασκευαζόμενοι πρὸς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν χρείαν κατὰ τὸ συντεταγμένον.
Having occupied a strong position, they remained that day resting themselves from their past hardship, and at the same time preparing for the coming service according to what had been ordered.
καὶ μὴν Ἀννίβας τὸ παραπλήσιον ἐποίει περὶ τὰς μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ καταλειφθείσας δυνάμεις.
And indeed Hannibal did the same with the forces left behind with himself.
μάλιστα δʼ αὐτῷ παρεῖχε δυσχρηστίαν ἡ τῶν ἐλεφάντων διάβασις· οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν ἑπτὰ καὶ τριάκοντα τὸν ἀριθμόν.
But what caused him the greatest difficulty was the crossing of the elephants; these were thirty-seven in number.
- 3.42.1στρατοπέδῳ
The dative στρατοπέδῳ is interpreted as a dative of accompaniment, indicating that the subject (Hannibal) is moving with his army (or camp). It modifies the participle ἀπέχων in the sense of "with his forces," rather than functioning merely as a means or point of reference for measuring distance.
- 3.42.3ἑκάστου σπεύδοντος
This is a genitive absolute construction, where ἑκάστου functions as the subject of the following infinitives μὴ προσδεῖσθαι and ἔχειν. Contextually, it explains the reason why an innumerable quantity of ferry-boats was produced so quickly—namely, because everyone was eager to prepare for the crossing individually without relying on others.
- 3.42.5μὴ πανταχόθεν προσδέξηται τοὺς ὑπεναντίους
The clause introduced by μὴ with the subjunctive προσδέξηται expresses apprehension or precaution ("lest he should receive/be beset by...") modifying the impersonal infinitive οὔτʼ [ἐστὶ] ἐπιμένειν (nor is it possible to remain). It explains the logical consequence that Hannibal feared being surrounded by enemies if he remained without crossing.