- 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-grc2:3.65.1-3.65.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The forces of Publius and Hannibal confront each other near the river Ticinus, and the skirmish develops into a full-scale cavalry battle. Due to the envelopment by the Numidian cavalry, the Roman army falls into disadvantage and is forced to retreat.
τῇ δὲ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ προῆγον ἀμφότεροι παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς τὰς Ἄλπεις μέρους, ἔχοντες εὐώνυμον μὲν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, δεξιὸν δὲ τὸν ῥοῦν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι.1
On the following day, both advanced along the river from the side towards the Alps, the Romans having the flow of the river on their left, and the Carthaginians on their right.
γνόντες δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ διὰ τῶν προνομευόντων ὅτι σύνεγγύς εἰσιν ἀλλήλων, τότε μὲν αὐτοῦ καταστρατοπεδεύσαντες ἔμειναν.
On the second day, learning through their scouts that they were close to each other, they encamped and remained there for that time.
τῇ δʼ ἐπαύριον πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον ἀναλαβόντες ἀμφότεροι, Πόπλιος δὲ καὶ τῶν πεζῶν τοὺς ἀκοντιστάς, προῆγον διὰ τοῦ πεδίου, σπεύδοντες κατοπτεῦσαι τὰς ἀλλήλων δυνάμεις.
On the next day, both taking all their cavalry, and Publius also taking the javelin-throwers of the infantry, advanced through the plain, eager to reconnoiter each other’s forces.
ἅμα δὲ τῷ πλησιάζειν αὑτοῖς καὶ συνιδεῖν τὸν κονιορτὸν ἐξαιρόμενον εὐθέως συνετάττοντο πρὸς μάχην.
As soon as they approached each other and saw the dust rising, they immediately began to draw up in battle order.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Πόπλιος προθέμενος τοὺς ἀκοντιστὰς καὶ τοὺς ἅμα τούτοις Γαλατικοὺς ἱππεῖς, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐν μετώπῳ καταστήσας προῄει βάδην.
Publius, placing the javelin-throwers and the Gallic cavalry with them in front, and drawing up the rest in the front line, advanced at a walk.
ὁ δʼ Ἀννίβας τὴν μὲν κεχαλινωμένην ἵππον καὶ πᾶν τὸ στάσιμον αὐτῆς κατὰ πρόσωπον τάξας ἀπήντα τοῖς πολεμίοις, τοὺς δὲ Νομαδικοὺς ἱππεῖς ἀφʼ ἑκατέρου τοῦ κέρατος ἡτοιμάκει πρὸς κύκλωσιν.
Hannibal, on his part, having drawn up his bridled cavalry and all its heavy force in front, met the enemy, while he had prepared the Numidian cavalry on each wing for encirclement.
ἀμφοτέρων δὲ καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων καὶ τῶν ἱππέων φιλοτίμως διακειμένων πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον, τοιαύτην συνέβη γενέσθαι τὴν πρώτην σύμπτωσιν ὥστε τοὺς ἀκοντιστὰς μὴ φθάσαι τὸ πρῶτον ἐκβαλόντας βέλος,2 φεύγειν δʼ ἐγκλίναντας εὐθέως διὰ τῶν διαστημάτων ὑπὸ τὰς παρʼ αὑτῶν ἴλας, καταπλαγέντας τὴν ἐπιφορὰν καὶ περιδεεῖς γενομένους μὴ συμπατηθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων ἱππέων.
And as both the commanders and the cavalry were eagerly disposed for the danger, the first encounter turned out to be such that the javelin-throwers did not manage to throw their first javelin, but immediately turned and fled through the intervals into the rear of their own squadrons, being overwhelmed by the charge and terrified lest they should be trampled by the advancing cavalry.
οἱ μὲν οὖν κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀλλήλοις συμπεσόντες ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἐποίουν ἰσόρροπον τὸν κίνδυνον·
Those who fell upon each other in front kept the conflict evenly balanced for a long time;
ὁμοῦ γὰρ ἦν ἱππομαχία καὶ πεζομαχία διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν παρακαταβαινόντων ἀνδρῶν3 ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ μάχῃ.
for there was a mixture of cavalry and infantry combat, because of the large number of men who dismounted in the fight itself.
τῶν δὲ Νομάδων κυκλωσάντων καὶ κατόπιν ἐπιπεσόντων, οἱ μὲν πεζακοντισταὶ τὸ πρῶτον διαφυγόντες τὴν σύμπτωσιν τῶν ἱππέων τότε συνεπατήθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους καὶ τῆς ἐπιφορᾶς τῶν Νομάδων·
But when the Numidians encircled them and fell upon them from behind, the infantry javelin-throwers, who had initially escaped the clash of the cavalry, were then trampled by the multitude and charge of the Numidians;
οἱ δὲ κατὰ πρόσωπον ἐξ ἀρχῆς διαμαχόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, πολλοὺς μὲν αὑτῶν ἀπολωλεκότες, ἔτι δὲ πλείους τῶν Καρχηδονίων διεφθαρκότες, συνεπιθεμένων ἀπʼ οὐρᾶς τῶν Νομάδων, ἐτράπησαν, οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ σποράδες, τινὲς δὲ περὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα συστραφέντες.
while those who had been fighting from the beginning in front against the Carthaginians, having lost many of their own but having destroyed even more of the Carthaginians, turned to flight when the Numidians attacked them from the rear, most of them dispersing, but some gathering together around their commander.
- 3.65.1ἔχοντες εὐώνυμον μὲν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, δεξιὸν δὲ τὸν ῥοῦν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι
Taking τὸν ῥοῦν (the flow of the river) as the object, with the adjectives εὐώνυμον (left) and δεξιόν (right) functioning predicatively. Literally 'the Romans having the flow on their left, and the Carthaginians on their right,' indicating that the two armies were advancing in opposite directions along the same river.
- 3.65.7μὴ φθάσαι τὸ πρῶτον ἐκβαλόντας βέλος
The construction of φθάνω with a participle (here ἐκβαλόντας) expresses doing something before another action. With the infinitive φθάσαι here, it means 'did not manage to throw their first javelin' or 'before they could throw their first javelin.'
- 3.65.9τῶν παρακαταβαινόντων ἀνδρῶν
The verb παρακαταβαίνω in this context refers to cavalrymen 'dismounting' to fight on foot. Translating this participle accurately explains why the combat became a mixture of cavalry and infantry engagements.