- 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-grc2:3.72.1-3.72.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Elated by the previous day's success, Tiberius orders the Roman army to cross the freezing Trebia River without breakfast, leaving them exhausted. Hannibal, after preparing his well-rested troops, deploys his forces in a strategic formation, and both sides prepare for a decisive battle.
ὁ δὲ Τεβέριος ἅμα τῷ συνιδεῖν ἐγγίζοντας τοὺς Νομαδικοὺς ἱππεῖς παραυτίκα μὲν αὐτὴν τὴν ἵππον ἐξαπέστελλε, προστάξας ἔχεσθαι καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις.1
As soon as Tiberius saw the Numidian horsemen approaching, he immediately dispatched his own cavalry, ordering them to keep close to the enemy and engage them.
ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις ἐξέπεμπε τοὺς πεζακοντιστὰς εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους· ἐκίνει δὲ καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν δύναμιν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος, ὡς ἐξ ἐπιφανείας κριθησομένων τῶν ὅλων,2 ἐπαιρόμενος τῷ τε πλήθει τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τῷ γεγονότι τῇ προτεραίᾳ περὶ τοὺς ἱππεῖς εὐημερήματι.
Next to these, he sent out the javelin-throwers to the number of about six thousand; and he also moved the rest of his force out of the camp, as if the whole issue were to be decided in open combat, being elated both by the numbers of his men and by the success that had occurred the previous day regarding the cavalry.
οὔσης δὲ τῆς ὥρας περὶ χειμερινὰς τροπὰς καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας νιφετώδους καὶ ψυχρᾶς διαφερόντως, τῶν δʼ ἀνδρῶν καὶ τῶν ἵππων σχεδὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἁπάντων ἀναρίστων ἐκπεπορευμένων,3 τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὁρμῇ καὶ προθυμίᾳ περιῆν τὸ πλῆθος·
It was the time of the winter solstice, and the day was exceptionally snowy and cold, and as the men and horses had set out almost all of them, so to speak, without breakfast, at first the multitude was full of ardor and enthusiasm.
ἐπιγενομένης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Τρεβία ποταμοῦ διαβάσεως, καὶ προσαναβεβηκότος τῷ ῥεύματι διὰ τὸν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ γενόμενον ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τὰ στρατόπεδα τόποις ὄμβρον, μόλις ἕως τῶν μασθῶν οἱ πεζοὶ βαπτιζόμενοι διέβαινον·
But when the crossing of the river Trebia followed, the stream having risen because of the rain that had fallen during the night in the regions above the camps, the infantry crossed with difficulty, immersed up to their breasts.
ἐξ ὧν ἐκακοπάθει τὸ στρατόπεδον ὑπό τε τοῦ ψύχους καὶ τῆς ἐνδείας, ὡς ἂν ἤδη καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας προβαινούσης.
In consequence of this, the army suffered severely from both cold and lack of food, as the day was already advancing.
οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι κατὰ σκηνὰς βεβρωκότες καὶ πεπωκότες καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἡτοιμακότες ἠλείφοντο καὶ καθωπλίζοντο περὶ τὰ πυρὰ πάντες.
Meanwhile, the Carthaginians, having eaten and drunk in their tents and made their horses ready, were all anointing themselves and arming by the fires.
Ἀννίβας δὲ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπιτηρῶν ἅμα τῷ συνιδεῖν διαβεβηκότας τοὺς Ῥωμαίους τὸν ποταμὸν προβαλόμενος ἐφεδρείαν τοὺς λογχοφόρους καὶ Βαλιαρεῖς, ὄντας εἰς ὀκτακισχιλίους, ἐξῆγε τὴν δύναμιν.
Hannibal, watching for the right moment, as soon as he saw that the Romans had crossed the river, put forward as an advance guard the pikemen and Balearics, numbering about eight thousand, and led out his main force.
καὶ προαγαγὼν ὡς ὀκτὼ στάδια πρὸ τῆς στρατοπεδείας τοὺς μὲν πεζοὺς ἐπὶ μίαν εὐθεῖαν παρενέβαλε, περὶ δισμυρίους ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμόν, Ἴβηρας καὶ Κελτοὺς καὶ Λίβυας, τοὺς δʼ ἱππεῖς διελὼν ἐφʼ ἑκάτερον παρέστησε τὸ κέρας, πλείους ὄντας μυρίων σὺν τοῖς παρὰ τῶν Κελτῶν συμμάχοις, τὰ δὲ θηρία μερίσας πρὸ τῶν κεράτων διʼ ἀμφοτέρων προεβάλετο.
Having advanced about eight stades in front of his camp, he drew up his infantry in a single straight line, numbering about twenty thousand, consisting of Iberians, Celts, and Libyans, while dividing the cavalry, he placed them on each wing, numbering more than ten thousand along with the Celtic allies, and having divided the elephants, he placed them in front of both wings.
Τεβέριος δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν τοὺς μὲν ἱππεῖς ἀνεκαλεῖτο, θεωρῶν οὐκ ἔχοντας ὅ,τι χρήσονται τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις4 διὰ τὸ τοὺς Νομάδας ἀποχωρεῖν μὲν εὐχερῶς καὶ σποράδην, ἐπικεῖσθαι δὲ πάλιν ἐκ μεταβολῆς τολμηρῶς καὶ θρασέως· τὸ γὰρ τῆς Νομαδικῆς μάχης ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦτο·
At the same time, Tiberius recalled his cavalry, seeing that they did not know how to deal with their opponents because the Numidians retreated easily and in scattered fashion, but turned back and attacked again with daring and boldness; for this is the characteristic of the Numidian mode of fighting.
τοὺς δὲ πεζοὺς παρενέβαλε κατὰ τὰς εἰθισμένας παρʼ αὐτοῖς τάξεις, ὄντας τοὺς μὲν Ῥωμαίους εἰς μυρίους ἑξακισχιλίους, τοὺς δὲ συμμάχους εἰς δισμυρίους.
He drew up his infantry according to their usual formation, the Romans numbering about sixteen thousand, and the allies twenty thousand.
τὸ γὰρ τέλειον στρατόπεδον παρʼ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὰς ὁλοσχερεῖς ἐπιβολὰς ἐκ τοσούτων ἀνδρῶν ἐστιν, ὅταν ὁμοῦ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἑκατέρους οἱ καιροὶ συνάγωσιν.
For a complete army among them for major operations consists of this many men, whenever circumstances bring both consuls together.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἐφʼ ἑκάτερον θεὶς τὸ κέρας, ὄντας εἰς τετρακισχιλίους, ἐπῄει τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις σοβαρῶς, ἐν τάξει
After this, having placed the cavalry on each wing, numbering about four thousand, he advanced imposingly against the enemy in order.
- 3.72.1ἔχεσθαι καὶ συμπλέκεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις
The verb ἔχεσθαι (to keep close to, pursue) normally governs the genitive, but here it is coordinated with συμπλέκεσθαι (to engage), which governs the dative. Consequently, the dative τοῖς πολεμίοις is placed as a common object, with the genitive relationship for ἔχεσθαι being implicitly understood.
- 3.72.2ὡς ἐξ ἐπιφανείας κριθησομένων τῶν ὅλων
A genitive absolute construction with the future passive participle preceded by ὡς (indicating the subjective expectation or pretext of the main subject, Tiberius). τῶν ὅλων is the subject of the participle, meaning "the whole issue," while ἐξ ἐπιφανείας functions adverbially as "openly" or "in a decisive general engagement."
- 3.72.3τῶν δʼ ἀνδρῶν καὶ τῶν ἵππων σχεδὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἁπάντων ἀναρίστων ἐκπεπορευμένων
A genitive absolute construction with the subject τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τῶν ἵππων ("the men and the horses"), modified by σχεδὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἁπάντων ("almost all of them, so to speak"), with the perfect participle ἐκπεπορευμένων. The adjective ἀναρίστων is used predicatively to describe the state of the subject, meaning "without having had breakfast."
- 3.72.10οὐκ ἔχοντας ὅ,τι χρήσονται τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις
An indirect question clause introduced by οὐκ ἔχειν (not to know what to do). It features the interrogative pronoun ὅ,τι, and the verb χρήσονται (future indicative of χράομαι, "to use, deal with," or a deliberative subjunctive appearing in the future form) which governs the dative τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις, meaning "not knowing how to deal with their opponents."