- 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-grc2:3.84.1-3.84.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Hannibal launched a surprise attack from all sides on the Roman army entering the valley under cover of heavy mist, resulting in heavy Roman casualties, including the consul Flaminius. A portion of the Roman troops escaped but eventually surrendered.
οὔσης δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ὀμιχλώδους διαφερόντως, Ἀννίβας ἅμα τῷ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς πορείας εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα προσδέξασθαι1 καὶ συνάπτειν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἤδη τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων πρωτοπορείαν ἀποδοὺς τὰ συνθήματα καὶ διαπεμψάμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐνέδραις συνεπεχείρει πανταχόθεν ἅμα τοῖς πολεμίοις.
The day being exceptionally misty, Hannibal, as soon as the greater part of the enemy’s column had entered the valley and their vanguard was already closing with him, gave the signal and, sending word to those in ambush, attacked the enemy simultaneously from all sides.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Φλαμίνιον, παραδόξου γενομένης αὐτοῖς τῆς ἐπιφανείας, ἔτι δὲ δυσσυνόπτου τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα περιστάσεως ὑπαρχούσης, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων κατὰ πολλοὺς τόπους ἐξ ὑπερδεξίου καταφερομένων καὶ προσπιπτόντων, οὐχ οἷον παραβοηθεῖν ἐδύναντο πρός τι τῶν δεομένων οἱ ταξίαρχοι καὶ χιλίαρχοι τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ συννοῆσαι2 τὸ γινόμενον.
Since the appearance of the enemy was unexpected to Flaminius and his men, and as the state of the atmosphere made it difficult to see what was happening, and since the enemy were rushing down and attacking from high ground in many places, the Roman centurions and tribunes were not only unable to bring assistance where it was needed, but could not even understand what was occurring.
ἅμα γὰρ οἱ μὲν κατὰ πρόσωπον, οἱ δʼ ἀπʼ οὐρᾶς, οἱ δʼ ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων αὐτοῖς προσέπιπτον.
For they were attacked at once, some in front, some in the rear, and others on their flanks.
διὸ καὶ συνέβη τοὺς πλείστους ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ τῆς πορείας σχήματι κατακοπῆναι, μὴ δυναμένους αὑτοῖς βοηθεῖν, ἀλλʼ ὡσανεὶ προδεδομένους ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ προεστῶτος ἀκρισίας.
Consequently, it happened that most of them were cut down in the very order of march, unable to help themselves, but as if betrayed by the lack of judgment of their commander.
ἔτι γὰρ διαβουλευόμενοι τί δεῖ πράττειν ἀπώλλυντο παραδόξως.
For while they were still deliberating what they ought to do, they were unexpectedly destroyed.
ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ καὶ τὸν Φλαμίνιον αὐτὸν δυσχρηστούμενον καὶ περικακοῦντα τοῖς ὅλοις προσπεσόντες τινὲς τῶν Κελτῶν ἀπέκτειναν.
At this moment, Flaminius himself, being in great distress and despairing of the whole situation, was attacked and slain by some Celts.
ἔπεσον οὖν τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατὰ τὸν αὐλῶνα σχεδὸν εἰς μυρίους καὶ πεντακισχιλίους, οὔτʼ εἴκειν τοῖς παροῦσιν οὔτε πράττειν οὐδὲν δυνάμενοι, τοῦτο δʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐθισμῶν αὐτὸ περὶ πλείστου ποιούμενοι, τὸ μὴ φεύγειν3 μηδὲ λείπειν τὰς τάξεις.
Thus there fell of the Romans in the valley about fifteen thousand, who were neither able to yield to their present circumstances nor to achieve anything, but, according to their habit, regarded this as of the highest importance: not to flee and not to leave their ranks.
οἱ δὲ κατὰ πορείαν μεταξὺ τῆς λίμνης καὶ τῆς παρωρείας ἐν τοῖς στενοῖς συγκλεισθέντες αἰσχρῶς, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ταλαιπώρως διεφθείροντο.
But those who were caught on the line of march in the narrow pass between the lake and the foot of the hills perished in a shameful and still more wretched manner.
συνωθούμενοι [μὲν] γὰρ εἰς τὴν λίμνην οἱ μὲν διὰ τὴν παράστασιν τῆς διανοίας ὁρμῶντες ἐπὶ τὸ νήχεσθαι σὺν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἀπεπνίγοντο, τὸ δὲ πολὺ πλῆθος μέχρι μὲν τοῦ δυνατοῦ προβαῖνον εἰς τὴν λίμνην ἔμενε τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτὰς ὑπὲρ τὸ ὑγρὸν ὑπερίσχον·
For, being pushed into the lake, some, impelled by the desperation of their minds, attempted to swim with their armor and were drowned, while the greater multitude, wading into the lake as far as they could, remained there with only their heads kept above water.
ἐπιγενομένων δὲ τῶν ἱππέων, καὶ προδήλου γενομένης ἀπωλείας ἐξαίροντες τὰς χεῖρας καὶ δεόμενοι ζωγρεῖν καὶ πᾶσαν προϊέμενοι φωνὴν τὸ τελευταῖον οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, τινὲς δὲ παρακαλέσαντες αὑτοὺς διεφθάρησαν.4
When the cavalry came upon them, and destruction was visibly imminent, they raised their hands, begging to be taken alive and uttering every kind of cry; in the end, some were slaughtered by the enemy, and others, urging one another on, put an end to themselves.
ἑξακισχίλιοι δʼ ἴσως τῶν κατὰ τὸν αὐλῶνα τοὺς κατὰ πρόσωπον νικήσαντες παραβοηθεῖν μὲν τοῖς ἰδίοις καὶ περιίστασθαι τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἠδυνάτουν διὰ τὸ μηδὲν συνορᾶν τῶν γινομένων, καίπερ μεγάλην δυνάμενοι πρὸς τὰ ὅλα παρέχεσθαι χρείαν·
Meanwhile, about six thousand of those in the valley, who had defeated the enemy in front of them, were unable to assist their own comrades or to surround the enemy because they could see nothing of what was happening, although they might have rendered great service to the whole fortune of the day.
ἀεὶ δὲ τοῦ πρόσθεν ὀρεγόμενοι προῆγον, πεπεισμένοι συμπεσεῖσθαί τισιν, ἕως ἔλαθον ἐκπεσόντες πρὸς τοὺς ὑπερδεξίους τόπους. γενόμενοι δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄκρων, καὶ τῆς ὀμίχλης ἤδη πεπτωκυίας συνέντες τὸ γεγονὸς ἀτύχημα καὶ ποιεῖν οὐδὲν ὄντες ἔτι δυνατοὶ διὰ τὸ τοῖς ὅλοις ἐπικρατεῖν καὶ πάντα προκατέχειν ἤδη τοὺς πολεμίους, συστραφέντες ἀπεχώρησαν εἴς τινα κώμην Τυρρηνίδα.
Constantly pressing forward, they advanced in the belief that they would meet someone, until they unconsciously escaped to the high ground. Having reached the ridges, and the mist having now dispersed, they perceived the disaster that had occurred; and being no longer able to do anything because the enemy were completely victorious and had already preoccupied all the positions, they formed into a body and retreated to a certain Etruscan village.
μετὰ δὲ τὴν μάχην ἀποσταλέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ μετὰ τῶν Ἰβήρων καὶ λογχοφόρων Μαάρβα καὶ περιστρατοπεδεύσαντος τὴν κώμην, ποικίλης αὐτοῖς ἀπορίας περιεστώσης, ἀποθέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα παρέδοσαν αὑτοὺς ὑποσπόνδους, ὡς τευξόμενοι τῆς σωτηρίας.
After the battle, Maharbal having been sent by the general with the Spaniards and light-armed spearmen, and having surrounded the village, they, being surrounded by all kinds of difficulties, laid down their arms and surrendered themselves under treaty, on condition of their lives being spared.
τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν ὅλον κίνδυνον τὸν γενόμενον ἐν Τυρρηνίᾳ Ῥωμαίοις καὶ Καρχηδονίοις
Such, then, was the issue of the whole conflict which took place in Etruria between the Romans and the Carthaginians.
- 3.84.1ἅμα τῷ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς πορείας εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα προσδέξασθαι
A construction of ἅμα τῷ followed by an infinitive clause meaning 'at the same time as...'. Regarding the subject and object of the infinitive προσδέξασθαι, it is standard to take τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς πορείας as the direct object with the subject (the valley, or Hannibal) being omitted. Alternatively, τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος could be interpreted as the subject in an intransitive sense ('when the greater part of the column had entered'), but here the former interpretation ('at the same time as admitting the greater part of the column into the valley') is adopted.
- 3.84.2οὐχ οἷον παραβοηθεῖν ἐδύναντο ... ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ συννοῆσαι
The phrase οὐχ οἷον, derived from οὐχ οἷόν τε, functions idiomatically in combination with the following negative clause (ἀλλʼ οὐδέ...) to express a strong contrast: 'not only were they unable to..., but they could not even...'. Here it emphasizes the severity of the situation, where the officers not only failed to send reinforcement but could not even comprehend what was happening.
- 3.84.7τοῦτο δʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐθισμῶν αὐτὸ περὶ πλείστου ποιούμενοι, τὸ μὴ φεύγειν
The phrase τοῦτο ... αὐτό ('this very thing') stands in apposition to the subsequent infinitive clause τὸ μὴ φεύγειν μηδὲ λείπειν τὰς τάξεις ('not to flee nor to leave their ranks'). Additionally, περί πλείστου ποιεῖσθαι is an idiomatic middle construction meaning 'to regard as of the highest importance'.
- 3.84.10τινὲς δὲ παρακαλέσαντες αὑτοὺς διεφθάρησαν
The plural reflexive pronoun αὑτούς can be used reciprocally in place of reciprocal pronouns, allowing two interpretations: either 'urging one another on (and so perished in battle)' (adopted in this translation) or as a simple reflexive 'encouraging themselves (to commit suicide or drown)'. Given the desperate context of being driven into the lake, the latter nuance of self-destruction is also highly plausible.