- 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-grc2:3.91.1-3.91.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The strategic rationality of Hannibal's march into the plains around Capua is explained through a detailed description of their fertility, major cities, natural defences, and highly restricted access points.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ1 ὅ γʼ Ἀννίβας εἰκότως ἐπὶ τούτους κατήντα τοὺς λογισμούς.
Indeed, Hannibal had good reason for arriving at these calculations.
τὰ γὰρ πεδία τὰ κατὰ Καπύην ἐπιφανέστατα μέν ἐστι τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ διὰ τὸ κάλλος καὶ διὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτῇ κεῖσθαι τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τούτοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἐμπορίοις,2 εἰς ἃ σχεδὸν ἐκ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης κατατρέχουσιν οἱ πλέοντες εἰς Ἰταλίαν.
For the plains around Capua are the most celebrated in Italy, both for their fertility and their beauty, and because they lie close to the sea and enjoy the use of those emporiums into which those sailing to Italy run down from almost the whole inhabited world.
περιέχουσι δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιφανεστάτας καὶ καλλίστας πόλεις τῆς Ἰταλίας ἐν αὑτοῖς.
And they contain within themselves the most celebrated and beautiful cities of Italy.
τὴν μὲν γὰρ παραλίαν αὐτῶν Σενοεσανοὶ καὶ Κυμαῖοι καὶ Δικαιαρχῖται νέμονται, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Νεαπολῖται, τελευταῖον δὲ τὸ τῶν Νουκερίνων ἔθνος.
For their coast is occupied by the Sinuessans, Cumaeans, and Dicaearchians, and in addition to these by the Neapolitans, and finally by the tribe of the Nucerians.
τῆς δὲ μεσογαίου τὰ μὲν πρὸς τὰς ἄρκτους Καληνοὶ καὶ Τιανῖται κατοικοῦσι, τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἕω καὶ μεσημβρίαν Δαύνιοι καὶ Νωλανοί. κατὰ μέσα δὲ τὰ πεδία κεῖσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν πασῶν ποτε μακαριωτάτην γεγονυῖαν πόλιν Καπύην.
As for the inland parts, those towards the north are inhabited by the Calenians and Teanians, and those towards the east and south by the Daunians and Nolans. And in the very middle of the plains lies Capua, which was once the most prosperous of all cities.
ἐπιεικέστατος δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς μυθογράφοις ὁ περὶ τούτων τῶν πεδίων λέγεται λόγος· προσαγορεύεται δὲ καὶ ταῦτα Φλεγραῖα, καθάπερ καὶ ἕτερα τῶν ἐπιφανῶν πεδίων· θεούς γε μὴν μάλιστα περὶ τούτων εἰκὸς ἠρικέναι3 διὰ τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτῶν.
A highly plausible story is also told about these plains by the mythographers; and they are called Phlegraean, just like other famous plains; and indeed, it is highly probable that the gods disputed especially for these on account of their beauty and fertility.
ἅμα δὲ τοῖς προειρημένοις ὀχυρὰ δοκεῖ καὶ δυσέμβολα τελέως εἶναι τὰ πεδία· τὰ μὲν γὰρ θαλάττῃ τὸ δὲ πλεῖον ὄρεσι μεγάλοις πάντῃ καὶ συνεχέσι περιέχεται, διʼ ὧν εἰσβολαὶ τρεῖς ὑπάρχουσι μόνον ἐκ τῆς μεσογαίου στεναὶ καὶ δύσβατοι, μία μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς Σαυνίτιδος, δευτέρα δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς Λατίνης, ἡ δὲ κατάλοιπος ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς Ἱρπίνους τόπων.
Along with what has been said, the plains seem to be completely secure and difficult of access; for they are enclosed on one side by the sea and for the most part by great and continuous mountains on all sides, through which there are only three passes from the interior, narrow and difficult to traverse, one from Samnium, a second from Latium, and the remaining one from the territory of the Hirpini.
διόπερ ἔμελλον εἰς ταῦτα καταστρατοπεδεύσαντες ὥσπερ εἰς θέατρον οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι καταπλήξεσθαι μὲν τῷ παραλόγῳ πάντας, ἐκθεατριεῖν δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους φυγομαχοῦντας,4 αὐτοὶ δʼ ἐξ ὁμολόγου φανήσεσθαι τῶν ὑπαίθρων κρατοῦντες.
Therefore, by encamping in these plains as if in a theatre, the Carthaginians were bound to strike everyone with terror by the unexpectedness of their move, and to expose the enemy to the spectators as avoiding battle, while they themselves would manifestly appear to be masters of the open country by general consent.
- 3.91.1οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ
An idiomatic expression meaning "nevertheless" or "however." It marks a transition from the previous discussion of the allies' loyalty to Rome, justifying Hannibal's strategic reasoning in choosing the Capuan plains.
- 3.91.2διὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτῇ κεῖσθαι τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τούτοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἐμπορίοις
Two infinitive clauses (κεῖσθαι and χρῆσθαι) introduced by the articular neuter article τό under the preposition διά, connected by καί. The implied subject of χρῆσθαι is the plains themselves (τὰ πεδία), indicating that the plains possess or have the use of these commercial ports.
- 3.91.7θεούς γε μὴν μάλιστα περὶ τούτων εἰκὸς ἠρικέναι
The impersonal adjective εἰκός ("it is natural/probable") governs an accusative and infinitive construction. θεούς is the subject accusative of the perfect active infinitive ἠρικέναι (from ἐρίζω, "to dispute/quarrel").
- 3.91.10ἐκθεατριεῖν δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους φυγομαχοῦντας
The verb ἐκθεατρίζω (literally "to expel from a theatre" or "to expose to public ridicule") is used here metaphorically to mean exposing the enemy, who avoid battle (φυγομαχοῦντας), to public disgrace and ridicule before the spectators of the metaphorical theatre (θέατρον).