- 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-grc2:36.7.1-36.7.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Upon learning the harsh demands of Rome, the Carthaginian envoys fell into despair; once the news reached the citizens, the city erupted into intense fury, confusion, and riots.
ἁπλῶς δʼ οὐδὲν εἶδος τῶν μελλόντων ἔγνωσαν, ἐξ αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἐμφάσεως ὀττευόμενοι τῶν πρέσβεων1 εἰς παντοδαπὰς οἰμωγὰς καὶ θρήνους ἐνέπιπτον. —
Yet, in short, they knew no aspect of what was to come, but foreboding from the very expression of the envoys, they fell into all kinds of lamentation and wailing. —
οἱ δὲ πάντες ἅμʼ ἀνακεκραγότες ἐξ αὐτῆς οἱονεὶ παρελύθησαν.
And they all, crying out together, on the instant became as it were paralyzed.
ταχὺ δὲ τοῦ λόγου διαδοθέντος εἰς τὸ πλῆθος, οὐκέτι συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀλογίαν,2 ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς ὥρμων, ὡς αἰτίους σφίσι τῶν κακῶν ὄντας τούτων,3 οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατειλημμένους τῶν Ἰταλικῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτους ἀπηρείσαντο τὸν θυμόν, οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως4 —
But when the news was quickly spread among the multitude, the speechless stupor no longer continued, but some rushed upon the envoys, as being the causes of these evils to them, others made for the Italians who had been caught in the city and wreaked their anger upon them, while others rushed to the gates of the city —
- 36.7.2ἐξ αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἐμφάσεως ὀττευόμενοι τῶν πρέσβεων
The genitive "τῶν πρέσβεων" modifies "τῆς ἐμφάσεως" ("from the very expression of the envoys"). The present participle "ὀττευόμενοι" means "boding" or "foreboding", indicating that the crowd sensed bad tidings simply from the downcast demeanor of the envoys.
- 36.7.4οὐκέτι συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀλογίαν
"ἀλογία" here denotes "speechlessness", "stupor", or "silence" rather than "irrationality". It refers back to the state of being "paralyzed" ("παρελύθησαν") in the previous sentence. Once the news spread, this stunned silence broke and turned into violent rage.
- 36.7.4ὡς αἰτίους σφίσι τῶν κακῶν ὄντας τούτων
The combination of "ὡς" and the accusative participle "ὄντας" (agreeing with "τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς") expresses a subjective reason ("on the ground that they were..."). "σφίσι" is an indirect reflexive pronoun referring to the subject (the crowd), and "τῶν κακῶν τούτων" is the genitive governed by "αἰτίους" ("responsible for").
- 36.7.5οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως —
An anacoluthon or ellipsis of the verb (such as "ὥρμων", "rushed"). The sentence breaks off abruptly, vividly reflecting the chaotic panic and sudden riots erupting throughout the city.