Hannibal's Speech and the Plunder of Roman Houses — Polybius, The Histories Book 8 (8.31.1–8.31.6), Greek & English

§8.31.1

ἤδη δὲ τοῦ μὲν Ἀννίβου παρεμβεβληκότος τὴν δύναμιν εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων ἀποκεχωρηκότων εἰς τὴν ἄκραν διὰ τὸ προκατεσχῆσθαι φρουρᾷ ταύτην ὑπʼ αὐτῶν,¹ ὄντος δὲ φωτὸς εἰλικρινοῦς, ὁ μὲν Ἀννίβας ἐκήρυττε τοὺς Ταραντίνους ἄνευ τῶν ὅπλων ἁθροίζεσθαι πάντας εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, οἱ δὲ νεανίσκοι περιπορευόμενοι τὴν πόλιν ἐβόων ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, καὶ παρεκάλουν θαρρεῖν, ὡς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων παρόντας τοὺς Καρχηδονίους.²

And now, Hannibal having already advanced his force into the agora, and the Romans having retreated into the citadel because it had been occupied beforehand by them with a garrison, when it was broad daylight, Hannibal caused a proclamation to be made that all the Tarentines should assemble in the agora without their arms. Meanwhile, the young men, going round the city, kept shouting for liberty, and exhorted them to be of good courage, saying that the Carthaginians were present for their sake.

§8.31.3

ὅσοι μὲν οὖν τῶν Ταραντίνων προκατείχοντο τῇ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους εὐνοίᾳ, γνόντες ἀπεχώρουν εἰς τὴν ἄκραν· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κατὰ τὸ κήρυγμα συνηθροίζοντο χωρὶς τῶν ὅπλων, πρὸς οὓς Ἀννίβας φιλανθρώπους διελέχθη λόγους.

As many of the Tarentines, therefore, as were prepossessed with goodwill towards the Romans, having realized the situation, retreated to the citadel; but the rest assembled without their arms in accordance with the proclamation, to whom Hannibal addressed friendly words.

§8.31.4

τῶν δὲ Ταραντίνων ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐπισημηναμένων ἕκαστα τῶν λεγομένων διὰ τὸ παράδοξον τῆς ἐλπίδος, τότε μὲν διαφῆκε τοὺς πολλούς, συντάξας ἕκαστον εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν οἰκίαν ἐπανελθόντας³ μετὰ σπουδῆς ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐπιγράψαι ΤΑΡΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ.

And when the Tarentines with one accord applauded every word he said because of their unexpected hope, for the moment he dismissed the multitude, ordering them to return each to his own house with speed and to write on the door “TARENTINE.”

§8.31.5

τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν κατάλυσιν⁴ ἐπιγράψαντι ταὐτὸ τοῦτο θάνατον ὥρισε τὴν ζημίαν.

But for anyone who should write this same thing on a Roman lodging, he appointed death as the penalty.

§8.31.6

αὐτὸς δὲ διελὼν τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους τῶν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐφῆκε διαρπάζειν τὰς τῶν Ῥωμαίων οἰκίας, σύνθημα δοὺς πολεμίας νομίζειν τὰς ἀνεπιγράφους, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς συνέχων ἐν τάξει τούτοις ἐφέδρους.

He himself, having selected those most suitable for the task, let them loose to plunder the houses of the Romans, giving them a signal to consider those without inscriptions as enemy property, while keeping the rest in order as a reserve for these.

Syntax notes4 items

8.31.1διὰ τὸ προκατεσχῆσθαι φρουρᾷ ταύτην ὑπʼ αὐτῶν
The accusative subject of the perfect passive infinitive προκατεσχῆσθαι (from προκατέχω) is the demonstrative pronoun ταύτην (referring to τὴν ἄκραν, the citadel), with ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ("by them", i.e., the Romans) indicating the agent.
8.31.2ὡς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων παρόντας τοὺς Καρχηδονίους
The conjunction ὡς is followed by the accusative subject τοὺς Καρχηδονίους and the accusative participle παρόντας (from πάρειμι), expressing a subjective assertion or reason put forward by the young men ("alleging that the Carthaginians were present for their sake").
8.31.4ἕκαστον εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν οἰκίαν ἐπανελθόντας
An example of constructio ad sensum (agreement according to sense). While ἕκαστον ("each one") is grammatically singular, the participle ἐπανελθόντας is plural because it refers to the individuals who make up the collective multitude (τοὺς πολλούς).
8.31.5τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν κατάλυσιν
The noun κατάλυσις (commonly meaning "dissolution" or "destruction") here contextually refers to a "lodging", "quarters", or "billet" of the Romans.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.31.1-8.31.6