- 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-grc2:8.34.1-8.34.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Prevented from capturing the citadel by a Roman night attack, Hannibal abandons the siege but devises a brilliant plan to transport Tarentine ships overland through a wide street to the outer sea, successfully blockading and isolating the Roman garrison.
ἤδη δʼ ἐντελεῖς αὐτοῦ συνεσταμένου τὰς πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν παρασκευάς,1 παραπεσούσης ἐκ Μεταποντίου βοηθείας εἰς τὴν ἄκραν κατὰ θάλατταν, βραχύ τι ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀναθαρρήσαντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι νυκτὸς ἐπέθεντο τοῖς ἔργοις, καὶ πάσας διέφθειραν τὰς τῶν ἔργων καὶ μηχανημάτων κατασκευάς.
When Hannibal had already completed his preparations for the siege, as a reinforcement from Metapontum arrived at the citadel by sea, the Romans, recovering a little courage in their hearts, made a night attack on the works, and destroyed all the structures of the works and engines.
οὗ γενομένου τὸ μὲν πολιορκεῖν τὴν ἄκραν Ἀννίβας ἀπέγνω, τῆς δὲ τοῦ τείχους κατασκευῆς ἤδη τετελειωμένης, ἁθροίσας τοὺς Ταραντίνους ἀπεδείκνυε διότι κυριώτατόν ἐστι πρὸς τοὺς ἐνεστῶτας καιροὺς τὸ τῆς θαλάττης ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι.
Upon this happening, Hannibal gave up the idea of besieging the citadel, but since the construction of the wall was already completed, he assembled the Tarentines and pointed out to them that the most important thing for the present circumstances was to gain command of the sea.
κρατούσης γὰρ τῆς ἄκρας τῶν κατὰ τὸν εἴσπλουν τόπων, ὡς ἐπάνω προεῖπον, οἱ μὲν Ταραντῖνοι τὸ παράπαν οὐκ ἠδύναντο χρῆσθαι ταῖς ναυσὶν οὐδʼ ἐκπλεῖν ἐκ τοῦ λιμένος, τοῖς δὲ Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ θάλατταν ἀσφαλῶς παρεκομίζετο τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν·
For since the citadel, as I said above, commanded the passages at the entrance of the harbor, the Tarentines were entirely unable to use their ships or to sail out of the harbor, while to the Romans necessary supplies were safely brought by sea;
οὗ συμβαίνοντος οὐδέποτε δυνατὸν ἦν βεβαίως ἐλευθερωθῆναι τὴν πόλιν.
and while this was the case, it was never possible for the city to be securely liberated.
ἃ συνορῶν ὁ Ἀννίβας ἐδίδασκε τοὺς Ταραντίνους ὡς, ἐὰν ἀποκλεισθῶσι τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ἐλπίδος οἱ τὴν ἄκραν τηροῦντες, παρὰ πόδας2 αὐτοὶ διʼ αὑτῶν εἴξαντες λείψουσι ταύτην καὶ παραδώσουσι τὸν τόπον.
Perceiving this, Hannibal explained to the Tarentines that if those who guarded the citadel were cut off from their hope of the sea, they would immediately yield of their own accord, abandon the place, and surrender the site.
ὧν ἀκούοντες οἱ Ταραντῖνοι τοῖς μὲν λεγομένοις συγκατετίθεντο· ὅπως δʼ ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτο κατὰ τὸ παρόν, οὐδαμῶς ἐδύναντο συννοῆσαι, πλὴν εἰ παρὰ Καρχηδονίων ἐπιφανείη στόλος· τοῦτο δʼ ἦν κατὰ τοὺς τότε καιροὺς ἀδύνατον.
Hearing this, the Tarentines agreed with what was said; but how this could be done at present, they could by no means conceive, unless a fleet should appear from the Carthaginians; but this, in the circumstances of that time, was impossible.
διόπερ ἠδυνάτουν συμβαλεῖν ἐπὶ τί φερόμενος Ἀννίβας τοὺς περὶ τούτων πρὸς σφᾶς ποιεῖται λόγους.
Therefore, they were unable to conjecture what Hannibal was driving at in speaking to them about these matters.
φήσαντος δʼ αὐτοῦ φανερὸν εἶναι χωρὶς Καρχηδονίων αὐτοὺς διʼ αὑτῶν ὅσον ἤδη3 κρατῆσαι τῆς θαλάττης, μᾶλλοι ἐκπλαγεῖς ἦσαν, οὐ δυνάμενοι τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ συμβαλεῖν.
But when he said that it was clear that they could by themselves, without the Carthaginians, obtain mastery of the sea almost immediately, they were still more astonished, being unable to comprehend his plan.
ὁ δὲ συνεωρακὼς τὴν πλατεῖαν εὐδιακόσμητον οὖσαν τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν μὲν ἐντὸς τοῦ διατειχίσματος, φέρουσαν δὲ παρὰ τὸ διατείχισμʼ ἐκ τοῦ λιμένος εἰς τὴν ἔξω θάλατταν, ταύτῃ διενοεῖτο τὰς ναῦς ἐκ τοῦ λιμένος εἰς τὴν νότιον ὑπερβιβάζειν πλευράν.
But he, having observed that there was a wide and well-cleared street within the cross-wall, leading along the cross-wall from the harbor to the outer sea, intended by this way to transport the ships from the harbor to the southern side.
διόπερ ἅμα τῷ τὴν ἐπίνοιαν ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς Ταραντίνοις οὐ μόνον συγκατέθεντο τοῖς λεγομένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαφερόντως ἐθαύμασαν τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ διέλαβον ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν περιγένοιτο4 τῆς ἀγχινοίας τῆς ἐκείνου καὶ τόλμης.
Therefore, as soon as he disclosed his plan to the Tarentines, they not only agreed with his words, but also admired the man exceedingly, and concluded that nothing could overcome his ingenuity and daring.
ταχὺ δὲ πορείων ὑποτρόχων κατασκευασθέντων, ἅμα τῷ λόγῳ τοὔργον εἰλήφει συντέλειαν, ἅτε προθυμίας καὶ πολυχειρίας ὁμοῦ τῇ προθέσει συνεργούσης.
Quickly wheeled carriages were constructed, and the word was no sooner spoken than the deed was done, as zeal and many hands co-operated with his purpose.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Ταραντῖνοι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ὑπερνεωλκήσαντες τὰς νῆας εἰς τὴν ἔξω θάλατταν, ἐπολιόρκουν ἀσφαλῶς τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας, ἀφῃρημένοι τὰς ἔξωθεν αὐτῶν ἐπικουρίας.
The Tarentines, then, having in this manner hauled the ships across into the outer sea, besieged those in the citadel securely, having cut off their external reinforcements.
Ἀννίβας δὲ φυλακὴν ἀπολιπὼν τῆς πόλεως ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ παρεγένετο τριταῖος ἐπὶ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς χάρακα, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐνταῦθα διατρίβων ἔμενε κατὰ χώραν.
Hannibal, having left a guard in the city, marched away with his force, and arrived on the third day at his original camp, and remained there in his quarters for the rest of the winter.
- 8.34.1ἤδη δʼ ἐντελεῖς αὐτοῦ συνεσταμένου τὰς πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν παρασκευάς
A genitive absolute construction. The pronoun αὐτοῦ refers to Hannibal, serving as the logical subject of the perfect participle συνεσταμένου (middle/passive): "when he had already completed..." or "when the preparations had been set up by him."
- 8.34.5παρὰ πόδας
An idiomatic expression composed of the preposition παρά and the accusative plural of πούς (foot). Literally "at the feet," it metaphorically signifies "immediately" or "instantly" in a temporal sense.
- 8.34.8ὅσον ἤδη
An adverbial combination of ὅσον and ἤδη (already/now) indicating extreme temporal proximity, meaning "almost immediately" or "practically at this moment."
- 8.34.10ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν περιγένοιτο
A potential optative with ἂν in a subordinate clause. Although the main verb is in the past tense (διέλαβον), which could trigger a simple oblique optative, the construction with ἂν is retained to preserve the potential meaning ("that nothing could possibly overcome").
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-10-09)
- 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1