- 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-grc2:8.4.1-8.4.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The Roman navy under Marcellus attacks Achradina, with a detailed description of the construction and operation of the "sambuca," a massive siege ladder raised from coupled quinqueremes.
ὁ δὲ Μάρκος ἑξήκοντα σκάφεσι πεντηρικοῖς ἐποιεῖτο τὸν ἐπίπλουν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀχραδίνην, ὧν ἕκαστον πλῆρες ἦν ἀνδρῶν ἐχόντων τόξα καὶ σφενδόνας καὶ γρόσφους, διʼ ὧν ἔμελλον τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάλξεων μαχομένους ἀναστέλλειν.
Meanwhile Marcus made his assault by sea against Achradina with sixty quinquereme vessels, each of which was full of men armed with bows, slings, and light javelins, by means of whom they intended to drive back those fighting from the battlements.
ἅμα δὲ τούτοις ὀκτὼ πεντήρεσι, παραλελυμέναις τοὺς ταρσούς,1 ταῖς μὲν τοὺς δεξιούς, ταῖς δὲ τοὺς εὐωνύμους, καὶ συνεζευγμέναις πρὸς ἀλλήλας σύνδυο κατὰ τοὺς ἐψιλωμένους τοίχους, προσῆγον πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐκτὸς τοίχων εἰρεσίας τὰς λεγομένας σαμβύκας.
At the same time, with eight other quinqueremes, which had had their oars stripped off—some on the right side and others on the left—and which had been bound together in pairs by their bare sides, they brought the so-called “sambucae” against the wall by means of the rowing of the outer sides.
τὸ δὲ γένος τῆς κατασκευῆς τῶν εἰρημένων ὀργάνων ἐστὶ τοιοῦτο.
Now the nature of the construction of the aforementioned engines is as follows.
κλίμακα τῷ πλάτει τετράπεδον ἑτοιμάσαντες, ὥστʼ ἐξ ἀποβάσεως ἰσοϋψῆ γενέσθαι τῷ τείχει, ταύτης ἑκατέραν τὴν πλευρὰν δρυφακτώσαντες καὶ σκεπάσαντες ὑπερπετέσι θωρακίοις, ἔθηκαν πλαγίαν2 ἐπὶ τοὺς συμψαύοντας τοίχους τῶν συνεζευγμένων νεῶν, πολὺ προπίπτουσαν τῶν ἐμβόλων.
Having prepared a ladder four feet in width, so that when let down from the ship it would be equal in height to the wall, and having protected each side of it with a railing and covered it with overhanging screens, they laid it flat upon the contacting sides of the coupled ships, projecting far beyond the prows.
πρὸς δὲ τοῖς ἱστοῖς ἐκ τῶν ἄνω μερῶν τροχιλίαι προσήρτηντο σὺν κάλοις.
To the masts, from their upper parts, pulleys were attached with ropes.
λοιπὸν ὅταν ἐγγίσωσι τῆς χρείας,3 ἐνδεδεμένων τῶν κάλων εἰς τὴν κορυφὴν τῆς κλίμακος, ἕλκουσι διὰ τῶν τροχιλιῶν τούτους ἑστῶτες ἐν ταῖς πρύμναις· ἕτεροι δὲ παραπλησίως ἐν ταῖς πρώρραις ἐξερείδοντες ταῖς ἀντηρίσιν ἀσφαλίζονται τὴν ἄρσιν τοῦ μηχανήματος.
Then, when they approach the distance of its use, the ropes having been fastened to the top of the ladder, those standing in the sterns pull them by means of the pulleys, while others likewise in the prows, propping it up with shores, secure the raising of the machine.
κἄπειτα διὰ τῆς εἰρεσίας τῆς ἀφʼ ἑκατέρου τῶν ἐκτὸς ταρσῶν ἐγγίσαντες τῇ γῇ τὰς ναῦς, πειράζουσι προσερείδειν τῷ τείχει τὸ προειρημένον ὄργανον.
After this, having brought the ships close to the land by the rowing of each of the outer banks of oars, they attempt to rest the aforementioned engine against the wall.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς κλίμακος ἄκρας ὑπάρχει πέτευρον ἠσφαλισμένον γέρροις τὰς τρεῖς ἐπιφανείας, ἐφʼ οὗ τέτταρες ἄνδρες ἐπιβεβηκότες ἀγωνίζονται, διαμαχόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς εἴργοντας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάλξεων τὴν πρόσθεσιν τῆς σαμβύκης.
At the top of the ladder there is a platform secured on its three sides with wicker shields, upon which four men stand and fight, contending against those who try to prevent the placing of the sambuca from the battlements.
ἐπὰν δὲ προσερείσαντες ὑπερδέξιοι γένωνται τοῦ τείχους, οὗτοι μὲν τὰ πλάγια τῶν γέρρων παραλύσαντες ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους ἐπιβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἢ τοὺς πύργους.
When they have rested it against the wall and come to overlook it, these men, having removed the sides of the wicker shields from each part, step onto the battlements or the towers.
οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ διὰ τῆς σαμβύκης ἕπονται τούτοις, ἀσφαλῶς τοῖς κάλοις βεβηκυίας τῆς κλίμακος4 εἰς ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ναῦς.
The rest follow them by way of the sambuca, the ladder being firmly secured to both ships by the ropes.
εἰκότως δὲ τὸ κατασκεύασμα τῆς προσηγορίας τέτευχε ταύτης· ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ἐξαρθῇ, γίνεται τὸ σχῆμα τῆς νεὼς ταύτης καὶ τῆς κλίμακος ἑνοποιηθὲν παραπλήσιον σαμβύκῃ.
And with good reason has the engine received this name; for when it is raised, the shape of the ship and the ladder combined becomes very similar to a sambuca.
- 8.4.2παραλελυμέναις τοὺς ταρσούς
The perfect passive participle παραλελυμέναις takes the accusative of respect τοὺς ταρσούς ('oar-banks'), indicating the specific part of the ships that was stripped.
- 8.4.4πλαγίαν
The feminine accusative singular of the adjective πλάγιος, functioning as a predicative adjunct to the object κλίμακα ('ladder'), meaning that they laid it down horizontally or flat.
- 8.4.6ὅταν ἐγγίσωσι τῆς χρείας
A temporal/conditional clause introduced by ὅταν with the subjunctive ἐγγίσωσι. The verb ἐγγίζω governs the genitive τῆς χρείας ('need/use'), meaning 'when they approach the point of its employment.'
- 8.4.10βεβηκυίας τῆς κλίμακος
A genitive absolute construction with the perfect active participle βεβηκυῖα (from βαίνω) expressing cause ('since the ladder has been firmly set').