- 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-grc2:8.5.1-8.5.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Archimedes' defensive engines, designed for various ranges, successfully repel the attacking Roman fleet. His tactics of firing through small wall-crevices and dropping heavy stones and leaden weights from crane-like machines destroy the Romans' "sambucae" and vessels.
πλὴν οὗτοι μὲν τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον διηρμοσμένοι προσάγειν διενοοῦντο τοῖς πύργοις· ὁ δὲ προειρημένος ἀνήρ, παρεσκευασμένος ὄργανα1 πρὸς ἅπαν ἐμβελὲς διάστημα, πόρρωθεν μὲν ἐπιπλέοντας τοῖς εὐτονωτέροις καὶ μείζοσι λιθοβόλοις καὶ βέλεσι τιτρώσκων εἰς ἀπορίαν ἐνέβαλε καὶ δυσχρηστίαν, ὅτε δὲ ταῦθʼ ὑπερπετῆ γίνοιτο,2 τοῖς ἐλάττοσι κατὰ λόγον ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἀπόστημα χρώμενος εἰς τοιαύτην ἤγαγε διατροπὴν ὥστε καθόλου κωλύειν αὐτῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν καὶ τὸν ἐπίπλουν, ἕως ὁ Μάρκος δυσθετούμενος ἠναγκάσθη λάθρᾳ νυκτὸς ἔτι ποιήσασθαι τὴν παραγωγήν.
However, while they, having been equipped in this manner, intended to bring their vessels against the towers, the aforementioned man, having prepared engines for every range of missile, by wounding those sailing up from afar with more powerful and larger stone-throwers and missiles, threw them into great difficulty and distress. And when these missiles began to fly over them, he, by employing smaller engines always in proportion to the present distance, threw them into such confusion as to entirely check their onset and their approach by sea, until Marcus, being at a loss, was forced to make his approach secretly while it was still night.
γενομένων δʼ αὐτῶν ἐντὸς βέλους πρὸς τῇ γῇ, πάλιν ἑτέραν ἡτοιμάκει παρασκευὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀπομαχομένους ἐκ τῶν πλοίων.
But when they had come within range of missiles close to the land, he had prepared another defense against those fighting from the ships.
ἕως ἀνδρομήκους ὕψους3 κατεπύκνωσε τρήμασι τὸ τεῖχος ὡς παλαιστιαίοις τὸ μέγεθος κατὰ τὴν ἐκτὸς ἐπιφάνειαν· οἷς τοξότας καὶ σκορπίδια παραστήσας ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους, καὶ βάλλων διὰ τούτων, ἀχρήστους ἐποίει τοὺς ἐπιβάτας.
He pierced the wall with numerous openings up to a man’s height, about a span in size on the outer surface; and having stationed archers and “scorpions” inside the wall behind these openings and shooting through them, he rendered the marines on board useless.
ἐξ οὗ καὶ μακρὰν ἀφεστῶτας καὶ σύνεγγυς ὄντας τοὺς πολεμίους οὐ μόνον ἀπράκτους παρεσκεύαζε πρὸς τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιβολάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ διέφθειρε τοὺς πλείστους αὐτῶν.
Thereby not only rendering the enemy ineffective in their attempts whether they were far off or close at hand, but also destroying most of them.
ὅτε δὲ τὰς σαμβύκας ἐγχειρήσαιεν ἐξαίρειν, ὄργανα παρʼ ὅλον τὸ τεῖχος ἡτοιμάκει, τὸν μὲν λοιπὸν χρόνον ἀφανῆ, κατὰ δὲ τὸν τῆς χρείας καιρὸν ἐκ τῶν ἔσω μερῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τείχους ἀνιστάμενα καὶ προπίπτοντα πολὺ τῆς ἐπάλξεως ταῖς κεραίαις·
And whenever they attempted to raise the sambucae, he had engines ready along the whole wall, which at other times were invisible, but at the moment of need rose up from the inside above the wall and projected far beyond the battlements with their yard-arms;
ὧν τινὰ μὲν ἐβάσταζε λίθους οὐκ ἐλάττους δέκα ταλάντων, τινὰ δὲ σηκώματα μολίβδινα.
some of which carried stones of not less than ten talents in weight, and others leaden weights.
λοιπὸν ὅτε συνεγγίζοιεν αἱ σαμβῦκαι, τότε περιαγόμεναι καρχησίῳ πρὸς τὸ δέον αἱ κεραῖαι διά τινος σχαστηρίας ἠφίεσαν εἰς τὸ κατασκεύασμα τὸν λίθον·
Then, when the sambucae approached, the yard-arms, being swung round on a pivot to the required position, let fall the stone upon the engine by means of a release-trigger;
ἐξ οὗ συνέβαινε μὴ μόνον αὐτὸ συνθραύεσθαι τοὔργανον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ναῦν4
resulting in the shattering not only of the engine itself, but also of the ship [being endangered].
- 8.5.2παρεσκευασμένος ὄργανα
The perfect middle/passive participle παρεσκευασμένος takes the accusative object ὄργανα. It functions here with middle force ("having prepared for himself") or denotes a completed transitive state.
- 8.5.3ὅτε δὲ ταῦθʼ ὑπερπετῆ γίνοιτο
The optative mood γίνοιτο in the temporal clause introduced by ὅτε is used to express a past general or iterative condition ("whenever these flew over").
- 8.5.6ἕως ἀνδρομήκους ὕψους
The preposition ἕως is used with the genitive case ὕψους to denote a spatial limit, meaning "up to (a man's) height."
- 8.5.11ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ναῦν
In the "not only... but also..." (μὴ μόνον... ἀλλὰ καὶ...) construction following the impersonal συνέβαινε, τὴν ναῦν acts as the subject accusative of the infinitive, sharing συνθραύεσθαι or implying a similar verb of destruction where the text breaks off.