Appius' Failed Assault and Roman Shift to a Siege — Polybius, The Histories Book 8 (8.7.1–8.7.12), Greek & English

§8.7.1

οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον εἰς παραπλησίους ἐμπεσόντες δυσχερείας ἀπέστησαν τῆς ἐπιβολῆς.

On the other hand, Appius and his men, having fallen into similar difficulties, abandoned their attempt.

§8.7.2

ἔτι μὲν γὰρ ὄντες ἐν ἀποστήματι τοῖς τε πετροβόλοις καὶ καταπέλταις τυπτόμενοι διεφθείροντο, διὰ τὸ θαυμάσιον εἶναι τὴν τῶν βελῶν κατασκευὴν καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ὡς ἂν Ἱέρωνος μὲν χορηγοῦ γεγονότος,¹ ἀρχιτέκτονος δὲ καὶ δημιουργοῦ τῶν ἐπινοημάτων Ἀρχιμήδους.

For while they were still at a distance, they were struck and destroyed by the stone-throwers and catapults, because the preparation of the missiles was marvelous both in quantity and in power, inasmuch as Hiero had provided the expense, and Archimedes was the architect and creator of these inventions.

§8.7.3

συνεγγίζοντές γε μὴν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν οἱ μὲν ταῖς διὰ τοῦ τείχους τοξότισιν,² ὡς ἐπάνω προεῖπον, κακούμενοι συνεχῶς εἴργοντο τῆς προσόδου· οἱ δὲ μετὰ τῶν γέρρων βιαζόμενοι ταῖς τῶν κατὰ κορυφὴν λίθων καὶ δοκῶν ἐμβολαῖς διεφθείροντο.

On the other hand, as they drew near to the city, some, being continually harassed by the archery-engines through the wall, as I said above, were kept from approaching; while others, forcing their way with wicker-shields, were destroyed by the blows of stones and beams dropped from above.

§8.7.4

οὐκ ὀλίγα δὲ καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ ταῖς ἐκ τῶν μηχανῶν ἐκακοποίουν, ὡς καὶ πρότερον εἶπα· σὺν αὐτοῖς γὰρ τοῖς ὅπλοις τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐξαιροῦντες ἐρρίπτουν.

And they also suffered no small damage from the hands hanging from the engines, as I said before; for they lifted up the men, arms and all, and flung them down.

§8.7.5

τὸ δὲ πέρας, ἀναχωρήσαντες εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν καὶ συνεδρεύσαντες μετὰ τῶν χιλιάρχων οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον, ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐβουλεύσαντο πάσης ἐλπίδος πεῖραν λαμβάνειν πλὴν τοῦ διὰ πολιορκίας ἑλεῖν τὰς Συρακούσας, ὡς καὶ τέλος ἐποίησαν·

In the end, having retreated to their camp and held a council with the military tribunes, Appius and his men resolved unanimously to try every hope except that of taking Syracuse by siege, which indeed they did in the end.

§8.7.6

ὀκτὼ γὰρ μῆνας τῇ πόλει προσκαθεζόμενοι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων στρατηγημάτων ἢ τολμημάτων οὐδενὸς ἀπέστησαν, τοῦ δὲ πολιορκεῖν οὐδέποτε πεῖραν ἔτι λαβεῖν ἐθάρρησαν.

For though they invested the city for eight months, they desisted from no other stratagems or daring attempts, but they never again dared to make trial of a siege.

§8.7.7

οὕτως εἷς ἀνὴρ καὶ μία ψυχὴ δεόντως ἡρμοσμένη πρὸς ἔνια τῶν πραγμάτων μέγα τι χρῆμα φαίνεται γίνεσθαι καὶ θαυμάσιον.

Thus a single man and a single mind, when properly fitted for certain matters, appears to be something great and marvelous.

§8.7.8

ἐκεῖνοι γοῦν τηλικαύτας δυνάμεις ἔχοντες καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν, εἰ μὲν ἀφέλοι τις πρεσβύτην ἕνα Συρακοσίων, παραχρῆμα τῆς πόλεως κυριεύσειν ἤλπιζον, τούτου δὲ συμπαρόντος οὐκ ἐθάρρουν οὐδʼ ἐπιβαλέσθαι κατά γε τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον, καθʼ ὃν ἀμύνασθαι δυνατὸς ἦν Ἀρχιμήδης.

At any rate, though they possessed such great forces both by land and by sea, if one were to remove a single old man of Syracuse, they expected to make themselves masters of the city immediately. But while he was present, they did not dare even to make an attempt, at least in that manner in which Archimedes was able to defend it.

§8.7.10

οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ νομίσαντες μάλιστʼ ἂν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδείας διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοὺς ἔνδον ὑποχειρίους σφίσι γενέσθαι,³ ταύτης ἀντείχοντο τῆς ἐλπίδος· καὶ ταῖς μὲν ναυσὶ τὰς κατὰ θάλατταν ἐπικουρίας αὐτῶν ἐκώλυον, τῷ δὲ πεζῷ στρατεύματι τὰς κατὰ γῆν. βουλόμενοι δὲ μὴ ποιεῖν ἄπρακτον τὸν χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ προσεδρεύουσι ταῖς Συρακούσαις, ἀλλʼ ἅμα τι καὶ τῶν ἐκτὸς χρησίμων κατασκευάζεσθαι, διεῖλον οἱ στρατηγοὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ὥστε τὸν μὲν Ἄππιον ἔχοντα δύο μέρη προσκαθῆσθαι τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, τὸ δὲ τρίτον ἀναλαβόντα Μάρκον ἐπιπορεύεσθαι τοὺς τὰ Καρχηδονίων αἱρουμένους κατὰ τὴν Σικελίαν.

Nevertheless, thinking that those inside would most likely fall into their hands through the lack of provisions because of their great number, they clung to this hope; and with their ships they blocked their supplies by sea, and with their infantry army, those by land. And wishing not to make the time unprofitable during which they were investing Syracuse, but at the same time to secure some of the external advantages, the generals divided themselves and their force, so that Appius, with two parts of the force, remained investing those in the city, while Marcus, taking the third part, marched against those who chose the side of the Carthaginians throughout Sicily.

Syntax notes3 items

8.7.2ὡς ἂν Ἱέρωνος μὲν χορηγοῦ γεγονότος
The phrase ὡς ἄν followed by the genitive absolute participle (γεγονότος). In Polybius' Greek, this construction is frequently used to introduce a factual reason ('since indeed', 'inasmuch as') rather than a purely hypothetical or comparative scenario typical of earlier classical prose.
8.7.3τοξότισιν
Dative plural of τοξότις (literally, 'female archer'). Here it does not mean female soldiers, but refers to 'archery engines' or metaphorically 'shooters' firing through the slits of the wall, modified by the preceding prepositional phrase διὰ τοῦ τείχους ('through the wall').
8.7.10μάλιστʼ ἂν ... ὑποχειρίους σφίσι γενέσθαι
An infinitive clause acting as the object of νομίσαντες. The particle ἄν with the aorist infinitive γενέσθαι represents a potential or future expectation in indirect discourse (equivalent to ἂν γένοιτο or γενήσεται in direct speech), expressing a strong likelihood ('would most likely fall').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)

2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.7.1-8.7.12