- 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-grc2:9.24.1-9.24.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
The passage discusses the diverse circumstances and the influence of friends on Hannibal, highlighting an anecdote where a friend named Monomachus proposed cannibalism to solve food shortages during the march to Italy, which contributed to Hannibal's reputation for cruelty.
παραπλήσια δέ μοι δοκεῖ τούτοις καὶ τὰ κατʼ Ἀννίβαν γεγονέναι·
It seems to me that the circumstances regarding Hannibal also occurred in a similar way to these.
καὶ γὰρ περιστάσεσι παραδόξοις καὶ ποικίλαις ἐχρήσατο καὶ φίλοις τοῖς ἔγγιστα μεγάλας ἐσχηκόσι διαφοράς, ὥστε καὶ λίαν ἐκ τῶν κατʼ Ἰταλίαν πράξεων δυσθεώρητον εἶναι τὴν τοῦ προειρημένου φύσιν.
For he experienced unexpected and diverse circumstances, and had closest friends who had great differences among themselves, so that from his actions in Italy it is extremely difficult to discern the character of the aforementioned man.
τὰς μὲν οὖν τῶν περιστάσεων ὑποβολὰς εὐχερὲς καὶ διὰ τῶν προειρημένων καὶ διὰ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ῥηθησομένων καταμαθεῖν, τὰς δὲ τῶν φίλων οὐκ ἄξιον παραλιπεῖν, ἄλλως τε καὶ διὰ μιᾶς γνώμης ἱκανὴν τοῦ πράγματος ἔμφασιν ἐξὸν1 λαβεῖν.
Now, while it is easy to understand the promptings of circumstances both from what has been said before and from what will be said hereafter, it is not right to overlook those of his friends, especially since it is possible from a single opinion to obtain a sufficient illustration of the matter.
καθʼ ὃν γὰρ καιρὸν Ἀννίβας ἐξ Ἰβηρίας τὴν εἰς Ἰταλίαν πορείαν ἐπενόει στέλλεσθαι μετὰ τῶν δυνάμεων, μεγίστης προφαινομένης δυσχρηστίας περὶ τὰς τροφὰς καὶ τὴν ἑτοιμότητα τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τοῖς στρατοπέδοις, ἅτε καὶ κατὰ τὸ μῆκος ἀνήνυτον ἔχειν τι δοκούσης τῆς ὁδοῦ2 καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὴν ἀγριότητα τῶν μεταξὺ κατοικούντων βαρβάρων, τότε δοκεῖ καὶ πλεονάκις ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ περὶ τούτου τοῦ μέρους ἐμπιπτούσης ἀπορίας εἷς τῶν φίλων Ἀννίβας ὁ Μονομάχος ἐπικαλούμενος ἀποφήνασθαι γνώμην διότι μία τις ὁδὸς αὑτῷ προφαίνεται. διʼ ἧς ἐστιν εἰς Ἰταλίαν ἐλθεῖν ἐφικτόν.
For at the time when Hannibal was planning to make his march from Iberia to Italy with his forces, a very great difficulty presented itself concerning the food and the readiness of provisions for the armies, since the road seemed to have something endless about it due to its length, and also because of the multitude and the wildness of the barbarians living between. At that time, while helplessness concerning this matter was frequently arising in the council, it is said that one of his friends, Hannibal surnamed Monomachus, expressed his opinion that one single way presented itself to him, through which it was possible to reach Italy.
τοῦ δʼ Ἀννίβου λέγειν κελεύσαντος, διδάξαι δεῖν ἔφη τὰς δυνάμεις ἀνθρωποφαγεῖν καὶ τούτῳ ποιῆσαι συνήθεις.
When Hannibal ordered him to speak, he said that they must teach the forces to eat human flesh and make them accustomed to this.
Ἀννίβας δὲ πρὸς μὲν τὸ τόλμημα καὶ τὸ πρακτικὸν τῆς ἐπινοίας οὐδὲν ἀντειπεῖν ἐδυνήθη, τοῦ δὲ πράγματος λαβεῖν ἔννοιαν οὔθʼ αὑτὸν οὔτε τοὺς φίλους ἐδύνατο πεῖσαι.
But Hannibal, though he was unable to say anything against the boldness and the practicality of the idea, could not persuade either himself or his friends to entertain the thought of such an action.
τούτου δὲ τἀνδρὸς εἶναί3 φασιν ἔργα καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν εἰς Ἀννίβαν ἀναφερόμενα περὶ τῆς ὠμότητος, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ καὶ τῶν περιστάσεων.
They say that the deeds of cruelty attributed to Hannibal in Italy were the work of this man, and no less also of the circumstances.
- 9.24.3ἐξὸν
Accusative absolute construction using the neuter accusative singular participle of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι (it is possible), expressing cause or reason ("since it is possible").
- 9.24.4ἅτε καὶ κατὰ τὸ μῆκος ἀνήνυτον ἔχειν τι δοκούσης τῆς ὁδοῦ
The conjunction ἅτε combined with the genitive absolute (δοκούσης τῆς ὁδοῦ), expressing an objective reason ("since the road seemed..."). The infinitive ἔχειν complements δοκούσης.
- 9.24.8τούτου δὲ τἀνδρὸς εἶναι
Predicative genitive of possession (τούτου τἀνδρὸς) with the copula εἶναι, meaning "to belong to this man" (i.e., "to be this man's doing"). It forms an accusative and infinitive construction in indirect discourse dependent on φασίν.