- 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-grc2:9.41.1-9.41.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
During the siege of Echinus, Philip V constructs advanced wooden siege towers and galleries that mimic the layout of the city's walls, featuring a three-story structural system and covered corridors.
προθέμενος δὲ τῆς πόλεως κατὰ δύο πύργους ποιεῖσθαι τὴν προσαγωγὴν κατὰ μὲν τούτους χελώνας κατεσκεύαζε χωστρίδας καὶ κριούς, κατὰ δὲ τὸ μεσοπύργιον στοὰν ἐποίει μεταξὺ τῶν κριῶν παράλληλον τῷ τείχει.
Having planned to make his approach against two towers of the city, he constructed filling-tortoises and battering-rams against these, and against the curtain-wall he made a gallery between the battering-rams, parallel to the wall.
τῆς δὲ προθέσεως συντελουμένης παραπλήσιος ἡ τῶν ἔργων ἐγίνετο πρόσοψις τῇ τοῦ τείχους διαθέσει·
When this design was completed, the appearance of the works became very similar to the layout of the wall;
τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ ταῖς χελώναις κατασκευάσματα πύργων ἐλάμβανε καὶ φαντασίαν καὶ διάθεσιν ἐκ τῆς τῶν γέρρων συνθέσεως, τὸ δὲ μεταξὺ1 τούτων τείχους, τῶν ἀνωτέρω γέρρων2 τῆς στοᾶς εἰς ἐπάλξεις τῇ πλοκῇ διῃρημένων.
for the structures upon the tortoises assumed both the appearance and layout of towers from the assembly of wickerwork, while the space between them assumed that of a wall, since the upper wickerwork of the gallery was divided by its weaving into battlements.
διὰ μὲν οὖν τοῦ κάτω μέρους τῶν πύργων οἵ τε προσχωννύντες τὰς ἀνωμαλίας τῶν τόπων ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἐσχαρίων ἐφόδῳ τὴν γῆν ἐπέβαλλον ὅ τε κριὸς ἐξωθεῖτο.
Therefore, through the lower part of the towers, those who were leveling the irregularities of the ground for the approach of the wheeled platforms threw in earth, and the battering-ram was pushed forward.
τὸ δὲ δεύτερον ὑδρίας καὶ τὰς πρὸς τοὺς ἐμπυρισμοὺς εἶχε παρασκευὰς καὶ τὰ καταπελτικὰ σὺν τούτοις.
The second story contained water-jars and the necessary equipment for putting out fires, and with these the catapults.
ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ τρίτου πλῆθος ἀνδρῶν ἐφειστήκει τῶν ἀπομαχομένων πρὸς τοὺς κακοποιεῖν ἐπιβαλλομένους τὸν κριόν. οὗτοι3 δʼ ἦσαν ἰσοϋψεῖς τοῖς τῆς πόλεως πύργοις.
And upon the third story stood a multitude of men who fought back against those attempting to damage the battering-ram; and these towers were of equal height to the towers of the city.
ἐκ δὲ τῆς μεταξὺ τῶν πύργων στοᾶς ὀρύγματα διπλᾶ προσήγετο πρὸς τὸ μεσοπύργιον.
And from the gallery between the towers, double trenches were advanced towards the curtain-wall.
καὶ τρεῖς ἦσαν βελοστάσεις λιθοβόλοις, ὧν ὁ μὲν εἷς ταλαντιαίους, οἱ δὲ δύο τριακονταμναίους ἐξέβαλλον λίθους.
There were also three emplacements for stone-throwing engines, of which one discharged stones of a talent in weight, and the other two of thirty minae.
ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ὡς πρὸς τὰς χελώνας τὰς χωστρίδας ἐπεποίηντο σύριγγες κατάστεγοι χάριν τοῦ μήτε τοὺς προσιόντας ἐκ τῆς στρατοπεδείας μήτε τοὺς ἀπιόντας ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων βλάπτεσθαι μηδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως βελῶν.
And from the camp towards the filling-tortoises, covered passages had been constructed, so that neither those approaching from the camp nor those returning from the works should suffer any injury from the missiles thrown from the city.
ἐν ὀλίγαις δὲ τελέως ἡμέραις συνέβη καὶ τὴν τῶν ἔργων ἐπιτελεσθῆναι συντέλειαν διὰ τὸ τὴν χώραν ἀφθόνους ἔχειν τὰς εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος χορηγίας.
And it came about that in very few days the completion of the works was accomplished, because the country possessed abundant supplies for this purpose.
οἱ γὰρ Ἐχιναιεῖς κεῖνται μὲν ἐν τῷ Μηλιεῖ κόλπῳ, τετραμμένοι πρὸς μεσημβρίαν, καταντίπεραν τῆς τῶν Θρονιέων χώρας, καρποῦνται δὲ γῆν πάμφορον. διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν οὐδὲν ἐνέλειπε τὸν Φίλιππον τῶν πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολάς.
For the Echinatians lie on the Maliac Gulf, facing south, opposite the territory of the Thronians, and enjoy a most fertile land; for which reason Philip lacked nothing for his enterprises.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλά, καθάπερ εἶπον, ἐπιτελεσθέντων τῶν ἔργων προσῆγον ἅμα τὰς τῶν ὀρυγμάτων καὶ μηχανημάτων κατασκευάς.
Nevertheless, as I said, when the works were completed, they brought forward the structures of the trenches and engines at the same time.
- 9.41.3τὸ δὲ μεταξύ
The verb phrase φαντασίαν καὶ διάθεσιν ἐλάμβανε from the first clause is omitted in the second clause and must be understood to govern the genitive τείχους ('assumed the appearance and layout of a wall').
- 9.41.3τῶν ἀνωτέρω γέρρων
A genitive absolute construction explaining the manner or cause by which the wickerwork on the upper part of the gallery served as battlements.
- 9.41.6οὗτοι
The demonstrative pronoun οὗτοι (masculine plural) can refer either to the 'men' (ἀνδρῶν, masculine plural) mentioned in the preceding clause or to the 'towers' (πύργοι) constructed by Philip. Since the men reached this height by standing on top of these towers, the practical sense remains the same.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1