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Polybius · The Histories §1.52.1-1.52.8

Aftermath at Drepana and Dispatch of Lucius Junius

Passage 52 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

After the Battle of Drepana, the victorious Adherbal is praised while the defeated Publius is condemned, prompting Rome to send the new consul Lucius Junius with a large fleet to supply the siege of Lilybaeum.

§1.52.1γενομένης δὲ τῆς ναυμαχίας τοιαύτης Ἀτάρβας μὲν εὐδοκίμει παρὰ τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις, ὡς διʼ αὑτὸν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν πρόνοιαν καὶ τόλμαν κατωρθωκώς,
The naval battle having ended in this manner, Adherbal was held in high esteem among the Carthaginians, as having succeeded through his own efforts and through his own foresight and courage.
§1.52.2Πόπλιος δὲ παρὰ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἠδόξει καὶ διεβέβλητο μεγάλως, ὡς εἰκῇ καὶ ἀλογίστως τοῖς πράγμασι κεχρημένος καὶ τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸν οὐ μικροῖς ἐλαττώμασι περιβεβληκὼς τὴν Ῥώμην·
Publius, on the other hand, fell into disrepute and was greatly blamed among the Romans, as having acted rashly and unreasonably in his conduct of affairs and as having, for his own part, brought no small disasters upon Rome.
§1.52.3διὸ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μεγάλαις ζημίαις καὶ κινδύνοις κριθεὶς περιέπεσεν.
For this reason, he was subsequently brought to trial and incurred heavy fines and dangers.
§1.52.4οὐ μὴν οἵ γε Ῥωμαῖοι, καίπερ τοιούτων συμβεβηκότων, διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων φιλοτιμίαν οὐδὲν ἀπέλειπον τῶν ἐνδεχομένων, ἀλλʼ εἴχοντο τῶν ἑξῆς πραγμάτων.
The Romans, however, although such disasters had befallen them, did not, owing to their ambition for overall supremacy, neglect any possible measures, but clung to the subsequent operations.
§1.52.5διὸ καὶ συνάψαντος τοῦ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχαιρεσίας χρόνου, στρατηγοὺς ὑπάτους καταστήσαντες παραυτίκα τὸν ἕτερον αὐτῶν ἐξέπεμπον Λεύκιον Ἰούνιον, τάς τε σιταρχίας παρακομίζοντα τοῖς τὸ Λιλύβαιον πολιορκοῦσι καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀγορὰς καὶ χορηγίας τῷ στρατοπέδῳ· πρὸς δὲ καὶ παραπομποὺς τούτοις ἐπλήρωσαν ἑξήκοντα ναῦς.
Therefore, when the time for the elections approached, having appointed consuls, they immediately sent out one of them, Lucius Junius, conveying corn supplies to those besieging Lilybaeum, as well as other provisions and supplies for the army; and in addition, they manned sixty ships as escorts for these.
§1.52.6ὁ δʼ Ἰούνιος ἀφικόμενος εἰς τὴν Μεσσήνην καὶ προσλαβὼν τὰ συνηντηκότα τῶν πλοίων ἀπό τε τοῦ στρατοπέδου καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Σικελίας παρεκομίσθη κατὰ σπουδὴν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσας, ἔχων ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι σκάφη καὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν σχεδὸν ἐν ὀκτακοσίαις ναυσὶ φορτηγοῖς.
Junius, having arrived at Messene and having taken with him the ships that had met him there from both the camp and the rest of Sicily, sailed in haste to Syracuse, having one hundred and twenty warships and the provisions in nearly eight hundred transports.
§1.52.7ἐντεῦθεν δὲ παραδοὺς τοῖς ταμίαις τὰς ἡμισείας φορτηγοὺς καί τινα τῶν μακρῶν πλοίων ἐξαπέστειλε, διακομισθῆναι σπουδάζων τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν.
And from there, having delivered half of the transports and some of the long ships to the quaestors, he sent them off, being anxious that what was necessary for their needs should be conveyed to the army.
§1.52.8αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσαις ὑπέμενε, τούς τε κατὰ πλοῦν ἀφυστεροῦντας ἐκ τῆς Μεσσήνης ἀναδεχόμενος καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς μεσογαίου συμμάχων σῖτον προσαναλαμβάνων.
While he himself remained in Syracuse, waiting for those who were late in their voyage from Messene, and taking in additional corn from the allies in the interior.

Notes

  1. §1.52.1ὡς ... κατωρθωκώς — The construction of ὡς with a participle (perfect active participle κατωρθωκώς) expressing the alleged or perceived reason. It means 'on the ground that he had succeeded through his own...'
  2. §1.52.2τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸν — An accusative of respect/relationship phrase meaning 'for his own part' or 'by his own action', emphasizing that the responsibility for the disasters brought upon Rome lay with him personally.
  3. §1.52.5συνάψαντος τοῦ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχαιρεσίας χρόνου — Genitive absolute. The intransitive use of the verb συνάπτω here means 'to approach' or 'to draw near' in reference to time, translating to 'when the time for the elections approached.'

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §1.52.1-1.52.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.52.1-1.52.8

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