§1.84.1πολιορκίαν.
siege.
τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὸν Μάθω καὶ Σπένδιον οὐχ ἧττον πολιορκεῖσθαι συνέβαινεν ἢ πολιορκεῖν.
But it happened that Mathos and Spendius were no less besieged themselves than besieging others.
§1.84.2εἰς τοιαύτην γὰρ αὐτοὺς οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀμίλκαν ἔνδειαν καθίστασαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὥστʼ ἀναγκασθῆναι τέλος αὐτοὺς διαλῦσαι τὴν πολιορκίαν.
For Hamilcar and his men reduced them to such a lack of provisions that they were finally forced to raise the siege.
§1.84.3μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον ἁθροίσαντες τῶν τε μισθοφόρων τοὺς ἀρίστους καὶ Λιβύων, τοὺς ἅπαντας εἰς πεντακισμυρίους, μεθʼ ὧν ἦν καὶ Ζάρζας ὁ Λίβυς ἔχων τοὺς ὑφʼ αὑτὸν ταττομένους, ὥρμησαν αὖθις ἀντιπαράγειν ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις καὶ τηρεῖν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀμίλκαν.
And after some time, having collected the best of the mercenaries and Libyans, numbering in all about fifty thousand, among whom was also Zarzas the Libyan with the troops under his command, they set out to march parallel to the enemy in the open country and to watch Hamilcar and his men.
§1.84.4τῶν μὲν οὖν πεδινῶν τόπων ἀπείχοντο, καταπεπληγμένοι τὰ θηρία καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ναραύαν ἱππεῖς, τοὺς δʼ ὀρεινοὺς καὶ στενοὺς ἐπειρῶντο προκαταλαμβάνειν.
They avoided the plains, being terrified of the elephants and Naravas's cavalry, and attempted to occupy the mountainous and narrow places beforehand.
§1.84.5ἐν οἷς καιροῖς συνέβη ταῖς μὲν ἐπιβολαῖς καὶ τόλμαις μηδὲν αὐτοὺς λείπεσθαι τῶν ὑπεναντίων, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπειρίαν πολλάκις ἐλαττοῦσθαι.
During this time, it happened that they were in no way inferior to their opponents in designs and courage, but were often defeated owing to their lack of experience.
§1.84.6τότε γὰρ ἦν, ὡς ἔοικε, συνιδεῖν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας πηλίκην ἔχει διαφορὰν ἐμπειρία μεθοδικὴ καὶ στρατηγικὴ δύναμις ἀπειρίας καὶ τριβῆς ἀλόγου καὶ στρατιωτικῆς.
For then, as it seems, it was possible to see in actual truth how great a difference there is between methodical experience and military skill, and lack of experience and irrational and merely soldierly routine.
§1.84.7πολλοὺς μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς κατὰ μέρος χρείαις ἀποτεμνόμενος καὶ συγκλείων ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς πεττευτὴς ἀμαχεὶ διέφθειρε, §1.84.8πολλοὺς δʼ ἐν τοῖς ὁλοσχερέσι κινδύνοις τοὺς μὲν εἰς ἐνέδρας ἀνυπονοήτους ἐπαγόμενος ἀνῄρει, τοῖς δʼ ἀνελπίστως καὶ παραδόξως ποτὲ μὲν μεθʼ ἡμέραν ποτὲ δὲ νύκτωρ ἐπιφαινόμενος ἐξέπληττεν· ὧν ὅσους λάβοι ζωγρίᾳ, πάντας παρέβαλλε τοῖς θηρίοις.
For cutting off and surrounding many of them in partial encounters, Hamilcar, like a skilled chess-player, destroyed them without a battle, and in general actions he killed many by drawing them into unsuspected ambushes, and terrified others by appearing unexpectedly and contrary to anticipation, sometimes by day and sometimes by night; and as many of them as he took alive, he threw to the wild beasts.
§1.84.9τέλος δʼ ἐπιστρατοπεδεύσας αὐτοῖς ἀνυπονοήτως ἐν τόποις ἀφυέσι μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων χρείαν εὐφυέσι δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν εἰς τοῦτʼ ἤγαγε περιστάσεως ὥστε μήτε διακινδυνεύειν τολμῶντας μήτʼ ἀποδρᾶναι δυναμένους διὰ τὸ τάφρῳ καὶ χάρακι περιειλῆφθαι πανταχόθεν τέλος ὑπὸ τῆς λιμοῦ συναγομένους ἐσθίειν ἀλλήλων ἀναγκασθῆναι, §1.84.10τοῦ δαιμονίου τὴν οἰκείαν ἀμοιβὴν αὐτοῖς ἐπιφέροντος τῇ πρὸς τοὺς πέλας ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ παρανομίᾳ.
Finally, having unexpectedly encamped against them in positions ill-suited for their tactics but well-suited for his own forces, he brought them to such a state of extremity that, neither daring to risk a battle nor being able to escape because they were surrounded on all sides by a trench and rampart, they were finally forced by famine to eat one another, the divine power bringing upon them a fitting retribution for their impiety and lawlessness towards their neighbors.
§1.84.11πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὸν κίνδυνον οὐκ ἐτόλμων ἐξιέναι, προδήλου τῆς ἥττης καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας τοῖς ἁλισκομένοις ὑπαρχούσης, περὶ δὲ διαλύσεως οὐδʼ ὑπενόουν ποιεῖσθαι μνήμην, συνειδότες σφίσι τὰ πεπραγμένα.
For they did not dare to go out to battle, defeat being certain and punishment obvious for those captured, nor did they even think of making mention of terms, being conscious of their own deeds.
§1.84.12προσανέχοντες δʼ ἀεὶ ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ Τύνητος βοηθείαις διὰ τὰς τῶν ἡγουμένων ἐπαγγελίας πᾶν ὑπέμενον ποιεῖν κατὰ σφῶν αὐτῶν.
But continually looking forward to the reinforcements from Tunis because of the promises of their leaders, they submitted to everything, even against themselves.