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Polybius · The Histories §10.33.1-10.33.8

Hannibal's Prudence and the Importance of a General's Safety

Passage 679 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The author praises Hannibal for his meticulous care regarding his own safety, arguing that the leader's preservation is crucial for recovering from defeat and achieving victory. The narrative then shifts to an ambush using portcullises.

§10.33.1διὸ καὶ τὸν Ἀννίβαν κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους ἀγαθὸν ἡγεμόνα κρίνων, §10.33.2κατὰ τοῦτο μάλιστά τις ἂν ἐπισημήναιτο, διότι πολλοὺς μὲν χρόνους ἐν τῇ πολεμίᾳ διατρίψας, πολλοῖς δὲ καιροῖς καὶ ποικίλοις χρησάμενος, ἔσφηλε μὲν τοὺς ὑπεναντίους πολλάκις ἐν ταῖς κατὰ μέρος χρείαις διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀγχίνοιαν, ἐσφάλη δʼ οὐδέποτε τοσούτους καὶ τηλικούτους ἀγῶνας χειρίσας·
Therefore, in judging Hannibal to be a good leader in many ways, one might especially commend him on this point: that, having spent many years in an enemy country, and having experienced many and varied circumstances, he often foiled his opponents in local encounters through his own sagacity, yet was never himself foiled, though he directed so many and such great struggles.
§10.33.3τοιαύτην ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πρόνοιαν, ὡς ἔοικε, περὶ τῆς ἀσφαλείας αὑτοῦ.
Such was the foresight he exercised, as it seems, for his own safety.
καὶ μάλʼ εἰκότως· ἀκεραίου μὲν γὰρ καὶ σῳζομένου τοῦ προεστῶτος, §10.33.4κἄν ποτε πέσῃ τὰ ὅλα, πολλὰς ἀφορμὰς ἡ τύχη δίδωσι πρὸς τὸ πάλιν ἀνακτήσασθαι τὰς ἐκ τῶν περιπετειῶν ἐλαττώσεις· §10.33.5πταίσαντος δέ, καθάπερ ἐν νηὶ τοῦ κυβερνήτου, κἂν [τὸ νικᾶν] ἡ τύχη τοῖς πολλοῖς παραδιδῷ κρατεῖν τῶν ἐχθρῶν, οὐδὲν ὄφελος γίνεται διὰ τὸ πάσας ἐξηρτῆσθαι τὰς ἐλπίδας ἑκάστοις ἐκ τῶν ἡγουμένων.
And very reasonably so; for as long as the leader is unharmed and safe, even if a general defeat should occur, fortune grants many opportunities for recovering the losses resulting from such reverses; but if he stumbles, just as the helmsman on a ship, even if fortune grants the majority to prevail over the enemy, no benefit comes of it, because all the hopes of each individual depend upon the leaders.
§10.33.6ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰρήσθω μοι πρὸς τοὺς ἢ διὰ κενοδοξίαν ἢ μειρακιώδει παραστάσει περιπίπτοντας τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀλογήμασιν ἢ διʼ ἀπειρίαν ἢ διὰ καταφρόνησιν· §10.33.7ἓν γὰρ ἀεί τι τῶν προειρημένων αἴτιον γίνεται τῶν τοιούτων περιπετειῶν. — οἱ δὲ καταρράκτας, §10.33.8οὓς εἶχον ὀλίγον ἐξωτέρω διὰ μηχανημάτων ἀνημμένους, αἰφνίδιον καθῆκαν καὶ ἐπεβάλοντο, καὶ τούτους κατασχόντες πρὸ τοῦ τείχους ἀνεσκολόπισαν.
Now, let this be said by me to those who, either through vanity or childish impulse, or through inexperience or contempt, fall into such acts of folly; for one of the aforementioned causes is always the reason for such reverses. — But they, the portcullises, which they had suspended a little further out by means of machinery, suddenly let down and fell upon them, and having captured them, impaled them in front of the wall.

Notes

  1. §10.33.1κρίνων — Present participle accompanying the main verb ἂν ἐπισημήναιτο (10.33.2). It functions conditionally ('if one judges') or circumstantially ('when judging'), introducing the main clause: 'when judging Hannibal to be a good leader in many ways, one might especially...'
  2. §10.33.2κατὰ τοῦτο ... διότι — The demonstrative phrase κατὰ τοῦτο ('on this point') is explained in apposition by the clause introduced by διότι ('that' / 'because'). Here, διότι does not merely express cause but introduces the substantive content of the point, namely 'the fact that...'.
  3. §10.33.3ἀκεραίου μὲν γὰρ καὶ σῳζομένου τοῦ προεστῶτος — A genitive absolute construction where the participles ἀκεραίου ('unharmed') and σῳζομένου ('safe') modify the noun τοῦ προεστῶτος ('the leader'), expressing a condition ('if the leader remains unharmed and safe'). It stands in contrast with the genitive absolute πταίσαντος δέ ('but if he stumbles') in 10.33.5.
  4. §10.33.5κἂν ... παραδιδῷ κρατεῖν — The conjunction κἄν (contracted from καὶ ἐάν) introduces a concessive conditional clause ('even if...'), taking the subjunctive παραδιδῷ ('grants' / 'permits'). The infinitive κρατεῖν ('to conquer') functions as the object or complement of παραδιδῷ: 'even if fortune permits the multitude (τοῖς πολλοῖς) to prevail over the enemy'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §10.33.1-10.33.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.33.1-10.33.8

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