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Polybius · The Histories §10.35.1-10.35.8

Defection of Iberian Tribes and Revolt of Andobales

Passage 681 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Publius forms an alliance with Edecon by restoring his family, prompting the Iberian tribes south of the Ebro to join the Romans. Furthermore, the powerful chieftains Andobales and Mandonius, resentful of Carthaginian arrogance, withdraw their forces from the Carthaginian camp.

§10.35.1διαλεχθεὶς ἐπέσχεν·
Having spoken, he paused.
ὁ δὲ Πόπλιος, καὶ πάλαι πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἕτοιμος ὢν καὶ συλλελογισμένος παραπλήσια τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἐδεκῶνος εἰρημένοις, τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα παρέδωκεν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν φιλίαν συνέθετο.
Publius, who had long been prepared for this course and had arrived at conclusions very similar to those stated by Edecon, restored his wife and children to him and entered into a treaty of friendship.
§10.35.2πρὸς δὲ τούτοις παρὰ τὴν συνουσίαν ποικίλως ψυχαγωγήσας τὸν Ἴβηρα καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς αὐτοῦ μεγάλας εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐλπίδας ὑπογράψας, οὕτως εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐξαπέστειλε.
In addition to this, having won over the Iberian's mind in various ways during their interview, and having held out great hopes for the future to all his companions, he thus sent him away to his own home.
§10.35.3τούτου τοῦ πράγματος ταχέως περιβοήτου γενομένου πάντας συνέβη τοὺς ἐντὸς Ἴβηρος ποταμοῦ κατοικοῦντας οἷον ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὁρμῆς ἑλέσθαι τὰ Ῥωμαίων, ὅσοι μὴ πρότερον αὐτῶν ὑπῆρχον φίλοι.
This matter having quickly become widely known, it came about that all the inhabitants on this side of the river Ebro, who were not previously friends of the Romans, chose their cause as if by a single impulse.
§10.35.4ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καλῶς κατὰ νοῦν ἐχώρει τῷ Ποπλίῳ·
These matters, then, went well for Publius according to his wish.
§10.35.5μετὰ δὲ τὸν τούτων χωρισμὸν τὰς μὲν ναυτικὰς δυνάμεις διέλυσε, θεωρῶν οὐδὲν ἀντίπαλον ὑπάρχον κατὰ θάλατταν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ναυτῶν ἐκλέξας τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους ἐπὶ τὰς σημαίας ἐμέρισε.
After their departure, seeing that there was no opposing force at sea, he disbanded his naval forces, but having selected the suitable men from the sailors, he distributed them among the maniples.
καὶ συνηύξησε τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τὰς πεζικὰς δυνάμεις.
And in this manner he increased his infantry forces.
Ἀνδοβάλης δὲ καὶ Μανδόνιος, §10.35.6μέγιστοι μὲν ὄντες δυνάσται τότε τῶν κατʼ Ἰβηρίαν, ἀληθινώτατοι δὲ Καρχηδονίων φίλοι δοξαζόμενοι, πάλαι μὲν ὑπούλως διέκειντο καὶ καιρὸν ἐπετήρουν, ἐξ ὅτου προσποιηθέντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀσδρούβαν ἀπιστεῖν αὐτοῖς ᾔτησαν χρημάτων τε πλῆθος καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας εἰς ὁμηρείαν, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἐδηλώσαμεν·
Now, Andobales and Mandonius, who were then the greatest chieftains in Iberia and were reputed to be the most genuine friends of the Carthaginians, had long been secretly disaffected and watching for an opportunity, ever since Hasdrubal and his associates, pretending to distrust them, demanded a large sum of money and their wives and daughters as hostages, as we have shown in the preceding part.
§10.35.7τότε δὲ νομίσαντες ἔχειν εὐφυῆ καιρόν, ἀναλαβόντες τὰς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεις ἐκ τῆς Καρχηδονίων παρεμβολῆς νυκτὸς ἀπεχώρησαν εἴς τινας ἐρυμνοὺς τόπους καὶ δυναμένους αὐτοῖς τὴν ἀσφάλειαν παρασκευάζειν.
But now, thinking they had a favorable opportunity, they took their own forces and withdrew by night from the Carthaginian camp to certain strong positions which were capable of ensuring their safety.
§10.35.8οὗ γενομένου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἰβήρων συνέβη τοὺς πλείστους ἀπολιπεῖν Ἀσδρούβαν, πάλαι μὲν βαρυνομένους ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἀγερωχίας, τότε δὲ πρῶτον καιρὸν λαβόντας εἰς τὸ φανερὰν ποιῆσαι τὴν αὑτῶν προαίρεσιν.
When this took place, it happened that most of the other Iberians also abandoned Hasdrubal, having long been oppressed by the arrogance of the Carthaginians, and having now for the first time found an opportunity to make their own inclination manifest.

Notes

  1. 10.35.1ἐπέσχεν — Used intransitively here, meaning 'paused' or 'stopped speaking'. In combination with the preceding participle διαλεχθεὶς ('having spoken'), it describes Edecon finishing his speech and waiting for the response.
  2. 10.35.3ἐντὸς Ἴβηρος ποταμοῦ — The preposition ἐντός ('within', 'on this side of') governs the genitive case. In this context (from the Roman perspective), it refers to the area 'on this side (south)' of the river Ebro, indicating territories transitionally coming under Roman influence.
  3. 10.35.6ἐξ ὅτου — A relative adverbial phrase formed from the genitive of the relative pronoun ὅστις (with χρόνου omitted), meaning 'ever since'. It marks the starting point when Hasdrubal and his associates demanded hostages under the pretense of distrust, from which time Andobales and Mandonius had been 'harboring resentment' (ὑπούλως διέκειντο).
  4. 10.35.8συνέβη τοὺς πλείστους ἀπολιπεῖν — The impersonal verb συνέβη ('it happened that') takes the accusative and infinitive clause τοὺς πλείστους ἀπολιπεῖν ('the majority abandoned') as its subject, describing the objective turn of events in which the other Iberians deserted Hasdrubal.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §10.35.1-10.35.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.35.1-10.35.8

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