Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §15.15.1-15.15.8

Hannibal's Retreat and Analysis of the Battle of Zama

Passage 823 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Describes Hannibal's defeat and retreat to Hadrumetum, analyzing his excellence as a general who did his utmost in a crisis, as well as the superiority of the Roman military formation and equipment.

§15.15.1ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ πᾶσι γενομένη μάχη καὶ τὰ ὅλα κρίνασα Ῥωμαίοις διὰ τῶν προειρημένων ἡγεμόνων τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος·
Thus the battle, which was the last of all and decided the whole issue for the Romans, came to such an end under the aforementioned generals.
§15.15.2μετὰ δὲ τὴν μάχην Πόπλιος μὲν ἐπακολουθήσας καὶ διαρπάσας τὸν χάρακα τῶν Καρχηδονίων αὖτις ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν παρεμβολήν.
After the battle, Publius, having pursued and plundered the camp of the Carthaginians, returned again to his own camp.
§15.15.3Ἀννίβας δὲ μετʼ ὀλίγων ἱππέων κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ποιούμενος τὴν ἀναχώρησιν εἰς Ἀδρύμητα διεσώθη, πάντα τὰ δυνατὰ ποιήσας κατὰ τὸν κίνδυνον, ὅσα τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἔδει στρατηγὸν καὶ πολλῶν ἤδη πραγμάτων πεῖραν εἰληφότα.
Hannibal, continuing his retreat without interruption with a few horsemen, escaped safely to Hadrumetum, having done everything possible during the danger that behoved a good general who had already acquired experience in many affairs.
§15.15.4πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ εἰς λόγους συνελθὼν ἐπειράθη διʼ αὑτοῦ λύσιν ποιήσασθαι τῶν ἐνεστώτων·
For in the first place, by coming to a conference, he tried to effect a settlement of the dispute by himself.
§15.15.5τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ τοῦ προειδότος τὰ κατορθώματα, ἀλλʼ ἀπιστοῦντος τῇ τύχῃ καὶ προορωμένου τὰ περὶ τὰς μάχας ἐκβαίνοντα παράλογα.
This is the characteristic of one who, while aware of his past successes, nevertheless distrusts fortune and foresees the unexpected turns that occur in battles.
§15.15.6μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συγκαταστὰς εἰς τὸν κίνδυνον οὕτως ἐχρήσατο τοῖς πράγμασιν ὥστε μὴ δυνατὸν εἶναι βέλτιον πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀγῶνα συστήσασθαι, παραπλησίῳ καθοπλισμῷ χρώμενον, οὗ τότε συνεστήσατʼ Ἀννίβας.
After this, when he entered into the conflict, he managed affairs so well that it was impossible for anyone using similar armor to organize a better battle against the Romans than that which Hannibal then organized.
§15.15.7οὔσης γὰρ δυσδιασπάστου τῆς Ῥωμαίων τάξεως καὶ δυνάμεως, τὸν ἄνδρα συνέβη καὶ καθόλου καὶ κατὰ μέρη μάχεσθαι πρὸς πάσας τὰς ἐπιφανείας διὰ τῆς μιᾶς ἐκτάξεως, ἀεὶ τῶν ἔγγιστα τῷ δεινῷ σημαιῶν συνεπιστρεφουσῶν πρὸς τὸ δεόμενον.
For since the Roman order and force were difficult to break, it happened that each man, both as a whole and in detail, could fight against every attack from any quarter through their single formation, since the companies closest to the danger always wheeled around together towards the point required.
§15.15.8ἔτι δὲ τοῦ καθοπλισμοῦ σκέπην καὶ θράσος παρασκευάζοντος καὶ διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ θυρεοῦ καὶ τὴν τῆς μαχαίρας ὑπομονὴν τῶν πληγῶν, δύσμαχοι γίνονται καὶ δυσκαταγώνιστοι
Moreover, as their armor provided protection and confidence, owing both to the size of the shield and the sword's capacity to withstand blows, they became difficult to fight against and hard to conquer.

Notes

  1. 15.15.3ὅσα τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἔδει στρατηγὸν — An accusative with infinitive construction where the infinitive (probably ποιεῖν) is omitted after the impersonal verb ἔδει. τὸν ἀγαθὸν στρατηγὸν... serves as the subject of the omitted infinitive. The relative pronoun ὅσα (accusative neuter plural, object of the omitted verb) refers back to the antecedent πάντα τὰ δυνατὰ.
  2. 15.15.5τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ τοῦ προειδότος — The copula ἐστί followed by genitives of characteristic or possession (τοῦ προειδότος, ἀπιστοῦντος, προορωμένου) expressing 'it is characteristic of one who...' or 'it belongs to one who...'.
  3. 15.15.6οὗ τότε συνεστήσατʼ Ἀννίβας — The relative pronoun οὗ is in the genitive case either due to the genitive of comparison after the comparative βέλτιον or through attraction to an implied genitive antecedent representing the battle ('than the battle which...'). It stands for '[than the battle] which Hannibal then organized.'

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §15.15.1-15.15.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:15.15.1-15.15.8

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.