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Polybius · The Histories §18.23.1-18.23.8

Titus's Exhortation and the Roman Left Wing's Advance

Passage 912 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Titus draws up his troops and delivers a brief, powerful speech recalling past victories over the Macedonians. After speaking, he advances with the left wing, and the Roman vanguard, reinforced by heavy infantry, counterattacks.

§18.23.1ὁ δὲ Τίτος παρεμβαλὼν τὴν αὑτοῦ στρατιὰν ἑξῆς ἅπασαν, ἅμα μὲν ἐφήδρευε τοῖς προκινδυνεύουσιν, ἅμα δὲ παρεκάλει τὰς τάξεις ἐπιπορευόμενος.
Titus, on his part, having drawn up his entire army in order, was at once supporting those who were fighting in front, and at the same time encouraging the ranks as he went along them.
ἡ δὲ παράκλησις ἦν αὐτοῦ βραχεῖα μέν, §18.23.2ἐμφαντικὴ δὲ καὶ γνώριμος τοῖς ἀκούουσιν.
His encouragement was brief indeed, but effective and well known to his hearers.
ἐναργῶς γὰρ ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν ἐνδεικνύμενος ἔλεγε τοῖς αὑτοῦ στρατιώταις" §18.23.3οὐχ οὗτοι Μακεδόνες εἰσίν, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὓς ὑμεῖς προκατέχοντας ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τὰς εἰς τὴν Ἐορδαίαν ὑπερβολὰς ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς μετὰ Σολπικίου βιασάμενοι πρὸς τόπους ὑπερδεξίους ἐξεβάλετε, πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀποκτείναντες;
For, bringing the facts vividly before their eyes, he said to his soldiers: "Are not these the very Macedonians, men, whom you, under Sulpicius, openly forced from the high positions, although they had preoccupied the passes into Eordaea in Macedonia, killing many of them?
§18.23.4οὐχ οὗτοι Μακεδόνες εἰσίν, οὓς ὑμεῖς προκατέχοντας τὰς ἀπηλπισμένας ἐν Ἠπείρῳ δυσχωρίας ἐκβιασάμενοι ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀρεταῖς φεύγειν ἠναγκάσατε ῥίψαντας τὰ ὅπλα, τέως εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἀνεκομίσθησαν;
Are not these the very Macedonians whom, when they had preoccupied the seemingly hopeless defiles in Epirus, you forced out by your own valour and compelled to flee, throwing away their arms until they found refuge in Macedonia?
§18.23.5πῶς οὖν ὑμᾶς εὐλαβεῖσθαι καθήκει, μέλλοντας ἐξ ἴσου ποιεῖσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον πρὸς τοὺς αὐτούς;
Why then should you have any fear, when you are about to engage on equal terms with the same men?
τί δὲ προορᾶσθαι τῶν προγεγονότων, ἀλλʼ οὐ τἀναντία διʼ ἐκεῖνα καὶ νῦν θαρρεῖν;
Why should you look forward to anything from the past except to have confidence now for the very opposite reason?
§18.23.6διόπερ, ὦ ἄνδρες, παρακαλέσαντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὁρμᾶσθε πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον ἐρρωμένως· θεῶν γὰρ βουλομένων ταχέως πέπεισμαι ταὐτὸ τέλος ἀποβήσεσθαι τῆς παρούσης μάχης τοῖς προγεγονόσι κινδύνοισ" §18.23.7. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν μέρος ἐκέλευε μένειν κατὰ χώραν καὶ τὰ θηρία πρὸ τούτων, τῷ δʼ εὐωνύμῳ μετὰ τῶν εὐζώνων ἐπῄει σοβαρῶς τοῖς πολεμίοις· §18.23.8οἱ δὲ προκινδυνεύοντες τῶν Ῥωμαίων, προσλαβόντες τὴν τῶν πεζῶν στρατοπέδων ἐφεδρείαν, ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἐνέκειντο τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις.
Therefore, men, encouraging one another, rush vigorously into the fight; for, if the gods are willing, I am confident that the issue of the present battle will soon be the same as that of your former struggles." Having said this, he ordered the right wing to remain in its position with the beasts in front of them, while with the left wing and the light-armed troops he advanced boldly against the enemy; and the Roman vanguard, receiving the support of the heavy infantry, turned and pressed hard upon their opponents.

Notes

  1. §18.23.3προκατέχοντας — Present participle in the accusative plural, modifying the relative pronoun `οὓς` (referring to the Macedonians). It indicates the enemy's advantageous state of having "preoccupied" the strong positions in past battles.
  2. §18.23.4τέως — Functions here as an adverb meaning "at last" or "consequently," indicating the final outcome in which the defeated Macedonian forces in Epirus abandoned their arms and retreated all the way back to Macedonia.
  3. §18.23.5προορᾶσθαι τῶν προγεγονότων — The infinitive `προορᾶσθαι` depends on `καθήκει` from the previous sentence. The genitive `τῶν προγεγονότων` refers to "past events," forming a rhetorical question: "What is there to apprehend/dread from past events?"

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §18.23.1-18.23.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.23.1-18.23.8

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