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Polybius · The Histories §2.18.1-2.18.9

Invasions and Retreats of the Celts against Rome

Passage 106 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Celts temporarily occupy Rome but withdraw due to an invasion by the Veneti, allowing the Romans to recover their power. Decades later, the Celts launch another invasion, but they retreat in the face of Roman preparedness and internal strife, leading to a period of peace.

§2.18.1τὰς μὲν οὖν ἀρχὰς οὐ μόνον τῆς χώρας ἐπεκράτουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν σύνεγγυς πολλοὺς ὑπηκόους ἐπεποίηντο, τῇ τόλμῃ καταπεπληγμένοι. §2.18.2μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον μάχῃ νικήσαντες Ῥωμαίους καὶ τοὺς μετὰ τούτων παραταξαμένους, ἑπόμενοι τοῖς φεύγουσι τρισὶ τῆς μάχης ἡμέραις ὕστερον κατέσχον αὐτὴν τὴν Ῥώμην πλὴν τοῦ Καπετωλίου. §2.18.3γενομένου δʼ ἀντισπάσματος, καὶ τῶν Οὐενέτων ἐμβαλόντων εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν, τότε μὲν ποιησάμενοι συνθήκας πρὸς Ῥωμαίους καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀποδόντες ἐπανῆλθον εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. §2.18.4μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐμφυλίοις συνείχοντο πολέμοις· ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ τῶν τὰς Ἄλπεις κατοικούντων ὁρμὰς ἐποιοῦντο καὶ συνηθροίζοντο πολλάκις ἐπʼ αὐτούς, θεωροῦντες ἐκ παραθέσεως τὴν παραγεγενημένην αὐτοῖς εὐδαιμονίαν. §2.18.5ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ Ῥωμαῖοι τήν τε σφετέραν δύναμιν ἀνέλαβον καὶ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Λατίνους αὖθις πράγματα συνεστήσαντο. §2.18.6παραγενομένων δὲ πάλιν τῶν Κελτῶν εἰς Ἄλβαν στρατεύματι μεγάλῳ μετὰ τὴν τῆς πόλεως κατάληψιν ἔτει τριακοστῷ, τότε μὲν οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν ἀντεξαγαγεῖν Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ στρατόπεδα διὰ τὸ παραδόξου γενομένης τῆς ἐφόδου προκαταληφθῆναι καὶ μὴ καταταχῆσαι τὰς τῶν συμμάχων ἁθροίσαντας δυνάμεις. §2.18.7αὖθις δʼ ἐξ ἐπιβολῆς ἑτέρας ἔτει δωδεκάτῳ μετὰ μεγάλης στρατιᾶς ἐπιπορευομένων προαισθόμενοι καὶ συναγείραντες τοὺς συμμάχους μετὰ πολλῆς προθυμίας ἀπήντων, σπεύδοντες συμβαλεῖν καὶ διακινδυνεῦσαι περὶ τῶν ὅλων. §2.18.8οἱ δὲ Γαλάται καταπλαγέντες τὴν ἔφοδον αὐτῶν καὶ διαστασιάσαντες πρὸς σφᾶς νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης φυγῇ παραπλησίαν ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἀποχώρησιν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. §2.18.9ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου τοῦ φόβου τριακαίδεκα μὲν ἔτη τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἔσχον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συνορῶντες αὐξανομένην τὴν Ῥωμαίων δύναμιν εἰρήνην ἐποι
\nAt first, then, they not only ruled over their own territory, but also made many of their neighbors subject to them, as these were struck with terror at their audacity.\n\nBut some time after, having defeated the Romans and those who ranged themselves with them in battle, and pursuing the fugitives, three days after the battle they occupied Rome itself, except the Capitol.\n\nBut a diversion having occurred, and the Veneti having invaded their territory, they then made a treaty with the Romans, restored the city, and returned to their own land.\n\nAfter this they were distracted by domestic wars, and some of those who inhabited the Alps also made incursions and frequently gathered against them, seeing by comparison the prosperity that had fallen to their lot.\n\nDuring this time the Romans recovered their own power and again re-established their affairs with the Latins.\n\nWhen the Celts returned again to Alba with a large army thirty years after the capture of the city, the Romans did not dare to lead out their forces to meet them, because they had been anticipated owing to the suddenness of the invasion and had not had time to assemble and marshal the forces of their allies.\n\nBut on a subsequent occasion, twelve years later, when they were marching with a great army on another enterprise, the Romans foreseeing it, and having assembled their allies, met them with great enthusiasm, eager to join battle and risk a decisive struggle for their all.\n\nThe Galatians, terrified by their approach and falling into mutiny among themselves, made a retreat to their own country on the approach of night, which was very like a flight.\n\nFrom this fear they remained quiet for thirteen years, but after that, seeing the power of the Romans growing, they made peace...

Notes

  1. 2.18.1καταπεπληγμένοι — Although this nominative plural perfect passive participle formally agrees with the subject of the main clause (the Celts), contextually it refers to the neighbors (τῶν σύνεγγυς πολλούς) being terrified. This is an anacoluthon where the nominative participle is used loosely to describe the state of the object, meaning 'since the neighbors were struck with terror by their audacity.'
  2. 2.18.3ἀντισπάσματος — Genitive singular of the noun ἀντίσπασμα, meaning 'diversion' or 'counter-attraction,' forming a genitive absolute with γενομένου. Here it refers to the strategic diversion caused by the Veneti's invasion, which pulled the Celts away from Rome.
  3. 2.18.6ἁθροίσαντας — An accusative masculine plural active participle. It does not agree with the adjacent noun δυνάμεις (which is feminine accusative plural), but with the implied accusative subject of the infinitive καταταχῆσαι (the Romans). It is therefore translated as 'having assembled the forces of the allies.'

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §2.18.1-2.18.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.18.1-2.18.9

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