Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §2.27.1-2.27.8

Arrival of Atilius and the Race for the Hill at Telamon

Passage 115 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The consul Gaius Atilius lands at Pisa from Sardinia and, while marching toward Rome, encounters the Celts near Telamon in Etruria, attempting to occupy a hill to trap them between his forces and those of Lucius.

§2.27.1κατὰ δὲ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους ἐκ Σαρδόνος μετὰ τῶν στρατοπέδων Γάιος Ἀτίλιος ὕπατος εἰς Πίσας καταπεπλευκὼς προῆγε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς Ῥώμην, ἐναντίαν ποιούμενος τοῖς πολεμίοις τὴν πορείαν.
At this same time, the consul Gaius Atilius, having sailed from Sardinia with his legions and landed at Pisa, was advancing with his army towards Rome, taking a route in the opposite direction to that of the enemy.
§2.27.2ἤδη δὲ περὶ Τελαμῶνα τῆς Τυρρηνίας τῶν Κελτῶν ὑπαρχόντων, οἱ προνομεύοντες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐμπεσόντες εἰς τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ Γαΐου προπορευομένους ἑάλωσαν·
When the Celts were already near Telamon in Etruria, those of them who were foraging fell in with the advance guard of Gaius and were captured.
§2.27.3καὶ τά τε προγεγονότα διεσάφουν ἀνακρινόμενοι τῷ στρατηγῷ καὶ τὴν παρουσίαν ἀμφοτέρων τῶν στρατοπέδων ἀνήγγελλον, σημαίνοντες διότι τελείως σύνεγγύς εἰσιν οἱ Κελτοὶ καὶ τούτων κατόπιν οἱ περὶ τὸν Λεύκιον.
On being questioned, they made clear to the general what had previously happened and reported the presence of both armies, indicating that the Celts were extremely close, and that Lucius and his forces were close behind them.
§2.27.4ὁ δὲ τὰ μὲν ξενισθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς προσπίπτουσι, τὰ δʼ εὔελπις γενόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν μέσους κατὰ πορείαν ἀπειληφέναι τοὺς Κελτούς, τοῖς μὲν χιλιάρχοις παρήγγειλε τάττειν τὰ στρατόπεδα καὶ βάδην εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν προάγειν, καθʼ ὅσον ἂν οἱ τόποι προσδέχωνται τὴν μετωπηδὸν ἔφοδον.
He, being on the one hand startled by the sudden news, but on the other hand full of hope because he seemed to have caught the Celts between two forces on their march, ordered the military tribunes to draw up the legions and advance forward at a walk, as far as the ground permitted a front attack.
§2.27.5αὐτὸς δὲ συνθεωρήσας εὐκαίρως λόφον κείμενον ὑπὲρ τὴν ὁδόν, ὑφʼ ὃν ἔδει παραπορευθῆναι τοὺς Κελτούς, ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς ἱππεῖς ὥρμησε σπεύδων προκαταλαβέσθαι τὴν ἀκρολοφίαν καὶ πρῶτος κατάρξαι τοῦ κινδύνου, πεπεισμένος τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς τῶν ἐκβαινόντων πλεῖστον οὕτω κληρονομήσειν.
He himself, having observed a hill situated conveniently above the road, under which the Celts had to pass, took the cavalry and hastened to occupy the ridge in advance and to be the first to begin the battle, being convinced that in this way he would secure the greatest share of the credit for the outcome.
§2.27.6οἱ δὲ Κελτοὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀτίλιον ἀγνοοῦντες, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος ὑπολαμβάνοντες τοὺς περὶ τὸν Αἰμίλιον περιπεπορεῦσθαι τὴν νύκτα τοῖς ἱππεῦσι καὶ προκαταλαμβάνεσθαι τοὺς τόπους, εὐθέως ἐξαπέστελλον τοὺς παρʼ αὑτῶν ἱππεῖς καί τινας τῶν εὐζώνων, ἀντιποιησομένους τῶν κατὰ τὸν βουνὸν τόπων.
The Celts at first, being ignorant of the presence of Atilius, but supposing from what was happening that Aemilius's forces had marched round during the night with the cavalry and were occupying the position in advance, immediately sent out their own cavalry and some of the light-armed troops to contest the positions on the hill.
§2.27.7ταχὺ δὲ συνέντες τὴν τοῦ Γαΐου παρουσίαν ἔκ τινος τῶν ἀχθέντων αἰχμαλώτων σπουδῇ παρενέβαλον τοὺς πεζούς, ποιούμενοι τὴν ἔκταξιν ἅμα πρὸς ἑκατέραν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπʼ οὐρᾶς καὶ τὴν κατὰ πρόσωπον·
But quickly learning of the presence of Gaius from one of the prisoners who were brought in, they hastily drew up their infantry, forming their line facing both ways at once, both to the rear and to the front.
§2.27.8οὓς μὲν γὰρ ᾔδεσαν ἑπομένους αὑτοῖς, οὓς δὲ κατὰ τὸ στόμα προσεδόκων ἀπαντήσειν, ἔκ τε τῶν προσαγγελλομένων τεκμαιρόμενοι καὶ τῶν
For some they knew were following them, while others they expected to meet them in front, concluding this both from the reports and from the...

Notes

  1. 2.27.1ἐναντίαν ποιούμενος τοῖς πολεμίοις τὴν πορείαν — The adjective ἐναντίαν is used predicatively with the accusative noun τὴν πορείαν, meaning "making his march opposite (to the enemy)."
  2. 2.27.4ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν μέσους κατὰ πορείαν ἀπειληφέναι τοὺς Κελτούς — The preposition ἐπί with the dative articular infinitive τῷ δοκεῖν expresses cause ("on account of seeming"). The implied subject of the infinitive ἀπειληφέναι is the Roman forces, its direct object is τοὺς Κελτούς, and the predicative adjective μέσους means "in the middle" (i.e., trapped between the two armies).
  3. 2.27.5τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς τῶν ἐκβαινόντων πλεῖστον οὕτω κληρονομήσειν — The verb κληρονόμησειν (future infinitive of κληρονομέω) takes the genitive of the thing inherited or obtained (τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς) and the accusative of the amount obtained (πλεῖστον). Here ἐπιγραφή, literally "inscription," metaphorically means the "credit" or "glory" of the achievement.
  4. 2.27.7ποιούμενος — Although the subject "the Celts" (οἱ δὲ Κελτοί) is plural, the present participle ποιούμενος is in the singular (masculine singular nominative). This is either an instance of construction according to sense (concordia ad sensum), treating the Celts as a single collective body, or a textual variant (where some read ποιούμενοι).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §2.27.1-2.27.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.27.1-2.27.8

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.