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Polybius · The Histories §21.47.1

Thracian Attacks on the Returning Roman Army

Passage 1009 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

A highly fragmentary passage concerning the attacks suffered by the Roman army at the hands of the Thracians during their return, and the difficulty of guarding against such unforeseen events.

§21.47.1ὅτι τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον παρὰ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν πολλὰ δεινὰ ναρ Ῥωμαίων στρατιω οὐκ ἂν φήσειε κα εὐμαρὲς φυ?λα δι ἂν περὶ τὰς ἰδίας βαιν εστιν ν ησα?μενου?ς ν!εναιρομ ν ς πράξεις
That, the Romans during their return [having suffered] many terrible things at the hands of the Thracians... of the Roman soldiers... one would not say... easy to guard against... concerning their own... happening... is... having made... actions...

Notes

  1. §21.47.1τῶν Ῥωμαίων — Subject of a genitive absolute construction, where the participle (often reconstructed as παθόντων 'having suffered') has been lost in the lacuna.
  2. §21.47.1οὐκ ἂν φήσειε — A potential optative with ἄν ('one would not say'), expressing a cautious or potential assertion.
  3. §21.47.1κα εὐμαρὲς — Likely part of the adverbial phrase κατ' εὐμαρές ('easily'), formed by the preposition κατά (elided to κατ') and the neuter adjective εὐμαρές.
  4. §21.47.1φυ?λα — Interpreted as a fragment of φυλάξασθαι, the aorist middle infinitive of φυλάσσω ('to guard against' or 'to avoid'), acting as an infinitive dependent on εὐμαρές ('easy to...').

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §21.47.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:21.47.1

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