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Polybius · The Histories §23.13.1-23.13.2

Evidence of Hannibal's Exceptional Leadership

Passage 1044 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The greatest proof of this man's leadership is presented: despite leading a diverse multinational army in the field for seventeen years, he was never once betrayed or plotted against by any of his followers.

§23.13.1ὅτι θαυμαστόν ἐστι καὶ μέγιστον σημεῖον γεγονέναι τῇ φύσει τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον ἡγεμονικὸν καὶ πολύ τι διαφέροντα τῶν ἄλλων πρὸς τὸν πραγματικὸν τρόπον· §23.13.2ἑπτακαίδεκα γὰρ ἔτη μείνας ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις πλεῖστά τʼ ἔθνη καὶ βάρβαρα διεξελθὼν καὶ πλείστοις ἀνδράσιν ἀλλοφύλοις καὶ ἑτερογλώττοις χρησάμενος συνεργοῖς πρὸς ἀπηλπισμένας καὶ παραδόξους ἐπιβολάς, ὑπʼ οὐθενὸς οὔτʼ ἐπεβουλεύθη τὸ παράπαν οὔτʼ ἐγκατελείφθη τῶν ἅπαξ αὐτῷ κοινωνησάντων καὶ δόντων ἑαυτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας. —
That it is a wonderful thing and the greatest proof that this man was by nature fit for leadership and far superior to others in his practical conduct; for although he remained for seventeen years in the field, and traversed very many and barbarian nations, and employed very many men of different races and languages as his helpers in desperate and unexpected enterprises, he was never once plotted against by any of those who had once associated with him and put themselves into his hands, nor was he ever abandoned by them. —

Notes

  1. §23.13.1γεγονέναι — The perfect infinitive γεγονέναι, with its accusative subject τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον, functions in apposition to explain the content of the noun σημεῖον (proof) in the main clause.
  2. §23.13.2τῶν ἅπαξ αὐτῷ κοινωνησάντων — This participle phrase with the genitive article functions as a partitive genitive qualifying οὐθενὸς (no one) in the prepositional phrase ὑπʼ οὐθενὸς.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §23.13.1-23.13.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:23.13.1-23.13.2

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