Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §29.14.1-29.14.4

Flanking Mission of Nasica and the Roman Defense

Passage 1129 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

During the Macedonian campaign, Nasica and Fabius Maximus volunteer to lead a flanking maneuver, prompting Aemilius to grant them a force corresponding to Nasica's own letter, while the Romans stoutly defend themselves using their shields.

§29.14.1πρῶτος δὲ τῶν παρόντων ὁ Νασικᾶς ἐπι καλούμενος Σκιπίων, γαμβρὸς Ἀφρικανοῦ Σκιπίωνος, ὕστερον δὲ μέγιστον ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ δυνηθείς, ὑπεδέξατο τῆς κυκλώσεως ἡγεμὼν γενέσθαι.
First among those present, Scipio surnamed Nasica, the son-in-law of Scipio Africanus, who later attained the greatest influence in the senate, undertook to be the leader of the flanking movement.
§29.14.2δεύτερος δὲ Φάβιος Μάξιμος ὁ πρεσβύτατος τῶν Αἰμιλίου παίδων, ἔτι μειράκιον ὤν, ἀνέστη προθυμούμενος.
Secondly, Fabius Maximus, the eldest of Aemilius' children, being still a youth, stood up eagerly.
§29.14.3ἡσθεὶς οὖν ὁ Αἰμίλιος δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς οὐχ ὅσους Πολύβιος εἴρηκεν, ἀλλʼ ὅσους αὐτὸς ὁ Νασικᾶς λαβεῖν φησι, γεγραφὼς περὶ τῶν πράξεων τούτων ἐπιστόλιον πρός τινα τῶν βασιλέων. — §29.14.4τῇ δυνάμει τῆς πάρμης καὶ τῶν Λιγυστικῶν θυρεῶν ἀντεῖχον ἐρρωμένως οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι. —
Aemilius therefore, being pleased, gave them not as many as Polybius has stated, but as many as Nasica himself says he took, having written a letter about these deeds to a certain king. — The Romans held out stoutly by the strength of their small round shields and Ligurian oblong shields. —

Notes

  1. §29.14.1μέγιστον ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ δυνηθείς — The participle "δυνηθείς" is the aorist of "δύναμαι" (to have power or influence), modified by the adverbial neuter singular accusative "μέγιστον" (most, to the greatest degree), describing a subsequent state of "having attained the greatest influence in the senate."
  2. §29.14.3ὅσους αὐτὸς ὁ Νασικᾶς λαβεῖν φησι — A relative clause with an omitted antecedent (such as "τοσούτους"). The relative pronoun "ὅσους" functions as the direct object of the infinitive "λαβεῖν" (to receive). The subject of "λαβεῖν" is omitted because it is identical to the subject of "φησι", which is "ὁ Νασικᾶς".
  3. §29.14.4τῇ δυνάμει — A dative of means or cause modifying the main verb "ἀντεῖχον" (held out/resisted), meaning "by the strength of" or "by virtue of the power of" the shields.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §29.14.1-29.14.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:29.14.1-29.14.4

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.