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Polybius · The Histories §3.45.1-3.45.6

Cavalry Skirmish and the Armies' Advance

Passage 204 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The clash between the Numidian scouts and the Roman cavalry is reported, prompting both Publius and Hannibal to set their respective armies in motion.

§3.45.1λυθείσης δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἧκον τῶν Νομάδων οἱ προαποσταλέντες ἐπὶ τὴν κατασκοπήν, τοὺς μὲν πλείστους αὑτῶν ἀπολωλεκότες, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ προτροπάδην πεφευγότες.
After the assembly was dismissed, those of the Numidians who had been sent ahead for reconnaissance arrived, having lost most of their own number, while the rest had fled headlong.
§3.45.2συμπεσόντες γὰρ οὐ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας στρατοπεδείας τοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῦσι τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν χρείαν ἐξαπεσταλμένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Ποπλίου τοιαύτην ἐποιήσαντο φιλοτιμίαν ἀμφότεροι κατὰ τὴν συμπλοκὴν ὥστε τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ Κελτῶν εἰς ἑκατὸν ἱππεῖς καὶ τετταράκοντα διαφθαρῆναι, τῶν δὲ Νομάδων ὑπὲρ τοὺς διακοσίους.
For having encountered, not far from their own camp, the Roman horsemen who had been dispatched for the same service by Publius, both sides showed such eagerness in the skirmish that about one hundred and forty of the Roman and Celtic horsemen were killed, and of the Numidians more than two hundred.
§3.45.3γενομένων δὲ τούτων οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι συνεγγίσαντες κατὰ τὸ δίωγμα τῷ τῶν Καρχηδονίων χάρακι καὶ κατοπτεύσαντες αὖθις ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς ἠπείγοντο, διασαφήσοντες τῷ στρατηγῷ τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν πολεμίων· ἀφικόμενοι δʼ εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀνήγγειλαν.
After this happened, the Romans, having in their pursuit approached close to the Carthaginian camp, and having reconnoitered it, immediately turned back and hastened, to make clear to their general the presence of the enemy; and having arrived at their camp, they reported it.
§3.45.4Πόπλιος δὲ παραυτίκα τὴν ἀποσκευὴν ἀναθέμενος ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς ἀνέζευξε παντὶ τῷ στρατεύματι καὶ προῆγε παρὰ τὸν ποταμόν, σπεύδων συμμῖξαι τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις.
Publius immediately placed the baggage on the ships, broke camp with his entire army and advanced along the river, eager to join battle with the enemy.
§3.45.5Ἀννίβας δὲ τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ τοὺς μὲν ἱππεῖς προέθετο πάντας ὡς πρὸς θάλατταν, ἐφεδρείας ἔχοντας τάξιν, τὴν δὲ τῶν πεζῶν ἐκίνει δύναμιν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος εἰς πορείαν.
Hannibal, on the day immediately following the assembly, at daybreak, sent all his cavalry forward in the direction of the sea, holding the position of a rear guard, while he set the infantry force in motion from the camp on its march.
§3.45.6αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἐξεδέχετο καὶ τοὺς ἅμα τούτοις ἀπολελειμμένους ἄνδρας.
He himself waited for the elephants and the men left behind with them.
ἐγένετο δʼ
And it happened...

Notes

  1. §3.45.1τοὺς μὲν πλείστους αὑτῶν ἀπολωλεκότες, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ προτροπάδην πεφευγότες — This is a 'whole and part' construction (schēma kath' holon kai meros) modifying the subject of the main verb, οἱ προαποσταλέντες ('those who had been sent ahead'). The first part contains the nominative participle ἀπολωλεκότες with τοὺς μὲν πλείστους αὑτῶν as its object ('having lost most of their own number'), while the second part οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ... πεφευγότες uses a nominative subject and participle, resulting in an anacoluthon (nominative absolute-like usage) to describe the state of the survivors.
  2. §3.45.2τοιαύτην ἐποιήσαντο φιλοτιμίαν ... ὥστε ... διαφθαρῆναι — A consecutive clause introduced by the correlative τοιαύτην ('such'). The ὥστε clause employs an accusative with infinitive construction, where the infinitive is διαφθαρῆναι (aorist passive infinitive of διαφθείρω), and its subject accusatives are τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ Κελτῶν εἰς ἑκατὸν ἱππεῖς καὶ τετταράκοντα ('about one hundred and forty horsemen of the Romans and Celts') and τῶν δὲ Νομάδων ὑπὲρ τοὺς διακοσίους ('more than two hundred of the Numidians').
  3. §3.45.5τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας — Meaning 'the day immediately following the assembly.' The phrase κατὰ πόδας, literally 'at the heels' or 'following closely,' here functions attributively with ἡμέρᾳ to mean 'the immediately following day,' while the genitive τῆς ἐκκλησίας serves as the point of reference ('after the assembly').

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §3.45.1-3.45.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.45.1-3.45.6

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