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Polybius · The Histories §3.62.1-3.62.11

Hannibal Stages Captive Combats to Encourage His Army

Passage 221 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

As Hannibal and Publius prepare to encourage their respective forces, Hannibal stages a single combat among the young Alpine captives to show his soldiers that victory brings rewards while death is preferable to continued misery.

§3.62.1κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἤδη συνεγγίζοντες ἀλλήλοις Ἀννίβας καὶ Πόπλιος ἐπεβάλοντο παρακαλεῖν τὰς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεις, ἑκάτερος προθέμενος τὰ πρέποντα τοῖς παροῦσι καιροῖς.
At this time, Hannibal and Publius, who were already drawing near to one another, undertook to encourage their respective forces, each having proposed to himself what was fitting for the present circumstances.
§3.62.2Ἀννίβας μὲν οὖν διὰ τοιοῦδέ τινος ἐνεχείρει τρόπου ποιεῖσθαι τὴν παραίνεσιν.
Hannibal, then, attempted to make his exhortation in some such manner as this.
§3.62.3συναγαγὼν γὰρ τὰ πλήθη παρήγαγεν νεανίσκους τῶν αἰχμαλώτων, οὓς εἰλήφει κακοποιοῦντας τὴν πορείαν ἐν ταῖς περὶ τὰς Ἄλπεις δυσχωρίαις.
For having assembled his multitudes, he brought forward some young men from among the prisoners, whom he had taken while they were harassing his march in the difficult passes around the Alps.
§3.62.4τούτους δὲ κακῶς διετίθετο, παρασκευαζόμενος πρὸς τὸ μέλλον· καὶ γὰρ δεσμοὺς εἶχον βαρεῖς καὶ τῷ λιμῷ συνέσχηντο, καὶ ταῖς πληγαῖς αὐτῶν τὰ σώματα διέφθαρτο.
He had been treating them badly, preparing for what was to come; for they wore heavy fetters and had been afflicted with hunger, and their bodies were disfigured by blows.
§3.62.5καθίσας οὖν τούτους εἰς τὸ μέσον προέθηκε πανοπλίας Γαλατικάς, οἵαις εἰώθασιν οἱ βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν, ὅταν μονομαχεῖν μέλλωσιν, κατακοσμεῖσθαι· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἵππους παρέστησε καὶ σάγους εἰσήνεγκε πολυτελεῖς.
Having seated them, therefore, in the middle, he placed before them Gallic suits of armor, such as their kings are accustomed to deck themselves with when they are about to fight in single combat; and in addition to these, he brought up horses and produced costly military cloaks.
§3.62.6κἄπειτα τῶν νεανίσκων ἤρετο τίνες αὐτῶν βούλονται διαγωνίσασθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐφʼ ᾧ τὸν μὲν νικήσαντα τὰ προκείμενα λαμβάνειν ἆθλα, τὸν δʼ ἡττηθέντα τῶν παρόντων ἀπηλλάχθαι κακῶν, τελευτήσαντα τὸν βίον.
And then he asked the young men which of them wished to contend with one another on the condition that the victor should receive the prizes laid before them, and the vanquished, by ending his life, should be released from his present miseries.
§3.62.7πάντων δʼ ἀναβοησάντων ἅμα καὶ δηλούντων ὅτι βούλονται μονομαχεῖν, κληρώσασθαι προσέταξε καὶ δύο τοὺς λαχόντας καθοπλισαμένους ἐκέλευσε μάχεσθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
When they all cried out at once and indicated that they wished to fight in single combat, he ordered them to cast lots, and commanded the two on whom the lot fell to put on the armor and fight with one another.
§3.62.8παραυτίκα μὲν οὖν ἀκούσαντες οἱ νεανίσκοι ταῦτα καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐξαίροντες εὔχοντο τοῖς θεοῖς, σπεύδων ἕκαστος αὐτὸς γενέσθαι τῶν λαχόντων.
Immediately, then, upon hearing this, the young men lifted up their hands and prayed to the gods, each one eager to be himself among those chosen by lot.
§3.62.9ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐδηλώθη τὰ κατὰ τὸν κλῆρον, ἦσαν οἱ μὲν εἰληχότες περιχαρεῖς, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι τοὐναντίον.
And when the results of the lot were declared, those who had drawn the lots were overjoyed, while the others were the opposite.
§3.62.10γενομένης δὲ τῆς μάχης οὐχ ἧττον ἐμακάριζον οἱ περιλειπόμενοι τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τὸν τεθνεῶτα τοῦ νενικηκότος, ὡς πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων κακῶν ἐκείνου μὲν ἀπολελυμένου, σφᾶς δʼ αὐτοὺς ἀκμὴν ὑπομένοντας.
When the combat was over, the remaining prisoners envied the dead no less than the victor, since the former had been released from many great miseries, while they themselves were still enduring them.
§3.62.11ἦν δὲ παραπλησία καὶ περὶ τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἡ διάληψις· ἐκ παραθέσεως γὰρ θεωρουμένης τῆς τῶν ἀγομένων καὶ ζώντων ταλαιπωρίας, τούτους μὲν ἠλέουν, τὸν δὲ τεθνεῶτα πάν
A similar view was held also by the majority of the Carthaginians; for when the misery of those who were being led away and remained alive was viewed in comparison, they pitied these, while the one who had died, all...

Notes

  1. §3.62.1ἐπεβάλοντο παρακαλεῖν — The verb `ἐπεβάλοντο` (aorist middle of `ἐπιβάλλομαι`) is used here with the infinitive `παρακαλεῖν` to mean 'they undertook to' or 'resolved to' encourage.
  2. §3.62.6ἐφʼ ᾧ — A conjunctional phrase introducing a condition ('on condition that'), governing the accusative and infinitive construction: `τὸν μὲν νικήσαντα` as subject of `λαμβάνειν`, and `τὸν δʼ ἡττηθέντα` as subject of `ἀπηλλάχθαι`.
  3. §3.62.10τοῦ νενικηκότος — Genitive of comparison. Used in conjunction with `οὐχ ἧττον` ('no less than'), expressing that they deemed the dead man no less fortunate than the victor.
  4. §3.62.11θεωρουμένης τῆς ... ταλαιπωρίας — Genitive absolute construction, where `τῆς ταλαιπωρίας` ('the misery') is the subject and the participle `θεωρουμένης` ('being viewed') is the predicate, expressing a cause or circumstance ('since the misery... was viewed').

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §3.62.1-3.62.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.62.1-3.62.11

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