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Polybius · The Histories §3.87.1-3.87.9

Hannibal's Rest and the Appointment of Fabius

Passage 246 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Hannibal restored his exhausted soldiers and horses in the fertile Adriatic region and re-armed the Libyans with Roman spoils. Meanwhile, the Romans appointed Quintus Fabius as dictator with absolute power and Marcus Minucius as master of the horse to address the crisis.

§3.87.1ϋπάρχον αὐτῷ μῖσος ἔμφυτον πρὸς Ῥωμαίους.
...because of his pre-existing, innate hatred towards the Romans.
ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ καταστρατοπεδεύσας παρὰ τὸν Ἀδρίαν ἐν χώρᾳ πρὸς πάντα τὰ γεννήματα διαφερούσῃ μεγάλην ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀναλήψεως καὶ θεραπείας τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ καὶ τῶν ἵππων.
At this time, having encamped near the Adriatic in a country that excelled in every kind of produce, he devoted great care to the recovery and treatment of his men, and no less of his horses.
§3.87.2ὡς ἂν γὰρ ὑπαίθρου τῆς παραχειμασίας γεγενημένης ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Γαλατίαν τόποις, ὑπό τε τοῦ ψύχους καὶ τῆς ἀνηλειψίας, ἔτι δὲ τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα διὰ τῶν ἑλῶν πορείας καὶ ταλαιπωρίας ἐπεγεγόνει σχεδὸν ἅπασι τοῖς ἵπποις, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὁ λεγόμενος λιμόψωρος καὶ τοιαύτη καχεξία.
For since their wintering in the districts of Gaul had been in the open air, owing to the cold and the lack of oil for rubbing, and furthermore the subsequent march and hardships through the marshes, almost all the horses, and likewise the men, had contracted the so-called mange and a similar state of ill-health.
§3.87.3διὸ γενόμενος ἐγκρατὴς χώρας εὐδαίμονος ἐσωματοποίησε μὲν τοὺς ἵππους, ἀνεκτήσατο δὲ τά τε σώματα καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν στρατιωτῶν· μετακαθώπλισε δὲ τοὺς Λίβυας εἰς τὸν Ῥωμαϊκὸν τρόπον ἐκλεκτοῖς ὅπλοις, ὡς ἂν γεγονὼς κύριος τοσούτων σκύλων.
Therefore, having become master of a fertile country, he restored the condition of his horses and recruited the strength of both the bodies and minds of his soldiers; and he re-armed the Libyans in the Roman fashion with selected weapons, since he had become master of so many spoils.
§3.87.4ἐξαπέστειλε δὲ κατὰ θάλατταν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ καὶ τοὺς διασαφήσοντας εἰς τὴν Καρχηδόνα περὶ τῶν γεγονότων· τότε γὰρ πρῶτον ἥψατο θαλάττης, ἀφʼ οὗ τὴν εἰσβολὴν ἐποιήσατο τὴν εἰς Ἰταλίαν.
At this time, he also sent messengers by sea to report what had happened to Carthage; for this was the first time he had reached the sea since he had made his invasion into Italy.
§3.87.5ἐφʼ οἷς ἀκούσαντες μεγαλείως ἐχάρησαν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ πολλὴν ἐποιοῦντο σπουδὴν καὶ πρόνοιαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ἐπικουρεῖν καὶ τοῖς ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ πράγμασι.
On hearing this, the Carthaginians were greatly rejoiced and made great haste and provision to support in every way their interests both in Italy and in Iberia.
§3.87.6Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ δικτάτορα μὲν κατέστησαν Κόιντον Φάβιον, ἄνδρα καὶ φρονήσει διαφέροντα καὶ πεφυκότα καλῶς.
The Romans, on their part, appointed Quintus Fabius as dictator, a man distinguished both for his wisdom and natural gifts.
ἔτι γοῦν ἐπεκαλοῦντο καὶ καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἱ ταύτης τῆς οἰκίας Μάξιμοι, τοῦτο δʼ ἔστι μέγιστοι, διὰ τὰς ἐκείνου τἀνδρὸς ἐπιτυχίας καὶ πράξεις.
Indeed, even in our own day, those of this family are still called Maximi, which means "the greatest," because of the successes and achievements of that man.
§3.87.7ὁ δὲ δικτάτωρ ταύτην ἔχει τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν ὑπάτων· τῶν μὲν γὰρ ὑπάτων ἑκατέρῳ δώδεκα πελέκεις ἀκολουθοῦσι, §3.87.8τούτῳ δʼ εἴκοσι καὶ τέτταρες, κἀκεῖνοι μὲν ἐν πολλοῖς προσδέονται τῆς συγκλήτου πρὸς τὸ συντελεῖν τὰς ἐπιβολάς, οὗτος δʼ ἔστιν αὐτοκράτωρ στρατηγός, οὗ κατασταθέντος παραχρῆμα διαλύεσθαι συμβαίνει πάσας τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ πλὴν τῶν δημάρχων.
Now the dictator differs from the consuls in this way: while twelve lictors with axes attend each of the consuls, twenty-four attend the dictator; and while the consuls in many matters require the senate to carry out their designs, the dictator is a general with absolute power, upon whose appointment all the magistrates in Rome, except the tribunes, are immediately suspended.
§3.87.9οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἐν ἄλλοις ἀκριβεστέραν ποιησόμεθα τὴν διαστολήν.
However, we shall make a more precise distinction regarding these matters elsewhere.
ἅμα δὲ τῷ δικτάτορι κατέστησαν ἱππάρχην Μάρκον Μινύκιον.
Along with the dictator, they appointed Marcus Minucius as master of the horse.
οὗτος δὲ τέτακται μὲν ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, γίνεται δʼ οἱονεὶ διάδοχος τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐν τοῖς ἐκείνου περισπασμοῖς.
He is subordinate to the absolute commander, but becomes, as it were, his successor in office during his distractions.

Notes

  1. §3.87.1ϋπάρχον — Connected with `διὰ τὸ προ` at the end of the previous chapter, it forms the prepositional phrase `διὰ τὸ προϋπάρχον αὐτῷ μῖσος ἔμφυτον` ("because of his pre-existing, innate hatred"). `προϋπάρχον` is an attributive neuter singular accusative participle modifying `μῖσος`, under the government of the preposition `διά` with the article `τό`.
  2. §3.87.2ὡς ἂν γὰρ ὑπαίθρου τῆς παραχειμασίας γεγενημένης — The conjunction `ὡς ἄν` is followed by a genitive absolute construction (`ὑπαίθρου τῆς παραχειμασίας γεγενημένης`). `ὡς ἄν` adds a subjective or hypothetical nuance to the reason ("as though because..."). The adjective `ὑπαίθρου` is used predicatively with the participle `γεγενημένης`, meaning "since their wintering had been in the open air."
  3. §3.87.3ὡς ἂν γεγονὼς κύριος — The particle combination `ὡς ἄν` is joined with the nominative participle `γεγονώς` (referring to the subject of the main clause, Hannibal) to express a subjective reason ("as having become master of...").
  4. §3.87.8οὗ κατασταθέντος — A genitive absolute construction using the genitive of the relative pronoun `οὗ` (whose antecedent is `οὗτος`, "the dictator," in the previous clause) with the aorist passive participle `κατασταθέντος`. It expresses time or condition ("upon whose appointment immediately...").

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §3.87.1-3.87.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.87.1-3.87.9

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