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Polybius · The Histories §35.1.1-35.1.6

The Fiery War and Nature of the Celtiberian Conflict

Passage 1258 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The author labels the intense conflict between the Romans and the Celtiberians as the "fiery war," describing its unique and unrelenting nature where battles did not end with a single decisive blow.

§35.1.1πύρινος πόλεμος, ὁ Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Κελτίβηρας συσταθείς.
The "fiery war" is the one waged by the Romans against the Celtiberians.
θαυμαστὴν γὰρ ἔσχε τὴν ἰδιότητα τήν τε συνέχειαν τῶν ἀγώνων.
For its peculiar character and the continuity of its combats were wonderful.
§35.1.2τοὺς γὰρ κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πολέμους καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὡς ἐπίπαν μία μάχη κρίνει, σπανίως δὲ δευτέρα, καὶ τὰς μάχας αὐτὰς εἷς καιρὸς ὁ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἔφοδον καὶ σύμπτωσιν τῆς δυνάμεως·
For, as a rule, a single battle decides the wars in Greece and in Asia, and rarely a second; and the battles themselves are decided by a single critical moment, that of the first onslaught and the clash of forces.
§35.1.3κατὰ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν πόλεμον τἀναντία συνέβαινε τοῖς προειρημένοις.
But in this war, the opposite of the aforementioned things happened.
§35.1.4τοὺς μὲν γὰρ κινδύνους ὡς ἐπίπαν ἡ νὺξ διέλυε, τῶν ἀνδρῶν οὔτʼ εἴκειν ταῖς ψυχαῖς οὔτε παρακαθιέναι τοῖς σώμασι βουλομένων διὰ τὸν κόπον, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς καὶ μεταμελείας αὖθις ἄλλας ἀρχὰς ποιουμένων.
For, as a rule, night would break off the combats, since the men were unwilling either to yield in spirit or to give way in body because of their fatigue, but turning back and changing their minds, they would begin other fights afresh.
§35.1.5τόν γε μὴν ὅλον πόλεμον καὶ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν ἐκ παρατάξεως διακρίσεων ὁ χειμὼν ἐπὶ ποσὸν διεῖργε.
However, the winter did to some extent interrupt the war as a whole and the continuity of the decisions by pitched battles.
§35.1.6καθόλου γάρ, εἴ τις διανοηθείη πύρινον πόλεμον, οὐκ ἂν ἕτερον ἢ τοῦτον νοήσειε. —
For, in general, if anyone were to conceive of a "fiery war," he would conceive of no other than this one.

Notes

  1. 35.1.1πύρινος πόλεμος, ὁ Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Κελτίβηρας συσταθείς — The verb is omitted, and this phrase is presented independently as a chapter heading or a definition.
  2. 35.1.1θαυμαστὴν γὰρ ἔσχε τὴν ἰδιότητα — The adjective θαυμαστήν is placed in the predicative position before the article, qualifying the objects τὴν ἰδιότητα τήν τε συνέχειαν predicatively.
  3. 35.1.2καὶ τὰς μάχας αὐτὰς εἷς καιρὸς — The verb κρίνει from the first clause is omitted and must be supplied: "and the battles themselves [are decided by] a single critical moment."
  4. 35.1.4τῶν ἀνδρῶν οὔτʼ εἴκειν ... βουλομένων ... ἀλλʼ ... ποιουμένων — A genitive absolute construction with two coordinate participles, βουλομένων and ποιουμένων, sharing τῶν ἀνδρῶν as their subject, expressing cause.
  5. 35.1.4ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς καὶ μεταμελείας — Literally meaning "from turning back and change of mind," it describes the soldiers turning back to fight again even after beginning to retreat.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §35.1.1-35.1.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:35.1.1-35.1.6

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