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Polybius · The Histories §35.5.1-35.5.2

Scipio's Single Combat and Danger of Falling from His Horse

Passage 1262 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Scipio experiences conflict over whether to engage in single combat with a barbarian, and later, though his horse is struck, he manages to land upright on his feet when thrown.

§35.5.1Πολύβιος· ἐνέπεσε δέ τις ὁρμὴ τῷ Σκιπίωνι καὶ διαπόρησις, εἰ δεῖ συμβαλεῖν καὶ μονομαχῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βάρβαρον. — §35.5.2Πολύβιος καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· ὁ δʼ ἵππος ὁ τοῦ Σκιπίωνος ἐδυσχρήστησε μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς πληγῆς, οὐ μὴν ὁλοσχερῶς ἐσφάλμησε.
Polybius: And there fell upon Scipio a certain impulse and hesitation as to whether he ought to engage and fight in single combat against the barbarian. — Polybius also elsewhere: But Scipio's horse, though distressed by the blow, did not completely fall.
διόπερ ὀρθὸς ἀπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὁ Σκιπίων·
Therefore Scipio fell to the ground upright.
Πολύβιος.
Polybius.

Notes

  1. 35.5.1εἰ δεῖ — The conjunction εἰ here does not introduce a conditional clause, but rather an indirect question explaining the specific content of the nouns ὁρμὴ καὶ διαπόρησις ("impulse and hesitation"), meaning "whether he ought to...".
  2. 35.5.2ὀρθὸς — The nominative adjective is used predicatively with the verb ἀπέπεσεν ("fell off") to describe the state of the subject Scipio during the action, indicating that he remained upright (i.e., landed on his feet).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §35.5.1-35.5.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:35.5.1-35.5.2

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