Polybius · The Histories §36.7.1-36.7.5

Rome's Final Ultimatum and the Uprising in Carthage

Passage 1270 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Upon learning the harsh demands of Rome, the Carthaginian envoys fell into despair; once the news reached the citizens, the city erupted into intense fury, confusion, and riots.

§36.7.1ἁπλῶς δʼ οὐδὲν εἶδος τῶν μελλόντων ἔγνωσαν, §36.7.2ἐξ αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἐμφάσεως ὀττευόμενοι τῶν πρέσβεων εἰς παντοδαπὰς οἰμωγὰς καὶ θρήνους ἐνέπιπτον. — §36.7.3οἱ δὲ πάντες ἅμʼ ἀνακεκραγότες ἐξ αὐτῆς οἱονεὶ παρελύθησαν.

Yet, in short, they knew no aspect of what was to come, but foreboding from the very expression of the envoys, they fell into all kinds of lamentation and wailing. — And they all, crying out together, on the instant became as it were paralyzed.

§36.7.4ταχὺ δὲ τοῦ λόγου διαδοθέντος εἰς τὸ πλῆθος, οὐκέτι συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀλογίαν, ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς ὥρμων, ὡς αἰτίους σφίσι τῶν κακῶν ὄντας τούτων, §36.7.5οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατειλημμένους τῶν Ἰταλικῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτους ἀπηρείσαντο τὸν θυμόν, οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως —

But when the news was quickly spread among the multitude, the speechless stupor no longer continued, but some rushed upon the envoys, as being the causes of these evils to them, others made for the Italians who had been caught in the city and wreaked their anger upon them, while others rushed to the gates of the city —

Notes

36.7.2ἐξ αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἐμφάσεως ὀττευόμενοι τῶν πρέσβεων — The genitive "τῶν πρέσβεων" modifies "τῆς ἐμφάσεως" ("from the very expression of the envoys"). The present participle "ὀττευόμενοι" means "boding" or "foreboding", indicating that the crowd sensed bad tidings simply from the downcast demeanor of the envoys.
36.7.4οὐκέτι συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀλογίαν — "ἀλογία" here denotes "speechlessness", "stupor", or "silence" rather than "irrationality". It refers back to the state of being "paralyzed" ("παρελύθησαν") in the previous sentence. Once the news spread, this stunned silence broke and turned into violent rage.
36.7.4ὡς αἰτίους σφίσι τῶν κακῶν ὄντας τούτων — The combination of "ὡς" and the accusative participle "ὄντας" (agreeing with "τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς") expresses a subjective reason ("on the ground that they were..."). "σφίσι" is an indirect reflexive pronoun referring to the subject (the crowd), and "τῶν κακῶν τούτων" is the genitive governed by "αἰτίους" ("responsible for").
36.7.5οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως — — An anacoluthon or ellipsis of the verb (such as "ὥρμων", "rushed"). The sentence breaks off abruptly, vividly reflecting the chaotic panic and sudden riots erupting throughout the city.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §36.7.1-36.7.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:36.7.1-36.7.5

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