Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §8.25.1-8.25.11

Pledge with Hannibal and Preparations for the Coup

Passage 585 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Tarentine youths exchange pledges with Hannibal regarding their freedom and successfully win over the Roman commander and gatekeepers under the pretext of hunting, fixing the day of action to coincide with the commander's banquet.

§8.25.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιησάμενοι δευτέραν ἔξοδον, καὶ παραπλησίως χειρίσαντες τὰ κατὰ μέρος, αὐτοί τε τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀννίβαν ἔδοσαν πίστεις καὶ παρʼ ἐκείνων ἔλαβον ἐπὶ τούτοις, §8.25.2ἐφʼ ᾧ Ταραντίνους ἐλευθερώσειν καὶ μήτε φόρους πράξεσθαι κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον μήτʼ ἄλλο μηδὲν ἐπιτάξειν Ταραντίνοις Καρχηδονίους, τὰς δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων οἰκίας καὶ καταλύσεις, ἐπειδὰν κρατήσωσι τῆς πόλεως, ἐξεῖναι Καρχηδονίοις διαρπάζειν.
After this, having made a second expedition and having managed the details in a similar manner, they themselves gave pledges to Hannibal and his companions, and received pledges from them on these conditions: namely, that the Carthaginians should set the Tarentines free, and should neither exact tribute in any way nor impose any other burden on the Tarentines, but that it should be permitted to the Carthaginians to plunder the houses and lodgings of the Romans when they had captured the city.
§8.25.3ἐποιήσαντο δὲ καὶ σύνθημα τοῦ παραδέχεσθαι σφᾶς τοὺς φύλακας ἑτοίμως εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, ὅτʼ ἔλθοιεν.
They also established a signal for the sentries to receive them readily into the camp whenever they came.
§8.25.4ὧν γενομένων ἔλαβον ἐξουσίαν εἰς τὸ καὶ πλεονάκις συμμιγνύναι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀννίβαν, ποτὲ μὲν ὡς ἐπʼ ἐξοδείαν, ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν ὡς ἐπὶ κυνηγίαν ποιούμενοι τὰς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐξόδους.
When these things were done, they obtained the opportunity to meet with Hannibal and his companions even more frequently, making their departures from the city sometimes as if for foraging and sometimes again as if for hunting.
§8.25.5ταῦτα δὲ διαρμοσάμενοι πρὸς τὸ μέλλον, οἱ μὲν πλείους ἐπετήρουν τοὺς καιρούς, τὸν δὲ Φιλήμενον ἀπέταξαν ἐπὶ τὰς κυνηγίας· §8.25.6διὰ γὰρ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἐπιθυμίαν ἦν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ διάληψις ὡς οὐδὲν προυργιαίτερον ποιουμένου κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦ κυνηγετεῖν.
Having arranged these matters for the future, the majority of them watched for opportunities, but they assigned Philemenus to the hunting expeditions; for, because of his excessive passion for this activity, there was an opinion about him that he considered nothing in life more important than hunting.
§8.25.7διὸ τούτῳ μὲν ἐπέτρεψαν ἐξιδιάσασθαι διὰ τῶν ἁλισκομένων θηρίων πρῶτον μὲν τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως τεταγμένον Γάιον Λίβιον, δεύτερον δὲ τοὺς φυλάττοντας τὸν πυλῶνα τὸν ὑπὸ τὰς Τημενίδας προσαγορευομένας πύλας.
Therefore, they entrusted him with winning over, by means of the captured beasts, first Gaius Livius, the Roman officer in charge of the city, and secondly those who guarded the wicket at the gate called the Temenides.
§8.25.8ὃς παραλαβὼν τὴν πίστιν ταύτην, καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτὸς κυνηγετῶν, τῶν δʼ ἑτοιμαζομένων αὐτῷ διʼ Ἀννίβου, συνεχῶς εἰσέφερε τῶν θηρίων, ὧν τὰ μὲν ἐδίδου τῷ Γαΐῳ, τὰ δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ πυλῶνος χάριν τοῦ τὴν ῥινοπύλην ἑτοίμως ἀνοίγειν αὐτῷ· §8.25.9τὸ γὰρ πλεῖον ἐποιεῖτο τὰς εἰσόδους καὶ τὰς ἐξόδους νυκτός, προφάσει μὲν χρώμενος τῷ φόβῳ τῶν πολεμίων, ἁρμοζόμενος δὲ πρὸς τὴν ὑποκειμένην πρόθεσιν.
He, having accepted this charge, and partly hunting himself, and partly using the beasts prepared for him through Hannibal, constantly brought in game, of which he gave some to Gaius and some to those at the wicket, so that they would readily open the narrow gate for him; for he made most of his entries and exits by night, using fear of the enemy as a pretext, but adapting himself to the underlying purpose.
§8.25.10ἤδη δὲ κατεσκευασμένου τοιαύτην συνήθειαν τοῦ Φιλημένου πρὸς τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης ὥστε μὴ διαπορεῖν τοὺς φυλάττοντας, ἀλλʼ ὁπότε προσεγγίσας τῷ τείχει προσσυρίξαι νυκτός, εὐθέως ἀνοίγεσθαι τὴν ῥινοπύλην αὐτῷ, §8.25.11τότε παρατηρήσαντες τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ἄρχοντα τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἀφʼ ἡμέρας μέλλοντα γίνεσθαι μετὰ πλειόνων ἐν τῷ προσαγορευομένῳ Μουσείῳ σύνεγγυς τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ταύτην ἐτάξαντο τὴν ἡμέραν πρὸς τὸν Ἀννίβαν.
Since Philemenus had already established such a habit with those at the gate that the sentries did not doubt him, but whenever he approached the wall and whistled by night, the narrow gate was immediately opened for him, they then, having observed that the Roman commander in charge of the city was going to be at the place called the Museium near the agora from nightfall with a large company, fixed this day with Hannibal for the enterprise.

Notes

  1. 8.25.2ἐφʼ ᾧ — ἐφʼ ᾧ is an idiomatic expression meaning "on condition that," introducing infinitives (here ἐλευθερώσειν, πράξεσθαι, etc.) that specify the conditions under which the pledges (πίστεις) were exchanged.
  2. 8.25.6ὡς οὐδὲν προυργιαίτερον ποιουμένου κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦ κυνηγετεῖν — A genitive absolute construction introduced by ὡς (with ποιουμένου referring to Philemenus), explaining the content of the noun διάληψις (opinion/reputation). The phrase ποιοῦμαι προυργιαίτερον + genitive (here τοῦ κυνηγετεῖν) means "to consider more important than."
  3. 8.25.10ἤδη δὲ κατεσκευασμένου τοιαύτην συνήθειαν τοῦ Φιλημένου πρὸς τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης ὥστε μὴ διαπορεῖν τοὺς φυλάττοντας — This is a genitive absolute construction (ἤδη δὲ κατεσκευασμένου... τοῦ Φιλημένου) with Philemenus as the subject. The ὥστε clause expresses result, defining the nature of the habit (συνήθειαν) as being so established that the sentries had no doubts (διαπορεῖν).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §8.25.1-8.25.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.25.1-8.25.11

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.