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Polybius · The Histories §8.6.1-8.6.7

Destruction of Ships by Archimedes' Claw and Marcellus' Retreat

Passage 564 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The defense engines devised by Archimedes, including the "iron hand," lift and capsize the Roman ships, causing devastating damage. The Roman commander Marcellus retreats with self-deprecating humor, marking the failure of the naval siege.

§8.6.1καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κινδυνεύειν ὁλοσχερῶς.
and those inside her were placed in extreme danger.
τινά τε τῶν μηχανημάτων πάλιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐφορμῶντας καὶ προβεβλημένους γέρρα καὶ διὰ τούτων ἠσφαλισμένους πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν πάσχειν ὑπὸ τῶν διὰ τοῦ τείχους φερομένων βελῶν, ἠφίει μὲν καὶ λίθους συμμέτρους πρὸς τὸ φεύγειν ἐκ τῆς πρώρρας τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους, §8.6.2ἅμα δὲ καὶ καθίει χεῖρα σιδηρᾶν ἐξ ἁλύσεως δεδεμένην, ᾗ δραξάμενος ὁ τὴν κεραίαν οἰακίζων ὅθεν ἐπιλάβοιτο τῆς πρώρρας, κατῆγε τὴν πτέρναν τῆς μηχανῆς ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους. §8.6.3ὅτε δὲ κουφίζων τὴν πρῶρραν ὀρθὸν ποιήσειε τὸ σκάφος ἐπὶ πρύμναν, τὰς μὲν πτέρνας τῶν ὀργάνων εἰς ἀκίνητον καθῆπτε, τὴν δὲ χεῖρα καὶ τὴν ἅλυσιν ἐκ τῆς μηχανῆς ἐξέρραινε διά τινος σχαστηρίας. §8.6.4οὗ γινομένου τινὰ μὲν τῶν πλοίων πλάγια κατέπιπτε, τινὰ δὲ καὶ κατεστρέφετο, τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα τῆς πρώρρας ἀφʼ ὕψους ῥιφθείσης βαπτιζόμενα πλήρη θαλάττης ἐγίνετο καὶ ταραχῆς. §8.6.5Μάρκος δὲ δυσχρηστούμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀπαντωμένοις ὑπʼ Ἀρχιμήδους, καὶ θεωρῶν μετὰ βλάβης καὶ χλευασμοῦ τοὺς ἔνδον ἀποτριβομένους αὑτοῦ τὰς ἐπιβολάς, §8.6.6δυσχερῶς μὲν ἔφερε τὸ συμβαῖνον, ὅμως δʼ ἐπισκώπτων τὰς αὑτοῦ πράξεις ἔφη ταῖς μὲν ναυσὶν αὐτοῦ κυαθίζειν ἐκ θαλάττης Ἀρχιμήδη, τὰς δὲ σαμβύκας ῥαπιζομένας ὥσπερ ἐκσπόνδους μετʼ αἰσχύνης ἐκπεπτωκέναι. §8.6.7καὶ τῆς μὲν κατὰ θάλατταν πολιορκίας τοιοῦτον ἀπέβη τὸ τέλος.
Furthermore, some of the engines, conversely, against those who were charging and had advanced with wicker-shields, securing themselves by means of them so as to suffer nothing from the missiles discharged through the wall, let fly stones of sufficient size to force the combatants to flee from the prow; at the same time, he also let down an iron hand bound to a chain, with which the operator of the yard-arm, having gripped the prow wherever he could take hold of it, pulled down the heel of the engine inside the wall. Then, when by lifting the prow he had made the vessel stand upright on its stern, he fastened the heels of the engines so as to remain immovable, and released the hand and the chain from the engine by means of a trigger. When this took place, some of the ships fell on their sides, some were even capsized, and the majority, when the prow was plunged down from a height, were submerged and filled with seawater and confusion. Marcus, being greatly distressed by these obstacles encountered from Archimedes, and seeing with damage and mockery those inside the city baffling his attempts, took what was happening hard, yet joking at his own actions, he said that Archimedes was using his ships to ladle seawater, and that his sambucae, being beaten like uninvited guests at a banquet, had been driven off in disgrace. And such was the end of the siege by sea.

Notes

  1. 8.6.1καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κινδυνεύειν ὁλοσχερῶς. — A continuation of the accusative with infinitive construction dependent on the impersonal verb `συνέβαινε` ("it resulted that...") from the preceding section (§8.5.11), where `τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ` ("those inside her") functions as the subject accusative of the infinitive `κινδυνεύειν`.
  2. 8.6.1πρὸς τὸ φεύγειν ἐκ τῆς πρώρρας τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους — The preposition `πρός` combined with the articular infinitive `τὸ φεύγειν` expresses purpose ("in order to make them flee"). The accusative `τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους` ("the combatants") serves as the subject of the infinitive.
  3. 8.6.2ᾗ δραξάμενος ὁ τὴν κεραίαν οἰακίζων ὅθεν ἐπιλάβοιτο τῆς πρώρρας — The relative pronoun `ᾗ` (dative feminine singular) depends on the participle `δραξάμενος` ("having gripped"), indicating means. The optative `ἐπιλάβοιτο` (governing the genitive `τῆς πρώρρας`) in the `ὅθεν` clause expresses a past iterative or potential action ("wherever he might take hold").
  4. 8.6.6ταῖς μὲν ναυσὶν αὐτοῦ κυαθίζειν ἐκ θαλάττης Ἀρχιμήδη — An accusative with infinitive construction in indirect discourse introduced by the main verb `ἔφη` ("he said"). The accusative `Ἀρχιμήδη` acts as the subject, and `κυαθίζειν` ("to ladle") is the infinitive.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §8.6.1-8.6.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.6.1-8.6.7

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