Alternating Fortunes of War for Romans and Carthaginians

Notes

1. 9.21.1ὅτι — This initial ὅτι serves as an introductory marker typical of Byzantine epitomes, meaning 'that' or 'namely that,' introducing an excerpt. Because the sentence is structured as a noun clause without a main finite verb, the translations preserve this nominalized structure.
2. 9.21.1παλιντρόπων ... προσπιπτόντων — A genitive absolute construction where the genitive present participle προσπιπτόντων agrees with παλιντρόπων, here used substantively in the neuter plural ('reverses' or 'contrary events'). The dative pronoun ἑκατέροις ('to each [of the two sides]') depends on the participle, meaning 'with alternating reverses falling upon each.'
3. 9.21.1ὑποτρέχειν — An infinitive introduced by the impersonal phrase εἰκὸς ἦν ('it was natural'). The subject of the infinitive is ἅμα λύπην καὶ χαρὰν ('grief and joy at the same time', in the accusative), and the object is τὰς ἑκάστων ψυχάς ('the souls of each', in the accusative). This echoes the epic language of Homer (e.g., Odyssey 19.471), as indicated by κατὰ τὸν ποιητὴν ('according to the poet').