Polybius, Histories

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Book 15 - Chapter 13

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<w lemma="%2Apa%2Fshs">Πάσης</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fshs">οὔσης</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="xeiro%5Cs">χειρὸς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhs">μάχης</w> [<w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="do%2Frasi">δόρασι</w> <w lemma="mhde%5C">μηδὲ</w> <w lemma="ci%2Ffesi">ξίφεσι</w> <w lemma="xrh%3Dsqai">χρῆσθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29gwnizome%2Fnous">ἀγωνιζομένους</w>], <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="eu%29xerei%2Fa%7C">εὐχερείᾳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Flmh%7C">τόλμῃ</w> <w lemma="proei%3Dxon">προεῖχον</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Froi">μισθοφόροι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29rxa%2Fs">ἀρχάς</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="katetrauma%2Ftizon">κατετραυμάτιζον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>,
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<w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="sunta%2Fcews">συντάξεως</w> <w lemma="a%29kribei%3D">ἀκριβεῖ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="kaqoplismw%3D%7C">καθοπλισμῷ</w> <w lemma="pisteu%2Fontes">πιστεύοντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fbainon">ἐπέβαινον</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fsqen">πρόσθεν</w>.
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<w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w> <w lemma="e%28pome%2Fnwn">ἑπομένων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parakalou%2Fntwn">παρακαλούντων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kato%2Fpin">κατόπιν</w>, <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Frois">μισθοφόροις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="suneggizo%2Fntwn">συνεγγιζόντων</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="parabohqou%2Fntwn">παραβοηθούντων</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29podeiliw%2Fntwn">ἀποδειλιώντων</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="yuxai%3Ds">ψυχαῖς</w>,
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<w lemma="pe%2Fras">πέρας</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fklinan">ἐνέκλιναν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Frbaroi">βάρβαροι</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcantes">δόξαντες</w> <w lemma="e%29gkatalei%2Fpesqai">ἐγκαταλείπεσθαι</w> <w lemma="profanw%3Ds">προφανῶς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fwn">ἰδίων</w>, <w lemma="e%29pipeso%2Fntes">ἐπιπεσόντες</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29poxw%2Frhsin">ἀποχώρησιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29festw%3Dtas">ἐφεστῶτας</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fkteinon">ἔκτεινον</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%29na%2Fgkase">ἠνάγκασε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrwdw%3Ds">ἀνδρωδῶς</w> <w lemma="a%29poqanei%3Dn:">ἀποθανεῖν·</w> <w lemma="foneuo%2Fmenoi">φονευόμενοι</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Frwn">μισθοφόρων</w> <w lemma="e%29ma%2Fxonto">ἐμάχοντο</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="proai%2Fresin">προαίρεσιν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fous">ἰδίους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w>.
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<w lemma="poiou%2Fmenoi">ποιούμενοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w> <w lemma="e%29kstatikw%3Ds">ἐκστατικῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parhllagme%2Fnws">παρηλλαγμένως</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgous">ὀλίγους</w> <w lemma="die%2Ffqeiran">διέφθειραν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fwn">ἰδίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fwn">ὑπεναντίων</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftw%7C">τοιούτῳ</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpw%7C">τρόπῳ</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fxean">συνέχεαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pipeso%2Fntes">ἐπιπεσόντες</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%28sta%2Ftwn">ἁστάτων</w> <w lemma="shmai%2Fas:">σημαίας·</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fntoi">μέντοι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prigki%2Fpwn">πριγκίπων</w> <w lemma="h%28gemo%2Fnes">ἡγεμόνες</w> <w lemma="sunqeasa%2Fmenoi">συνθεασάμενοι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="gegono%5Cs">γεγονὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fsthsan">ἐπέστησαν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fceis">τάξεις</w>.
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<w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Frwn">μισθοφόρων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dston">πλεῖστον</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="u%28f%27">ὑφ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%28sta%2Ftwn">ἁστάτων</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="kateko%2Fph">κατεκόπη</w>.
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<w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="diasw%7Czome%2Fnous">διασῳζομένους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="feu%2Fgontas">φεύγοντας</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fase">εἴασε</w> <w lemma="katamigh%3Dnai">καταμιγῆναι</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmesin">δυνάμεσιν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="probale%2Fsqai">προβαλέσθαι</w> <w lemma="paraggei%2Flas">παραγγείλας</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29pista%2Ftais">ἐπιστάταις</w> <w lemma="e%29kw%2Fluse">ἐκώλυσε</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="parade%2Fcasqai">παραδέξασθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29ggi%2Fzontas">ἐγγίζοντας</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28%2Fqen">ὅθεν</w> <w lemma="h%29nagka%2Fsqhsan">ἠναγκάσθησαν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3Dtoi">οὗτοι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29poxw%2Frhsin">ἀποχώρησιν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="ke%2Frata">κέρατα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w>
As the whole battle was a hand-to-hand affair [the men using neither spears nor swords], the mercenaries at first prevailed by their courage and skill, wounding many of the Romans,
but the latter still continued to advance, relying on their admirable order and on the superiority of their arms.
The rear ranks of the Romans followed close on their comrades, cheering them on, but the Carthaginians behaved like cowards, never coming near their mercenaries nor attempting to back them up,
so that finally the barbarians gave way, and thinking that they had evidently been left in the lurch by their own side, fell upon those they encountered in their retreat and began to kill them.
This actually compelled many of the Carthaginians to die like men; for as they were being butchered by their own mercenaries they were obliged against their will to fight both against these and against the Romans,
and as when at bay they showed frantic and extraordinary courage, they killed a considerable number both of their mercenaries and of the enemy.
In this way they even threw the cohorts of the hastati into confusion, but the officers of the principes, seeing what was happening, brought up their ranks to assist,
and now the greater number of the Carthaginians and their mercenaries were cut to pieces where they stood, either by themselves or by the hastati.
Hannibal did not allow the survivors in their flight to mix with his own men but, ordering the foremost ranks to level their spears against them, prevented them from being received into his force.
They were therefore obliged to retreat towards the wings and the open ground beyond.