Polybius, Histories

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Book 3 - Chapter 56

1
<w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="sunaqroi%2Fsas">συναθροίσας</w> <w lemma="o%28mou%3D">ὁμοῦ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="kate%2Fbaine">κατέβαινε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tritai%3Dos">τριταῖος</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="krhmnw%3Dn">κρημνῶν</w> <w lemma="dianu%2Fsas">διανύσας</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Fyato">ἥψατο</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pipe%2Fdwn">ἐπιπέδων</w>,
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<w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29polwlekw%5Cs">ἀπολωλεκὼς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="stratiwtw%3Dn">στρατιωτῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%2F">ὑπό</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fwn">πολεμίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="potamw%3Dn">ποταμῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fa%7C">πορείᾳ</w>, <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="krhmnw%3Dn">κρημνῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="dusxwriw%3Dn">δυσχωριῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Falpeis">Ἄλπεις</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndras">ἄνδρας</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="i%28%2Fppous">ἵππους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="u%28pozu%2Fgia">ὑποζύγια</w>.
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<w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fan">πορείαν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="%2Akainh%3Ds">Καινῆς</w> <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fnte">πέντε</w> <w lemma="mhsi%5C">μησὶ</w> <w lemma="poihsa%2Fmenos">ποιησάμενος</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Falpewn">Ἄλπεων</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolh%5Cn">ὑπερβολὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Frais">ἡμέραις</w> <w lemma="dekape%2Fnte">δεκαπέντε</w> <w lemma="kath%3Dre">κατῆρε</w> <w lemma="tolmhrw%3Ds">τολμηρῶς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apa%2Fdon">Πάδον</w> <w lemma="pedi%2Fa">πεδία</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29inso%2Fmbrwn">Ἰνσόμβρων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqnos">ἔθνος</w>,
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fxwn">ἔχων</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="diasw%7Czo%2Fmenon">διασῳζόμενον</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fwn">Λιβύων</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmews">δυνάμεως</w> <w lemma="pezou%5Cs">πεζοὺς</w> <w lemma="muri%2Fous">μυρίους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="disxili%2Fous">δισχιλίους</w>, <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29ibh%2Frwn">Ἰβήρων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="o%29ktakisxili%2Fous">ὀκτακισχιλίους</w>, <w lemma="i%28ppei%3Ds">ἱππεῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntas">πάντας</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="e%28cakisxili%2Fwn">ἑξακισχιλίων</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="sth%2Flh%7C">στήλῃ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqous">πλήθους</w> <w lemma="e%29xou%2Fsh%7C">ἐχούσῃ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pigrafh%5Cn">ἐπιγραφὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakini%2Fw%7C">Λακινίῳ</w> <w lemma="diasafei%3D">διασαφεῖ</w>.
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<w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="kairou%2Fs">καιρούς</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29pa%2Fnw">ἐπάνω</w> <w lemma="proei%3Dpa">προεῖπα</w>, <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fplios">Πόπλιος</w> <w lemma="a%29poleloipw%5Cs">ἀπολελοιπὼς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmeis">δυνάμεις</w> <w lemma="%2Agnai+%2Fw%7C">Γναΐῳ</w> <w lemma="ta%29delfw%3D%7C">τἀδελφῷ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parakeklhkw%5Cs">παρακεκληκὼς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxesqai">ἔχεσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29ibhri%2Fa%7C">Ἰβηρίᾳ</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polemei%3Dn">πολεμεῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29rrwme%2Fnws">ἐρρωμένως</w> <w lemma="%2A%29asdrou%2Fba%7C">Ἀσδρούβᾳ</w>, <w lemma="kate%2Fpleuse">κατέπλευσε</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgwn">ὀλίγων</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Api%2Fsas">Πίσας</w>.
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<w lemma="poihsa%2Fmenos">ποιησάμενος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fan">πορείαν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Aturrhni%2Fas">Τυρρηνίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paralabw%5Cn">παραλαβὼν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28capele%2Fkewn">ἑξαπελέκεων</w> <w lemma="strato%2Fpeda">στρατόπεδα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="prokaqh%2Fmena">προκαθήμενα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prospolemou%3Dnta">προσπολεμοῦντα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Aboi%2Fois">Βοίοις</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dke">ἧκε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apa%2Fdon">Πάδον</w> <w lemma="pedi%2Fa">πεδία</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="katastratopedeu%2Fsas">καταστρατοπεδεύσας</w> <w lemma="e%29pei%3Dxe">ἐπεῖχε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fois">πολεμίοις</w>, <w lemma="speu%2Fdwn">σπεύδων</w> <w lemma="sumbalei%3Dn">συμβαλεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhn">μάχην</w>.
Hannibal having now got all his forces together continued the descent, and in three days' march from the precipice just described reached flat country.
He had lost many of his men by the hands of the enemy in the crossing of rivers and on the march in general, and the precipices and difficulties of the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alps&groupId=313&placeId=609">Alps</a> had cost him not only many men, but a far greater number of horses and sumpter-animals.
The whole march from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=New Carthage&groupId=791&placeId=1430">New Carthage</a> had taken him five months, and he had spent fifteen days in crossing the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alps&groupId=313&placeId=609">Alps</a>, and now, when he thus boldly descended into the plain of the Po and the territory of the Insubres,
his surviving forces numbered twelve thousand African and eight thousand Iberian foot, and not more than six thousand horse in all, as he himself states in the inscription on the column at Lacinium relating to the number of his forces.
About the same time, as I stated above, Publius Scipio, leaving his forces with his brother Gnaeus with orders to conduct operations in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Spain&groupId=983&placeId=1735">Spain</a> and vigorously combat Hasdrubal, arrived by sea at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pisa&groupId=904&placeId=1625">Pisa</a> with a small following.
Marching through <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Etruria&groupId=582&placeId=1089">Etruria</a> and taking over from the Praetors the frontier legions which were engaged with the Boii, he reached the plain of the Po, and encamping there, waited for the enemy, being anxious to give him battle.