Polybius, Histories

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Book 8 - Chapter 32

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<w lemma="%2Apollw%3Dn">Πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pantodapw%3Dn">παντοδαπῶν</w> <w lemma="kataskeuasma%2Ftwn">κατασκευασμάτων</w> <w lemma="a%28qroisqe%2Fntwn">ἁθροισθέντων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="diarpagh%3Ds">διαρπαγῆς</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="w%29felei%2Fas">ὠφελείας</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w> <w lemma="a%29ci%2Fas">ἀξίας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prosdokwme%2Fnwn">προσδοκωμένων</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdwn">ἐλπίδων</w>,
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<w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fplwn">ὅπλων</w> <w lemma="hu%29li%2Fsqhsan">ηὐλίσθησαν</w>, <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29piou%3Dsan">ἐπιοῦσαν</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fran">ἡμέραν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w> <w lemma="sunedreu%2Fsas">συνεδρεύσας</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Ataranti%2Fnwn">Ταραντίνων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fkrine">ἔκρινε</w> <w lemma="diateixi%2Fsai">διατειχίσαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flin">πόλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fkras">ἄκρας</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mhdei%5Cs">μηδεὶς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="fo%2Fbos">φόβος</w> <w lemma="e%29pika%2Fqhtai">ἐπικάθηται</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Ataranti%2Fnois">Ταραντίνοις</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="katexo%2Fntwn">κατεχόντων</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29kro%2Fpolin">ἀκρόπολιν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>.
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<w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="e%29peba%2Fleto">ἐπεβάλετο</w> <w lemma="proqe%2Fsqai">προθέσθαι</w> <w lemma="xa%2Fraka">χάρακα</w> <w lemma="para%2Fllhlon">παράλληλον</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="tei%2Fxei">τείχει</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29kropo%2Flews">ἀκροπόλεως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="ta%2Ffrw%7C">τάφρῳ</w>.
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<w lemma="safw%3Ds">σαφῶς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ginw%2Fskwn">γινώσκων</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29a%2Fsontas">ἐάσοντας</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fous">ὑπεναντίους</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29napodeicome%2Fnous">ἐναποδειξομένους</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7Cde%2F">τῇδέ</w> <w lemma="ph%7C">πῃ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w>, <w lemma="h%28toi%2Fmase">ἡτοίμασε</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dras">χεῖρας</w> <w lemma="e%29pithdeiota%2Ftas">ἐπιτηδειοτάτας</w>, <w lemma="nomi%2Fzwn">νομίζων</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllon">μέλλον</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagkaio%2Fteron">ἀναγκαιότερον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kataplh%2Fcasqai">καταπλήξασθαι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w>, <w lemma="eu%29qarsei%3Ds">εὐθαρσεῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="poih%3Dsai">ποιῆσαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Ataranti%2Fnous">Ταραντίνους</w>.
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<w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fqesqai">τίθεσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="xa%2Fraka">χάρακα</w> <w lemma="qrase%2Fws">θρασέως</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tetolmhko%2Ftws">τετολμηκότως</w> <w lemma="e%29pixeirou%2Fntwn">ἐπιχειρούντων</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fois">ὑπεναντίοις</w>, <w lemma="braxu%5C">βραχὺ</w> <w lemma="summi%2Fcas">συμμίξας</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28rma%5Cs">ὁρμὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="e%29kkalesa%2Fmenos">ἐκκαλεσάμενος</w>, <w lemma="e%29pei%5C">ἐπεὶ</w> <w lemma="proe%2Fpeson">προέπεσον</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ta%2Ffrou">τάφρου</w>, <w lemma="dou%5Cs">δοὺς</w> <w lemma="para%2Fggelma">παράγγελμα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fbale">προσέβαλε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fois">πολεμίοις</w>.
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<w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhs">μάχης</w> <w lemma="i%29sxura%3Ds">ἰσχυρᾶς</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="braxei%3D">βραχεῖ</w> <w lemma="xw%2Frw%7C">χώρῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="periteteixisme%2Fnw%7C">περιτετειχισμένῳ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="sumplokh%3Ds">συμπλοκῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29piteloume%2Fnhs">ἐπιτελουμένης</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fras">πέρας</w> <w lemma="e%29kbiasqe%2Fntes">ἐκβιασθέντες</w> <w lemma="e%29tra%2Fphsan">ἐτράπησαν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polloi%5C">πολλοὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpeson">ἔπεσον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="xeirw%3Dn">χειρῶν</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmw%7C">νόμῳ</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="a%29pwqou%2Fmenon">ἀπωθούμενον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sugkrhmnizo%2Fmenon">συγκρημνιζόμενον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="ta%2Ffrw%7C">τάφρῳ</w> <w lemma="diefqa%2Frh">διεφθάρη</w>.
A quantity of objects of various kinds were collected by the spoilers, the booty coming quite up to the expectation of the Carthaginians.
They spent that night under arms, and on the next day Hannibal calling a general meeting which included the Tarentines, decided to shut off the town from the citadel, so that the Tarentines should have no further fear of the Romans who held that fortress.
His first measure was to construct a palisade parallel to the wall of the citadel and the moat in front of it.
As he knew very well that the enemy would not submit to this, but would make some kind of armed demonstration against it, he held in readiness some of his best troops, thinking that nothing was most necessary with respect to the future than to strike terror into the Romans and give confidence to the Tarentines.
When accordingly upon their planting the first palisade the Romans made a most bold and daring attack on the enemy, Hannibal after a short resistance retired in order to tempt the assailants on, and when most of them advanced beyond the moat, ordered up his men and fell upon them.
A stubborn engagement followed, as the fighting took place in a narrow space between two walls, but in the end the Romans were forced back and put to flight.
Many of them fell in the action, but the largest number perished by being hurled back and precipitated into the moat.