Polybius, Histories

Translation

Book 8 - Chapter 5

<w lemma="%2Aplh%5Cn">Πλὴν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3Dtoi">οὗτοι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="dihrmosme%2Fnoi">διηρμοσμένοι</w> <w lemma="prosa%2Fgein">προσάγειν</w> <w lemma="dienoou%3Dnto">διενοοῦντο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pu%2Frgois:">πύργοις·</w>

<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnos">προειρημένος</w> <w lemma="a%29nh%2Fr">ἀνήρ</w>, <w lemma="pareskeuasme%2Fnos">παρεσκευασμένος</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Frgana">ὄργανα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpan">ἅπαν</w> <w lemma="e%29mbele%5Cs">ἐμβελὲς</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fsthma">διάστημα</w>, <w lemma="po%2Frrwqen">πόρρωθεν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29piple%2Fontas">ἐπιπλέοντας</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="eu%29tonwte%2Frois">εὐτονωτέροις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mei%2Fzosi">μείζοσι</w> <w lemma="liqobo%2Flois">λιθοβόλοις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="be%2Flesi">βέλεσι</w> <w lemma="titrw%2Fskwn">τιτρώσκων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="a%29pori%2Fan">ἀπορίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fbale">ἐνέβαλε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dusxrhsti%2Fan">δυσχρηστίαν</w>,

<w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dq%27">ταῦθ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28perpeth%3D">ὑπερπετῆ</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnoito">γίνοιτο</w>, <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fttosi">ἐλάττοσι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="paro%5Cn">παρὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%2Fsthma">ἀπόστημα</w> <w lemma="xrw%2Fmenos">χρώμενος</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fgage">ἤγαγε</w> <w lemma="diatroph%5Cn">διατροπὴν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="kwlu%2Fein">κωλύειν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%5Cn">ὁρμὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fploun">ἐπίπλουν</w>,

<w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Ama%2Frkos">Μάρκος</w> <w lemma="dusqetou%2Fmenos">δυσθετούμενος</w> <w lemma="h%29nagka%2Fsqh">ἠναγκάσθη</w> <w lemma="la%2Fqra%7C">λάθρᾳ</w> <w lemma="nukto%5Cs">νυκτὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="paragwgh%2Fn">παραγωγήν</w>.

<w lemma="genome%2Fnwn">γενομένων</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29nto%5Cs">ἐντὸς</w> <w lemma="be%2Flous">βέλους</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="gh%3D%7C">γῇ</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="e%28te%2Fran">ἑτέραν</w> <w lemma="h%28toima%2Fkei">ἡτοιμάκει</w> <w lemma="paraskeuh%5Cn">παρασκευὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29pomaxome%2Fnous">ἀπομαχομένους</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ploi%2Fwn">πλοίων</w>.

<w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="a%29ndromh%2Fkous">ἀνδρομήκους</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fyous">ὕψους</w> <w lemma="katepu%2Fknwse">κατεπύκνωσε</w> <w lemma="trh%2Fmasi">τρήμασι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tei%3Dxos">τεῖχος</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="palaistiai%2Fois">παλαιστιαίοις</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifa%2Fneian:">ἐπιφάνειαν·</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="toco%2Ftas">τοξότας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="skorpi%2Fdia">σκορπίδια</w> <w lemma="parasth%2Fsas">παραστήσας</w> <w lemma="e%29nto%5Cs">ἐντὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="tei%2Fxous">τείχους</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Fllwn">βάλλων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w>, <w lemma="a%29xrh%2Fstous">ἀχρήστους</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fei">ἐποίει</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29piba%2Ftas">ἐπιβάτας</w>.

<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="makra%5Cn">μακρὰν</w> <w lemma="a%29festw%3Dtas">ἀφεστῶτας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="su%2Fneggus">σύνεγγυς</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntas">ὄντας</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fous">πολεμίους</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="a%29pra%2Fktous">ἀπράκτους</w> <w lemma="pareskeu%2Faze">παρεσκεύαζε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fas">ἰδίας</w> <w lemma="e%29pibola%2Fs">ἐπιβολάς</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="die%2Ffqeire">διέφθειρε</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fstous">πλείστους</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w>.

<w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="sambu%2Fkas">σαμβύκας</w> <w lemma="e%29gxeirh%2Fsaien">ἐγχειρήσαιεν</w> <w lemma="e%29cai%2Frein">ἐξαίρειν</w>, <w lemma="o%29%2Frgana">ὄργανα</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flon">ὅλον</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tei%3Dxos">τεῖχος</w> <w lemma="h%28toima%2Fkei">ἡτοιμάκει</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="a%29fanh%3D">ἀφανῆ</w>, <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fas">χρείας</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsw">ἔσω</w> <w lemma="merw%3Dn">μερῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="tei%2Fxous">τείχους</w> <w lemma="a%29nista%2Fmena">ἀνιστάμενα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="propi%2Fptonta">προπίπτοντα</w> <w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pa%2Flcews">ἐπάλξεως</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="kerai%2Fais:">κεραίαις·</w>

<w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29ba%2Fstaze">ἐβάσταζε</w> <w lemma="li%2Fqous">λίθους</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fttous">ἐλάττους</w> <w lemma="de%2Fka">δέκα</w> <w lemma="tala%2Fntwn">ταλάντων</w>, <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="shkw%2Fmata">σηκώματα</w> <w lemma="moli%2Fbdina">μολίβδινα</w>.

<w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="suneggi%2Fzoien">συνεγγίζοιεν</w> <w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="sambu%3Dkai">σαμβῦκαι</w>, <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="periago%2Fmenai">περιαγόμεναι</w> <w lemma="karxhsi%2Fw%7C">καρχησίῳ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%2Fon">δέον</w> <w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="kerai%3Dai">κεραῖαι</w> <w lemma="dia%2F">διά</w> <w lemma="tinos">τινος</w> <w lemma="sxasthri%2Fas">σχαστηρίας</w> <w lemma="h%29fi%2Fesan">ἠφίεσαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kataskeu%2Fasma">κατασκεύασμα</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="li%2Fqon:">λίθον·</w>

<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5C">αὐτὸ</w> <w lemma="sunqrau%2Fesqai">συνθραύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%29%2Frganon">τοὔργανον</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="nau%3Dn">ναῦν</w>

were the contrivances with which the Romans intended to attack the towers.

But Archimedes, who had prepared engines constructed to carry to any distance, so damaged the assailants at long range, as they sailed up, with his more powerful mangonels and heavier missiles as to throw them into much difficulty and distress;

and as soon as these engines shot too high he continued using smaller and smaller ones as the range became shorter, and, finally, so thoroughly shook their courage that he put a complete stop to their advance,

until Marcellus was so hard put to it that he was compelled to bring up his ships secretly while it was still night.

But when they were close in shore and too near to be struck by the mangonels Archimedes had hit upon another contrivance for attacking the men who were fighting from the decks.

He had pierced in the wall at short distances a series of loopholes of the height of a man and of about a palm's breadth on the outer side. Stationing archers and "small scorpions" opposite these inside the wall and shooting through them, he disabled the soldiers.

So that he not only made the efforts of the enemy ineffective whether they were at a distance or close at hand, but destroyed the greater number of them.

And when they tried to raise the sambucae he had engines ready all along the wall, which while invisible at other times, reared themselves when required from inside above the wall, their beams projecting far beyond the battlements,

some of them carrying stones weighing as much as ten talents and others large lumps of lead.

Whenever the sambucae approached these beams were swung round on their axis, and by means of a rope running through a pulley dropped the stones on the sambuca,

the consequence being that not only was the engine smashed, but the ship and those on board were in the utmost peril.

Walbank Commentary

Overview

8.2.0 - 8.7.0

The Siege of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a> The Sicilian events from which this extract came evidently covered the period from Hieronymus' death in 214 to the end of 213; see above, pp. 2 and 3, and below 37 n. For the events related here see Livy, xxiv. 33. 9–35. 1 (based on P.; cf. Klotz, Livius, 113 ff.). 3. 2–7. 9 is also in Anon. de obsid. tol. 200–241 (326–7 Thvenot). § 1 is largely the epitomator's wording. P. evidently draws on a good source, well able to cope with the technical details of the siege; its identity is unknown. <milestone unit="page" n="69">[69]</milestone>

Specifics

8.5.2 - 8.5.2

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πρὸς ἅπαν ἐμβελὲς διάστημα</w>:</emph> 'to cover any distance within missile range'. Paton omits to translate <w lang="el-GR">ἐμβελές</w>. P.'s point is that Archimedes had a set of graded machines to cover every range, short or long, beyond the dead angle (§ 5), and within the maximum any ancient engine could achieve (§ 3); cf. Plut. Marc. 15. 5. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τοῖς εὐτονωτέροις καὶ μείζοσι λιθοβόλοις καὶ βέλεσι</w> :</emph> 'larger and more powerful stone-throwers and catapults'; cf. v. 4. 6, <w lang="el-GR">διαθεὶς τὰ βέλη καὶ τοὺς πετροβόλους</w>. The older Latin translations up to Schweighaeuser were clear on the meaning; but <w lang="el-GR">βέλος</w>, 'catapult' (cf. Philo Mech. 82. 8, 97. 10) is not noted as Polybian by LSJ, and Mauersberger gives 'stone' as the meaning of <w lang="el-GR">βέλος</w> both here and in v. 4. 6. Paton translates v. 4. 6 correctly but here takes <w lang="el-GR">βέλη</w> as 'missiles', and so has to connect <w lang="el-GR">εὐτονωτέροις</w> with <w lang="el-GR">λιθοβόλοις</w> and <w lang="el-GR">μείζοσι</w> with <w lang="el-GR">βέλεσι</w>, despite the word order.

8.5.3 - 8.5.3

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κατὰ λόγον ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἀπόστημα</w>:</emph> 'proportionately smaller to match the range at the moment'; cf. vi. 28. 5, ix. 20. 3, <w lang="el-GR">κατὰ λόγον ἀεὶ τῶν προσγινομένων ἢ τῶν χωριζομένων</w> .

8.5.5 - 8.5.5

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐντὸς βέλους</w>:</emph> comparing <w lang="el-GR">ἐμβελές</w> in § 2 Schweighaeuser comments: 'priori loco <w lang="el-GR">βέλος</w> latiore notione de quouis missili accipiatur, adeoque et de maioribus telis quae ex catapultis, et de lapidibus qui e ballistis coniciebantur; posteriori uero loco [i.e. here] de minoribus uulgatisque telis'; but his translation implies quite a different sense: 'quae postquam terrae appropinquassent, et interiores essent ictibus tormentorum.' This is developed from Livy, xxiv. 34. 10, 'propius quaedam subibant naues quo interiores ictibus tormentorum essent', and a comparison with Livy, vii. 10. 10, 'interior periculo uolneris factus', shows that 'interiores ictibus tormentorum' means 'too close to be struck by weapons from catapults'. This is how Livy understands P. here, where indeed the use of loopholes in the wall is a device to get over the problem of the 'dead angle', which existed so long as firing was from the wall-top; for Schramm's reconstructions of catapults have demonstrated that they could not be depressed very far. Consequently <w lang="el-GR">ἐντὸς βέλους</w> here seems to be 'within the dead angle'; Paton paraphrases 'too near to be struck by the mangonels [sic]'. For the more usual sense cf. x. 5. 14, <w lang="el-GR">τὴν ὑδρείαν ἐντὸς βέλους ποιησάμενος</w>.

8.5.6 - 8.5.6

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἕως ἀνδρομήκους ὕψους</w>:</emph> 'to a man's height'. Whether these were all at the same level is not stated; but it seems likely that many <milestone unit="page" n="74">[74]</milestone> were fairly low so that the scorpions could reduce the dead angle to virtually nothing. Even assuming that the apertures were 1 ft. 6 in. wide on the inside, the machines would have no room for manuvre from right to left, and must have fired virtually along fixed lines; but the loopholes, which were frequent <w lang="el-GR">(κατεπύκνωσε)</w>, and similar to those familiar from medieval castles, allowed archers to fire missiles downwards at a sharp angle. The narrowness of the aperture on the outside afforded a high degree of protection, and made entry through it impossible. There is a reference to this device of Archimedes in Anon. de obsid. tol. 39 (319 Thvenot). <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὡς παλαιστιαίοις . . . κατὰ τὴν ἐκτὸς ἐπιφάνειαν</w> :</emph> 'about a palm's breadth on the outer face'. Livy (xxiv. 34. 9) mistranslates, 'murum ab imo, ad summum crebris cubitalibus fere cauis aperuit'; evidently <w lang="el-GR">παλαιστιαῖος</w> was unfamiliar, and Livy did not appreciate the advantage of a narrow aperture. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σκορπίδια</w>:</emph> small arrow-firing catapults; cf. Hero, Belop. 74 Wescher, <w lang="el-GR">τὰ δὲ εὐθύτονά τινες καὶ σκορπίους καλοῦσιν ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ τὸ σχῆμα ὁμοιότητος. τὰ μὲν εὐθύτονα ὀϊστοὺς μόνους ἀφίησι</w> . Plut. Marc. 15. 5 refers to this occasion: <w lang="el-GR">οἱ σκορπίοι βραχύτονοι μέν, ἐγγύθεν δὲ πλῆξαι παρεστήκεσαν ἀόρατοι τοῖς πολεμίοις</w>, i.e. they had special short cords which gave a poor range but a powerful impact. Marquardt (ii. 504 n. 3) wrongly takes these <w lang="el-GR">σκορπίδια</w> to be hand-weapons; but the use of light artillery along with archers and slingers can be paralleled, e.g. in Diod. xviii. 70. 7 (<a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Megalopolis&groupId=745&placeId=1360">Megalopolis</a> in 318), <w lang="el-GR">τοῖς τε ὀξυβέ?λεσι καταπέλταις ἐχρῶντο καὶ τοῖς σφενδονήταις καὶ τοξόταις πόλλους . . . κατετίτρωσκον</w> . The small catapults indicated here are probably like the one whose construction (based on Hero, Belop. 104–7 Wescher, and Philo Mech. 54. 50–55. 18) is described by E. Schramm, Die antiken Geschtze der Saalburg (Leipzig, 1918), 60–62 (pictures of the model on p. 22, fig. 5, plans on pls. 2 and 3). See further Lammert, RE, 'Skorpion (2)', cols. 584–7.

8.5.8 - 8.5.8

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">προπίπτοντα . . . ταῖς κεραίαις</w>:</emph> 'with their beams projecting'.

8.5.9 - 8.5.9

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">οὐκ ἐλάττους δέκα ταλάντων</w>:</emph> approximately 370 kg. or 7 cwt. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σηκώματα μολίβδινα</w>:</emph> cf. xxi. 27. 4 for similar defence measures at Ambracia.

8.5.10 - 8.5.10

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">περιαγόμεναι καρχησίῳ</w>:</emph> 'swung round on a universal joint'. For a description of a <w lang="el-GR">καρχήσιον</w> see Hero, Belop. 88. 5–89. 9 Wescher; my colleague, Dr. E. W. Marsden, has kindly allowed me to quote his translation. Hero is describing a catapult. It rests on a column fitted on a three-legged base, and from the column rises 'a round tenon out of the top EZ about which is to be placed what is called the universal joint <w lang="el-GR">ΗΘΚΛ</w>. This joint is composed of four boards, of which the horizontal ones <w lang="el-GR">ΗΘ</w> and MN have round holes suitable for receiving the tenon EZ, the vertical ones HK and <w lang="el-GR">ΛΘ</w> project above the board MN and are just far enough apart to receive the <milestone unit="page" n="75">[75]</milestone> <figure> <graphic url="8001.gif" scale="100%" /> </figure> 2. <w lang="el-GR">Καρχήσιον</w> (UNIVERSAL JOINT) width of the case (i.e. the bottom of the machine itself). . . . When the case has been inserted between the sides of the universal joint, a round pin <w lang="el-GR">ΥΦ</w> is pushed through the sides of the joint and the side of the case so that it turns freely.' See Fig. 2. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">διά τινος σχαστηρίας</w>:</emph> 'by means of a release mechanism or trigger'; cf. 6. 3. A <w lang="el-GR">σχαστηρία</w> is any device for releasing something held tight or dropping something which is suspended. See Philo Mech. Belop. 74. 27 Thvenot; Hero, Aut. 13. 9; Belop. 78. 3 Wescher; Apollodorus, Poliorcet. 188. 7 Wescher. Paton's translation 'by means of a rope running through a pulley' gives a spurious definiteness absent from the Greek.

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