Polybius, Histories

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Book 11 - Chapter 21

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<w lemma="%2Ama%2Fgwn">Μάγων</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="nomi%2Fsas">νομίσας</w> <w lemma="eu%29fuh%3D">εὐφυῆ</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29piqe%2Fsqai">ἐπιθέσθαι</w> <w lemma="katastratopedeu%2Fousi">καταστρατοπεδεύουσι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29nalabw%5Cn">ἀναλαβὼν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dston">πλεῖστον</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fwn">ἰδίων</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Amasanna%2Fsan">Μασαννάσαν</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Anoma%2Fdwn">Νομάδων</w>, <w lemma="h%29%2Flaune">ἤλαυνε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="parembolh%2Fn">παρεμβολήν</w>, <w lemma="pepeisme%2Fnos">πεπεισμένος</w> <w lemma="a%29fulaktou%3Dnta">ἀφυλακτοῦντα</w> <w lemma="lh%2Fyesqai">λήψεσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fplion">Πόπλιον</w>. <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flai">πάλαι</w> <w lemma="proorw%2Fmenos">προορώμενος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllon">μέλλον</w>,
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<w lemma="u%28po%2F">ὑπό</w> <w lemma="tina">τινα</w> <w lemma="bouno%5Cn">βουνὸν</w> <w lemma="u%28pesta%2Flkei">ὑπεστάλκει</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="i%28ppei%3Ds">ἱππεῖς</w>, <w lemma="i%29%2Fsous">ἴσους</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn:">Καρχηδονίων·</w>
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<w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="a%29nuponoh%2Ftws">ἀνυπονοήτως</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeso%2Fntwn">ἐμπεσόντων</w> <w lemma="polloi%5C">πολλοὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29rxai%3Ds">ἀρχαῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nastre%2Ffontes">ἀναστρέφοντες</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fdocon">παράδοξον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifanei%2Fas">ἐπιφανείας</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Ffnw">ἄφνω</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fpeson">ἀπέπεσον</w>, <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="loipoi%5C">λοιποὶ</w> <w lemma="sumba%2Fllontes">συμβάλλοντες</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fois">πολεμίοις</w> <w lemma="e%29ma%2Fxonto">ἐμάχοντο</w> <w lemma="gennai%2Fws">γενναίως</w>.
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<w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="katabaino%2Fntwn">καταβαινόντων</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai+koi%3Ds">Ῥωμαϊκοῖς</w> <w lemma="i%28ppeu%3Dsin">ἱππεῦσιν</w> <w lemma="eu%29xeiri%2Fa%7C">εὐχειρίᾳ</w> <w lemma="dusxrhstou%2Fmenoi">δυσχρηστούμενοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29pollu%2Fntes">ἀπολλύντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdo%2Fnioi">Καρχηδόνιοι</w>, <w lemma="braxu%5C">βραχὺ</w> <w lemma="prosantisxo%2Fntes">προσαντισχόντες</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fklinan">ἐνέκλιναν</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcei">τάξει</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29naxw%2Frhsin">ἀναχώρησιν</w> <w lemma="e%29poiou%3Dnto">ἐποιοῦντο</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="e%29gkeime%2Fnwn">ἐγκειμένων</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="lu%2Fsantes">λύσαντες</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Flas">ἴλας</w> <w lemma="kate%2Ffugon">κατέφυγον</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="parembolh%2Fn">παρεμβολήν</w>.
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<w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnou">γενομένου</w> <w lemma="qarralew%2Fteron">θαρραλεώτερον</w> <w lemma="die%2Fkeinto">διέκειντο</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w>, <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdo%2Fnioi">Καρχηδόνιοι</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon">τοὐναντίον</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%3Ds">ἑξῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2F">ἐπί</w> <w lemma="tinas">τινας</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fras">ἡμέρας</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fs">τάς</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmeis">δυνάμεις</w> <w lemma="e%29kta%2Fcantes">ἐκτάξαντες</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="pedi%2Fw%7C">πεδίῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="eu%29zw%2Fnwn">εὐζώνων</w> <w lemma="a%29krobolismou%5Cs">ἀκροβολισμοὺς</w> <w lemma="poihsa%2Fmenoi">ποιησάμενοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="katapeira%2Fsantes">καταπειράσαντες</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flwn">ἀλλήλων</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhsan">ὥρμησαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kri%2Fnein">κρίνειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fla">ὅλα</w>.
<head>Futile Attack by Mago</head>Mago thought that it would be an excellent moment to attack the Romans while actually engaged in making their camp; he therefore rode up to the entrenchment with the greater part of his own cavalry and Massanissa with the Numidians, persuaded that he should catch Scipio off his guard. Scipio had however<pb n="66" />all along foreseen this, and had placed some cavalry equal in number to those of the Carthaginians under cover of some hills. Upon these making an unexpected charge, many of the enemy's horsemen at once took to flight at the startling appearance, and began to make off; while the rest closed with their opponents and fought with great gallantry. But the Carthaginians were disconcerted by the agility of some of the Roman horsemen in dismounting, and after a short resistance they retreated with considerable loss. The retreat was at first conducted in good order: but as the Romans pressed them hard, they broke up their squadrons, and fled for safety to their own camp. This affair gave the Romans better spirits for engaging in a pitched battle, and had the contrary effect on the Carthaginians. However, during the next few days they both drew out on the intervening plain; skirmished with their cavalry and light-armed troops; and, after thus trying each other's mettle, were resolved to bring the matter to the test of a general engagement.