Polybius, Histories

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Book 15 - Chapter 15

1
<w lemma="%2A%28h">Ἡ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsi">πᾶσι</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnh">γενομένη</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxh">μάχη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fla">ὅλα</w> <w lemma="kri%2Fnasa">κρίνασα</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="h%28gemo%2Fnwn">ἡγεμόνων</w> <w lemma="toiou%3Dton">τοιοῦτον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsxe">ἔσχε</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos:">τέλος·</w>
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<w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhn">μάχην</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fplios">Πόπλιος</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29pakolouqh%2Fsas">ἐπακολουθήσας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diarpa%2Fsas">διαρπάσας</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="xa%2Fraka">χάρακα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="au%29%3Dtis">αὖτις</w> <w lemma="a%29nexw%2Frhsen">ἀνεχώρησεν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fan">ἰδίαν</w> <w lemma="parembolh%2Fn">παρεμβολήν</w>.
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<w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgwn">ὀλίγων</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%5Cs">συνεχὲς</w> <w lemma="poiou%2Fmenos">ποιούμενος</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29naxw%2Frhsin">ἀναχώρησιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29adru%2Fmhta">Ἀδρύμητα</w> <w lemma="diesw%2Fqh">διεσώθη</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="dunata%5C">δυνατὰ</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsas">ποιήσας</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fsa">ὅσα</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29gaqo%5Cn">ἀγαθὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="strathgo%5Cn">στρατηγὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="ei%29lhfo%2Fta">εἰληφότα</w>.
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<w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgous">λόγους</w> <w lemma="sunelqw%5Cn">συνελθὼν</w> <w lemma="e%29peira%2Fqh">ἐπειράθη</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="lu%2Fsin">λύσιν</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29nestw%2Ftwn:">ἐνεστώτων·</w>
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<w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5C">ἐστὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="proeido%2Ftos">προειδότος</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="katorqw%2Fmata">κατορθώματα</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29pistou%3Dntos">ἀπιστοῦντος</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxh%7C">τύχῃ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proorwme%2Fnou">προορωμένου</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxas">μάχας</w> <w lemma="e%29kbai%2Fnonta">ἐκβαίνοντα</w> <w lemma="para%2Floga">παράλογα</w>.
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<w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="sugkatasta%5Cs">συγκαταστὰς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="e%29xrh%2Fsato">ἐχρήσατο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmasin">πράγμασιν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="dunato%5Cn">δυνατὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="be%2Fltion">βέλτιον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w> <w lemma="a%29gw%3Dna">ἀγῶνα</w> <w lemma="susth%2Fsasqai">συστήσασθαι</w>, <w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fw%7C">παραπλησίῳ</w> <w lemma="kaqoplismw%3D%7C">καθοπλισμῷ</w> <w lemma="xrw%2Fmenon">χρώμενον</w>, <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="sunesth%2Fsat%27">συνεστήσατ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%29%2Fshs">οὔσης</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="dusdiaspa%2Fstou">δυσδιασπάστου</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcews">τάξεως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmews">δυνάμεως</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbh">συνέβη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Frh">μέρη</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxesqai">μάχεσθαι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fsas">πάσας</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifanei%2Fas">ἐπιφανείας</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="mia%3Ds">μιᾶς</w> <w lemma="e%29kta%2Fcews">ἐκτάξεως</w>, <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fggista">ἔγγιστα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="deinw%3D%7C">δεινῷ</w> <w lemma="shmaiw%3Dn">σημαιῶν</w> <w lemma="sunepistrefousw%3Dn">συνεπιστρεφουσῶν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="deo%2Fmenon">δεόμενον</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kaqoplismou%3D">καθοπλισμοῦ</w> <w lemma="ske%2Fphn">σκέπην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qra%2Fsos">θράσος</w> <w lemma="paraskeua%2Fzontos">παρασκευάζοντος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="qureou%3D">θυρεοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="maxai%2Fras">μαχαίρας</w> <w lemma="u%28pomonh%5Cn">ὑπομονὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="plhgw%3Dn">πληγῶν</w>, <w lemma="du%2Fsmaxoi">δύσμαχοι</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnontai">γίνονται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="duskatagw%2Fnistoi">δυσκαταγώνιστοι</w>
<head>Hannibal Did All He Could</head>Such was the end of this battle, fought under these famous commanders: a battle on which everything depended, and which assigned universal dominion to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>. After it had come to an end, Scipio pushed on in pursuit as far as the Carthaginian camp, and, after plundering that, returned to his own.<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note25">Hannibal escapes to Adrumetum.</note>Hannibal, escaping with a few horsemen, did not draw rein until he arrived safely at Adrumetum. He had done in the battle all that was to be expected of a good and experienced general. First, he had tried by an interview with his opponent to see what he could do to procure a pacification; and that was the right course for a man, who, while fully conscious of his former victories, yet mistrusts Fortune, and has an eye to all the possible and unexpected contingencies of war. Next, having accepted battle, the excellence of his dispositions for a contest with the Romans, considering the identity of the arms on each side, could not have been surpassed. For though the Roman line is hard to break, yet each individual soldier and each company, owing to the uniform tactic employed, can fight in any direction, those companies, which happen to be in nearest contact with the danger, wheeling round to the point required. Again, the nature of their arms gives at once protection and confidence, for their shield is large and their sword will not bend: the Romans therefore are formidable on the field and hard to conquer.