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Book 35 - Chapter 1

1
<head lang="la">A. Olymp. 157, 1. Bellum Celtibericum</head><w lemma="%2Apu%2Frinos">Πύρινος</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemos">πόλεμος</w>, <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Akelti%2Fbhras">Κελτίβηρας</w> <w lemma="sustaqei%2Fs">συσταθείς</w>. <w lemma="qaumasth%5Cn">θαυμαστὴν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsxe">ἔσχε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="i%29dio%2Fthta">ἰδιότητα</w> <w lemma="th%2Fn">τήν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fxeian">συνέχειαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29gw%2Fnwn">ἀγώνων</w>.
2
<w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ella%2Fda">Ἑλλάδα</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmous">πολέμους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29asi%2Fan">Ἀσίαν</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fpan">ἐπίπαν</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fa">μία</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxh">μάχη</w> <w lemma="kri%2Fnei">κρίνει</w>, <w lemma="spani%2Fws">σπανίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="deute%2Fra">δευτέρα</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxas">μάχας</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%5Cs">αὐτὰς</w> <w lemma="ei%28%3Ds">εἷς</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cs">καιρὸς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fthn">πρώτην</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffodon">ἔφοδον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="su%2Fmptwsin">σύμπτωσιν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmews:">δυνάμεως·</w>
3
<w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="ta%29nanti%2Fa">τἀναντία</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnois">προειρημένοις</w>.
4
<w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kindu%2Fnous">κινδύνους</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fpan">ἐπίπαν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="nu%5Cc">νὺξ</w> <w lemma="die%2Flue">διέλυε</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Ft%27">οὔτ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkein">εἴκειν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="yuxai%3Ds">ψυχαῖς</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fte">οὔτε</w> <w lemma="parakaqie%2Fnai">παρακαθιέναι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="sw%2Fmasi">σώμασι</w> <w lemma="boulome%2Fnwn">βουλομένων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ko%2Fpon">κόπον</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="u%28postrofh%3Ds">ὑποστροφῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="metamelei%2Fas">μεταμελείας</w> <w lemma="au%29%3Dqis">αὖθις</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllas">ἄλλας</w> <w lemma="a%29rxa%5Cs">ἀρχὰς</w> <w lemma="poioume%2Fnwn">ποιουμένων</w>.
5
<w lemma="to%2Fn">τόν</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flon">ὅλον</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fxeian">συνέχειαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="parata%2Fcews">παρατάξεως</w> <w lemma="diakri%2Fsewn">διακρίσεων</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="xeimw%5Cn">χειμὼν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="poso%5Cn">ποσὸν</w> <w lemma="diei%3Drge">διεῖργε</w>.
6
<w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="ga%2Fr">γάρ</w>, <w lemma="ei%29%2F">εἴ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="dianohqei%2Fh">διανοηθείη</w> <w lemma="pu%2Frinon">πύρινον</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w>, <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fteron">ἕτερον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="noh%2Fseie">νοήσειε</w>. —
<head>The "Fiery War"</head>The war between the Romans and Celtiberians was<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note1">B.C. 153-151. The war with the Celtiberian Arevacae conducted by Q. Fulvius Nobilior and M. Claudius Marcellus.</note>called the "fiery war;" for it was of a peculiarly fierce kind and remarkable for the frequency of its battles. The wars in Greece and Asia were as a rule settled by one battle, or in rare cases by two; and the battles themselves were decided by the result of the first charge and shock of the two armies. But in this war<pb n="494" />things were quite different. As a rule the battles were only stopped by the fall of night; the men neither lost heart nor would yield to bodily fatigue; but returned again and again with fresh resolution to renew the combat. The whole war, and its series of pitched battles, was at length interrupted for a time by the winter. One therefore could hardly conceive a war more nearly answering to our notion of a "fiery war" than this. . . .

Walbank Commentary

Overview
35.1.1 - 35.1.6
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold">xxxv. 1. 1–6,</emph> on the Celtiberian War, should stand here in res Hispaniae of Ol. 156, 3 = 154/3; see pp. 43–44〉. </p>
35.1.1 - 35.1.6
<p rend="Plain Text">The Celtiberian or 'fiery' war</p> <p rend="Plain Text">The Celtiberian War broke out in 154 over an attempt by Segeda to rebuild its walls (App. Hisp. 44; Diod. xxxi. 39); Segeda was the capital city of the Belli who dwelt around the Jaln valley (2. 3 n.), and probably occupied a site near Belmonte in the Perejil valley, a village c. 10 km. south-east of Calatayud (so coin-finds suggest). See Schulten, 'Segeda' in Homenagem a Martins Sarmento (Guimares, 1933), 373–5; FHA, iv. 7; Simon, 15 n. 10. The rest of the Belli seem not to have followed Segeda; cf. 2. 3 n. The Spaniards' action was treated as a breach of the treaty made in 178 by Ti. Sempronius Gracchus (Livy, xl. 50. 5, ep. 41; Plut. Tib. Gracch. 5. 3; above, xxv. 1 n.) and confirmed by the Senate (2. 15; Diod. xxxi. 39). Diodorus has comments similar to those here, and clearly based on P., following the Senate's abrogation of the treaty and preparations for hostilities (Diod. xxxi. 39). Since this must have preceded the appointment of Q. Fulvius Nobilior, cos. 153, to the Celtiberian command (4. 2 n.; App. Hisp. 45)and in 153 the consuls took office on 1 January (Michels, 97–98; Drummond, JRS, 1971, 282), perhaps because by 153 the calendar had dropped considerably behind the seasons (Derow, Phoenix, 1973, 356) clearly this passage (from Suidas) belongs to 154; see pp. 43–44. On the outbreak of the war see Simon, 15–17.</p> <p rend="Plain Text"> P. has clearly derived his account of the war from eye-witnesses, including Scipio Aemilianus, and from his own experiences (cf. Vol. I, p. 4; below 4. 3 n.). The account in App. Hisp. 44 ff., probably (though not certainly; cf. Astin, 4) goes back directly or indirectly to P. Schulten (Gött. Abh. 1905, no. 4, 83–106) argued for direct use; Simon, 36–37 n. 41, believes that Appian's account derives from a source independent of both P. and the annalists, but he has not made out that case. The undoubted variations from P. can all be explained as due to Appian's carelessness or the incompleteness of our text of P. Diod. xxxi. 39–40, 41–42, is based on P. <milestone unit="page" n="640">[640]</milestone> </p>
Specifics
35.1.1 - 35.1.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πύρινος πόλεμος</w>:</emph> cf. Diod. xxxi. 40. The words <w lang="el-GR">ὁ Ῥωμαίων . . . σνσταθείς</w> clearly belong to Suidas. The war was fiery both in its violence and because it spread like fire and kept breaking out anew when it seemed to have been put out (Schweighaeuser). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν ἰδιό?τητα τήν τε συνέχειαν τῶν ἀγώνων</w>:</emph> 'the character and continuous nature of the engagements'; cf. 4. 2 n. </p>
35.1.2 - 35.1.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">μία μάχη κρίνει</w>:</emph> in general true. <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sellasia&groupId=966&placeId=1714">Sellasia</a>, Cynoscephalae, and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pydna&groupId=919&placeId=1647">Pydna</a> were each the only full-scale encounter in the respective wars and each was decisive; <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Raphia&groupId=925&placeId=1656">Raphia</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Panium&groupId=836&placeId=1512">Panium</a> fit the same pattern. In limiting his comment to Greece and Asia P. will be thinking of the repeated encounters of the First and Second Punic Wars, or of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>'s war with Pyrrhus. The Romans refused to accept one or even several defeats as decisive. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σπανίως δὲ δευτέρα</w>:</emph> Antiochus III was defeated at Thermopylae and then <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Magnesia&groupId=729&placeId=1336">Magnesia</a>. </p>
35.1.4 - 35.1.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς καὶ μεταμελείας . . . ποιουμένων</w>:</emph> 'they changed their mind, turned round, and made a series of new starts.' </p>
35.1.5 - 35.1.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τόν γε μὴν ὅλον πόλεμον</w>:</emph> contrasted with <w lang="el-GR">τοὺς . . . κινδύνους</w> (§ 4). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τῶν ἐκ παρατάξεως διακρίσεων</w>:</emph> 'regular battles', such as would have been decisive in Greece or Asia, not mere guerrilla action. <w lang="el-GR">παρατάξεως</w> is Ursinus' emendation of <w lang="el-GR">διατάξεως</w>. </p>
35.1.6 - 35.1.6
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">εἴ τις διανοηθείη κτλ</w>.:</emph> cf. Diod. xxxi. 40, <w lang="el-GR">τὸν ὑπό τινων λεγόμενον πύρινον πόλεμον οὐκ ἂν ἕτερόν τις ἢ τοῦτον νοήσειεν</w>. </p>

Commentary