Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 36 - Chapter 8

1
<w lemma="%2A%29ami%2Flkas">Ἀμίλκας</w>, <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Afame%2Fas">Φαμέας</w>, <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="strathgo%2Fs">στρατηγός</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28liki%2Fan">ἡλικίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29kma%2Fzwn">ἀκμάζων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fcin">ἕξιν</w> <w lemma="e%29rrwme%2Fnos">ἐρρωμένος</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston">μέγιστον</w> <w lemma="e%29fo%2Fdion">ἐφόδιον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="polemikh%5Cn">πολεμικὴν</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fan">χρείαν</w>, <w lemma="i%28ppeu%5Cs">ἱππεὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgan">ἄγαν</w> <w lemma="a%29gaqo%5Cs">ἀγαθὸς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tolmhro%2Fs">τολμηρός</w>. —
2
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Aoi%28">Οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="diazhlotupou%2Fmenoi">διαζηλοτυπούμενοι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwna">Σκιπίωνα</w> <w lemma="e%29peba%2Flonto">ἐπεβάλοντο</w> <w lemma="diasu%2Frein">διασύρειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w>. — <w lemma="%2Ata%5Cs">Τὰς</w> <w lemma="profulaka%5Cs">προφυλακὰς</w> <w lemma="ble%2Fpwn">βλέπων</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Afame%2Fas">Φαμέας</w>,
3
<w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fyuxos">ἄψυχος</w>, <w lemma="e%29ce%2Fkline">ἐξέκλινε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwna">Σκιπίωνα</w> <w lemma="sumploka%2Fs">συμπλοκάς</w>. <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="pote">ποτε</w> <w lemma="suneggi%2Fsas">συνεγγίσας</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29fedrei%2Fais">ἐφεδρείαις</w>, <w lemma="probalo%2Fmenos">προβαλόμενος</w> <w lemma="o%29fru%5Cn">ὀφρὺν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%2Ftomon">ἀπότομον</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fsth">ἐπέστη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fw">πλείω</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w>. —
4
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Aai%28">Αἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="shmei%3Dai">σημεῖαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="sunepefeu%2Fgesan">συνεπεφεύγεσαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="bouno%2Fn:">βουνόν·</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="do%2Fntwn">δόντων</w> <w lemma="gnw%2Fmas">γνώμας</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwn">Σκιπίων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffh">ἔφη</w>, *
5
? <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29kerai%2Fou">ἀκεραίου</w> <w lemma="bouleu%2Fwntai">βουλεύωνται</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fw">πλείω</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fnoian">πρόνοιαν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="mhde%5Cn">μηδὲν</w> <w lemma="paqei%3Dn">παθεῖν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="dra%3Dsai">δρᾶσαι</w> <w lemma="kakw%3Ds">κακῶς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29xqrou%2Fs">ἐχθρούς</w>. —
6
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Aou%29">Οὐ</w> <w lemma="xrh%5C">χρὴ</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fzein">θαυμάζειν</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="filotimo%2Fteron">φιλοτιμότερον</w> <w lemma="e%29chgou%2Fmeqa">ἐξηγούμεθα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwna">Σκιπίωνα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="r%28hqe%5Cn">ῥηθὲν</w> <w lemma="u%28p%27">ὑπ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="diastolh%3Ds">διαστολῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29cagge%2Fllomen">ἐξαγγέλλομεν</w>. — <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios:">Πολύβιος·</w>
7
<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rw%2Fmh%7C">Ῥώμῃ</w> <w lemma="%2Ama%2Frkon">Μάρκον</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Frkion">Πόρκιον</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fsanta">ἀκούσαντα</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29ristei%2Fas">ἀριστείας</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwnos">Σκιπίωνος</w> <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w> [<w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllon">ἄλλον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnon:">ἐκεῖνον·</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="a%29kh%2Fkoas">ἀκήκοας</w>] <w lemma="oi%29%3Dos">οἶος</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fpnutai:">πέπνυται·</w> <w lemma="toi%5C">τοὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="skiai%5C">σκιαὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29i+%2Fssousin">ἀΐσσουσιν</w>. —
8
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Aoi%28">Οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w> <w lemma="u%28pereudokou%2Fmenoi">ὑπερευδοκούμενοι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Askipi%2Fwnos">Σκιπίωνος</w> <w lemma="o%28mologi%2Fa%7C">ὁμολογίᾳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="xeirismw%3D%7C">χειρισμῷ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>*
<head>Character of Hamilcar Phameas</head>Hamilcar Phameas<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note19">Phameas was afterwards persuaded by Massanissa to join the Romans.<bibl n="Liv. Per. 50" default="NO" valid="yes">Livy,<title>Ep.</title>50</bibl>.</note>was the general of the<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note20">Hamilcar Phameas, the commander of the Punic cavalry. Appian,<bibl n="App. Pun. 100" default="NO" valid="yes"><title>Pun.</title>100</bibl>.</note>Carthaginians, a man in the very prime of life and of great physical strength. What is of the utmost importance too for service in the field, he was an excellent and bold horseman. . . .When he saw the advanced guard, Phameas, though not at all deficient in courage, avoided coming to close quarters with Scipio: and on one occasion when he had come near his reserves, he got behind the cover of the brow of a hill and halted there a considerable time. . . .The Roman maniples fled to the top of a hill; and when all had given their opinions, Scipio said, "When men are consulting what measures to take at first, their object should be to avoid disaster rather than to inflict it."<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note21">The incident referred to is narrated in Appian.<bibl n="App. Pun. 103" default="NO" valid="yes"><title>Punica,</title>103</bibl>. Scipio relieved this body of men, who were beleaguered on the top of a hill, by a rapid and bold movement of his cavalry.</note>. . .It ought not to excite surprise that I am<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note22">Polybius's personal knowledge of Scipio.</note>more minute than usual in my account of Scipio and that I give in detail everything which he said. . . .When Marcius Porcius Cato heard in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> of the glorious achievements of Scipio he uttered a palinode to his criticisms of him: "What have you heard? He alone has the breath of wisdom in him: the rest are but flitting phantoms."<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note23"><bibl n="Hom. Od. 20.495" default="NO" valid="yes"><title>Odyssey,</title>20, 495</bibl>. Cato had always been opposed to the Scipios, but Livy seems to attribute his former criticisms of the younger Africanus to his general habit of caustic disparagement (<foreign lang="la">vir promptioris ad vituperandum linguae</foreign>), and we know that his elder son had married a daughter of Paulus, sister to the younger Africanus.</note><pb />