by Polybius
[1] τούτοις ἦν. οἱ δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι περικλειόμενοι πανταχόθεν ἠναγκάζοντο καταφεύγειν ἐπὶ τὰς συμμαχίδων πόλεων [2] ἐλπίδας. Ἱέρων δ᾽ ἀεὶ μέν ποτε κατὰ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πόλεμον μεγάλην ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν εἰς πᾶν τὸ παρακαλούμενον ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν, [3] τότε δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο, πεπεισμένος συμφέρειν ἑαυτῷ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐν Σικελίᾳ δυναστείαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων φιλίαν τὸ σῴζεσθαι Καρχηδονίους, ἵνα μὴ παντάπασιν ἐξῇ τὸ προτεθὲν ἀκονιτὶ συντελεῖσθαι τοῖς ἰσχύουσι, πάνυ φρονίμως καὶ νουνεχῶς λογιζόμενος. [4] οὐδέποτε γὰρ χρὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα παρορᾶν οὐδὲ τηλικαύτην οὐδενὶ συγκατασκευάζειν δυναστείαν, πρὸς ἣν οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ὁμολογουμένων ἐξέσται δικαίων ἀμφισβητεῖν. [5] οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι τηροῦντες τὰ κατὰ τὰς συνθήκας δίκαια προθυμίας οὐδὲν ἀπέλειπον. [6] ἐν ἀρχαῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐγένετό τις ἀμφισβήτησις ἐξ ἀμφοῖν διά τινας τοιαύτας αἰτίας. [7] τῶν Καρχηδονίων τοὺς πλέοντας ἐξ Ἰταλίας εἰς Λιβύην καὶ χορηγοῦντας τοῖς πολεμίοις καταγόντων ὡς αὑτούς, καὶ σχεδὸν ἁθροισθέντων τούτων εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν εἰς τοὺς πεντακοσίους, ἠγανάκτησαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι. [8] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διαπρεσβευσάμενοι καὶ κομισάμενοι διὰ λόγου πάντας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εὐδόκησαν ὥστε παραχρῆμα τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις ἀντιδωρήσασθαι τοὺς ὑπολειπομένους παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς αἰχμαλώτους ἐκ τοῦ περὶ Σικελίαν πολέμου. [9] ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου τοῦ καιροῦ πρὸς ἕκαστα τῶν παρακαλουμένων ἑτοίμως καὶ φιλανθρώπως ὑπήκουον. [10] διὸ καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Καρχηδονίους ἐπέτρεψαν τοῖς ἐμπόροις ἐξαγαγεῖν αἰεὶ τὸ κατεπεῖγον, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκώλυσαν. [11] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῶν μὲν ἐν τῇ Σαρδόνι μισθοφόρων, καθ᾽ ὃν καιρὸν ἀπὸ τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἀπέστησαν, ἐπισπωμένων αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν: τῶν δ᾽ Ἰτυκαίων ἐγχειριζόντων σφᾶς, οὐ προσεδέξαντο, τηροῦντες τὰ κατὰ τὰς συνθήκας δίκαια. [12] Καρχηδόνιοι μὲν οὖν τῆς παρὰ τῶν προειρημένων φίλων τυγχάνοντες ἐπικουρίας ὑπέμενον τὴν
83. Such being the position of their forces in the field, the Carthaginians, finding themselves hemmed in on every side, were compelled to have recourse to the help of the free states in alliance with them. Now Hiero, of Syracuse, had during this war been all along exceedingly anxious to do everything which the Carthaginians asked him; and at this point of it was more forward to do so than ever, from a conviction that it was for his interest, with a view alike to his own sovereignty and to his friendship with Rome, that Carthage should not perish, and so leave the superior power to work its own will without resistance. And his reasoning was entirely sound and prudent. It is never right to permit such a state of things; nor to help any one to build up so preponderating a power as to make resistance to it impossible, however just the cause. Not that the Romans themselves had failed to observe the obligations of the treaty, or were showing any failure of friendly dispositions; though at first a question had arisen between the two powers, from the following circumstance. At the beginning of the war, certain persons sailing from Italy with provisions for the mutineers, the Carthaginians captured them and forced them to land in their own harbour; and presently had as many as five hundred such persons in their prisons. This caused considerable annoyance at Rome: but, after sending ambassadors to Carthage and recovering possession of the men by diplomatic means, the Romans were so much gratified that, by way of returning the favour, they restored the prisoners made in the Sicilian war whom they still retained; and from that time forth responded cheerfully and generously to all requests made to them. They allowed their merchants to export to Carthage whatever from time to time was wanted, and prohibited those who were exporting to the mutineers. When, subsequently, the mercenaries in Sardinia, having revolted from Carthage, invited their interference on the island, they did not respond to the invitation; nor when the people of Utica offered them their submission did they accept it, but kept strictly to the engagements contained in the treaty.
[1] πολιορκίαν. τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὸν Μάθω καὶ Σπένδιον οὐχ ἧττον πολιορκεῖσθαι συνέβαινεν ἢ πολιορκεῖν. [2] εἰς τοιαύτην γὰρ αὐτοὺς οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀμίλκαν ἔνδειαν καθίστασαν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὥστ᾽ ἀναγκασθῆναι τέλος αὐτοὺς διαλῦσαι τὴν πολιορκίαν. [3] μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον ἁθροίσαντες τῶν τε μισθοφόρων τοὺς ἀρίστους καὶ Λιβύων, τοὺς ἅπαντας εἰς πεντακισμυρίους, μεθ᾽ ὧν ἦν καὶ Ζάρζας ὁ Λίβυς ἔχων τοὺς ὑφ᾽ αὑτὸν ταττομένους, ὥρμησαν αὖθις ἀντιπαράγειν ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις καὶ τηρεῖν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀμίλκαν. [4] τῶν μὲν οὖν πεδινῶν τόπων ἀπείχοντο, καταπεπληγμένοι τὰ θηρία καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ναραύαν ἱππεῖς, τοὺς δ᾽ ὀρεινοὺς καὶ στενοὺς ἐπειρῶντο προκαταλαμβάνειν. [5] ἐν οἷς καιροῖς συνέβη ταῖς μὲν ἐπιβολαῖς καὶ τόλμαις μηδὲν αὐτοὺς λείπεσθαι τῶν ὑπεναντίων, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπειρίαν πολλάκις ἐλαττοῦσθαι. [6] τότε γὰρ ἦν, ὡς ἔοικε, συνιδεῖν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας πηλίκην ἔχει διαφορὰν ἐμπειρία μεθοδικὴ καὶ στρατηγικὴ δύναμις ἀπειρίας καὶ τριβῆς ἀλόγου καὶ στρατιωτικῆς. [7] πολλοὺς μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς κατὰ μέρος χρείαις ἀποτεμνόμενος καὶ συγκλείων ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς πεττευτὴς ἀμαχεὶ διέφθειρε, [8] πολλοὺς δ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ὁλοσχερέσι κινδύνοις τοὺς μὲν εἰς ἐνέδρας ἀνυπονοήτους ἐπαγόμενος ἀνῄρει, τοῖς δ᾽ ἀνελπίστως καὶ παραδόξως ποτὲ μὲν μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν ποτὲ δὲ νύκτωρ ἐπιφαινόμενος ἐξέπληττεν: ὧν ὅσους λάβοι ζωγρίᾳ, πάντας παρέβαλλε τοῖς θηρίοις. [9] τέλος δ᾽ ἐπιστρατοπεδεύσας αὐτοῖς ἀνυπονοήτως ἐν τόποις ἀφυέσι μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων χρείαν εὐφυέσι δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν εἰς τοῦτ᾽ ἤγαγε περιστάσεως ὥστε μήτε διακινδυνεύειν τολμῶντας μήτ᾽ ἀποδρᾶναι δυναμένους διὰ τὸ τάφρῳ καὶ χάρακι περιειλῆφθαι πανταχόθεν τέλος ὑπὸ τῆς λιμοῦ συναγομένους ἐσθίειν ἀλλήλων ἀναγκασθῆναι, [10] τοῦ δαιμονίου τὴν οἰκείαν
ἀμοιβὴν αὐτοῖς ἐπιφέροντος τῇ πρὸς τοὺς πέλας ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ παρανομίᾳ. [11] πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὸν κίνδυνον οὐκ ἐτόλμων ἐξιέναι, προδήλου τῆς ἥττης καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας τοῖς ἁλισκομένοις ὑπαρχούσης, περὶ δὲ διαλύσεως οὐδ᾽ ὑπενόουν ποιεῖσθαι μνήμην, συνειδότες σφίσι τὰ πεπραγμένα. [12] προσανέχοντες δ᾽ ἀεὶ ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ Τύνητος βοηθείαις διὰ τὰς τῶν ἡγουμένων ἐπαγγελίας πᾶν ὑπέμενον ποιεῖν κατὰ σφῶν αὐτῶν.
84. The assistance thus obtained from these allies encouraged the Carthaginians to maintain their resistance: while Mathos and Spendius found themselves quite as much in the position of besieged as in that of besiegers; for Hamilcar’s force reduced them to such distress for provisions that they were at last compelled to raise the siege. However, after a short interval, they managed to muster the most effective of the mercenaries and Libyans, to the number in all of fifty thousand, among whom, besides others, was Zarzas the Libyan, with his division, and commenced once more to watch and follow on the flank of Hamilcar’s march. Their method was to keep away from the level country, for fear of the elephants and the cavalry of Narávas; but to seize in advance of him all points of vantage, whether it were rising ground or narrow pass. In these operations they showed themselves quite a match for their opponents in the fury of their assault and the gallantry of their attempts; but their ignorance of military tactics frequently placed them at a disadvantage. It was, in fact, a real and practical illustration of the difference between scientific and unscientific warfare: between the art of a general and the mechanical movements of a soldier. Like a good draught-player, by isolating and surrounding them, he destroyed large numbers in detail without coming to a general engagement at all; and in movements of more importance he cut off many without resistance by enticing them into ambushes; while he threw others into utter dismay by suddenly appearing where they least expected him, sometimes by day and sometimes by night: and all whom he took alive he threw to the elephants. Finally, he managed unexpectedly to beleaguer them on ground highly unfavourable to them and convenient for his own force; and reduced them to such a pitch of distress that, neither venturing to risk an engagement nor being able to run away, because they were entirely surrounded by a trench and stockade, they were at last compelled by starvation to feed on each other: a fitting retribution at the hands of Providence for their violation of all laws human and divine in their conduct to their enemies. To sally forth to an engagement they did not dare, for certain defeat stared them in the face, and they knew what vengeance awaited them if they were taken; and as to making terms, it never occurred to them to mention it, they were conscious that they had gone too far for that. They still hoped for the arrival of relief from Tunes, of which their officers assured them, and accordingly shrank from no suffering however terrible.
[1] ἐπεὶ δὲ κατεχρήσαντο μὲν ἀσεβῶς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους, τροφῇ ταύτῃ χρώμενοι, κατεχρήσαντο δὲ τὰ δουλικὰ τῶν σωμάτων, ἐβοήθει δ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ Τύνητος οὐδείς, [2] τότε προδήλου τῆς αἰκίας διὰ τὴν περικάκησιν ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν ὑπαρχούσης, ἔκριναν οἱ περὶ τὸν Αὐτάριτον καὶ Ζάρζαν καὶ Σπένδιον ἐγχειρίζειν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς πολεμίοις καὶ διαλαλεῖν περὶ διαλύσεως Ἀμίλκᾳ. [3] πέμψαντες οὖν κήρυκα καὶ λαβόντες συγχώρημα περὶ πρεσβείας ἧκον, ὄντες δέκα, πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους. [4] πρὸς οὓς Ἀμίλκας ὁμολογίας ἐποιήσατο τοιαύτας: ἐξεῖναι Καρχηδονίοις ἐκλέξασθαι τῶν πολεμίων οὓς ἂν αὐτοὶ βούλωνται δέκα: τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἀφιέναι μετὰ χιτῶνος. [5] γενομένων δὲ τούτων εὐθέως Ἀμίλκας ἔφη τοὺς παρόντας ἐκλέγεσθαι κατὰ τὰς ὁμολογίας. τῶν μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν Αὐτάριτον καὶ Σπένδιον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων ἡγεμόνων τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκυρίευσαν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι. [6] τῶν δὲ Λιβύων, ἐπεὶ τὴν σύλληψιν ᾔσθοντο τῶν ἡγεμόνων, νομισάντων αὑτοὺς παρεσπονδῆσθαι διὰ τὸ τὰς συνθήκας ἀγνοεῖν, καὶ διὰ ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν ὁρμησάντων ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα, [7] περιστήσας αὐτοῖς Ἀμίλκας τά τε θηρία καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν δύναμιν ἅπαντας διέφθειρε, πλείους ὄντας τῶν τετρακισμυρίων, περὶ τὸν τόπον τὸν Πρίονα καλούμενον: ὃν συμβαίνει διὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τοῦ σχήματος πρὸς τὸ νῦν εἰρημένον ὄργανον ταύτης τετευχέναι τῆς προσηγορίας.
85. But when they had used up for food the captives in this horrible manner, and then the bodies of their slaves, and still no one came to their relief from Tunes, their sufferings became too dreadful to bear; and the common soldiers broke out into open threats of violence against their officers. Thereupon Autaritus, Zarzas, and Spendius decided to put themselves into the hands of the enemy and to hold a parley with Hamilcar, and try to make terms. They accordingly sent a herald and obtained permission for the despatch of an embassy. It consisted of ten ambassadors, who, on their arrival at the Carthaginian camp, concluded an agreement with Hamilcar on these terms: “The Carthaginians may select any ten men they choose from the enemy, and allow the rest to depart with one tunic a-piece.” No sooner had these terms been agreed to, than Hamilcar said at once that he selected, according to the terms of the agreement, the ten ambassadors themselves. The Carthaginians thus got possession of Autaritus, Spendius, and the other most conspicuous officers. The Libyans saw that their officers were arrested, and not knowing the terms of the treaty, believed that some perfidy was being practised against them, and accordingly flew to seize their arms. Hamilcar thereupon surrounded them with his elephants and his entire force, and destroyed them to a man. This slaughter, by which more than forty thousand perished, took place near a place called the Saw, so named from its shape resembling that tool.
[1] πράξας δὲ τὰ προδεδηλωμένα τοῖς μὲν Καρχηδονίοις αὖθις ἐλπίδα παρέστησε μεγάλην πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον, καίπερ ἀπεγνωκόσιν ἤδη τὴν σωτηρίαν: αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ Ναραύα καὶ μετ᾽ Ἀννίβου τὴν χώραν ἐπῄει καὶ τὰς πόλεις. [2] προσχωρούντων δὲ καὶ μετατιθεμένων πρὸς αὐτοὺς τῶν Λιβύων διὰ τὸ γεγονὸς εὐτύχημα, ποιησάμενοι τὰς πλείστας πόλεις ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς ἧκον ἐπὶ τὸν Τύνητα καὶ πολιορκεῖν ἐνεχείρησαν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μάθω. [3] κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀπὸ Καρχηδόνος πλευρὰν προσεστρατοπέδευσεν Ἀννίβας, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπέναντι ταύτης Ἀμίλκας. [4] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα προσαγαγόντες πρὸς τὰ τείχη τοὺς περὶ τὸν Σπένδιον αἰχμαλώτους ἐσταύρωσαν ἐπιφανῶς. [5] οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μάθω κατανοήσαντες τὸν Ἀννίβαν ῥᾳθύμως καὶ κατατεθαρρηκότως ἀναστρεφόμενον, ἐπιθέμενοι τῷ χάρακι πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν Καρχηδονίων ἀπέκτειναν, πάντας δ᾽ ἐξέβαλ
ον ἐκ τῆς στρατοπεδείας, ἐκυρίευσαν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς ἁπάσης, ἔλαβον δὲ καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν Ἀννίβαν ζωγρίᾳ. [6] τοῦτον μὲν οὖν παραχρῆμα πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Σπενδίου σταυρὸν ἀγαγόντες καὶ τιμωρησάμενοι πικρῶς ἐκεῖνον μὲν καθεῖλον, τοῦτον δ᾽ ἀνέθεσαν ζῶντα καὶ περικατέσφαξαν τριάκοντα τῶν Καρχηδονίων τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους περὶ τὸ τοῦ Σπενδίου σῶμα, [7] τῆς τύχης ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες ἐκ παραθέσεως ἀμφοτέροις ἐναλλὰξ διδούσης ἀφορμὰς εἰς ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων τιμωρίας. [8] ὁ δὲ Βάρκας ὀψὲ μὲν συνῆκε τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως διὰ τὴν ἀπόστασιν τῶν στρατοπέδων: οὐδὲ μὴν συνεὶς οὐδ᾽ οὕτως κατετάχει πρὸς τὴν βοήθειαν διὰ τὰς μεταξὺ δυσχωρίας. [9] διόπερ ἀναζεύξας ἀπὸ τοῦ Τύνητος καὶ παρελθὼν ἐπὶ τὸν Μακάραν ποταμὸν κατεστρατοπέδευσε πρὸς τῷ στόματι τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ.