“The Histories (Book I)” (Chap. 80)

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Polybius (Greek Historian)

2013

"The Histories (Book I)" (Chap. 80) by Polybius (Greek Historian)

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Polybius (Greek Historian)

“The Histories (Book I)” (Chap. 80) Annotated

1 Autaritus the Gaul was the next speaker. He said that the only hope of safety for them was to abandon all reliance on the Carthaginians.

2 Whoever continued to look forward to clemency from them could be no true ally of their own.

1 Therefore he asked them to trust those, to give a hearing to those, to attend to those only who bring the most hateful and bitterest accusations against the Carthaginians, and to regard speakers on the other side as traitors and enemies.

3 Finally, he recommended them to torture and put to death not only Gesco and those arrested with him, but all the Carthaginians they had subsequently taken prisoners.

4 He was much the most effective speaker in their councils, because a number of them could understand him.

5 He had been a long time in the service and had learned Phoenician, a language which had become more or less agreeable to their ears owing to the length of the previous war.

6 His speech therefore met with universal approbation, and he retired from the platform amid applause.

7 Numerous speakers from each nationality now came forward all together, maintaining that the prisoners should be spared at least the infliction of torture in view of Gesco's previous kindness to them. Nothing, however, they said was intelligible, as they were all speaking together and each stating his views in his own language.

8 But the moment it was disclosed that they were begging for a remission of the sentence someone among the audience called out "Stone them," and they instantly stoned all the speakers to death.

9 These unfortunates, mangled as if by wild beasts, were carried off for burial by their friends.

10 Spendius and his men then led out from the camp Gesco and the other prisoners, in all about seven hundred. Taking them a short distance away, they first of all cut off their hands.

11 Beginning with Gesco, that very Gesco whom a short time previously they had selected from all the Carthaginians, proclaiming him their benefactor and referring the points in dispute to him.

12 After cutting off the hands they cut off the wretched men's other extremities too, and after thus mutilating them and breaking their legs, threw them still alive into a trench.

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