- Source
- Polybius. Vols. 1-4. Büttner-Wobst, Theodor, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.49.1-10.49.15
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
Antiochus III successfully crossed the river Arius by a rapid night march and defeated the defending Bactrian cavalry led by Euthydemus in a fierce battle, forcing the enemy to retreat.
γενομένης δὲ τῆς προσαγγελίας διότι συμβαίνει τὸν μὲν Εὐθύδημον μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἶναι περὶ Ταπουρίαν, μυρίους δʼ ἱππεῖς προκαθίζεσθαι φυλάττοντας τὰς περὶ τὸν Ἄριον ποταμὸν διαβάσεις, ἔκρινε τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀπογνοὺς ἔχεσθαι τῶν προκειμένων.1
When the report arrived that Euthydemus was near Tapuria with his forces, and that ten thousand cavalry were posted in advance to guard the crossings of the river Arius, he gave up the siege and decided to apply himself to the plans before him.
ἀπέχοντος δὲ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδόν,2 ἐπὶ μὲν ἡμέρας δύο σύμμετρον ἐποιήσατο τὴν πορείαν, τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ ποιεῖσθαι παρήγγειλε τὴν ἀναζυγήν, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς ἱππέας καὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους, ἅμα δὲ πελταστὰς μυρίους, προῆγε νυκτός, πορείᾳ χρώμενος ἐνεργῷ.
Since the river was three days’ journey away, he marched at a moderate pace for two days; on the third day, after the others had taken their dinner, he ordered them to break camp at daybreak, while he himself took the cavalry and the light-armed troops, along with ten thousand peltasts, and advanced by night, making a rapid march.
τοὺς γὰρ ἱππεῖς ἐπυνθάνετο τῶν ὑπεναντίων τὰς μὲν ἡμέρας ἐφεδρεύειν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τοῦ ποταμοῦ, τὰς δὲ νύκτας ὑποχωρεῖν πρός τινα πόλιν οὐκ ἔλαττον εἴκοσι σταδίων διέχουσαν. διανύσας δὲ νύκτωρ τὴν καταλειπομένην ὁδόν, ἅτε τῶν πεδίων ἱππασίμων ὑπαρχόντων, ἔφθασε περαιώσας3 τὸν ποταμὸν ἅμα τῷ φωτὶ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως.
For he had learned that the enemy’s cavalry kept watch by the bank of the river during the day, but by night retired to a city at least twenty stades distant. Having accomplished the rest of the journey during the night, as the plains were suitable for riding, he succeeded in getting the greater part of his force across the river at daybreak before the enemy could prevent it.
οἱ δὲ τῶν Βακτριανῶν ἱππεῖς, σημηνάντων αὐτοῖς τῶν σκοπῶν τὸ γεγονός, ἐξεβοήθουν, καὶ κατὰ πορείαν συνέμισγον τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις.
When the scouts reported to the Bactrian cavalry what had happened, they sallied out and clashed with the enemy while on the march.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, θεωρῶν ὅτι δεῖ δέξασθαι τὴν πρώτην ἐπιφορὰν τῶν πολεμίων, παρακαλέσας τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν εἰθισμένους κινδυνεύειν τῶν ἱππέων δισχιλίους, τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις παρήγγειλε κατὰ σημαίας καὶ κατʼ οὐλαμοὺς αὐτοῦ παρεμβαλεῖν καὶ λαμβάνειν ἑκάστους τὰς εἰθισμένας τάξεις, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῶν προειρημένων ἱππέων ἀπαντήσας συνέβαλε τοῖς πρώτοις ἐπιφερομένοις τῶν Βάκτρων.
The king, seeing that he must receive the first onset of the enemy, encouraged two thousand of his cavalry who were accustomed to fight around him, and ordered the rest to form up on the spot by companies and squadrons, each taking their usual positions. He himself, advancing with the aforesaid cavalry, charged the first of the Bactrians who came on.
δοκεῖ δὲ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν κίνδυνον Ἀντίοχος ἀγωνίσασθαι διαπρεπέστατα τῶν μεθʼ αὑτοῦ.
In this encounter, Antiochus is thought to have fought more brilliantly than any of his companions.
πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν ἀμφοτέρων διεφθάρησαν, ἐπεκράτησαν δὲ τῆς πρώτης ἱππαρχίας οἱ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως· τῆς δὲ δευτέρας καὶ τρίτης ἐπιφερομένης ἐπιέζοντο καὶ κακῶς ἀπήλλαττον.
Many fell on both sides, but those with the king defeated the first squadron; however, when the second and third charged, they were hard pressed and suffered severely.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον, τῶν πλείστων ἱππέων ἐκτεταγμένων ἤδη, Παναίτωλος ἐπαγαγεῖν παραγγείλας τὸν μὲν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς μετʼ αὐτοῦ κινδυνεύοντας ἐδέξατο,4 τοὺς δὲ τῶν Βακτριανῶν ἐπιφερομένους ἀτάκτως ἐκ μεταβολῆς προτροπάδην ἠνάγκασε φυγεῖν.
At this critical moment, as most of his cavalry were already drawn up, Panaitolos ordered an advance, received the king and those who were in danger with him, and forced the Bactrians, who were attacking in disorder, to turn and flee in headlong flight.
ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν, τῶν περὶ τὸν Παναίτωλον αὐτοῖς ἐπικειμένων, οὐ πρότερον ἔστησαν ἕως οὗ συνέμιξαν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Εὐθύδημον, τοὺς πλείστους ἀπολωλεκότες αὑτῶν· οἱ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως ἱππεῖς, πολλοὺς μὲν φονεύσαντες, πολλοὺς δὲ ζωγρίᾳ λαβόντες, ἀνεχώρουν. καὶ τότε μὲν αὐτοῦ παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν ηὐλίσθησαν·
The latter, hard pressed by Panaitolos and his men, did not halt until they joined Euthydemus, having lost most of their number; while the king’s cavalry, having slain many and taken many alive, retired. For that night they encamped on the spot by the river.
ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῷ κινδύνῳ τὸν μὲν ἵππον συμβαίνει ἀποθανεῖν τραυματισθέντα, αὐτὸν δὲ πληγέντα διὰ τοῦ στόματος ἀποβαλεῖν τινας· τῶν ὀδόντων, καθόλου δὲ φήμην ἐπʼ ἀνδρείᾳ περιποιήσασθαι τότε μάλιστα.
In this action, it happened that the king’s horse was wounded and died, and he himself was struck in the mouth and lost several of his teeth, but on the whole he acquired a very high reputation for courage on this occasion.
γενομένης δὲ τῆς μάχης ταύτης ὁ μὲν Εὐθύδημος καταπλαγεὶς ἀνεχώρησε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς πόλιν Ζαριάσπαν τῆς Βακτριανῆς.
After this battle, Euthydemus, struck with terror, retreated with his army to Zariaspa, a city of Bactria.
- 10.49.1ἔχεσθαι τῶν προκειμένων
The middle infinitive ἔχεσθαι takes the genitive and means "to hold onto" or "to apply oneself to." Here it governs τῶν προκειμένων (the plans before him / current objectives), indicating that Antiochus III decided to abandon the siege and focus on his immediate military plans.
- 10.49.2ἀπέχοντος δὲ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδόν
A genitive absolute construction indicating the reason or circumstance ("since the river was three days' journey away"). τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδόν is an accusative of distance, where τριῶν ἡμερῶν is a genitive of quality/measure modifying ὁδόν.
- 10.49.5ἔφθασε περαιώσας
A construction of φθάνω with a supplementary participle, meaning "to do something before someone else." Here it means Antiochus III succeeded in crossing the river with the greater part of his army before the enemy could prevent or anticipate it.
- 10.49.11ἐδέξατο
Third-person singular aorist middle of δέχομαι (to receive, welcome). In this context, it indicates that Panaitolos's newly formed cavalry unit "received and protected" the retreating king and his endangered companions into their own lines.