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The Histories

§13.9.1-13.9.5

Antiochus III and the Negotiations with the Gerraeans

This fragment describes the diplomatic negotiations with the region of Chattenia and the city of Gerrha during King Antiochus III's eastern campaign, recording the confirmation of the Gerraeans' freedom, their heavy tribute to the king, and his subsequent voyage.

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§13.9.1

Λάβαι, ὡς Σάβαι, Χαττηνίας πόλις. Πολύβιος τρισκαιδεκάτῳ. τὸ ἐθνικὸν Λαβαῖος ὡς Σαβαῖος. τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας1 ἀμφότεραι· ἡ γὰρ Χαττηνία τῶν Γερραίων ἐστὶ χώρα. — Χαττηνία, χώρα τρίτη Γερραίων.

​Labae, like Sabae, a city of Chattenia. Polybius in the thirteenth book. The ethnic name is Labaios like Sabaios. Both belong to the same country; for Chattenia is a country of the Gerraeans. — Chattenia, the third region of the Gerraeans.

§13.9.2

Πολύβιος ιγ# "3ἔστι δʼ ἡ Χαττηνία τἄλλα μὲν λυπρά, κώμαις δὲ καὶ πύργοις διεσκεύασται διὰ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν Γερραίων· οὗτοι γὰρ αὐτὴν νέμονται"

​Polybius, book 13: “3Chattenia is in other respects poor, but is equipped with villages and towers for the convenience of the Gerraeans; for these occupy it”

§13.9.3

​3. ἔστι δὲ τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης. οἱ πολῖται Χαττηνοί, ὡς αὐτός· "3τούτοις μὲν γὰρ παρήγγειλε φείδεσθαι τῆς τῶν Χαττηνῶν χώρας"3. —

​3. It is on the Red Sea. The citizens are Chattenoi, as he himself says: “3For to these he commanded to spare the country of the Chattenoi”3. —

§13.9.4

οἱ δὲ Γερραῖοι ἀξιοῦσι τὸν βασιλέα μὴ καταλῦσαι τὰ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν αὐτοῖς δεδομένα, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ἀΐδιον εἰρήνην καὶ ἐλευθερίαν. ὁ δὲ ἑρμηνευθείσης οἱ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς2 ἔφη συγχωρεῖν τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις. —

​And the Gerraeans requested the king not to abolish what had been given to them by the gods, that is, perpetual peace and freedom. And he, when the letter had been interpreted to him, said he agreed to their requests. —

§13.9.5

κυρωθείσης δὲ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τοῖς Γερραίοις ἐστεφάνωσαν παραχρῆμα τὸν Ἀντίοχον τὸν βασιλέα πεντακοσίοις ἀργυρίου ταλάντοις,3 χιλίοις δὲ λιβανωτοῦ καὶ διακοσίοις τῆς λεγομένης στακτῆς. καὶ ἐποίει4 τὸν πλοῦν ἐπὶ Τύλον τὴν νῆσον καὶ ἐποίει τὸν ἀπόπλουν ἐπὶ Σελευκείας. ἦσαν δὲ τὰ ἀρώματα ἐν τῇ Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάττῃ.

​When freedom was confirmed to the Gerraeans, they immediately crowned King Antiochus with five hundred talents of silver, a thousand of frankincense, and two hundred of the so-called stacte. And he made his voyage to the island of Tylos and made his return voyage to Seleucia. And the spices were in the Red Sea region.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 13.9.1τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας

    The genitive τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας functions as a predicate genitive of belonging or origin with the subject ἀμφότεραι (both cities, i.e., Labae and Sabae).

  2. 13.9.4ἑρμηνευθείσης οἱ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς

    The genitive absolute construction ἑρμηνευθείσης τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ("when the letter had been interpreted") encloses the enclitic third-person singular dative pronoun οἱ, which refers to the king (Antiochus) as the indirect recipient of the action.

  3. 13.9.5ἐστεφάνωσαν ... πεντακοσίοις ἀργυρίου ταλάντοις

    The verb ἐστεφάνωσαν ("they crowned") is used here with the dative of means or material (πεντακοσίοις... ταλάντοις) as an idiomatic expression meaning "to honor/present with gifts" instead of crowning with a literal wreath.

  4. 13.9.5ἐποίει

    The imperfect verbs ἐποίει ("was making [his voyage]") denote the ongoing or successive stages of the king's maritime journey as a continuous process.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-10-09)
  • 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.9.1-13.9.5