Philip V's Isolation and Distress at Bargylia — Polybius, The Histories Book 16 (16.24.1–16.24.9), Greek & English

§16.24.1

ὅτι Φίλιππος ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ χειμῶνος ἤδη καταρχομένου,¹ καθʼ ὃν Πόπλιος Σολπίκιος ὕπατος κατεστάθη ἐν Ῥώμῃ, ποιούμενος τὴν διατριβὴν ἐν τοῖς Βαργυλίοις, θεωρῶν καὶ τοὺς Ῥοδίους καὶ τὸν Ἄτταλον οὐχ οἷον διαλύοντας τὸ ναυτικόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσπληροῦντας ναῦς καὶ φιλοτιμότερον προσκειμένους ταῖς φυλακαῖς, δυσχρήστως διέκειτο καὶ πολλὰς καὶ ποικίλας εἶχε περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐπινοίας.

King Philip, at the time when winter was already setting in—during which Publius Sulpicius was appointed consul in Rome—while making his stay in Bargylia, seeing that both the Rhodians and Attalus were so far from disbanding their fleet that they were even manning more ships and applying themselves more zealously to their watches, was in a difficult position and had many various reflections concerning the future.

§16.24.2

ἅμα μὲν γὰρ ἠγωνία τὸν ἐκ τῶν Βαργυλίων ἔκπλουν καὶ προεωρᾶτο τὸν κατὰ θάλατταν κίνδυνον, ἅμα δὲ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Μακεδονίαν πράγμασι διαπιστῶν οὐδαμῶς ἐβούλετο παραχειμάζειν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν, φοβούμενος [μὲν οὖν] καὶ τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους·

For on the one hand, he was anxious about his departure by sea from Bargylia and foresaw the danger on the water, and on the other hand, mistrusting the state of affairs in Macedonia, he by no means wished to winter in Asia, fearing both the Aetolians and the Romans;

§16.24.3

καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἠγνόει τὰς ἐξαποστελλομένας κατʼ αὐτοῦ πρεσβείας εἰς Ῥώμην, διόπερ πέρας ἔχει τὰ κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην.² ἐξ ὧν ἐδυσχρηστεῖτο μὲν ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἠναγκάζετο δὲ κατὰ τὸ παρὸν ἐπιμένων αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον,³ λύκου βίον ζῆν.

for indeed he was not ignorant of the embassies being dispatched against him to Rome, nor of the fact that, consequently, the affairs in Libya had come to an end. From which circumstances he was exceedingly distressed, and was forced for the present, remaining there, to lead, as the saying goes, the life of a wolf.

§16.24.5

παρʼ ὧν μὲν γὰρ ἁρπάζων καὶ κλέπτων, τοὺς δʼ ἀποβιαζόμενος, ἐνίους δὲ παρὰ φύσιν αἰκάλλων⁴ διὰ τὸ λιμώττειν αὐτῷ τὸ στράτευμα, ποτὲ μὲν ἐσιτεῖτο κρέα, ποτὲ δὲ σῦκα, ποτὲ δὲ σιτάρια βραχέα παντελῶς·

For by plundering and stealing from some, using force against others, and coaxing still others contrary to his nature because his army was starving, he ate at one time meat, at another figs, and at another an utterly small amount of corn;

§16.24.6

ὧν τινὰ μὲν αὐτῷ Ζεῦξις ἐχορήγει, τὰ δὲ Μυλασεῖς καὶ Ἀλαβανδεῖς καὶ Μάγνητες, οὕς, ὁπότε μέν τι δοῖεν, ἔσαινεν, ὅτε δὲ μὴ δοῖεν, ὑλάκτει καὶ ἐπεβούλευεν αὐτοῖς.

some of which Zeuxis supplied to him, and others the Mylasians, Alabandians, and Magnesians, whom, whenever they gave him anything, he would fawn upon, but when they did not give, he would bark at them and plot against them.

§16.24.7

τέλος ἐπὶ τὴν Μυλασέων πόλιν πράξεις συνεστήσατο διὰ Φιλοκλέους, ἐσφάλη δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀλογίαν τῆς ἐπιβολῆς.

Finally, he set on foot intrigues against the city of the Mylasians through Philocles, but failed owing to the folly of the attempt.

§16.24.8

τὴν δʼ Ἀλαβανδέων χώραν ὡς πολεμίαν κατέφθειρε, φήσας ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι πορίζειν τῷ στρατεύματι τὰ πρὸς τὴν τροφήν. —

And he laid waste the territory of the Alabandians as if it were hostile, declaring it necessary to provide supplies for his army. —

§16.24.9

Πολύβιος δʼ ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης ἐν τῇ ι#2# τῶν ἱστοριῶν "3Φίλιπποσ"3 φησὶν "3ὁ Περσέως πατήρ, ὅτε τὴν Ἀσίαν κατέτρεχεν, ἀπορῶν τροφῶν τοῖς στρατιώταις παρὰ Μαγνήτων, ἐπεὶ σῖτον οὐκ εἶχον, σῦκα ἔλαβε. διὸ καὶ Μυοῦντος κυριεύσας τοῖς Μάγνησιν ἐχαρίσατο τὸ χωρίον ἀντὶ τῶν σύκων"3. —

But Polybius of Megalopolis, in the 16th book of his Histories, says: “Philip the father of Perseus, when he was overrunning Asia, being in want of food for his soldiers, received figs from the Magnesians since they had no corn. Wherefore also, having made himself master of Myus, he presented the place to the Magnesians in return for the figs.” —

Syntax notes4 items

16.24.1τοῦ χειμῶνος ἤδη καταρχομένου
A genitive absolute construction consisting of the noun τοῦ χειμῶνος and the present participle καταρχομένου, indicating time ("when winter was already setting in").
16.24.4διόπερ πέρας ἔχει τὰ κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην
Construed as a subordinate clause functioning as the object of the preceding οὐδʼ ἠγνόει ("he was not ignorant of"). It stands in parallel with the preceding πρεσβείας, indicating that Philip was well aware of both the embassies and the consequent conclusion of the Libyan war. Although some interpret this as an independent sentence, it is treated here as dependent on ἠγνόει to preserve the logical cohesion of the passage.
16.24.4τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον
An idiomatic accusative in apposition to the sentence ("as the saying goes"), modifying and introducing the subsequent infinitive phrase λύκου βίον ζῆν.
16.24.5παρʼ ὧν μὲν γὰρ ἁρπάζων καὶ κλέπτων, τοὺς δʼ ἀποβιαζόμενος, ἐνίους δὲ παρὰ φύσιν αἰκάλλων
An asymmetrical correlative construction showing contrast through μέν ... δέ ... δέ. While the first element is a prepositional phrase with a relative pronoun (παρʼ ὧν), the latter two are accusative pronouns (τοὺς δʼ, ἐνίους δέ). All of them function in relation to the respective participles to construct the contrast: "robbing from some, forcing others, and coaxing still others."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)

2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:16.24.1-16.24.9