- 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-grc2:16.26.1-16.26.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
King Attalus declined to appear in person before the Athenian assembly but urged them in writing to join the war against Philip. Moved by his letter and the speeches of the Rhodians, the Athenians resolved to declare war on Philip and granted high honors and equal citizenship to the Rhodians.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συναγαγόντες ἐκκλησίαν ἐκάλουν τὸν προειρημένον.
After this, they summoned an assembly and invited the aforementioned king.
παραιτουμένου δὲ καὶ φάσκοντος εἶναι φορτικὸν τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον εἰσελθόντα διαπορεύεσθαι τὰς εὐεργεσίας1 τὰς αὑτοῦ τοῖς εὖ πεπονθόσι, τῆς εἰσόδου2 παρῆκαν, γράψαντα δʼ αὐτὸν ἠξίουν ἐκδοῦναι περὶ ὧν ὑπολαμβάνει συμφέρειν πρὸς τοὺς ἐνεστῶτας καιρούς.
But since he declined, asserting that it would be vulgar for him to enter in person and recount his own benefactions to those who had received them, they excused him from appearing, and requested that he should put in writing and submit what he considered to be advantageous for the present circumstances.
τοῦ δὲ πεισθέντος καὶ γράψαντος εἰσήνεγκαν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν οἱ προεστῶτες.
When he consented and wrote it, the magistrates brought in the letter.
ἦν δὲ τὰ κεφάλαια τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀνάμνησις τῶν πρότερον ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγονότων εὐεργετημάτων εἰς τὸν δῆμον, ἐξαρίθμησις τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ πρὸς Φίλιππον κατὰ τοὺς ἐνεστῶτας καιρούς, τελευταία δὲ παράκλησις εἰς τὸν κατὰ Φιλίππου πόλεμον, καὶ διορκισμός, ὡς ἐὰν μὴ νῦν ἕλωνται συνεμβαίνειν εὐγενῶς εἰς τὴν ἀπέχθειαν ἅμα Ῥοδίοις καὶ Ῥωμαίοις καὶ αὐτῷ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα παρέντες τοὺς καιροὺς κοινωνεῖν βούλωνται τῆς εἰρήνης, ἄλλων αὐτὴν κατεργασαμένων, ἀστοχήσειν3 αὐτοὺς τοῦ τῇ πατρίδι συμφέροντος.
The main points of what was written were a reminder of the benefactions previously performed by him for the people, an enumeration of what had been done by him against Philip during the present circumstances, and lastly, an exhortation to the war against Philip, and a solemn warning that if they did not now choose to enter nobly into the hostility along with the Rhodians, the Romans, and himself, but after this, having let the opportunities slip, should wish to share in the peace when others had achieved it, they would miss what was advantageous for their country.
τῆς δʼ ἐπιστολῆς ταύτης ἀναγνωσθείσης ἕτοιμον ἦν τὸ πλῆθος ψηφίζεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον καὶ διὰ τὰ λεγόμενα καὶ διὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἄτταλον.
When this letter was read, the multitude was ready to vote for war, both because of what was said and because of their goodwill toward Attalus.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν Ῥοδίων ἐπεισελθόντων καὶ πολλοὺς πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν διαθεμένων λόγους, ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐκφέρειν τῷ Φιλίππῳ τὸν πόλεμον.
Moreover, when the Rhodians also came forward and made many speeches on the same subject, it was resolved by the Athenians to declare war on Philip.
ἀπεδέξαντο δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ῥοδίους μεγαλομερῶς καὶ τόν τε δῆμον ἐστεφάνωσαν ἀριστείων στεφάνῳ καὶ πᾶσι Ῥοδίοις ἰσοπολιτείαν ἐψηφίσαντο διὰ τὸ κἀκείνους αὐτοῖς χωρὶς τῶν ἄλλων τάς τε ναῦς ἀποκαταστῆσαι4 τὰς αἰχμαλώτους γενομένας καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας.
They also received the Rhodians magnificently, crowned their people with a crown of valor, and voted equal citizenship to all Rhodians, because they too, independently of the others, had restored to them the captured ships and men.
οἱ μὲν οὖν πρέσβεις οἱ παρὰ τῶν Ῥοδίων ταῦτα διαπράξαντες ἀνήχθησαν εἰς τὴν Κέων ἐπὶ τὰς νήσους μετὰ τοῦ στόλου. —
So the ambassadors from the Rhodians, having accomplished these things, put to sea with the fleet for Ceos in the islands.
- 16.26.2εἶναι φορτικὸν τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον εἰσελθόντα διαπορεύεσθαι τὰς εὐεργεσίας
The subject of the infinitive εἶναι is the articular infinitive τὸ ... διαπορεύεσθαι. εἰσελθόντα is an accusative participle acting as the subject of this infinitive (referring to Attalus himself), and φορτικόν is the predicate adjective with εἶναι.
- 16.26.3τῆς εἰσόδου
The verb παρίημι is used here with the genitive τῆς εἰσόδου to mean "to excuse from" or "to let go of."
- 16.26.6ὡς ἐὰν μὴ νῦν ἕλωνται ... ἀστοχήσειν
After ὡς, instead of a finite verb, an accusative with infinitive (ἀστοχήσειν αὐτούς) is used. This is an anacoluthon or a mixture of constructions common in Polybius to introduce indirect speech following a word of warning (διορκισμός), where the infinitive serves as the apodosis to the conditional clauses (ἐὰν μὴ... ἕλωνται... βούλωνται).
- 16.26.9διὰ τὸ κἀκείνους αὐτοῖς ... ἀποκαταστῆσαι
This is an articular infinitive construction διὰ τὸ ... ἀποκαταστῆσαι expressing cause ("because they restored"). κἀκείνους (and those, i.e., the Rhodians) is the accusative subject of the infinitive, while αὐτοῖς (to them, i.e., the Athenians) is the dative object.