- 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-grc2:2.10.1-2.10.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The combined Achaean and Acarnanian fleet clashes with the Illyrians near Paxi, but the Achaeans are defeated due to the Illyrians' unique ship-coupling tactic. Consequently, Corcyra surrenders, and the Illyrians proceed to besiege Epidamnus again.
κύρας,1 ἐλπίζοντες λύσειν τὴν πολιορκίαν. οἱ δʼ Ἰλλυριοὶ συμπαραλαβόντες Ἀκαρνάνων ναῦς κατὰ τὴν συμμαχίαν, οὔσας ἑπτὰ καταφράκτους, ἀνταναχθέντες συνέβαλλον τοῖς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν σκάφεσιν περὶ τοὺς καλουμένους Παξούς.
cyra, hoping to raise the siege. But the Illyrians, having taken with them the ships of the Acarnanians according to their alliance, which were seven decked vessels, put out to sea and engaged the ships of the Achaeans near the so-called Paxi.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Ἀκαρνᾶνες καὶ τῶν Ἀχαϊκῶν νεῶν αἱ κατὰ τούτους ταχθεῖσαι πάρισον ἐποίουν τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ διέμενον ἀκέραιοι κατὰ τὰς συμπλοκὰς πλὴν τῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἄνδρας γινομένων τραυμάτων.
Now the Acarnanians and those Achaean ships stationed against them made the contest equal and remained undamaged in their encounters, except for the wounds inflicted upon the men themselves.
οἱ δʼ Ἰλλυριοὶ ζεύξαντες τοὺς παρʼ αὑτῶν λέμβους ἀνὰ τέτταρας συνεπλέκοντο τοῖς πολεμίοις. καὶ τῶν μὲν ἰδίων ὠλιγώρουν καὶ παραβάλλοντες πλαγίους2 συνήργουν ταῖς ἐμβολαῖς τῶν ὑπεναντίων.3
But the Illyrians, having lashed their own light boats in groups of four, engaged the enemy. They disregarded their own vessels, and presenting them broadside-on, they actively aided the rams of their opponents.
ὅτε δὲ τρώσαντα καὶ δεθέντα4 κατὰ τὰς ἐμβολὰς δυσχρήστως διέκειτο πρὸς τὸ παρὸν τὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων σκάφη, προσκρεμαμένων αὐτοῖς περὶ τοὺς ἐμβόλους τῶν ἐζευγμένων λέμβων, τότʼ ἐπιπηδῶντες ἐπὶ τὰ καταστρώματα τῶν Ἀχαϊκῶν νεῶν κατεκράτουν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐπιβατῶν.
And when the opponents’ ships, having been damaged and bound fast during the collisions, were in a helpless state for the moment, because the lashed boats were hanging on to them around their rams, then they, leaping onto the decks of the Achaean ships, became masters of them owing to the number of their combatants.
καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τεττάρων μὲν πλοίων ἐκυρίευσαν τετρηρικῶν, μίαν δὲ πεντήρη σὺν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐβύθισαν, ἐφʼ ἧς ἔπλει Μάργος ὁ Καρυνεύς, ἀνὴρ πάντα τὰ δίκαια τῷ κοινῷ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πολιτεύματι πεποιηκὼς μέχρι τῆς καταστροφῆς.
In this manner they captured four quadriremes, and sank one quinquereme together with its men, on which sailed Margus of Caryneia, a man who until his end had performed all his duties toward the common state of the Achaeans.
οἱ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀκαρνᾶνας διαγωνιζόμενοι, συνιδόντες τὸ κατὰ τοὺς Ἰλλυριοὺς προτέρημα καὶ πιστεύοντες τῷ ταχυναυτεῖν, ἐπουρώσαντες ἀσφαλῶς τὴν ἀποχώρησιν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐποιήσαντο.
But those who were fighting against the Acarnanians, perceiving the advantage of the Illyrians and trusting in the speed of their sailing, set their sails to the wind and safely made their retreat to their own country.
τὸ δὲ τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν πλῆθος φρονηματισθὲν ἐπὶ τῷ προτερήματι λοιπὸν ἤδη ῥᾳδίως ἐχρήσατο τῇ πολιορκίᾳ καὶ τεθαρρηκότως.
The multitude of the Illyrians, being elated by their success, henceforth conducted the siege of the city with ease and confidence.
οἱ δὲ Κερκυραῖοι δυσελπιστήσαντες τοῖς ὅλοις ἐκ τῶν συμβεβηκότων, βραχὺν ἔτι χρόνον ὑπομείναντες τὴν πολιορκίαν συνέθεντο τοῖς Ἰλλυριοῖς καὶ παρεδέξαντο φρουρὰν καὶ μετὰ τῆς φρουρᾶς Δημήτριον τὸν Φάριον.
And the Corcyreans, despairing of their whole situation from what had happened, after enduring the siege for a short time longer, came to terms with the Illyrians, and received a garrison, and along with the garrison Demetrius of Pharos.
τούτων δὲ πραχθέντων εὐθέως οἱ τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν προεστῶτες ἀνήγοντο· καὶ κατάραντες εἰς τὴν Ἐπίδαμνον ταύτην πάλιν ἐπεβάλοντο πολιορκεῖν τὴν πόλιν.
When these things had been accomplished, the commanders of the Illyrians immediately put to sea; and having touched at Epidamnus, they set about besieging this city again.
- 2.10.1κύρας
Combined with Κερ at the end of the previous chunk, it forms the proper noun Κερκύρας (Corcyra). This shows that milestones or chunk breaks can occur in the middle of a single word.
- 2.10.3παραβάλλοντες πλαγίους
The adjective πλαγίους is used predicatively, agreeing with λέμβους (masculine plural accusative), meaning 'broadside-on.' The participle παραβάλλοντες is used intransitively in the sense of 'drawing near' or 'presenting.'
- 2.10.3συνήργουν ταῖς ἐμβολαῖς τῶν ὑπεναντίων
Meaning 'they actively aided the rams of their opponents.' By intentionally letting their own boats be rammed, they aimed to immobilize the enemy ships.
- 2.10.4τρώσαντα καὶ δεθέντα
Both participles (the former is aorist active of τιτρώσκω, the latter is aorist passive of δέω) are neuter plural, agreeing with the subject τὰ σκάφη (neuter plural). Note that τρώσαντα, despite being active in form, functions in an intransitive or passive sense ('having suffered damage') in this context.