- 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-grc2:2.52.1-2.52.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
As the Corinthians expelled the Achaeans and invited Cleomenes, Aratus found a pretext to surrender the Acrocorinth to Antigonus. Antigonus then marched through Euboea, avoiding Aetolian obstruction, and confronted Cleomenes at the Isthmus.
χάριν τῆς περὶ τῶν πίστεων ἐπισκέψεως.1 ὁ δὲ Κλεομένης καταπληξάμενος τοῖς προειρημένοις εὐτυχήμασι λοιπὸν ἀδεῶς ἐπεπορεύετο τὰς πόλεις, ἃς μὲν πείθων αἷς δὲ τὸν φόβον ἀνατεινόμενος. προσλαβὼν δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ Καφύας, Πελλήνην, Φενεόν, Ἄργος, Φλιοῦντα, Κλεωνάς, Ἐπίδαυρον, Ἑρμιόνα, Τροίζηνα, τελευταῖον Κόρινθον, αὐτὸς μὲν προσεστρατοπέδευσε τῇ τῶν Σικυωνίων πόλει, τοὺς δʼ Ἀχαιοὺς ἀπέλυσε τοῦ μεγίστου προβλήματος.
for the sake of examining the guarantees. But Cleomenes, having struck terror by his aforementioned successes, henceforth marched through the remaining cities without fear, persuading some and holding threat of terror over others. Having in this manner acquired Caphyae, Pellene, Pheneus, Argos, Phlius, Cleonae, Epidauros, Hermione, Troezen, and finally Corinth, he himself encamped near the city of the Sicyonians, but released the Achaeans from their greatest difficulty.
τῶν γὰρ Κορινθίων τῷ μὲν Ἀράτῳ στρατηγοῦντι καὶ τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς παραγγειλάντων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, πρὸς δὲ τὸν Κλεομένη διαπεμπομένων καὶ καλούντων, παρεδόθη τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ἀφορμὴ καὶ πρόφασις εὔλογος.
For when the Corinthians ordered Aratus, who was general, and the Achaeans to depart from their city, and sent messengers to Cleomenes inviting him in, a reasonable opportunity and pretext was handed to the Achaeans.
ἧς ἐπιλαβόμενος Ἄρατος καὶ προτείνας Ἀντιγόνῳ τὸν Ἀκροκόρινθον, κατεχόντων Ἀχαιῶν τότε τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, ἔλυσε μὲν τὸ γεγονὸς ἔγκλημα πρὸς τὴν οἰκίαν, ἱκανὴν δὲ πίστιν παρέσχετο τῆς πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα κοινωνίας, τὸ δὲ συνέχον,2 ὁρμητήριον παρεσκεύασεν Ἀντιγόνῳ πρὸς τὸν κατὰ Λακεδαιμονίων πόλεμον.
Aratus, seizing upon this and offering the Acrocorinth—which the Achaeans were holding at that time—to Antigonus, cleared himself of the past grievance against the royal house, gave sufficient guarantee of their future cooperation, and, most importantly, prepared a base of operations for Antigonus for the war against the Lacedaemonians.
ὁ δὲ Κλεομένης ἐπιγνοὺς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς συντιθεμένους τὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίγονον, ἀναζεύξας ἀπὸ τοῦ Σικυῶνος κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὸν Ἰσθμόν, διαλαβὼν χάρακι καὶ τάφρῳ τὸν μεταξὺ τόπον τοῦ τʼ Ἀκροκορίνθου καὶ τῶν Ὀνείων καλουμένων ὀρῶν, πᾶσαν ἤδη βεβαίως περιειληφὼς ταῖς ἐλπίσι τὴν Πελοποννησίων ἀρχήν.
But Cleomenes, learning that the Achaeans were making terms with Antigonus, broke up his camp from Sicyon and encamped near the Isthmus, barricading with a palisade and trench the space between the Acrocorinth and the so-called Oneia Mountains, already grasping in his hopes the secure dominion of the Peloponnese.
Ἀντίγονος δὲ πάλαι μὲν ἦν ἐν παρασκευῇ, καραδοκῶν τὸ μέλλον κατὰ τὰς ὑποθέσεις τὰς Ἀράτου·
Antigonus, indeed, had long been in a state of preparation, waiting for the future development in accordance with Aratus’ plans.
τότε δὲ συλλογιζόμενος ἐκ τῶν προσπιπτόντων ὅσον οὔπω παρεῖναι τὸν Κλεομένη μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς Θετταλίαν,3 διαπεμψάμενος πρός τε τὸν Ἄρατον καὶ τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν ὡμολογημένων ἧκεν ἔχων τὰς δυνάμεις διὰ τῆς Εὐβοίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσθμόν.
But then, calculating from the incoming news that Cleomenes was on the point of arriving with his army, he reached Thessaly, and after sending messages to Aratus and the Achaeans concerning the agreements, he came with his forces through Euboea to the Isthmus.
οἱ γὰρ Αἰτωλοὶ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τότε βουλόμενοι κωλῦσαι τὸν Ἀντίγονον τῆς βοηθείας, ἀπεῖπον αὐτῷ πορεύεσθαι μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐντὸς Πυλῶν· εἰ δὲ μή, διότι κωλύσουσι4 μεθʼ ὅπλων αὐτοῦ τὴν δίοδον.
For the Aetolians, wishing among other things on this occasion also to prevent Antigonus from bringing help, forbade him to march with an army within Pylae; otherwise, they warned that they would prevent his passage with arms.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀντίγονος καὶ Κλεομένης ἀντεστρατοπέδευον ἀλλήλοις, ὁ μὲν εἰσελθεῖν σπουδάζων εἰς Πελοπόννησον, ὁ δὲ Κλεομένης κωλῦσαι τῆς εἰς
Thus Antigonus and Cleomenes encamped over against one another, the one striving to enter the Peloponnese, while Cleomenes strove to prevent his entrance.
- 2.52.1χάριν τῆς περὶ τῶν πίστεων ἐπισκέψεως
A noun phrase continuing from the end of the previous chapter (§2.51.7), using the prepositional adverb χάριν with a genitive to explain the reason why the deliberation was postponed.
- 2.52.4τὸ δὲ συνέχον
An accusative neuter singular participle used adverbially as an idiomatic expression meaning 'what is most important' or 'in short,' highlighting the most significant result of the surrender of Acrocorinth to Antigonus.
- 2.52.7ὅσον οὔπω παρεῖναι τὸν Κλεομένη μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, εἰς Θετταλίαν...
The phrase ὅσον οὔπω is an adverbial expression meaning 'all but' or 'on the point of.' The following prepositional phrase εἰς Θετταλίαν refers not to the destination of Cleomenes (who was in the Peloponnese), but to that of Antigonus; it is construed with ἧκεν or an implied verb of motion, meaning 'when [Antigonus] arrived in Thessaly.'
- 2.52.8εἰ δὲ μή, διότι κωλύσουσι
The phrase εἰ δὲ μή is an elliptical conditional meaning 'otherwise.' Here, διότι introduces the content of the Aetolians' warning ('that they would prevent' or 'because they would prevent'), taking the future indicative κωλύσουσι in indirect discourse.