- 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-grc2:2.55.1-2.55.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Polybius describes how Cleomenes took advantage of the dismissal of the Macedonian forces to make a surprise attack on Megalopolis, which he captured and brutally destroyed despite fierce resistance, and comments on the exceptional loyalty of the Megalopolitans.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους συνθεωρῶν ὁ Κλεομένης τὰς μὲν δυνάμεις διαφειμένας, τὸν δʼ Ἀντίγονον μετὰ τῶν μισθοφόρων ἐν Αἰγίῳ διατρίβοντα καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδὸν ἀφεστῶτα τῆς Μεγάλης πόλεως, τὴν δὲ πόλιν ταύτην εἰδὼς δυσφύλακτον οὖσαν διὰ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν, τότε δὲ καὶ ῥᾳθύμως τηρουμένην διὰ τὴν Ἀντιγόνου παρουσίαν, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ἀπολωλότας τοὺς πλείστους1 τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἡλικίαις ἔν τε τῇ περὶ τὸ Λύκαιον καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τῇ περὶ Λαδόκεια μάχῃ, λαβὼν συνεργούς τινας τῶν ἐκ Μεσσήνης φυγάδων, οἳ διατρίβοντες ἐτύγχανον ἐν τῇ Μεγάλῃ πόλει, παρεισῆλθε διὰ τούτων λάθρᾳ νυκτὸς ἐντὸς τῶν τειχῶν.
At this time, Cleomenes, observing that the forces had been dismissed, and that Antigonus with his mercenaries was staying in Aegeum and was at a distance of three days’ journey from Megalopolis, and knowing that this city was difficult to guard because of its size and its desolation, and that at that time it was also being guarded carelessly because of Antigonus’ presence, and, what was most important, that most of those of military age had perished both in the battle around Lycaeum and afterwards in that around Ladoceia, having obtained as accomplices some of the exiles from Messene who happened to be staying in Megalopolis, he entered secretly by night inside the walls through them.
τῆς δʼ ἡμέρας ἐπιγενομένης παρʼ ὀλίγον ἦλθε τοῦ μὴ μόνον ἐκπεσεῖν,2 ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις κινδυνεῦσαι διὰ τὴν εὐψυχίαν τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν.
But when day broke, he came within a little of not only being driven out but also risking his all because of the bravery of the Megalopolitans.
ὃ δὴ καὶ τρισὶ μησὶ πρότερον αὐτῷ συνέβη παθεῖν παρεισπεσόντι κατὰ τὸν Κωλαιὸν προσαγορευόμενον τόπον τῆς πόλεως.
which indeed had also happened to him to suffer three months earlier when he had forced his way in at the place of the city called Colaeeum.
τότε δὲ τῷ πλήθει τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τῷ προκαταλαμβάνεσθαι τοὺς εὐκαίρους τόπους καθίκετο τῆς ἐπιβολῆς καὶ πέρας ἐκβαλὼν τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας κατέσχε τὴν πόλιν.
But on this occasion, by the multitude of his forces and by having pre-occupied the advantageous positions, he attained his purpose and, finally expelling the Megalopolitans, held the city.
γενόμενος δʼ ἐγκρατὴς οὕτως αὐτὴν πικρῶς διέφθειρεν καὶ δυσμενῶς ὥστε μηδʼ ἐλπίσαι μηδένα διότι δύναιτʼ ἂν συνοικισθῆναι πάλιν.
Having got possession of it, he destroyed it so bitterly and hostilely that no one could even hope that it could ever be reinhabited.
τοῦτο δὲ ποιῆσαί μοι δοκεῖ διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὰς τῶν καιρῶν περιστάσεις παρὰ μόνοις Μεγαλοπολίταις καὶ Στυμφαλίοις μηδέποτε δυνηθῆναι3 μήθʼ αἱρετιστὴν καὶ κοινωνὸν τῶν ἰδίων ἐλπίδων μήτε προδότην κατασκευάσασθαι.
He seems to me to have done this because, under the various circumstances of the times, among the Megalopolitans and Stymphalians alone had he never been able to secure either a partisan and sharer of his own hopes, or a traitor.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ Κλειτορίων φιλελεύθερον καὶ γενναῖον εἷς ἀνὴρ κατῄσχυνε διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κακίαν, Θεάρκης· ὃν εἰκότως ἐξαρνοῦνται Κλειτόριοι μὴ φῦναι4 παρὰ σφίσι, γενέσθαι δʼ ὑποβολιμαῖον ἐξ Ὀρχομενοῦ τῶν ἐπηλύδων τινὸς στρατιωτῶν.
For the love of liberty and noble spirit of the Cleitorians was disgraced by one man through his own wickedness, Thearces; whom the Cleitorians with good reason deny to have been born among them, but say that he was a supposititious child of one of the immigrant soldiers from Orchomenus.
- 2.55.2ἀπολωλότας τοὺς πλείστους
A supplementary participle agreeing with τοὺς πλείστους and depending on εἰδὼς, equivalent to a clause "knowing that most of them had perished."
- 2.55.4παρʼ ὀλίγον ἦλθε τοῦ μὴ μόνον ἐκπεσεῖν
The idiom παρʼ ὀλίγον ἐλθεῖν followed by the genitive infinitive with redundant μή (τοῦ μὴ ἐκπεσεῖν) means "to come within a little of doing something" or "to narrowly escape doing something."
- 2.55.8διὰ τὸ ... μηδέποτε δυνηθῆναι
The preposition διά governs the articular infinitive τὸ ... δυνηθῆναι to express cause. The implied subject of the infinitive is Cleomenes: "because of his never having been able to..."
- 2.55.9ἐξαρνοῦνται ... μὴ φῦναι
The verb of denying ἐξαρνοῦνται is followed by an infinitive with a redundant negative μή (μὴ φῦναι), meaning "they deny that he was born among them."