- 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-grc2:2.64.1-2.64.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
After the fall of Megalopolis, Cleomenes launched a surprise invasion of Argos to exploit Antigonus's lack of preparedness, successfully intimidating the enemy and boosting his own troops' morale before securing a safe retreat.
μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς Μεγάλης πόλεως ἅλωσιν Ἀντιγόνου παραχειμάζοντος ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἀργείων πόλει, συναγαγὼν Κλεομένης ἅμα τῷ τὴν ἐαρινὴν ὥραν ἐνίστασθαι καὶ παρακαλέσας τὰ πρέποντα τοῖς καιροῖς, ἐξαγαγὼν τὴν στρατιὰν ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὴν τῶν Ἀργείων χώραν, ὡς μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐδόκει,1 παραβόλως καὶ τολμηρῶς διὰ τὴν ὀχυρότητα τῶν κατὰ τὰς εἰσόδους τόπων, ὡς δὲ τοῖς ὀρθῶς λογιζομένοις, ἀσφαλῶς καὶ νουνεχῶς.
After the fall of Megalopolis, while Antigonus was wintering in the city of Argos, Cleomenes, as soon as the spring season began, assembled his forces, encouraged them with words appropriate to the occasion, and leading out his army, invaded the territory of the Argives, as seemed to the majority, a reckless and daring move because of the security of the passes, but as those who calculated correctly thought, a safe and prudent one.
ὁρῶν γὰρ τὸν Ἀντίγονον διαφεικότα τὰς δυνάμεις, ᾔδει σαφῶς ὡς πρῶτον μὲν τὴν εἰσβολὴν ἀκινδύνως ποιήσεται, δεύτερον ἔτι τῆς χώρας καταφθειρομένης ἕως τῶν τειχῶν ἀνάγκη τοὺς Ἀργείους θεωροῦντας τὸ γινόμενον ἀσχάλλειν καὶ καταμέμφεσθαι τὸν Ἀντίγονον.
For seeing that Antigonus had disbanded his forces, he knew clearly, first, that he would make the invasion without risk, and second, that while the country was being devastated up to the walls, the Argives, seeing what was happening, would inevitably be distressed and blame Antigonus.
εἰ μὲν οὖν συμβαίη μὴ δυνάμενον αὐτὸν ὑποφέρειν τὸν ἐπιρραπισμὸν τῶν ὄχλων ἐξελθεῖν καὶ διακινδυνεῦσαι τοῖς παροῦσιν, πρόδηλον ἐκ τῶν κατὰ λόγον ἦν αὐτῷ διότι νικήσει2 ῥᾳδίως.
Therefore, if it should happen that Antigonus, unable to bear the taunts of the crowd, came out and risked a battle with the forces at hand, it was obvious to Cleomenes from reasonable calculations that he would win easily.
εἰ δʼ ἐμμείνας τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀφησυχάζοι, καταπληξάμενος τοὺς ὑπεναντίους καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις δυνάμεσι θάρσος ἐνεργασάμενος ἀσφαλῶς ὑπέλαβε ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀναχώρησιν3 εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. ὃ καὶ συνέβη γενέσθαι.
But if Antigonus, adhering to his plans, remained quiet, Cleomenes calculated that after striking terror into his opponents and inspiring confidence in his own forces, he would make a safe retreat to his own country; which indeed came to pass.
τῆς γὰρ χώρας δῃουμένης οἱ μὲν ὄχλοι συστρεφόμενοι τὸν Ἀντίγονον ἐλοιδόρουν. ὁ δὲ καὶ λίαν ἡγεμονικῶς καὶ βασιλικῶς οὐδὲν περὶ πλείονος ποιούμενος τοῦ κατὰ λόγον χρήσασθαι τοῖς πράγμασιν ἦγε τὴν ἡσυχίαν. ὁ δὲ Κλεομένης κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν καταφθείρας μὲν τὴν χώραν, καταπληξάμενος δὲ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, εὐθαρσεῖς δὲ πεποιηκὼς τὰς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεις πρὸς τὸν ἐπιφερόμενον κίνδυνον ἀσφαλῶς εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπανῆλθεν.
For while the country was being plundered, the crowds gathered and abused Antigonus. But he, in a truly statesmanlike and kingly manner, holding nothing of greater importance than acting in accordance with reason, remained quiet. Cleomenes, having devastated the country in accordance with his original purpose, struck terror into his opponents, and made his own forces confident in the face of the coming danger, returned safely to his own land.
- 2.64.2ὡς μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐδόκει
The verb ἐδόκει from the first clause ὡς μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐδόκει (as it seemed to the majority) is understood to be supplied in the second clause ὡς δὲ τοῖς ὀρθῶς λογιζομένοις (as it seemed to those who reasoned correctly). Both clauses qualify the manner of the main action ἐνέβαλεν (invaded), which is described by the contrasting adverbs.
- 2.64.4εἰ μὲν οὖν συμβαίη ... πρόδηλον ἐκ τῶν κατὰ λόγον ἦν αὐτῷ διότι νικήσει
This is a mixed conditional sentence where the protasis is in the optative (εἰ ... συμβαίη), while the main verb in the apodosis is in the past indicative (ἦν), expressing a past fact of Cleomenes' certainty. The conjunction διότι introduces a noun clause (equivalent to ὅτι) explaining what was 'obvious' (πρόδηλον).
- 2.64.5εἰ δʼ ἐμμείνας τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀφησυχάζοι ... ὑπέλαβε ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀναχώρησιν
Here again, an optative protasis (εἰ ... ἀφησυχάζοι) is paired with an aorist indicative apodosis (ὑπέλαβε). The subject of ὑπέλαβε is Cleomenes, and the dependent infinitive ποιήσασθαι shares this subject, hence appearing without an accusative subject. The aorist participles καταπληξάμενος and ἐνεργασάμενος agree nominative with the subject of ὑπέλαβε, describing actions prior to the retreat.