- 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-grc2:2.8.1-2.8.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Concluding his remarks on the Epiriots, the author describes the Illyrians' plundering of Italian merchants and the subsequent dispatch of Roman envoys. Infuriated by the blunt reply of the younger envoy, Queen Teuta of Illyria orders his assassination as they set sail, prompting Rome to prepare for war.
τοσοῦτον ἔκρινον ποιήσασθαι μνήμην. οἱ δʼ Ἰλλυριοὶ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνωτέρω μὲν χρόνους συνεχῶς ἠδίκουν τοὺς πλοϊζομένους ἀπʼ Ἰταλίας·
So much, then, I decided to make mention. The Illyrians, indeed, even in the previous times, were constantly injuring those who sailed from Italy;
καθʼ οὓς δὲ καιροὺς περὶ τὴν Φοινίκην διέτριβον, καὶ πλείους ἀπὸ τοῦ στόλου χωριζόμενοι πολλοὺς τῶν Ἰταλικῶν ἐμπόρων ἔσθʼ οὓς μὲν1 ἐσύλησαν, οὓς δʼ ἀπέσφαξαν, οὐκ ὀλίγους δὲ καὶ ζωγρίᾳ τῶν ἁλισκομένων ἀνῆγον.
and during the times when they were tarrying around Phoenice, many who were separated from the fleet plundered some of the Italian merchants, slaughtered others, and carried off not a few of them alive.
οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι παρακούοντες τὸν πρὸ τοῦ χρόνον τῶν ἐγκαλούντων τοῖς Ἰλλυριοῖς, τότε καὶ πλειόνων ἐπελθόντων ἐπὶ τὴν σύγκλητον, κατέστησαν πρεσβευτὰς εἰς τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα τοὺς ἐπίσκεψιν ποιησομένους2 περὶ τῶν προειρημένων Γάϊον καὶ Λεύκιον Κορογκανίους.
The Romans, who previously had turned a deaf ear to those who brought charges against the Illyrians, when on this occasion even more people came before the Senate, appointed Gaius and Lucius Coruncanius as envoys to Illyria to make an inquiry concerning the aforementioned matters.
ἡ δὲ Τεύτα, καταπλευσάντων πρὸς αὐτὴν τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἠπείρου λέμβων, καταπλαγεῖσα τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὸ κάλλος τῆς ἀγομένης κατασκευῆς — πολὺ γὰρ ἡ Φοινίκη διέφερε τότε τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἤπειρον πόλεων εὐδαιμονίᾳ — διπλασίως ἐπερρώσθη πρὸς τὴν κατὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀδικίαν.
Teuta, when the light vessels from Epirus sailed back to her, being struck with astonishment at the quantity and beauty of the booty brought back—for Phoenice at that time far surpassed the cities in Epirus in prosperity—was doubly encouraged toward injustice against the Greeks.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ἐπέσχεν διὰ τὰς ἐγχωρίους ταραχάς, καταστησαμένη δὲ ταχέως τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀποστάντας Ἰλλυριοὺς ἐπολιόρκει τὴν Ἴσσαν διὰ τὸ ταύτην ἔτι μόνην ἀπειθεῖν αὐτῇ.
Nevertheless, for the time being she held back because of domestic disturbances; but having quickly settled the affairs concerning the rebellious Illyrians, she proceeded to besiege Issa, because this city alone still refused to obey her.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον κατέπλευσαν οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πρέσβεις· καὶ δοθέντος αὐτοῖς καιροῦ πρὸς ἔντευξιν διελέγοντο περὶ τῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς γεγονότων ἀδικημάτων.
At this juncture, the Roman envoys sailed into harbor; and when a time for an audience was granted to them, they spoke concerning the injuries that had been done to them.
ἡ δὲ Τεύτα καθόλου μὲν παρʼ ὅλην τὴν κοινολογίαν ἀγερώχως καὶ λίαν ὑπερηφάνως αὐτῶν διήκουεν.
Teuta, however, listened to them throughout the whole conference in a haughty and exceedingly insolent manner.
καταπαυσάντων δὲ τὸν λόγον, κοινῇ μὲν ἔφη πειρᾶσθαι φροντίζειν ἵνα μηδὲν ἀδίκημα γίνηται Ῥωμαίοις ἐξ Ἰλλυριῶν· ἰδίᾳ γε μὴν οὐ νόμιμον εἶναι3 τοῖς βασιλεῦσι κωλύειν Ἰλλυριοῖς τὰς κατὰ θάλατταν ὠφελείας.
When they ceased speaking, she said that, as a state, she would try to take care that no injury should be done to Romans by Illyrians; but privately, indeed, it was not customary for rulers to prevent Illyrians from taking advantages from the sea.
ὁ δὲ νεώτερος τῶν πρεσβευτῶν δυσχεράνας ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐχρήσατο παρρησίᾳ καθηκούσῃ μέν, οὐδαμῶς δὲ πρὸς καιρόν. εἶπεν γὰρ ὅτι Ῥωμαίοις μέν, ὦ Τεύτα, κάλλιστον ἔθος ἐστὶ τὰ κατʼ ἰδίαν ἀδικήματα κοινῇ μεταπορεύεσθαι καὶ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις·
The younger of the envoys, being indignant at these words, used a frankness that was proper indeed, but by no means timely. For he said, “For Romans, O Teuta, it is the finest custom to pursue private wrongs publicly, and to give aid to those who are injured;
πειρασόμεθα δὴ θεοῦ βουλομένου σφόδρα καὶ ταχέως ἀναγκάσαι σε τὰ βασιλικὰ νόμιμα διορθώσασθαι πρὸς Ἰλλυριούς.
we will indeed endeavor, God willing, vigorously and quickly to compel you to reform the royal customs towards the Illyrians.”
ἡ δὲ γυναικοθύμως καὶ ἀλογίστως δεξαμένη τὴν παρρησίαν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐξωργίσθη πρὸς τὸ ῥηθὲν ὡς ὀλιγωρήσασα τῶν παρʼ ἀνθρώποις ὡρισμένων δικαίων ἀποπλέουσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπαποστεῖλαί τινας τὸν παρρησιασάμενον τῶν πρέσβεων ἀποκτεῖναι.
She, receiving this frank speech with womanish anger and lack of reason, was so enraged at what had been said that, disregarding the rights established among mankind, she dispatched some men after them as they were sailing away, to assassinate the envoy who had spoken so frankly.
προσπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ γεγονότος εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, διοργισθέντες ἐπὶ τῇ παρανομίᾳ τῆς γυναικὸς εὐθέως περὶ παρασκευὴν ἐγίνοντο καὶ στρατόπεδα κατέγραφον καὶ στόλον συνήθροιζον.
When the report of this deed reached Rome, they, being highly incensed at the lawlessness of the woman, straightway set about preparations, enrolling legions and assembling a fleet.
- 2.8.2ἔσθʼ οὓς μὲν
An accusative form of the idiom ἔστιν οἵ (there are those who / some), combined here with μὲν ... δέ ... to construct the parallel structure 'some they plundered, others they slaughtered'.
- 2.8.3τοὺς ἐπίσκεψιν ποιησομένους
The future middle participle with the definite article, expressing purpose ('those who would make an inquiry'). It restrictively modifies or stands in apposition to the preceding noun πρεσβευτάς.
- 2.8.8ἰδίᾳ γε μὴν οὐ νόμιμον εἶναι
An accusative with infinitive (A.c.I.) construction in indirect speech dependent on the preceding ἔφη. The contrast between κοινῇ (publicly/as a state) and ἰδίᾳ (privately/regarding individuals) shows the queen's logic of distinguishing official duties from traditional privateering practices of the Illyrians.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1