- 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-grc2:20.10.1-20.10.17
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The Roman general Manius imposes harsh demands on the Aetolians, who had surrendered, and threatens to chain their envoys. Upon hearing this, the Aetolian populace is infuriated, and encouraged by promises of aid from King Antiochus III, they reject the peace negotiations, leading to the resumption of war.
πλὴν ταῦτα κρίναντες ἐξέπεμψαν ἅμα τῷ Λευκίῳ τοὺς περὶ Φαινέαν διασαφήσοντας1 τὰ δεδογμένα τῷ Μανίῳ κατὰ σπουδήν·
Having, however, come to this decision, they dispatched Phaneas and his associates in haste along with Lucius to explain their decision to Manius.
οἳ καὶ συμμίξαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ καὶ πάλιν ὁμοίως δικαιολογηθέντες ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν, ἐπὶ καταστροφῆς εἶπαν διότι κέκριται τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐγχειρίζειν εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν.
When they met with the general, they again in like manner defended themselves, but at the end they stated that the Aetolians had decided to commit themselves to the faith of the Romans.
ὁ δὲ Μάνιος μεταλαβών "οὐκοῦν οὕτως ἔχει ταῦτα," φησίν, " ὦ ἄνδρες Αἰτωλοί;" τῶν δὲ κατανευσάντων, "τοιγαροῦν πρῶτον μὲν δεήσει μηδένα διαβαίνειν ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν, μήτε κατʼ ἰδίαν μήτε μετὰ κοινοῦ δόγματος, δεύτερον Δικαίαρχον ἔκδοτον δοῦναι καὶ Μενέστρατον τὸν Ἠπειρώτην," ὃς ἐτύγχανε τότε παραβεβοηθηκὼς εἰς Ναύπακτον, "σὺν δὲ τούτοις Ἀμύνανδρον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τῶν Ἀθαμάνων τοὺς ἅμα τούτῳ συναποχωρήσαντας πρὸς αὐτούς.
Manius, taking up the word, said, “Is this, then, the case, men of Aetolia?” and on their nodding assent, he continued, “Therefore, in the first place, none of you shall cross over to Asia, either privately or by a public decree; secondly, you must surrender Dicaearchus and Menestratus the Epirot,” who happened at that time to have gone to Naupactus with reinforcements, “and together with them, King Amynander and those of the Athamanes who accompanied him in his defection to you.”
" ὁ δὲ Φαινέας μεσολαβήσας "ἀλλʼ οὔτε δίκαιον," ἔφησεν, "οὔθʼ Ἑλληνικόν ἐστιν, ὦ στρατηγέ, τὸ παρακαλούμενον."
But Phaneas interrupted him and said, “But, general, what you demand is neither just nor in accordance with Greek custom.”
ὁ δὲ Μάνιος οὐχ οὕτως ὀργισθεὶς ὡς βουλόμενος εἰς ἔννοιαν αὐτοὺς ἀγαγεῖν τῆς περιστάσεως καὶ καταπλήξασθαι τοῖς ὅλοις, "ἔτι γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἑλληνοκοπεῖτε2" φησὶ "καὶ περὶ τοῦ πρέποντος καὶ καθήκοντος ποιεῖσθε λόγον, δεδωκότες ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὴν πίστιν; οὓς ἐγὼ δήσας εἰς τὴν ἅλυσιν ἀπάξω πάντας, ἂν τοῦτʼ ἐμοὶ δόξῃ.
Manius, not so much because he was angry, but because he wished to bring them to a sense of their situation and to thoroughly terrify them, replied, “What, do you still play the Greek, and talk of what is proper and duty, after having committed yourselves to our faith? I will put you all in chains and carry you off, if I think fit.”
" ταῦτα λέγων φέρειν ἅλυσιν ἐκέλευσε καὶ σκύλακα σιδηροῦν ἑκάστῳ περιθεῖναι περὶ τὸν τράχηλον.
Saying this, he ordered chains to be brought and an iron collar to be put round the neck of each.
οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν ἔκθαμβοι γεγονότες ἕστασαν ἄφωνοι πάντες, οἱονεὶ παραλελυμένοι καὶ τοῖς σώμασι καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς διὰ τὸ παράδοξον τῶν ἀπαντωμένων·
Thereupon Phaneas and his associates, being utterly amazed, stood all speechless, as if paralyzed both in body and mind by the unexpectedness of what they met with.
ὁ δὲ Λεύκιος καί τινες ἕτεροι τῶν συμπαρόντων χιλιάρχων ἐδέοντο τοῦ Μανίου μηδὲν βουλεύσασθαι δυσχερὲς ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ἀνδρῶν, ἐπεὶ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες πρεσβευταί. τοῦ δὲ συγχωρήσαντος ἤρξατο λέγειν ὁ Φαινέας·
But Lucius and some of the other military tribunes who were present begged Manius not to take any harsh resolution against the men before him, since they were ambassadors. Upon his consenting, Phaneas began to speak;
ἔφη γὰρ αὑτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀποκλήτους ποιήσειν τὰ προσταττόμενα, προσδεῖσθαι δὲ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν, εἰ μέλλει κυρωθῆναι τὰ παραγγελλόμενα.
for he said that he himself and the apocleti would do what was commanded, but that they also needed the consent of the general assembly if the orders were to be ratified.
τοῦ δὲ Μανίου φήσαντος αὐτὸν ὀρθῶς λέγειν, ἠξίου πάλιν ἀνοχὰς αὑτοῖς δοθῆναι δεχημέρους. συγχωρηθέντος δὲ καὶ τούτου, τότε μὲν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐχωρίσθησαν·
When Manius said that he spoke correctly, Phaneas requested that a ten days’ truce should be granted to them again. This also being conceded, they separated on these terms for the time being.
παραγενόμενοι δʼ εἰς τὴν Ὑπάταν διεσάφουν τοῖς ἀποκλήτοις τὰ γεγονότα καὶ τοὺς ῥηθέντας λόγους. ὧν ἀκούσαντες τότε πρῶτον ἔννοιαν ἔλαβον Αἰτωλοὶ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀγνοίας καὶ τῆς ἐπιφερομένης αὐτοῖς ἀνάγκης.
When they arrived at Hypata, they explained what had happened and the words that had been spoken to the apocleti. On hearing this, the Aetolians then for the first time came to a sense of their own ignorance and of the necessity that was imposed upon them.
διὸ γράφειν ἔδοξεν εἰς τὰς πόλεις καὶ συγκαλεῖν τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς χάριν τοῦ βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν προσταττομένων.
Therefore they decided to write to the cities and to summon the Aetolians for the purpose of deliberating on the commands.
διαδοθείσης δὲ τῆς φήμης ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπηντημένων τοῖς περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν, οὕτως ἀπεθηριώθη τὸ πλῆθος ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἀπαντᾶν οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο3 πρὸς τὸ διαβούλιον.
But when the report of what had happened to Phaneas and his companions was spread, the multitude became so infuriated that no one even attempted to attend the council.
τοῦ δʼ ἀδυνάτου κωλύσαντος βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν ἐπιταττομένων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοῦ Νικάνδρου κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον καταπλεύσαντος ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς τὰ Φάλαρα τοῦ κόλπου τοῦ Μηλιέως, ὅθεν καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐποιήσατο, καὶ διασαφοῦντος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς αὑτὸν προθυμίαν καὶ τὰς εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐπαγγελίας, ἔτι μᾶλλον ὠλιγώρησαν, τοῦ μηδὲν γενέσθαι πέρας4 ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης.
While the impossibility of assembling prevented them from deliberating on the orders, Nicander also at this very time sailed back from Asia to Phalara on the Maliac Gulf, whence he had made his start, and reporting the king’s eagerness on their behalf and his promises for the future, they disregarded the peace still more, so that no conclusion was reached.
ὅθεν ἅμα τῷ διελθεῖν τὰς ἐν ταῖς ἀνοχαῖς ἡμέρας κατάμονος αὖθις ὁ πόλεμος ἐγεγόνει τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς.
Wherefore, as soon as the days of the truce had expired, the war once more became stationary and continuous for the Aetolians.
- 20.10.1τοὺς περὶ Φαινέαν διασαφήσοντας
The future participle διασαφήσοντας expresses purpose ("in order to explain"), modifying the object of the verb ἐξέπεμψαν. The phrase τοὺς περὶ Φαινέαν is an idiomatic expression meaning "Phaneas and his associates," acting as the main ambassadors.
- 20.10.7ἑλληνοκοπεῖτε
A rare verb characteristic of Polybius, meaning "to play the Greek" or "to affect Greek ways." It is used here by Manius to mock and rebuke the Aetolians for still attempting to argue on equal terms according to Greek diplomatic customs, despite having committed themselves unconditionally to the Roman "faith" (surrender).
- 20.10.15διαδοθείσης δὲ τῆς φήμης ... ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἀπαντᾶν οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο
Following the genitive absolute διαδοθείσης δὲ τῆς φήμης (when the report was spread) at the beginning, the main clause is οὕτως ἀπεθηριώθη τὸ πλῆθος (the multitude became so infuriated), followed by a consecutive ὥστε clause (ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἀπαντᾶν οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο). The infinitive ἀπαντᾶν (to attend) depends on the verb ἐπεβάλετο (attempted).
- 20.10.16τοῦ δʼ ἀδυνάτου κωλύσαντος ... τοῦ μηδὲν γενέσθαι πέρας
Multiple genitive absolute clauses (τοῦ δʼ ἀδυνάτου κωλύσαντος and τοῦ Νικάνδρου... καταπλεύσαντος... καὶ διασαφοῦντος) run in parallel to state the causes, modifying the main verb ὠλιγώρησαν (they disregarded). The genitive articular infinitive phrase at the end, τοῦ μηδὲν γενέσθαι πέρας..., expresses the result or consequence (that no conclusion was reached regarding the peace).