- 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-grc2:20.9.1-20.9.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The Aetolian envoys negotiate an armistice with the Roman general Manius and his deputy Lucius, ultimately deciding to surrender themselves to the "faith" of the Romans, unaware that this meant unconditional surrender.
ὅτι οἱ περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν1 τὸν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγὸν μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὴν Ἡράκλειαν ὑποχείριον τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις,2 ὁρῶντες τὸν περιεστῶτα καιρὸν τὴν Αἰτωλίαν καὶ λαμβάνοντες πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ συμβησόμενα ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν, ἔκριναν διαπέμπεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Μάνιον ὑπὲρ ἀνοχῶν καὶ διαλύσεως.
The associates of Phaneas, the general of the Aetolians, after Heraclea had fallen into the hands of the Romans, seeing the critical situation surrounding Aetolia and keeping before their eyes what was about to happen to the other cities, decided to send envoys to Manius to treat for an armistice and a settlement.
ταῦτα δὲ διαλαβόντες ἐξαπέστειλαν Ἀρχέδαμον καὶ Πανταλέοντα καὶ Χάλεπον·
Having come to this conclusion, they dispatched Archidamus, Pantaleon, and Chalepus.
οἳ συμμίξαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων προέθεντο μὲν καὶ πλείους ποιεῖσθαι λόγους, μεσολαβηθέντες δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἔντευξιν ἐκωλύθησαν.
When they met with the Roman general, they intended to make a lengthier speech, but they were cut short during the interview and prevented from doing so.
ὁ γὰρ Μάνιος κατὰ μὲν τὸ παρὸν οὐκ ἔφασκεν εὐκαιρεῖν, περισπώμενος ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἡρακλείας λαφύρων οἰκονομίας·
For Manius said that for the present he had no leisure, being distracted by the disposal of the spoils from Heraclea.
δεχημέρους δὲ ποιησάμενος ἀνοχὰς ἐκπέμψειν ἔφη μετʼ αὐτῶν Λεύκιον, πρὸς ὃν ἐκέλευε λέγειν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἂν δέοιντο.
But having granted a ten days’ truce, he said he would send Lucius with them, to whom he ordered them to state what they required.
γενομένων δὲ τῶν ἀνοχῶν, καὶ τοῦ Λευκίου συνελθόντος εἰς τὴν Ὑπάταν, ἐγένοντο λόγοι καὶ πλείους ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεστώτων.
When the truce had been made and Lucius had met them at Hypata, further discussions took place concerning the current situation.
οἱ μὲν οὖν Αἰτωλοὶ συνίσταντο τὴν δικαιολογίαν ἀνέκαθεν προφερόμενοι τὰ προγεγονότα σφίσι φιλάνθρωπα πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους·
The Aetolians, then, began to construct their defense, bringing up from the very beginning the kind services they had previously rendered to the Romans.
ὁ δὲ Λεύκιος ἐπιτεμὼν αὐτῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν οὐκ ἔφη τοῖς παροῦσι καιροῖς ἁρμόζειν τοῦτο τὸ γένος τῆς δικαιολογίας· λελυμένων γὰρ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς φιλανθρώπων διʼ ἐκείνους, καὶ τῆς ἐνεστώσης ἔχθρας διʼ Αἰτωλοὺς γεγενημένης, οὐδὲν ἔτι συμβάλλεσθαι τὰ τότε φιλάνθρωπα πρὸς τοὺς νῦν καιρούς.
But Lucius, cutting short their eagerness, said that this kind of defense did not suit the present circumstances; for since the original friendly relations had been dissolved through their own fault, and the present hostility had arisen because of the Aetolians, those former kind services no longer contributed anything to the present situation.
διόπερ ἀφεμένους τοῦ δικαιολογεῖσθαι3 συνεβούλευε τρέπεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἀξιωματικὸν λόγον καὶ δεῖσθαι τοῦ στρατηγοῦ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις.
Therefore, advising them to abandon their self-defense, he counseled them to turn to the language of entreaty and to beg to obtain pardon from the general for their offenses.
οἱ δʼ Αἰτωλοὶ καὶ πλείω λόγον ποιησάμενοι περὶ τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων ἔκριναν ἐπιτρέπειν τὰ ὅλα Μανίῳ, δόντες αὑτοὺς εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν, οὐκ εἰδότες τίνα δύναμιν ἔχει τοῦτο, τῷ δὲ τῆς πίστεως ὀνόματι πλανηθέντες, ὡς ἂν διὰ τοῦτο τελειοτέρου σφίσιν ἐλέους ὑπάρξοντος.4
The Aetolians, after discussing the circumstances at greater length, decided to entrust the whole matter to Manius, committing themselves to the faith of the Romans, not knowing what power this had, but being misled by the word “faith”, as if on this account more complete mercy would be shown to them.
παρὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίοις ἰσοδυναμεῖ τό τʼ εἰς τὴν πίστιν αὑτὸν ἐγχειρίσαι καὶ τὸ τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν δοῦναι5 περὶ αὑτοῦ τῷ κρατοῦντι.
But among the Romans, to commit oneself to their faith is equivalent to giving the victor full power of decision over oneself.
- 20.9.1οἱ περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν
Meaning "Phaneas and his associates". This common Greek idiom refers to the group led by Phaneas, or sometimes Phaneas himself, representing the Aetolian leadership.
- 20.9.1μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὴν Ἡράκλειαν ὑποχείριον τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις
The preposition μετά followed by the articular infinitive in the accusative neuter singular. The subject of the infinitive γενέσθαι is the accusative τὴν Ἡράκλειαν, forming an adverbial phrase expressing temporal priority ("after Heraclea fell into the hands of the Romans").
- 20.9.9ἀφεμένους τοῦ δικαιολογεῖσθαι
The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ δικαιολογεῖσθαι acts as the complement of the verb ἀφίεμαι (to abandon, let go). The participle ἀφεμένους is in the accusative because it refers to the Aetolians as the subject of the following infinitives τρέπεσθαι and δεῖσθαι, rather than matching the subject of the main verb.
- 20.9.11ὡς ἂν διὰ τοῦτο τελειοτέρου σφίσιν ἐλέους ὑπάρξοντος
The conjunction ὡς (expressing subjective reason) combined with the potential particle ἄν introduces a genitive absolute construction with the future participle ὑπάρξοντος. It expresses the subjective expectation of the Aetolians ("thinking that by this means more complete mercy would be shown to them").
- 20.9.12τὸ τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν δοῦναι
The Greek term ἐπιτροπή (entrusting) is used here to translate the Roman legal concept of deditio (unconditional surrender, giving full power of decision to the victor). This highlights the cultural and legal misunderstanding: the Greeks interpreted "faith" (fides) as a moral plea for mercy, whereas in Roman law it implied total submission.