- 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-grc2:21.14.1-21.14.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Upon Publius's arrival, Antiochus's envoy Heracleides attempts peace negotiations at the council, but the Romans impose harsh terms, demanding full reimbursement of expenses and evacuation from all territory west of Taurus.
ὁ δʼ Ἡρακλείδης, μετά τινας ἡμέρας παραγενομένου τοῦ Ποπλίου, κληθεὶς πρὸς τὸ συνέδριον εἰς ἔντευξιν διελέγετο περὶ ὧν εἶχε τὰς ἐντολάς, φάσκων τῆς τε τῶν Λαμψακηνῶν καὶ Σμυρναίων, ἔτι δὲ τῆς τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων πόλεως ἐκχωρεῖν τὸν Ἀντίοχον, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Αἰολίδα καὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν, ὅσαι τυγχάνουσιν ᾑρημέναι τὰ Ῥωμαίων·
Heracleides, upon the arrival of Publius a few days later, was summoned to the council for an interview and began to discuss the matters concerning which he had instructions, stating that Antiochus would evacuate the cities of Lampsacus and Smyrna, and furthermore that of Alexandria, and likewise also those in Aeolis and Ionia, as many as happened to have chosen the side of the Romans;
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὴν ἡμίσειαν ἀναδέχεσθαι τῆς γεγενημένης αὐτοῖς δαπάνης εἰς τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πόλεμον.
and in addition to these, that he would undertake to pay half of the expense incurred by them in the present war.
πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἕτερα πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ὑπόθεσιν διελέχθη, παρακαλῶν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους μήτε τὴν τύχην λίαν ἐξελέγχειν ἀνθρώπους ὑπάρχοντας,1 μήτε τὸ μέγεθος τῆς αὑτῶν ἐξουσίας ἀόριστον ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ περιγράφειν, μάλιστα μὲν τοῖς τῆς Εὐρώπης ὅροις·
He also spoke at length on many other points relating to this proposal, urging the Romans, as they were but human, not to test fortune too far, nor to make the magnitude of their own power boundless, but to limit it, preferably by the boundaries of Europe;
καὶ γὰρ ταύτην μεγάλην ὑπάρχειν καὶ παράδοξον διὰ τὸ μηδένα καθῖχθαι τῶν προγεγονότων αὐτῆς·2
for even this alone was large and marvelous, since none of those who had gone before had ever reached its limits;
εἰ δὲ πάντως καὶ τῆς Ἀσίας βούλονταί τινα προσεπιδράττεσθαι, διορίσαι ταῦτα· πρὸς πᾶν γὰρ τὸ δυνατὸν προσελεύσεσθαι τὸν βασιλέα.
but if they absolutely wished to grasp some part of Asia as well, they should define it; for the king would yield to everything that was possible.
ῥηθέντων δὲ τούτων, ἔδοξε τῷ συνεδρίῳ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἀποκριθῆναι διότι τῆς μὲν δαπάνης οὐ τὴν ἡμίσειαν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν δίκαιόν ἐστιν Ἀντίοχον ἀποδοῦναι· φῦναι γὰρ τὸν πόλεμον ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὐ διʼ αὑτούς, ἀλλὰ διʼ ἐκεῖνον·
When these things had been said, the council resolved that the consul should reply that it was just for Antiochus to pay not half, but the whole of the expense; for the war had arisen from the beginning not through their fault, but through his;
τῶν δὲ πόλεων μὴ τὰς κατὰ τὴν Αἰολίδα καὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν μόνον ἐλευθεροῦν, ἀλλὰ πάσης τῆς ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου δυναστείας ἐκχωρεῖν.
and as for the cities, he must not only liberate those in Aeolis and Ionia, but must evacuate the entire dominion on this side of Taurus.
ὁ μὲν οὖν πρεσβευτὴς ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ συνεδρίου, διὰ τὸ πολὺ τῶν ἀξιουμένων τὰς ἐπιταγὰς ὑπεραίρειν3 οὐδένα λόγον ποιησάμενος, τῆς μὲν κοινῆς ἐντεύξεως ἀπέστη, τὸν δὲ Πόπλιον ἐθεράπευσε φιλοτίμως.
The envoy, having heard this from the council, made no account of it because the demands far exceeded his instructions, and withdrew from the public negotiation, but paid assiduous court to Publius in private.
- 21.14.4ἀνθρώπους ὑπάρχοντας
The accusative participle phrase ὑπάρχοντας modifies τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, which is the logical subject of the infinitive ἐξελέγχειν. It conveys the meaning 'since they are but human,' serving as a moral reminder that they should not push their luck beyond human limitations.
- 21.14.5τῶν προγεγονότων αὐτῆς
The genitive αὐτῆς (referring back to Europe, ταύτην) is governed by the verb καθῖχθαι (perfect middle infinitive of καθικνέομαι), which means 'to reach' or 'attain' and takes a genitive. Together with the genitive τῶν προγεγονότων ('predecessors'), it forms the construction meaning 'none of their predecessors had ever reached its limits.'
- 21.14.9διὰ τὸ πολὺ τῶν ἀξιουμένων τὰς ἐπιταγὰς ὑπεραίρειν
An articular infinitive construction τὸ ... ὑπεραίρειν introduced by the causal preposition διὰ. Within this clause, πολύ (modified by the partitive genitive τῶν ἀξιουμένων, 'the great extent of the demands') serves as the subject accusative, while τὰς ἐπιταγὰς ('the instructions') serves as the object accusative.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1