- 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-grc2:21.18.1-21.18.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Following the victory over Antiochus, King Eumenes and various embassies arrived at Rome. The senate invited Eumenes to state his requests, but he politely deferred the decision to the senate, prompting them to recall him and request a more specific statement of his interests.
ὅτι1 ἤδη τῆς θερείας ἐνισταμένης μετὰ τὴν νίκην τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὴν πρὸς Ἀντίοχον παρῆν ὅ τε βασιλεὺς Εὐμένης οἵ τε παρʼ Ἀντιόχου πρέσβεις οἵ τε παρὰ τῶν Ῥοδίων, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων·
That, when the summer was already beginning after the victory of the Romans over Antiochus, King Eumenes arrived, as well as the envoys from Antiochus and those from the Rhodians, and likewise also those from the others.
σχεδὸν γὰρ ἅπαντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν εὐθέως μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὴν μάχην ἔπεμπον πρεσβευτὰς εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, διὰ τὸ πᾶσιν τότε καὶ πάσας τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐλπίδας ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ κεῖσθαι.
For almost all the inhabitants of Asia sent envoys to Rome immediately after the battle had taken place, because at that time all their hopes for the future were placed in the hands of the senate.
ἅπαντας μὲν οὖν τοὺς παραγενομένους ἐπεδέχετο φιλανθρώπως ἡ σύγκλητος, μεγαλομερέστατα δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀπάντησιν καὶ τὰς τῶν ξενίων παροχὰς Εὐμένη τὸν βασιλέα, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον τοὺς Ῥοδίους.
The senate, then, received all who arrived kindly, but most magnificently, both in their meeting and in the provision of hospitality, King Eumenes, and after him the Rhodians.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ ὁ τῆς ἐντεύξεως καιρὸς ἦλθεν, εἰσεκαλέσαντο πρῶτον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ λέγειν ἠξίουν μετὰ παρρησίας ὧν βούλεται2 τυχεῖν παρὰ τῆς συγκλήτου.
And when the time for the audience came, they first called in the king and requested him to speak with freedom of what he wished to obtain from the senate.
τοῦ δʼ Εὐμένους φήσαντος διότι εἰ καὶ παρʼ ἑτέρων τυχεῖν τινος ἐβούλετο φιλανθρώπου, Ῥωμαίοις ἂν ἐχρήσατο συμβούλοις3 πρὸς τὸ μήτʼ ἐπιθυμεῖν μηδενὸς παρὰ τὸ δέον μήτʼ ἀξιοῦν μηδʼ ἓν πέρα τοῦ καθήκοντος·
But Eumenes said that, if he had wished to obtain any favor from others, he would have used the Romans as advisors, so as neither to desire anything beyond what was proper, nor to demand even a single thing beyond what was fitting;
ὁπότε δʼ αὐτῶν πάρεστι δεόμενος Ῥωμαίων, ἄριστον εἶναι νομίζει τὸ διδόναι τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν ἐκείνοις καὶ περὶ αὑτοῦ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν·
but since he was present to petition those very Romans, he thought it best to leave the decision to them, both concerning himself and concerning his brothers.
τῶν δὲ πρεσβυτέρων τινὸς ἀναστάντος καὶ κελεύοντος μὴ κατορρωδεῖν, ἀλλὰ λέγειν τὸ φαινόμενον, διότι πρόκειται τῇ συγκλήτῳ πᾶν αὐτῷ χαρίζεσθαι τὸ δυνατόν, ἔμεινεν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς γνώμης. χρόνου δʼ ἐγγινομένου ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἐξεχώρησεν, ἡ δὲ ἐντὸς ἐβουλεύετο τί δεῖ ποιεῖν.
Although one of the elders rose and urged him not to be afraid, but to say what seemed good to him, because the senate’s intention was to grant him every possible favor, he remained of the same opinion. After some time had elapsed, the king withdrew, and the senate within deliberated on what they ought to do.
ἔδοξεν οὖν τὸν Εὐμένη παρακαλεῖν αὐτὸν ὑποδεικνύναι θαρροῦντα περὶ ὧν πάρεστιν· καὶ γὰρ εἰδέναι τὰ διαφέροντα τοῖς ἰδίοις πράγμασιν ἐκεῖνον4 ἀκριβέστερον τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν.
They resolved, therefore, to request Eumenes to state with confidence the things concerning which he was present; for indeed he knew more accurately both the affairs of Asia and what was advantageous to his own interests.
δοξάντων δὲ τούτων εἰσεκλήθη, καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τινὸς ἀποδείξαντος τὰ δεδογμένα λέγειν
When this was resolved, he was called in, and one of the elders, having made known the resolution, told him to speak:
- 21.18.1ὅτι
A typical particle placed at the beginning of a section in the Excerpta (epitomes) of Polybius to introduce a new episode, implying an indirect reporting structure ('That...').
- 21.18.4ὧν βούλεται
The relative pronoun ὧν is attracted into the genitive case from an original accusative (ἃ) because its omitted antecedent (ἐκείνων) would be in the genitive as governed by the verb τυχεῖν.
- 21.18.5εἰ καὶ παρʼ ἑτέρων τυχεῖν τινος ἐβούλετο φιλανθρώπου, Ῥωμαίοις ἂν ἐχρήσατο συμβούλοις
A past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence, using the past indicative in the protasis (εἰ ... ἐβούλετο) and ἄν with the past indicative in the apodosis (ἂν ἐχρήσατο). It expresses the hypothetical situation: 'if he had wished... he would have used...'
- 21.18.9καὶ γὰρ εἰδέναι ... ἐκεῖνον
An accusative with infinitive construction (ἐκεῖνον εἰδέναι) within a γάρ clause, expressing the senate's internal reasoning or belief that led to their resolution (ἔδοξεν) in indirect discourse.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)
- 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1