- 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-grc2:21.38.1-21.38.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Chiomara, the wife of a Galatian chief, is captured and outraged by a Roman centurion, but she takes her revenge during the ransom exchange and brings his severed head to her husband. Polybius later meets her in Sardis and admires her high spirit and intelligence.
Χιομάραν δὲ συνέβη τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος αἰχμάλωτον γενέσθαι1 μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων γυναικῶν, ὅτε Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Γνάιος ἐνίκησαν μάχῃ τοὺς ἐν Ἀσίᾳ Γαλάτας.
It happened that Chiomara, the wife of Ortiagon, was made a prisoner of war along with the other women, when the Romans and Gnaeus defeated the Galatians in Asia in battle.
ὁ δὲ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ταξίαρχος ἐχρήσατο τῇ τύχῃ στρατιωτικῶς2 καὶ κατῄσχυνεν.
But the military tribune who had captured her, taking advantage of her fortune in a soldierly fashion, outraged her.
ἦν δʼ ἄρα3 καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν καὶ ἀργύριον ἀμαθὴς καὶ ἀκρατὴς ἄνθρωπος, ἡττήθη δʼ ὅμως ὑπὸ τῆς φιλαργυρίας, καὶ χρυσίου συχνοῦ διομολογηθέντος ὑπὲρ τῆς γυναικὸς ἦγεν αὐτὴν ἀπολυτρώσων,4 ποταμοῦ τινος ἐν μέσῳ διείργοντος.
He was, as it turned out, a man uncouth and uncontrolled with regard to both pleasure and money; nevertheless, he was overcome by greed, and when a large amount of gold had been agreed upon for the woman, he brought her to be ransomed, with a certain river flowing in between.
ὡς δὲ διαβάντες οἱ Γαλάται τὸ χρυσίον ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ καὶ παρελάμβανον τὴν Χιομάραν, ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ νεύματος προσέταξεν ἑνὶ παῖσαι τὸν Ῥωμαῖον ἀσπαζόμενον αὐτὴν καὶ φιλοφρονούμενον,5 ἐκείνου δὲ πεισθέντος καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκόψαντος, ἀραμένη καὶ περιστείλασα τοῖς κόλποις ἀπήλαυνεν.
But when the Galatians, having crossed over, gave him the gold and were receiving Chiomara, she, by a nod, ordered one of them to strike the Roman who was kissing her goodbye and showing her affection. When the man obeyed and cut off his head, she picked it up, wrapped it in the folds of her garment, and rode away.
ὡς δʼ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῷ προύβαλεν, ἐκείνου θαυμάσαντος καὶ εἰπόντος "ὦ γύναι, καλὸν ἡ πίστις" "ναί", εἶπεν "ἀλλὰ κάλλιον ἕνα μόνον ζῆν ἐμοὶ συγγεγενημένον6".
When she came to her husband and threw the head before him, and he, in astonishment, said, “O wife, fidelity is a beautiful thing,” she replied, “Yes, but it is more beautiful that only one man who has slept with me should remain alive.”
ταύτῃ μὲν ὁ Πολύβιός φησι διὰ λόγων ἐν Σάρδεσι γενόμενος θαυμάσαι τό τε φρόνημα καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν. —
Polybius says that he met this woman and spoke with her in Sardis, and wondered at both her high spirit and her intelligence. —
- 21.38.1συνέβη τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος αἰχμάλωτον γενέσθαι
The impersonal verb συνέβη is followed by an accusative and infinitive construction (Χιομάραν... γενέσθαι). It means 'it happened that Chiomara became a prisoner'. τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος uses the genitive of relationship, meaning 'the wife of Ortiagon'.
- 21.38.2ἐχρήσατο τῇ τύχῃ στρατιωτικῶς
Literally 'used the fortune in a soldierly fashion'. In this context, it euphemistically means that he took advantage of her helpless situation as a prisoner to violate her with military brutality.
- 21.38.3ἦν δʼ ἄρα
The particle ἄρα indicates the discovery of an existing but previously unrealized fact or an unexpected truth. It carries the nuance of 'as it turned out' or 'actually'.
- 21.38.3ἀπολυτρώσων
A future active participle modifying the subject of ἦγεν (from ἄγω), expressing purpose ('in order to ransom/release her').
- 21.38.4ἀσπαζόμενον αὐτὴν καὶ φιλοφρονούμενον
Present participles in the accusative modifying τὸν Ῥωμαῖον. They indicate that the Roman's actions of kissing her goodbye and showing affection were actively ongoing at the very moment she gave the order to strike.
- 21.38.6ἕνα μόνον ζῆν ἐμοὶ συγγεγενημένον
An accusative and infinitive clause serving as the subject of the comparative κάλλιον. ἕνα μόνον is the subject of the infinitive ζῆν, and is modified by the perfect middle-passive participle συγγεγενημένον (from συγγίγνομαι, meaning 'to have sexual intercourse with'). It means 'that only one man who has slept with me should remain alive'.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1