- 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-grc2:22.17.1-22.17.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The passage describes how Ptolemy V of Egypt broke his word and executed the surrendered rebel leaders, and mentions Polycrates' overbearing influence which kept the young king from active military command.
ὅτι Πτολεμαῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου ὅτε τὴν Λύκων πόλιν ἐπολιόρκησε, καταπλαγέντες1 τὸ γεγονὸς οἱ δυνάσται τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἔδωκαν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πίστιν.
That when Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, besieged Lycopolis, the chieftains of the Egyptians, terrified by what had happened, surrendered themselves to the king’s protection.
οἷς κακῶς ἐχρήσατο καὶ εἰς κινδύνους πολλοὺς ἐνέπεσεν.
Whom he treated cruelly, and fell into many dangers.
παραπλήσιον δέ τι συνέβη καὶ κατὰ τοὺς καιρούς, ἡνίκα Πολυκράτης τοὺς ἀποστάτας ἐχειρώσατο.
A similar thing also happened about the time when Polycrates subdued the rebels.
οἱ γὰρ περὶ τὸν Ἀθίνιν2 καὶ Παυσίραν καὶ Χέσουφον καὶ τὸν Ἰρόβαστον, οἵπερ ἦσαν ἔτι διασῳζόμενοι τῶν δυναστῶν, εἴξαντες τοῖς πράγμασι παρῆσαν εἰς τὴν Σάιν, σφᾶς αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐγχειρίζοντες πίστιν·
For those around Athinis, Pausiras, Chesuphus, and Irobastus, who were the remaining survivors among the chieftains, yielding to the circumstances, came to Sais, committing themselves to the king’s protection.
ὁ δὲ Πτολεμαῖος ἀθετήσας τὰς πίστεις καὶ δήσας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους γυμνοὺς ταῖς ἁμάξαις εἷλκε καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τιμωρησάμενος ἀπέκτεινεν.
But Ptolemy, having broken his pledges, bound the men naked to his chariots and dragged them, and after that tortured and killed them.
καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ναύκρατιν μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς, καὶ παραστήσαντος αὐτῷ τοὺς ἐξενολογημένους ἄνδρας ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος Ἀριστονίκου,3 προσδεξάμενος τούτους ἀπέπλευσεν εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, τῶν μὲν τοῦ πολέμου πράξεων οὐδεμιᾶς κεκοινωνηκὼς διὰ τὴν Πολυκράτους ἀδικοδοξίαν,4 καίπερ ἔχων ἔτη πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν.
And having arrived at Naucratis with his army, when Aristonicus presented to him the men recruited from Greece, he received them and sailed away to Alexandria, having taken part in none of the military operations of the war because of the dishonest reputation of Polycrates, although he was twenty-five years of age.
- 1καταπλαγέντες
Although a passive participle, it governs the accusative 'τὸ γεγονὸς' as its direct object, functioning with a middle or deponent active sense ('to be terrified by').
- 4οἱ γὰρ περὶ τὸν Ἀθίνιν
The formula 'οἱ περί' with the accusative means 'those around Athinis,' but in Hellenistic Greek, it often denotes the central figure himself (Athinis) or refers collectively to the leadership group.
- 6παραστήσαντος αὐτῷ ... Ἀριστονίκου
A genitive absolute construction where the subject of the participle (Aristonicus) is different from the subject of the main clauses (Ptolemy, who is the subject of the nominative participles 'παραγενόμενος' and 'προσδεξάμενος').
- 7ἀδικοδοξίαν
A rare compound word meaning 'unjust reputation' or 'dishonorable management'. Here it suggests Polycrates' monopoly of power or his unscrupulous administration, which prevented the young king from acquiring military glory.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)
- 2026-10-09 OCR errors repaired — source 1