- 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-grc2:24.2.1-24.2.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The Achaeans postponed their decision on the Lacedaemonian exiles until their own envoys returned, and concluded a treaty with the Messenians. Upon learning from their envoys that the Senate's letter was written only due to the exiles' importunity, they resolved to maintain their existing policy.
ὅτι1 κατὰ τὴν Πελοπόννησον παραγενομένων ἐκ Ῥώμης τῶν ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος φυγάδων καὶ κομιζόντων παρὰ τῆς συγκλήτου γράμματα τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ προνοηθῆναι περὶ τῆς αὑτῶν καθόδου καὶ σωτηρίας εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ὑπερθέσθαι τὸ διαβούλιον, ἕως ἂν οἱ παρʼ αὐτῶν ἔλθωσι πρεσβευταί.
When the exiles from Lacedaemon arrived in the Peloponnese from Rome, bringing letters from the Senate to the Achaeans which urged them to look after the exiles’ return and safety in their own country, the Achaeans decided to postpone the discussion until their own envoys should return.
ταῦτα δὲ τοῖς φυγάσιν ἀποκριθέντες συνέθεντο τὴν πρὸς Μεσσηνίους στήλην, συγχωρήσαντες αὐτοῖς πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις φιλανθρώποις καὶ τριῶν ἐτῶν ἀτέλειαν, ὥστε τὴν τῆς χώρας καταφθορὰν μηδὲν ἧττον βλάψαι τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἢ Μεσσηνίους.2
Having given this answer to the exiles, they set up the pillar containing the treaty with the Messenians, granting them, in addition to other favors, exemption from taxes for three years, with the result that the devastation of the country damaged the Achaeans no less than it did the Messenians.
τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Βίππον παραγενομένων ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης καὶ διασαφούντων γραφῆναι3 τὰ γράμματα περὶ τῶν φυγάδων οὐ διὰ τὴν τῆς συγκλήτου σπουδήν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τῶν φυγάδων φιλοτιμίαν, ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων.4 —
But when Bippus and his colleagues arrived from Rome and made it clear that the letter concerning the exiles had been written not because of any earnestness on the part of the Senate, but owing to the importunity of the exiles themselves, the Achaeans decided to abide by their existing resolutions.
- 24.2.1ὅτι
The opening ὅτι is a marker of excerpted text common in Byzantine collections of excerpts, indicating that the passage is quoted. It is translated as an independent main clause.
- 24.2.3ὥστε τὴν τῆς χώρας καταφθορὰν μηδὲν ἧττον βλάψαι τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἢ Μεσσηνίους
ὥστε introduces a clause of result with the infinitive βλάψαι, whose subject is τὴν τῆς χώρας καταφθορὰν (the devastation of the country). Since the Achaeans granted a three-year tax exemption (ἀτέλειαν) to the Messenians, they ended up sharing the financial burden of the devastation equally.
- 24.2.4γραφῆναι
The infinitive γραφῆναι forms an accusative-and-infinitive construction as the object of the participle διασαφούντων ("explaining"), with τὰ γράμματα acting as its subject.
- 24.2.5τῶν ὑποκειμένων
μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων is an idiomatic expression meaning "to abide by existing arrangements or decisions." Here it refers to the Achaeans' previous decision not to restore the exiles yet.
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