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The Histories

§24.6.1-24.6.7

Ptolemy's Gift of Ships and the Achaean Embassy

King Ptolemy offers a fleet to the Achaean League, prompting them to appoint Lycortas, Polybius, and Aratus as ambassadors; however, the embassy is aborted due to the king's sudden death.

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§24.6.1

ὅτι περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Πτολεμαῖος ὁ βασιλεύς, βουλόμενος ἐμπλέκεσθαι1 τῷ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνει, διεπέμψατο πρεσβευτήν, ἐπαγγελλόμενος δεκαναΐαν δώσειν ἐντελῆ πεντηκοντηρικῶν πλοίων.

[That,] about the same time, King Ptolemy, wishing to associate himself with the Achaean League, sent an embassy, promising to give a complete fleet of ten fifty-oared ships.

§24.6.2

οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ καὶ διὰ τὸ δοκεῖν τὴν δωρεὰν ἀξίαν εἶναι χάριτος ἀσμένως ἀπεδέξαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. [δοκεῖ γὰρ ἡ δαπάνη οὐ πολὺ λείπειν τῶν δέκα ταλάντων].

​And the Achaeans, partly because the gift seemed to be worthy of gratitude, gladly accepted the offer. [For the expense seemed to fall not far short of ten talents.]

§24.6.3

ταῦτα δὲ βουλευσάμενοι προεχειρίσαντο πρεσβευτὰς Λυκόρταν καὶ Πολύβιον καὶ σὺν τούτοις Ἄρατον, υἱὸν Ἀράτου τοῦ Σικυωνίου, τοὺς ἅμα μὲν εὐχαριστήσοντας2 τῷ βασιλεῖ περί τε τῶν ὅπλων ὧν πρότερον ἀπέστειλε καὶ τοῦ νομίσματος, ἅμα δὲ παραληψομένους τὰ πλοῖα καὶ πρόνοιαν ποιησομένους περὶ τῆς ἀποκομιδῆς αὐτῶν.

​Having resolved on this, they appointed as ambassadors Lycortas, Polybius, and with them Aratus, the son of Aratus of Sicyon, who were at once to thank the king for the arms and the money which he had previously sent, and at the same time to receive the ships and take care of their transport.

§24.6.4

κατέστησαν δὲ τὸν μὲν Λυκόρταν διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὸν καιρόν, καθʼ ὃν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀνανέωσιν τῆς συμμαχίας ὁ Πτολεμαῖος, στρατηγοῦντα τότε συνεργῆσαι φιλοτίμως αὐτῷ, τὸν δὲ Πολύβιον, νεώτερον ὄντα3 τῆς κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ἡλικίας, διὰ τὸ τήν τε συμμαχίαν αὐτοῦ τὸν πατέρα πρεσβεύσαντα πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον ἀνανεώσασθαι καὶ τὴν δωρεὰν τῶν ὅπλων καὶ τοῦ νομίσματος ἀγαγεῖν τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς, παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἄρατον διὰ τὰς προγονικὰς συστάσεις πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν.

​They appointed Lycortas because, at the time when Ptolemy was renewing the alliance, being then general, he had zealously cooperated with him; ​and Polybius, though he was younger than the age required by the laws, because his father, having gone on an embassy to Ptolemy, had renewed the alliance and brought the gift of arms and money to the Achaeans; ​and likewise Aratus, because of his ancestral connections with the royal house.

§24.6.7

οὐ μὴν συνέβη γε τὴν πρεσβείαν ταύτην ἐξελθεῖν διὰ τὸ μεταλλάξαι4 τὸν Πτολεμαῖον περὶ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους. —

​However, it did not happen that this embassy set out, because Ptolemy passed away about this time.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 24.6.1ἐμπλέκεσθαι

    Passive/middle infinitive, taking the dative (τῷ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνει), meaning 'to involve oneself with' or 'to establish close relations with'.

  2. 24.6.3τοὺς ... εὐχαριστήσοντας

    The article (or demonstrative) τούς followed by future participles (εὐχαριστήσοντας, παραληψομένους, ποιησομένους) expresses purpose, meaning 'as those who would...'.

  3. 24.6.5νεώτερον ὄντα

    A present participle agreeing with Polybius, conveying a concessive nuance ('although he was...') in contrast to the reason clause (διὰ τὸ...) that follows.

  4. 24.6.7μεταλλάξαι

    The verb μεταλλάσσω is used here as an idiomatic expression with the omission of τὸν βίον ('life'), meaning 'to pass away' or 'to die'.

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
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:24.6.1-24.6.7