- 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-grc2:24.8.1-24.8.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The Achaean League debates its response to the Roman letter concerning the Spartan exiles and decides to send envoys to defend their existing laws, but Callicrates, one of the envoys, acts in complete betrayal of his instructions before the Senate.
ὅτι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναδόντος Ὑπερβάτου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ διαβούλιον1 ὑπὲρ τῶν γραφομένων παρὰ Ῥωμαίων ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος φυγάδων καθόδου τί δεῖ ποιεῖν, οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν Λυκόρταν παρεκάλουν μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων, διότι Ῥωμαῖοι ποιοῦσι μὲν τὸ καθῆκον αὐτοῖς, συνυπακούοντες τοῖς ἀκληρεῖν δοκοῦσιν εἰς τὰ μέτρια τῶν ἀξιουμένων·
[That,] at this time, when the general Hyperbatus brought forward a debate as to what should be done concerning the letter written by the Romans about the return of the exiles from Lacedaemon, those around Lycortas urged that they should abide by the existing terms, because the Romans, in lending an ear to the moderate demands of those who seemed to be unfortunate, were doing what was fitting for themselves;
ὅταν μέντοι γε διδάξῃ τις αὐτοὺς ὅτι τῶν παρακαλουμένων τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἀδύνατα, τὰ δὲ μεγάλην αἰσχύνην ἐπιφέροντα καὶ βλάβην τοῖς φίλοις, οὔτε φιλονικεῖν εἰώθασιν οὔτε παραβιάζεσθαι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων.
yet, when someone explains to them that of the things requested some are impossible, and others bring great dishonor and damage to their friends, they are accustomed neither to contend nor to use force in such matters.
διὸ καὶ νῦν, ἐάν τις αὐτοὺς διδάξῃ διότι συμβήσεται τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς, ἂν πειθαρχήσωσι τοῖς γραφομένοις, παραβῆναι2 τοὺς ὅρκους, τοὺς νόμους, τὰς στήλας, ἃ συνέχει τὴν κοινὴν συμπολιτείαν ἡμῶν, ἀναχωρήσουσιν καὶ συγκαταθήσονται διότι καλῶς ἐπέχομεν καὶ παραιτούμεθα περὶ τῶν γραφομένων. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οἱ περὶ τὸν Λυκόρταν ἔλεγον·
Therefore now also, if someone explains to them that it will result for the Achaeans, if they obey the written instructions, in violating the oaths, the laws, and the tablets which hold our common league together, they will withdraw and agree that we are right in delaying and begging to be excused regarding the written instructions. These, then, were the arguments of Lycortas and his party;
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ὑπέρβατον καὶ Καλλικράτην πειθαρχεῖν τοῖς γραφομένοις παρῄνουν καὶ μήτε νόμον μήτε στήλην μήτʼ ἄλλο μηθὲν τούτου3 νομίζειν ἀναγκαιότερον.
but Hyperbatus and Callicrates and their followers advised obeying the written instructions, and holding neither law nor tablet nor anything else to be more necessary than this.
τοιαύτης δʼ οὔσης τῆς ἀντιλογίας ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς πρεσβευτὰς ἐξαποστεῖλαι πρὸς τὴν σύγκλητον τοὺς διδάξοντας ἃ Λυκόρτας λέγει.
Such being the dispute, the Achaeans resolved to send envoys to the Senate to explain what Lycortas said.
καὶ παραυτίκα κατέστησαν πρεσβευτὰς Καλλικράτην Λεοντήσιον, Λυδιάδαν Μεγαλοπολίτην, Ἄρατον Σικυώνιον· καὶ δόντες ἐντολὰς ἀκολούθους τοῖς προειρημένοις ἐξαπέστειλαν.
And they immediately appointed Callicrates of Leontion, Lydiadas of Megalopolis, and Aratus of Sicyon as envoys; and giving them instructions in conformity with the aforementioned decisions, they dispatched them.
ὧν παραγενομένων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, εἰσελθὼν ὁ Καλλικράτης εἰς τὴν σύγκλητον τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τοῦ ταῖς ἐντολαῖς ἀκολούθως διδάσκειν τὸ συνέδριον ὥστε4 τοὐναντίον ἐκ καταβολῆς ἐπεχείρησεν οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων κατηγορεῖν θρασέως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν σύγκλητον
When these had arrived in Rome, Callicrates, on entering the Senate, was so far from instructing the assembly in accordance with his instructions that, on the contrary, from the very beginning he attempted not only to accuse his political opponents boldly, but also the Senate
- 24.8.1ἀναδόντος Ὑπερβάτου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ διαβούλιον
A genitive absolute construction with the general Hyperbatus as the logical subject. The participle ἀναδόντος is the aorist active participle (genitive singular masculine) of ἀναδίδωμι.
- 24.8.4συμβήσεται ... παραβῆναι
The future form of the impersonal verb συμβήσεται ("it will result") takes the infinitive παραβῆναι as its logical subject or consecutive complement.
- 24.8.6τούτου
Genitive of comparison depending on the comparative adjective ἀναγκαιότερον, referring back to the action of πειθαρχεῖν τοῖς γραφομένοις (obeying the written instructions).
- 24.8.9τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τοῦ ... ὥστε
A construction of result expressing a strong contrast: "he was so far from [doing something] that, on the contrary...". The phrase τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε takes the genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ... διδάσκειν, followed by the consecutive ὥστε clause.