- 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-grc2:25.3.1-25.3.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
It describes how King Perseus of Macedonia won favor with the Greeks by recalling exiles and debtors, displaying royal dignity in his conduct, and how his father Philip strove to consolidate his kingdom after his defeat.
ὅτι Περσεὺς ἀνανεωσάμενος τὴν φιλίαν τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους εὐθέως ἑλληνοκοπεῖν1 ἐπεβάλετο, κατακαλῶν εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν καὶ τοὺς τὰ χρέα φεύγοντας καὶ τοὺς πρὸς καταδίκας ἐκπεπτωκότας καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ βασιλικοῖς ἐγκλήμασι παρακεχωρηκότας.
Perseus, having renewed his friendship with the Romans, immediately set about winning the favor of the Greeks, recalling to Macedonia those who were fleeing from debt, those who had been exiled under judicial sentences, and those who had fled on charges of crimes against the crown.
καὶ τούτων ἐξετίθει προγραφὰς εἴς τε Δῆλον καὶ Δελφοὺς καὶ τὸ τῆς Ἰτωνίας Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερόν, διδοὺς οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀσφάλειαν τοῖς καταπορευομένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων κομιδήν, ἀφʼ ὧν ἕκαστος ἔφυγε.2
And he posted proclamations concerning them at Delos, Delphi, and the temple of Itonian Athena, granting to those who returned not only safety, but also the recovery of the property which each had left behind when he fled.
παρέλυσε δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ τῶν βασιλικῶν ὀφειλημάτων,3 ἀφῆκε δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς φυλακαῖς ἐγκεκλεισμένους ἐπὶ βασιλικαῖς αἰτίαις.
He also released those in Macedonia itself from their debts to the crown, and set free those who were shut up in the prisons on royal charges.
ταῦτα δὲ ποιήσας πολλοὺς ἐμετεώρισε, δοκῶν καλὰς ἐλπίδας ὑποδεικνύναι πᾶσι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐν αὑτῷ.
By doing these things he raised the spirits of many, appearing to show fair hopes to all the Greeks in his own person.
ἐπέφαινε δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ λοιπῷ βίῳ προστασίαν τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ἀξίωμα.
He also displayed the dignity of royalty in his conduct in the rest of his life.
κατά τε γὰρ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἦν ἱκανὸς καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν σωματικὴν χρείαν τὴν διατείνουσαν εἰς τὸν πραγματικὸν τρόπον εὔθετος, κατά τε τὴν ἐπίφασιν εἶχεν ἐπισκύνιον4 καὶ τάξιν οὐκ ἀνοίκειον τῆς ἡλικίας.
For in his personal appearance he was accomplished, and well-adapted for every bodily exertion directed to a practical life, and in his look he had a gravity and a decorum not unsuited to his age.
ἐπεφεύγει δὲ καὶ τὴν πατρικὴν ἀσέλγειαν τήν τε περὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὴν περὶ τοὺς πότους, καὶ οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς μέτριον ἔπινε δειπνῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ συνόντες αὐτῷ φίλοι.
He had also avoided his father’s profligacy in respect both to women and to drinking, and not only did he himself drink moderately at dinner, but also the friends who associated with him did the same.
καὶ τὰ μὲν προοίμια τῆς Περσέως ἀρχῆς τοιαύτην εἶχε διάθεσιν. — ὅτι Φίλιππος ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτε μὲν ηὐξήθη καὶ τὴν κατὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐξουσίαν ἔλαβε, πάντων ἦν ἀπιστότατος καὶ παρανομώτατος, ὅτε δὲ πάλιν τὰ τῆς τύχης ἀντέπνευσε, πάντων μετριώτατος.
Such was the disposition of the prelude to Perseus’ reign. — As for King Philip, when he grew powerful and obtained authority over the Greeks, he was the most untrustworthy and lawless of all men; but when, on the other hand, the gale of fortune blew against him, he was the most moderate of all.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῖς ὅλοις πράγμασιν ἔπταισε, πρὸς πᾶν τὸ μέλλον ἁρμοζόμενος ἐπειρᾶτο κατὰ πάντα τρόπον σωματοποιεῖν5 τὴν αὑτοῦ βασιλείαν.
But when he failed in his entire fortunes, adapting himself to every contingency of the future, he endeavored in every way to consolidate his kingdom.
- 25.3.1ἑλληνοκοπεῖν
The verb ἑλληνοκοπέω is a rare word meaning 'to play the Greek' or 'to curry favor with the Greeks.' It ironically describes Perseus's diplomatic and political maneuvers to win the support of the Greek city-states as the King of Macedonia.
- 25.3.2ἀφʼ ὧν ἕκαστος ἔφυγε
The relative pronoun ὧν (neuter plural genitive) is attracted to the case of its antecedent τῶν ὑπαρχόντων (property). The phrase as a whole means 'the property which each had left behind when he fled.'
- 25.3.3τῶν βασιλικῶν ὀφειλημάτων
A genitive of separation used with the verb παρέλυσε (aorist of παραλύω) and its direct object τοὺς... to mean 'to release or exempt someone from something.'
- 25.3.6ἐπισκύνιον
Originally meaning 'the eyebrow' or 'frown,' here it is used metaphorically to mean 'a grave countenance' or 'dignified expression.' It is juxtaposed with decorum (τάξις) described as 'not unsuited to his age,' emphasizing Perseus's external dignity.
- 25.3.10σωματοποιεῖν
Literally meaning 'to make into a body' or 'incarnate,' it is used here metaphorically in the sense of 'to organize,' 'to consolidate,' or 'to give a solid structure to' a weakened kingdom.
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