Eccentricities of Antiochus IV and the Moniker Epimanes — Polybius, The Histories Book 26 (26.1a.1–26.1a.2), Greek & English

§26.1a.1

Πολύβιος δʼ ἐν τῇ ἕκτῃ καὶ εἰκοστῇ τῶν Ἱστοριῶν καλεῖ αὐτὸν Ἐπιμανῆ καὶ οὐκ Ἐπιφανῆ¹ διὰ τὰς πράξεις. οὐ μόνον γὰρ μετὰ δημοτῶν ἀνθρώπων κατέβαινεν εἰς ὁμιλίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τῶν παρεπιδημούντων ξένων καὶ τῶν εὐτελεστάτων συνέπινεν.

Polybius, in the twenty-sixth book of his Histories, calls him Epimanes and not Epiphanes because of his conduct. For he not only condescended to converse with common people, but also drank with foreign residents and the lowest of the low.

§26.1a.2

εἰ δὲ καὶ τῶν νεωτέρων, φησίν, αἴσθοιτο τινας συνευωχουμένους ὁπουδήποτε, παρῆν² μετὰ κερατίου καὶ συμφωνίας, ὥστε τοὺς πολλοὺς διὰ τὸ παράδοξον ἀνισταμένους φεύγειν. πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐσθῆτα ἀποβαλὼν τήβενναν³ ἀναλαβὼν περιῄει τὴν ἀγοράν. —

And if, he says, he should perceive any of the younger men feasting together anywhere, he would appear with a horn and a band of music, so that most of them, arising because of the unexpectedness of it, fled. Often, too, casting off his royal robe and putting on a toga, he would go about the marketplace.

Syntax notes3 items

26.1a.1Ἐπιμανῆ καὶ οὐκ Ἐπιφανῆ
A pun playing on the king's official epithet 'Epiphanes' (God Manifest) and 'Epimanes' (the Mad), mocking his eccentric behavior.
26.1a.2εἰ δὲ καὶ ... αἴσθοιτο ... παρῆν
A conditional construction expressing past general repetition. The condition clause (protasis) uses the optative (αἴσθοιτο), and the main clause (apodosis) uses the imperfect indicative (παρῆν).
26.1a.2τήβενναν
The Greek transliteration of the Latin 'toga'. It illustrates Antiochus IV's eccentric Romanizing tendencies, as he walked around the Greek marketplace wearing the clothing of a Roman citizen instead of royal robes.

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-grc2:26.1a.1-26.1a.2