- 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
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:27.1.1-27.1.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The Boeotian envoys negotiate with the Roman commissioners, who attempt to divide the league city by city, while in Thebes, factional struggles between pro-Roman and pro-Macedonian parties culminate in the victory of the pro-Roman faction.
ὅτι ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ παρεγένοντο πρέσβεις παρὰ μὲν Θεσπιέων οἱ περὶ Λασῆν καὶ Καλλέαν, παρὰ δὲ Νέωνος Ἰσμηνίας, οἱ μὲν περὶ Λασῆν ἐγχειρίζοντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν πατρίδα Ῥωμαίοις, ὁ δʼ Ἰσμηνίας κατὰ κοινὸν πάσας τὰς ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ πόλεις διδοὺς εἰς τὴν τῶν πρεσβευτῶν1 πίστιν.
At this time, there arrived envoys: from the Thespians, Lasen and Kalleas with their followers, and from Neon, Ismenias. Lasen and his followers surrendered their own city to the Romans, while Ismenias offered all the cities in Boeotia collectively into the protection of the Roman commissioners.
ἦν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν ἐναντιώτατον τοῖς περὶ τὸν Μάρκιον, τὸ δὲ κατὰ πόλιν διελεῖν τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς οἰκειότατον.
This was entirely contrary to the policy of Marcius and his colleagues, whereas to divide the Boeotians city by city was most suited to their interests.
διὸ τοὺς μὲν περὶ τὸν Λασῆν καὶ τοὺς Χαιρωνεῖς καὶ τοὺς Λεβαδεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους, ὅσοι παρῆσαν ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων, ἀσμένως ἀπεδέχοντο καὶ κατέψων,2 τὸν δʼ Ἰσμηνίαν παρεδειγμάτιζον, ἀποτριβόμενοι καὶ παρορῶντες.
Therefore, they gladly received and courted Lasen and his followers, as well as the Chaeroneans, the Lebadeans, and all the others who were present from the individual cities, but they made an example of Ismenias, repelling and ignoring him.
ὅτε καὶ συνεπιθέμενοί τινες τῶν φυγάδων μικροῦ κατέλευσαν3 τὸν Ἰσμηνίαν, εἰ μὴ κατέφυγεν ὑπὸ τὰ δίθυρα τῶν Ῥωμαίων.
On which occasion, some of the exiles joined in the attack and almost stoned Ismenias to death, had he not fled for refuge under the double-doors of the Romans’ quarters.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ταῖς Θήβαις συνέβαινε ταραχὰς εἶναι καὶ στάσεις.
Around this same time, it happened that there were disturbances and dissensions in Thebes.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἔφασαν δεῖν διδόναι τὴν πόλιν εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν, οἱ δὲ Κορωνεῖς καὶ Ἁλιάρτιοι συνδεδραμηκότες εἰς τὰς Θήβας ἀκμὴν ἀντεποιοῦντο τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ μένειν ἔφασαν δεῖν ἐν τῇ πρὸς τὸν Περσέα συμμαχίᾳ.
For some maintained that they ought to surrender the city to the protection of the Romans, while the Coroneans and Haliartians, who had flocked into Thebes, still vigorously contested the issue and asserted that they must abide by the alliance with Perseus.
καὶ μέχρι μέν τινος ἐφάμιλλος ἦν ἡ διάθεσις τῶν στασιαζόντων. Ὀλυμπίχου δὲ τοῦ Κορωνέως πρώτου μεταθεμένου καὶ φάσκοντος δεῖν ἀντέχεσθαι Ῥωμαίων, ἐγένετό τις ὁλοσχερὴς ῥοπὴ καὶ μετάπτωσις τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὸν Δικέταν ἠνάγκασαν πρεσβεύειν πρὸς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μάρκιον, ἀπολογησόμενον ὑπὲρ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Περσέα συμμαχίας.
For a time, indeed, the strength of the contending factions was evenly matched. But when Olympichus of Coronea was the first to change sides and declare that they must hold to the Romans, a complete shift and change of mind occurred among the multitude, and first they compelled Diketas to go on an embassy to Marcius and his colleagues, in order to make a defense for their alliance with Perseus.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς περὶ τὸν Νέωνα καὶ τὸν Ἱππίαν ἐξέβαλον, συντρέχοντες ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκίας αὐτῶν καὶ κελεύοντες αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν ἀπολογεῖσθαι περὶ τῶν διῳκονομημένων· οὗτοι γὰρ ἦσαν οἱ τὰ περὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν οἰκονομήσαντες. τούτων δὲ παραχωρησάντων,4 ἐξ αὐτῆς ἁθροισθέντες εἰς ἐκκλησίαν πρῶτον μὲν τιμὰς ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ δωρεὰς τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, εἶτʼ ἐνεργεῖν ἐπέταξαν τοῖς ἄρχουσι τὴν συμμαχίαν, ἐπὶ δὲ πᾶσιν πρεσβευτὰς κατέστησαν τοὺς ἐγχειριοῦντας τὴν πόλιν Ῥωμαίοις καὶ κατάξοντας τοὺς παρʼ αὑτῶν φυγάδας.
After this, they expelled Neon and Hippias with their followers, rushing to their houses and demanding that they defend themselves for their administration; for these were the ones who had managed the matters of the alliance. When these men withdrew, immediately gathering in the assembly, first they voted honors and gifts to the Romans, and then ordered the magistrates to put the alliance into effect. and finally, they appointed envoys who were to surrender the city to the Romans and recall their own exiles.
- 27.1.2τῶν πρεσβευτῶν
Meaning 'the envoys', but in this context it refers to the Roman commissioners sent as legates (Marcius and his colleagues), rather than the Boeotian envoys.
- 27.1.4κατέψων
Third-person plural imperfect active of καταψάω. Literally meaning 'to stroke' or 'caress', it is used metaphorically here to mean 'to cajole', 'flatter', or 'treat with winning favor'.
- 27.1.6μικροῦ κατέλευσαν
The genitive noun μικροῦ (literally 'by a little') functions adverbially with the aorist verb to express a near-occurrence in the past ('almost stoned to death').
- 27.1.11τούτων δὲ παραχωρησάντων
A genitive absolute construction, expressing the temporal or circumstantial condition that Neon and Hippias with their followers 'withdrew' or 'yielded' their positions.
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