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The Histories

§27.3.1-27.3.5

Roman Embassy to Rhodes and Naval Preparations

When the Roman ambassadors visited Rhodes, Hagesilochus had already advised the Rhodians to prepare forty ships, and the ambassadors returned to Rome pleased with the city's goodwill.

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§27.3.1

ὅτι οἱ περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον1 καὶ Ποστόμιον καὶ Ἰούνιον κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς ἐπιπορευόμενοι τὰς νήσους καὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν πόλεις πλεῖστον δʼ ἐν τῇ Ῥόδῳ, καίπερ οὐ προσδεομένων τῶν Ῥοδίων2 κατὰ τοὺς τότε χρόνους. Ἁγησίλοχος γάρ, τότε πρυτανεύων, ἀνὴρ τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων, ὁ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πρεσβεύσας εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, ἔτι πρότερον ἅμα τῷ φανερὸν γενέσθαι3 διότι μέλλουσι πολεμεῖν Ῥωμαῖοι τῷ Περσεῖ, τἄλλα τε παρακεκλήκει τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινωνεῖν τῶν αὐτῶν ἐλπίδων καὶ τετταράκοντα ναῦς συμβουλεύσας τοῖς Ῥοδίοις ὑποζωννύειν, ἵνʼ, ἐάν τις ἐκ τῶν καιρῶν γένηται χρεία, μὴ τότε παρασκευάζωνται πρὸς τὸ παρακαλούμενον, ἀλλʼ ἑτοίμως διακείμενοι πράττωσι τὸ κριθὲν ἐξ αὐτῆς.4 ἃ τότε προφερόμενος τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις καὶ δεικνὺς ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν τὰς παρασκευάς, εὐδοκουμένους τῇ πόλει τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς ἐξαπέστειλεν. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον ἀποδεδεγμένοι τὴν τῶν Ῥοδίων εὔνοιαν ἐκομίζοντο εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην. —

​That Tiberius, Postumius, and Junius with their colleagues, visiting the islands and the cities in Asia around the same time, spent the most time in Rhodes, although at that time the Rhodians had no need of this. For Hagesilochus, who was then prytanis, an esteemed man who also later went as an ambassador to Rome, even prior to this, as soon as it became clear that the Romans were going to make war on Perseus, had not only exhorted the multitude in other respects to share the same hopes, but had also advised the Rhodians to equip forty ships, so that, if any need should arise from the circumstances, they might not then be preparing themselves for what was requested, but, being in a state of readiness, might execute the decision immediately. Having at that time brought these things forward to the Romans and shown the preparations before their eyes, he sent the ambassadors away well pleased with the city. And Tiberius and his colleagues, having accepted the goodwill of the Rhodians, returned to Rome.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 27.3.1ὅτι οἱ περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον

    The introductory ὅτι at the beginning of the sentence is characteristic of Byzantine excerpts, serving as a summary or reporting particle with the main verb omitted.

  2. 27.3.2καίπερ οὐ προσδεομένων τῶν Ῥοδίων

    A genitive absolute construction accompanied by the conjunction καίπερ. Although genitive absolutes usually stand alone, καίπερ is added here to emphasize the concessive force.

  3. 27.3.3ἅμα τῷ φανερὸν γενέσθαι

    The preposition ἅμα combined with the dative of the articular infinitive (τῷ ... γενέσθαι) expresses simultaneity. The grammatical subject of φανερὸν γενέσθαι is the following διότι clause.

  4. 27.3.4ἐξ αὐτῆς

    An idiomatic expression derived from ἐξ αὐτῆς [τῆς ὥρας] (with ὥρας omitted), meaning 'immediately' or 'on the spot'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:27.3.1-27.3.5