- 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-grc2:28.23.1-28.23.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Rhodian ambassadors meet with Antiochus IV to mediate peace in Alexandria, and the king declares that the kingdom belongs to the elder Ptolemy and that he will not stand in the way of his restoration.
ὅτι κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς ἡμέρας κατέπλευσαν ἐκ Ῥόδου πρέσβεις εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἐπὶ τὰς διαλύσεις οἱ περὶ Πράξωνα1 καὶ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ παρῆσαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν πρὸς Ἀντίοχον.
That about the same time, the ambassadors from Rhodes under Praxo sailed into Alexandria for the purpose of mediation, and before long came to the camp to Antiochus;
γενομένης δὲ τῆς ἐντεύξεως, πολλοὺς διετίθεντο λόγους, τήν τε τῆς ἰδίας πατρίδος εὔνοιαν προφερόμενοι πρὸς ἀμφοτέρας τὰς βασιλείας καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν τῶν βασιλέων ἀναγκαιότητα2 πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ἑκατέροις ἐκ τῆς διαλύσεως.
and when the interview took place, they made a long speech, bringing forward the goodwill of their own country towards both kingdoms, the relationship of the kings themselves to one another, and the advantage that would result to both from a reconciliation.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἔτι λέγοντα τὸν πρεσβευτὴν ἐπιτεμὼν οὐκ ἔφη προσδεῖσθαι πολλῶν λόγων.
But the king, cutting short the ambassador while he was still speaking, said that there was no need of many words;
τὴν μὲν γὰρ βασιλείαν εἶναι3 Πτολεμαίου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, πρὸς δὲ τοῦτον καὶ διαλελύσθαι πάλαι καὶ φίλους ὑπάρχειν, καὶ νῦν βουλομένων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει κατάγειν τοῦτον μὴ κωλύειν Ἀντίοχον.
for he said that the kingdom belonged to the elder Ptolemy, and with him he had long ago been reconciled and was on friendly terms, and now that those in the city wished to restore him, Antiochus was not preventing it;
καὶ δὴ πεποίηκεν.4
and indeed he did so.
- 28.23.1οἱ περὶ Πράξωνα
The idiom 'οἱ περί τινα' refers to the leader and his associates, meaning 'Praxo and his colleagues' or 'the embassy led by Praxo.'
- 28.23.2ἀναγκαιότητα
Although usually meaning 'necessity', here it denotes 'kinship' or 'close relationship' between the kings (Antiochus IV was the maternal uncle of Ptolemy VI).
- 28.23.4τὴν μὲν γὰρ βασιλείαν εἶναι...
Indirect speech continuing to the end of §28.23.4, reporting Antiochus's statement, with infinitives (εἶναι, διαλελύσθαι, ὑπάρχειν, μὴ κωλύειν) representing the main clauses.
- 28.23.5καὶ δὴ πεποίηκεν.
This is a comment by Polybius himself following Antiochus's speech; the perfect tense (πεποίηκεν) emphasizes the historical fact that he indeed carried this out.