Milon's Dispatch and Conflicting Accounts of the Attack — Polybius, The Histories Book 29 (29.15.1–29.15.3), Greek & English

§29.15.1

τῷ δὲ Περσεῖ¹ τὸν Αἰμίλιον ἀτρεμοῦντα κατὰ χώραν ὁρῶντι καὶ μὴ λογιζομένῳ τὸ γινόμενον, ἀποδρὰς ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ Κρὴς αὐτόμολος ἧκε μηνύων τὴν περίοδον τῶν Ῥωμαίων.

To Perseus, who saw Aemilius remaining quiet in his position and did not suspect what was happening, a Cretan deserter who had escaped from the road came to announce the flanking movement of the Romans.

§29.15.2

ὁ δὲ συνταραχθεὶς τὸ μὲν στρατόπεδον οὐκ ἐκίνησε, μυρίους δὲ μισθοφόρους ξένους καὶ δισχιλίους Μακεδόνας Μίλωνι παραδοὺς ἐξαπέστειλε, παρακελευσάμενος ταχῦναι καὶ καταλαβεῖν τὰς ὑπερβολάς.

But he, being thrown into confusion, did not move his main camp, but having delivered ten thousand foreign mercenaries and two thousand Macedonians to Milon, dispatched them, ordering them to make haste and occupy the mountain passes.

§29.15.3

τούτοις² ὁ μὲν Πολύβιος φησιν ἔτι κοιμωμένοις ἐπιπεσεῖν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, ὁ δὲ Νασικᾶς ὀξὺν ἀγῶνα περὶ τοῖς ἄκροις γενέσθαι καὶ κίνδυνον. —

Against these, Polybius says that the Romans fell while they were still asleep, but Nasica says that a sharp struggle and danger took place around the heights. —

Syntax notes2 items

29.15.1τῷ δὲ Περσεῖ
Dative of interest or direction, modifying the verb ἧκε (came) or the participle μηνύων (announcing) at the end of the sentence. It indicates that the deserter came to Perseus while Perseus 'was seeing' (ὁρῶντι) and 'was not suspecting' (μὴ λογιζομένῳ).
29.15.3τούτοις
Dative plural of the demonstrative pronoun, referring to the force of Macedonians and mercenaries under Milon mentioned in the preceding clause. It functions as the dative object of the subsequent infinitive ἐπιπεσεῖν (to fall upon, from ἐπιπίπτω).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:29.15.1-29.15.3