- 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-grc2:29.16.1-29.16.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The passage relates how an eclipse of the moon was rumored to signify the king's downfall, boosting Roman morale while disheartening the Macedonians, and concludes with a proverb about the empty alarms of war.
Πολύβιος· ὅτι τῆς σελήνης ἐκλειπούσης1 ἐπὶ Περσέως τοῦ Μακεδόνος ἐκράτησεν ἡ φήμη παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ὅτι βασιλέως ἔκλειψιν2 σημαίνει.
According to Polybius, when an eclipse of the moon occurred in the time of Perseus of Macedon, the rumor prevailed among the multitude that it signified the eclipse of the king.
καὶ τοῦτο τοὺς μὲν Ῥωμαίους εὐθαρσεστέρους ἐποίησε, τοὺς δὲ Μακεδόνας ἐταπείνωσε ταῖς ψυχαῖς.
And this made the Romans more courageous on the one hand, and disheartened the Macedonians in their souls on the other.
οὕτως ἀληθές ἐστι τὸ περιφερόμενον ὅτι πολλὰ κενὰ τοῦ πολέμου.3 —
Thus true is the common saying, that “many are the empty things of war.” —
- 29.16.1τῆς σελήνης ἐκλειπούσης
A genitive absolute construction expressing time, indicating when the main action took place.
- 29.16.1ἔκλειψιν
While literally meaning an "eclipse" of a celestial body, in connection with the king (βασιλέως) it functions as a double meaning, signifying his "downfall" or "disappearance."
- 29.16.3κενὰ τοῦ πολέμου
Literally "the empty things of war," a proverbial expression referring to groundless fears, false alarms, or empty rumors that cause panic during wartime.