- 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-grc2:29.2.1-29.2.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The Roman Senate, alarmed by the expansion of Antiochus IV's power in Egypt, decides to dispatch an embassy led by Gaius Popilius to end the war and inspect the situation.
ὅτι1 ἡ σύγκλητος πυνθανομένη τὸν Ἀντίοχον τῆς μὲν Αἰγύπτου κύριον γεγονέναι, τῆς δʼ Ἀλεξανδρείας παρʼ ὀλίγον,2 νομίζουσα πρὸς αὑτήν τι διατείνειν τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ προειρημένου βασιλέως, κατέστησε πρεσβευτὰς τοὺς περὶ Γάιον Ποπίλιον,3 τόν τε πόλεμον λύσοντας4 καὶ καθόλου θεασομένους τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων διάθεσιν ποία τις ἐστίν.5
When the Senate learned that Antiochus had become master of Egypt, and almost of Alexandria, thinking that the growth of the aforementioned king’s power concerned them to some extent, they appointed Gaius Popilius and his associates as ambassadors, They were to put an end to the war and to observe generally what the state of affairs was.
καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And the affairs in Italy were in this state.
- 29.2.1ὅτι
The introductory ὅτι at the beginning of the sentence is a typical marker in Byzantine excerpts (Excerpta) to introduce a section. It does not connect to any governing main verb in the context and functions as an independent report of fact. In translation, it is treated as a regular declarative sentence for natural flow.
- 29.2.1παρʼ ὀλίγον
A prepositional phrase meaning 'almost' or 'within a little.' Here, the omission of the preceding γεγονέναι (or κύριον γεγονέναι) must be supplied, meaning 'and having almost [become master] of Alexandria.'
- 29.2.2τοὺς περὶ Γάιον Ποπίλιον
An idiomatic expression (οἱ περί + accusative) referring to 'a group centered around a person.' Here, it refers to Gaius Popilius (Laenas) as the head of the embassy and his fellow commissioners.
- 29.2.3λύσοντας
Future participle (accusative masculine plural) expressing purpose ('in order to...'). It agrees with its antecedent τοὺς περὶ Γάιον Ποπίλιον, indicating the mission for which they were dispatched.
- 29.2.3τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων διάθεσιν ποία τις ἐστίν
A construction of prolepsis (anticipation), where the noun phrase (τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων διάθεσιν) which logically functions as the subject of the dependent clause (ποία τις ἐστίν) is anticipated as the direct object of the verb (here the participle θεασομένους). It is translated as 'what the state of affairs was.'