- 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-grc2:29.25.1-29.25.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
With the presentation of a deceptive letter from Rome by Callicrates' party, the Achaians' proposal for military aid to the Ptolemaic kingdom falls through, and they decide to send reconciliation ambassadors instead. Having failed to obtain the alliance, the Ptolemaic ambassadors request the personal dispatch of Lycortas and Polybius.
ὅτι ἕως μέν τινος οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀνδρωνίδαν καὶ Καλλικράτην ἐχρῶντο τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς διαλύσεως λόγοις, οὐδενὸς δὲ προσέχοντος αὐτοῖς1 ἐπεισήγαγον μηχανήν.
For a certain time indeed, Andronidas and Callicrates and their party used the arguments in favor of reconciliation, but since no one paid attention to them, they introduced a stratagem.
παρῆν γὰρ ἐκ πορείας εἰς τὸ θέατρον γραμματηφόρος φέρων ἐπιστολὴν παρὰ Κοΐντου Μαρκίου, διʼ ἧς παρεκάλει τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας τῇ Ῥωμαίων προαιρέσει πειρᾶσθαι διαλύειν τοὺς βασιλεῖς·
For there arrived at the theater from his journey a letter-carrier bearing a letter from Quintus Marcius, through which he exhorted the Achaians, in conformity with the policy of the Romans, to endeavor to reconcile the kings;
συνέβαινε γὰρ καὶ τὴν σύγκλητον ἀπεσταλκέναι πρεσβευτὰς τοὺς περὶ Νεμέσιον διαλύσοντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς.
for it happened that the senate also had dispatched ambassadors under Nemesius to reconcile the kings.
ἦν δὲ τοῦτο κατὰ τῆς ὑποθέσεως·2 οἱ γὰρ περὶ τὸν Τίτον ἀδυνατήσαντες τοῦ διαλύειν3 ἀνακεχωρήκεισαν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἄπρακτοι τελείως.
But this was contrary to the facts; for Titus and his colleagues, having been unable to effect a reconciliation, had returned to Rome completely unsuccessful.
ἀλλʼ οἱ περὶ τὸν Πολύβιον οὐ βουλόμενοι διὰ τὸν Μάρκιον πρὸς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀντιλέγειν ἀνεχώρησαν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν βοήθειαν οὕτω διέπεσε τοῖς βασιλεῦσι, τοῖς δʼ Ἀχαιοῖς ἔδοξε πρεσβευτὰς ἀποστέλλειν τοὺς διαλύσοντας· καὶ κατεστάθησαν Ἄρχων Αἰγειράτης, Ἀρκεσίλαος Ἀρίστων Μεγαλοπολῖται.
But Polybius and his party, not wishing to oppose the letter on account of Marcius, withdrew from the business. And so the matter of the assistance fell through for the kings, and the Achaians resolved to dispatch ambassadors to reconcile them; and Archon of Aegeira, Arcesilaus and Ariston of Megalopolis were appointed.
οἱ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Πτολεμαίου πρεσβευταὶ διαψευσθέντες τῆς συμμαχίας4 ἀνέδωκαν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, ἑτοίμας ἔχοντες, ἐπιστολὰς παρὰ τῶν βασιλέων, διʼ ὧν ἠξίουν τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἐκπέμπειν Λυκόρταν καὶ Πολύβιον ἐπὶ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πόλεμον. —
And the ambassadors from Ptolemy, having been disappointed of the alliance, delivered to the magistrates letters from the kings which they had ready, in which they requested the Achaians to send out Lycortas and Polybius for the war then on foot. —
- 29.25.1οὐδενὸς δὲ προσέχοντος αὐτοῖς
Genitive absolute with the noun οὐδενός and the present active participle προσέχοντος, standing in a concessive or causal relation to the main verb of the clause, ἐπεισήγαγον.
- 29.25.4ἦν δὲ τοῦτο κατὰ τῆς ὑποθέσεως
The preposition κατά with the genitive is used here in the sense of 'contrary to', indicating that the situation described in the letter was contrary to the actual facts or real state of affairs (ὑπόθεσις).
- 29.25.4ἀδυνατήσαντες τοῦ διαλύειν
The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ διαλύειν is used as the complement of the active participle ἀδυνατήσαντες (being unable), indicating the specific action they were unable to perform.
- 29.25.7διαψευσθέντες τῆς συμμαχίας
The passive participle διαψευσθέντες (having been deceived or disappointed) governs the genitive of separation/deprivation τῆς συμμαχίας, meaning 'having been disappointed of the alliance' or 'failing to obtain the alliance'.