- 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-grc2:29.4.1-29.4.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Genthius dispatched hostages and ambassadors to Macedonia, where Perseus exchanged oaths to solidify the alliance and sent diplomatic missions to neighboring monarchs to form a united front.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν πάντες προῆγον εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν· ὁ δὲ Πάνταυχος μένων παρὰ πλευρὰν ὑπεμίμνησκεν καὶ παρώξυνε τὸν νεανίσκον πρὸς τὸ μὴ καθυστερεῖν ταῖς παρασκευαῖς, ἀλλʼ ἕτοιμον ὄντα1 προκαταλαμβάνειν καὶ τόπους καὶ πόλεις καὶ συμμάχους· μάλιστα δʼ αὐτὸν ἠξίου παρασκευάζεσθαι πρὸς τὴν κατὰ θάλατταν μάχην·
Thus they all proceeded to Macedonia. While Pantauchus, remaining by Genthius’s side, kept reminding and urging the young man not to be behindhand with his preparations, but to be ready and forestall the enemy in securing territory, cities, and allies. He especially urged him to make preparations for naval warfare;
τῶν γὰρ Ῥωμαίων εἰς τέλος ἀπαρασκεύων ὄντων πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος κατά τε τοὺς περὶ τὴν Ἤπειρον καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα τόπους, ἀκονιτὶ πᾶν τὸ προτεθὲν ἐπιτελεσθήσεσθαι2 διʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεμπομένων.
for as the Romans were completely unprepared in this quarter around the regions of Epirus and Illyria, he asserted that everything proposed would be accomplished without a struggle by Genthius himself and the forces sent by him.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Γένθιος τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις ἀναπειθόμενος ἐγίνετο περί τε τὰς κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν παρασκευάς.
Genthius, then, persuaded by these words, occupied himself with preparations both by land and by sea.
ὁ δὲ Περσεύς, παραγενομένων εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν τῶν πρεσβευτῶν παρὰ τοῦ Γενθίου καὶ τῶν ὁμηρευόντων, ὁρμήσας ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ τὸν Ἐλπειὸν ποταμὸν παρεμβολῆς μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἱππέων ἀπήντα τοῖς προειρημένοις εἰς τὸ Δῖον, καὶ συμμίξας πρῶτον μὲν ἀπέδωκε τοὺς ὅρκους ὑπὲρ τῆς συμμαχίας ἐναντίον πάντων τῶν ἱππέων· πάνυ γὰρ ἐβούλετο σαφῶς εἰδέναι τοὺς Μακεδόνας τὴν τοῦ Γενθίου κοινοπραγίαν, ἐλπίζων εὐθαρσεστέρους αὐτοὺς ὑπάρξειν, προσγενομένης ταύτης τῆς ῥοπῆς.
Perseus, when the ambassadors and the hostages from Genthius arrived in Macedonia, set out from his camp near the river Elpeus with all his cavalry and met the aforementioned persons at Dium. Meeting them, he first of all exchanged the oaths for the alliance in the presence of all his cavalry; for he was very anxious that the Macedonians should clearly know of the joint action of Genthius, hoping that they would be more encouraged by the addition of this weight.
ἔπειτα δὲ τοὺς ὁμήρους παρελάμβανε καὶ παρεδίδου τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ τοῖς περὶ Ὀλυμπίωνα. ὧν ἦσαν ἐπιφανέστατοι Λιμναῖος ὁ Πολεμοκράτους καὶ Βάλακρος ὁ Πανταύχου.
Next he received the hostages and delivered his own to Olympion and his associates, the most distinguished of whom were Limnaeus the son of Polemocrates and Balacrus the son of Pantauchus.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ χρήματα παρόντας εἰς Πέλλαν ἐξέπεμπεν, ὡς ἐκεῖ παραληψομένους, τοὺς δὲ πρεσβευτὰς3 τοὺς εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον εἰς Θετταλονίκην πρὸς Μητρόδωρον, συντάξας ἑτοίμους εἶναι πρὸς τὸν πλοῦν. ἔπεισε δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ῥοδίους συνεμβαίνειν εἰς τὸν πόλεμον.
After this, he dispatched those who had come for the money to Pella, on the understanding that they would receive it there, and the ambassadors destined for Rhodes to Metrodorus at Thessalonica, instructing them to be ready for the voyage. He also persuaded the Rhodians to join in the war.
ταῦτα δὲ διοικήσας Ἡροφῶντα μὲν ἐξέπεμψε πρεσβευτὴν πρὸς τὸν Εὐμένη, καὶ πρότερον ἤδη διαπεσταλμένον, Τηλέμναστον δὲ τὸν Κρῆτα πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίοχον, μὴ παρορᾶν4 τὸν καιρὸν μηδʼ ὑπολαμβάνειν πρὸς αὐτὸν μόνον ἀνήκειν τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ τὴν βαρύτητα τῶν Ῥωμαίων, σαφῶς δὲ γινώσκειν ὡς ἐὰν μὴ καὶ νῦν αὐτὸς συνεπιλαμβάνηται, μάλιστα μὲν διαλύων τὸν πόλεμον, εἰ δὲ μή, βοηθῶν, ταχέως πεῖραν λήψεται τῆς αὐτῆς ἑαυτῷ τύχης.5 —
Having arranged these matters, he dispatched Herophon as ambassador to Eumenes, who had indeed been sent on missions before, and Telemnastus the Cretan to Antiochus, urging him not to overlook the opportunity, nor to suppose that the arrogance and severity of the Romans concerned Perseus alone, but clearly to understand that if he did not join in taking action now, preferably by putting an end to the war, or failing that, by rendering aid, he would soon experience the very same fate as Perseus.
- 29.4.1ἕτοιμον ὄντα
An accusative participle agreeing with τὸν νεανίσκον (Genthius), which functions as the subject of the infinitive προκαταλαμβάνειν. It does not form a participle clause but acts as an attributive modifier of the subject of the infinitive.
- 29.4.2ἐπιτελεσθήσεσθαι
A future infinitive in indirect speech dependent on the verb ἠξίου (asserted, urged) in the preceding section. Its grammatical subject is πᾶν τὸ προτεθέν (everything proposed). The genitive absolute τῶν... ὄντων at the beginning expresses the cause.
- 29.4.7τοὺς δὲ πρεσβευτὰς
The verb governing this accusative phrase is omitted and must be supplied from the preceding clause (ἐξέπεμπεν from τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ χρήματα παρόντας εἰς Πέλλαν ἐξέπεμπεν).
- 29.4.9μὴ παρορᾶν
An infinitive of indirect command (or an independent/imperative infinitive) dependent on the implied idea of sending a message or ordering in the main verb ἐξέπεμψε in §29.4.8. The subsequent μηδʼ ὑπολαμβάνειν and σαφῶς δὲ γινώσκειν in §29.4.10 follow the same construction.
- 29.4.10τῆς αὐτῆς ἑαυτῷ τύχης
The dative ἑαυτῷ is used with the demonstrative adjective τῆς αὐτῆς to express comparison or identity ("the same fate as himself"). Here, the reflexive pronoun refers to the sender of the message, Perseus, who is the subject of the main clause (indirect reflexive).