- 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-grc2:3.18.1-3.18.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Demetrius reinforces Dimale and concentrates his forces at Pharos to counter the Romans, but the Roman general quickly captures Dimale, receives the surrender of other cities, and employs a clever stratagem to lure out Demetrius's forces at Pharos.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Δημήτριος ἅμα τῷ συνεῖναι1 τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων παραυτίκα μὲν εἰς τὴν Διμάλην ἀξιόχρεων φρουρὰν εἰσέπεμψε καὶ τὰς ἁρμοζούσας ταύτης χορηγίας, ἐκ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν πόλεων τοὺς μὲν ἀντιπολιτευομένους ἐπανείλετο, τοῖς δʼ αὑτοῦ φίλοις ἐνεχείρισε τὰς δυναστείας, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἐπιλέξας τοὺς ἀνδρωδεστάτους ἑξακισχιλίους συνέστησε τούτους εἰς τὴν Φάρον.
At about the same time, Demetrius, as soon as he understood the design of the Romans, immediately dispatched a sufficient garrison to Dimale with the appropriate supplies for it, and in the rest of the cities he made away with his political opponents and entrusted the government to his own friends. He himself, selecting six thousand of the most robust from among his subjects, assembled them at Pharos.
ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀφικόμενος εἰς τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα μετὰ τῶν δυνάμεων καὶ θεωρῶν τοὺς ὑπεναντίους θαρροῦντας ἐπὶ τῇ τῆς Διμάλης ὀχυρότητι καὶ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς, ἔτι δὲ τῷ δοκεῖν αὐτὴν ἀνάλωτον ὑπάρχειν,2 ταύτῃ πρῶτον ἐγχειρεῖν ἔκρινε, βουλόμενος καταπλήξασθαι τοὺς πολεμίους.
The Roman general, arriving in Illyria with his forces and seeing that the enemy were confident in the strength and preparations of Dimale, and also because it was deemed impregnable, decided to attack this place first, wishing to strike terror into the enemy.
παρακαλέσας δὲ τοὺς κατὰ μέρος ἡγεμόνας καὶ προσαγαγὼν ἔργα κατὰ πλείους τόπους ἤρξατο πολιορκεῖν.
Encouraging his subordinate officers and bringing up siege engines at several points, he began the siege.
λαβὼν δὲ κατὰ κράτος ἐν ἡμέραις ἑπτὰ παραχρῆμα πάντας ἥττησε ταῖς ψυχαῖς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους.
Taking it by storm in seven days, he immediately struck terror into the hearts of all the enemy.
διόπερ εὐθέως παρῆσαν ἐκ πασῶν τῶν πόλεων ἐπιτρέποντες καὶ διδόντες αὑτοὺς εἰς τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν.
Consequently, messengers from all the cities immediately arrived, surrendering themselves and submitting to the good faith of the Romans.
ὁ δὲ προσδεξάμενος ἑκάστους ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁρμοζούσαις ὁμολογίαις ἐποιεῖτο τὸν πλοῦν εἰς τὴν Φάρον ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τὸν Δημήτριον.
Having received each of them on suitable terms, he directed his cruise to Pharos against Demetrius himself.
πυνθανόμενος δὲ τήν τε πόλιν ὀχυρὰν εἶναι καὶ πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων διαφερόντων εἰς αὐτὴν ἡθροῖσθαι, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ταῖς χορηγίαις ἐξηρτῦσθαι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις παρασκευαῖς, ὑφεωρᾶτο μὴ δυσχερῆ καὶ πολυχρόνιον συμβῇ γενέσθαι τὴν πολιορκίαν.3
But learning that the city was strong and that a large number of picked men had assembled in it, and moreover that it was well furnished with provisions and other supplies, he apprehended that the siege might prove difficult and long.
διὸ προορώμενος ἕκαστα τούτων ἐχρήσατο παρʼ αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν τοιῷδέ τινι γένει στρατηγήματος.
Foreseeing all these things, he made use of a stratagem of the following kind at that very juncture.
ποιησάμενος γὰρ τὸν ἐπίπλουν νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον παντὶ τῷ στρατεύματι τὸ μὲν πλεῖον μέρος τῆς δυνάμεως ἀπεβίβασεν εἴς τινας ὑλώδεις καὶ κοίλους τόπους, εἴκοσι δὲ ναυσὶν ἐπιγενομένης ἡμέρας ἔπλει προδήλως ἐπὶ τὸν ἔγγιστα τῆς πόλεως λιμένα.
For having sailed against the island by night with his whole army, he landed the greater part of his force in certain wooded and hollow places, and when day broke, he sailed openly with twenty ships to the harbor nearest the city.
συνορῶντες δὲ τὰς ναῦς οἱ περὶ τὸν Δημήτριον καὶ καταφρονοῦντες τοῦ πλήθους ὥρμησαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα, κωλύσοντες τὴν ἀπό4
Demetrius and his men, seeing the ships and despising their small number, rushed out of the city to the harbor to prevent them from landing...
- 3.18.1ἅμα τῷ συνεῖναι
The preposition ἅμα is combined with the articular infinitive τῷ συνεῖναι (aorist infinitive of συνίημι, 'to perceive, understand') to express immediate temporal coincidence ('as soon as...'). τὴν ἐπιβολήν is the grammatical object of the infinitive.
- 3.18.3τῷ δοκεῖν αὐτὴν ἀνάλωτον ὑπάρχειν
This is the third dative element governed by the preposition ἐπί (on the ground of, because of). Within the articular infinitive τῷ δοκεῖν, an accusative and infinitive construction (αὐτὴν ... ὑπάρχειν) is embedded, with αὐτήν (referring to Dimale) acting as the subject.
- 3.18.8ὑφεωρᾶτο μὴ δυσχερῆ καὶ πολυχρόνιον συμβῇ γενέσθαι τὴν πολιορκίαν
A fear clause introduced by μή after the verb ὑφεωρᾶτο (imperfect of ὑφοράω, 'to suspect, fear'). The accusative and infinitive clause (τὴν πολιορκίαν ... γενέσθαι) functions as the grammatical subject of the verb συμβῇ (aorist subjunctive of συμβαίνω).
- 3.18.12κωλύσοντες τὴν ἀπό
The future participle κωλύσοντες expresses purpose ('in order to prevent'). The truncated end of the sentence (ἀπό) indicates a textual corruption or interruption in the manuscript, where a word like ἀπόβασιν ('landing') was intended.