- 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-grc2:3.23.1-3.23.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Polybius defines the geographical location of the 'Fair Promontory' and explains why the Carthaginians barred Roman warships from sailing south of it, while analyzing how both powers reflected their respective spheres of influence in the treaty.
τὸ μὲν οὖν Καλὸν ἀκρωτήριόν ἐστι τὸ προκείμενον αὐτῆς τῆς Καρχηδόνος ὡς πρὸς τὰς ἄρκτους·
Now the Fair Promontory is that which lies in front of Carthage itself towards the north;
οὗ καθάπαξ ἐπέκεινα πλεῖν ὡς πρὸς μεσημβρίαν οὐκ οἴονται δεῖν1 οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους μακραῖς ναυσὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι γινώσκειν αὐτούς, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, μήτε τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Βυσσάτιν μήτε τοὺς κατὰ τὴν μικρὰν Σύρτιν τόπους, ἃ δὴ καλοῦσιν Ἐμπόρια, διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῆς χώρας.
beyond which the Carthaginians do not think it right for the Romans to sail at all with warships towards the south, because, as it seems to me, they do not wish them to become acquainted either with the districts of Byssatis or with those around the Lesser Syrtis, which indeed they call Emporia, on account of the fertility of the land.
ἐὰν δέ τις ὑπὸ χειμῶνος ἢ πολεμίων βίᾳ κατενεχθεὶς δέηταί του τῶν ἀναγκαίων πρὸς ἱερὰ καὶ πρὸς ἐπισκευὴν πλοίου, ταῦτα, πάρεξ δὲ μηδὲν οἴονται δεῖν λαμβάνειν, καὶ κατʼ ἀνάγκην ἐν πένθʼ ἡμέραις ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τοὺς καθορμισθέντας.
But if anyone, driven there by storm or by enemies under force, should need any of the necessaries for sacrifices or for the repair of his ship, they think that they may receive these, but nothing besides, and that those who have put into port must depart under necessity within five days.
εἰς δὲ Καρχηδόνα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Καλοῦ ἀκρωτηρίου τῆς Λιβύης καὶ Σαρδόνα καὶ Σικελίαν, ἧς ἐπάρχουσι Καρχηδόνιοι, κατʼ ἐμπορίαν πλεῖν Ῥωμαίοις ἔξεστι, καὶ τὸ δίκαιον ὑπισχνοῦνται βεβαιώσειν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι δημοσίᾳ πίστει.
On the other hand, to Carthage and all that part of Libya on this side of the Fair Promontory, and to Sardinia, and to that part of Sicily which the Carthaginians rule, the Romans are permitted to sail for trade; and the Carthaginians promise to guarantee fair treatment on the public credit.
ἐκ δὲ τούτων τῶν συνθηκῶν περὶ μὲν Σαρδόνος καὶ Λιβύης ἐμφαίνουσιν ὡς περὶ ἰδίας ποιούμενοι τὸν λόγον·2 ὑπὲρ δὲ Σικελίας τἀναντία διαστέλλονται ῥητῶς, ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τούτων ποιούμενοι τὰς συνθήκας, ὅσα τῆς Σικελίας ὑπὸ τὴν Καρχηδονίων πίπτει δυναστείαν.
From this treaty, they show on the one hand, regarding Sardinia and Libya, that they speak of them as their own private property; but regarding Sicily, on the other hand, they explicitly make the opposite distinction, making the treaty only for those parts of Sicily which fall under the Carthaginian dominion.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι περὶ τῆς Λατίνης αὐτῆς χώρας ποιοῦνται τὰς συνθήκας, τῆς δὲ λοιπῆς Ἰταλίας οὐ μνημονεύουσι διὰ τὸ μὴ πίπτειν ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτῶν ἐξουσίαν.
Likewise, the Romans also make the treaty only concerning Latium itself, and make no mention of the rest of Italy because it does not fall under their authority.
- 3.23.2οὐκ οἴονται δεῖν
An instance of negative raising (raising of the negative). The negative οὐκ negates not the main verb οἴονται ('they think') but the dependent infinitive clause (δεῖν ... πλεῖν, 'it is necessary to sail'), resulting in the meaning 'they think it necessary not to sail' (i.e., 'they think they should not sail').
- 3.23.5ὡς περὶ ἰδίας ποιούμενοι τὸν λόγον
The conjunction ὡς combined with the participle ποιούμενοι (present middle participle, nominative plural). It expresses a subjective representation or claim, meaning 'as if making their discourse about their own private territory.'