- 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-grc2:3.25.1-3.25.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The additional terms of the final treaty between Rome and Carthage during the Pyrrhic War are outlined (joint alliance duties, Carthage providing transport ships, naval aid, and separate pay), followed by an explanation of their respective swearing customs, specifically the Roman oath by Jupiter Lapis.
ἔτι τοιγαροῦν τελευταίας συνθήκας ποιοῦνται Ῥωμαῖοι κατὰ τὴν Πύρρου διάβασιν πρὸ τοῦ συστήσασθαι1 τοὺς Καρχηδονίους τὸν περὶ Σικελίας πόλεμον·
Furthermore, therefore, the Romans made a last treaty at the time of Pyrrhus’s crossing, before the Carthaginians commenced the war about Sicily.
ἐν αἷς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα τηροῦσι πάντα κατὰ τὰς ὑπαρχούσας ὁμολογίας, πρόσκειται δὲ τούτοις τὰ ὑπογεγραμμένα.
In this, they maintain all other points in accordance with the existing agreements, but to these the following provisions are added:
‘ἐὰν συμμαχίαν ποιῶνται πρὸς ‘Πύρρον ἔγγραπτον, ποιείσθωσαν2 ἀμφότεροι, ἵνα ‘ἐξῇ βοηθεῖν ἀλλήλοις ἐν τῇ τῶν πολεμουμένων " 1χώρᾳ· ὁπότεροι δʼ ἂν χρείαν ἔχωσι τῆς βοηθείας, ‘τὰ πλοῖα παρεχέτωσαν Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ εἰς τὴν ‘ὁδὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἄφοδον, τὰ δὲ ὀψώνια τοῖς αὑ" 1τῶν ἑκάτεροι.3 Καρχηδόνιοι δὲ καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν ‘Ῥωμαίοις βοηθείτωσαν, ἂν χρεία ᾖ. τὰ δὲ πληρώ‘ματα μηδεὶς ἀναγκαζέτω ἐκβαίνειν ἀκουσίως.’ τὸν δʼ ὅρκον ὀμνύειν ἔδει τοιοῦτον, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν πρώτων συνθηκῶν Καρχηδονίους μὲν τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς πατρῴους, Ῥωμαίους δὲ Δία λίθον4 κατά τι παλαιὸν ἔθος, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων τὸν Ἄρην καὶ τὸν Ἐνυάλιον.
’If they make a written alliance with Pyrrhus, let both do so, in order that it may be permitted to help one another in the “ 1territory of those who are attacked. Whichever of the two has need of help, let the Carthaginians provide the ships both for the outward and for the homeward voyage, but the pay each to their “ 1own men. The Carthaginians shall also help the Romans by sea, if there be need. But let no one compel the crews to land against their will.’ And it was necessary to swear the oath as follows: in the case of the first treaties, the Carthaginians swore by their ancestral gods, and the Romans by Jupiter Lapis according to an ancient custom, but in the case of this one, by Ares and Enyalius.
ἔστι δὲ τὸ Δία λίθον τοιοῦτον· λαβὼν εἰς τὴν χεῖρα λίθον ὁ ποιούμενος τὰ ὅρκια περὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν, ἐπειδὰν ὀμόσῃ δημοσίᾳ πίστει, λέγει τάδε· " 1εὐορκοῦντι5 μέν μοι εἴη τἀγαθά· εἰ δʼ ἄλλως διανοηθείην τι ἢ πράξαιμι, πάντων τῶν ἄλλων σῳζομένων ἐν ταῖς ἰδίαις πατρίσιν, ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις νόμοις, ἐπὶ τῶν ἰδίων βίων, ἱερῶν, τάφων, ἐγὼ μόνος ἐκπέσοιμι οὕτως ὡς ὅδε λίθος νῦν. ’ καὶ ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν ῥίπτει τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς χειρός.
The oath of Jupiter Lapis is as follows: taking a stone in his hand, the person who makes the oath regarding the treaty, when he has sworn by the public faith, says these words: “ 1’If I keep my oath, may good things be mine; but if I intend or do otherwise, while all others remain safe in their own countries, under their own laws, in their own lives, sanctuaries, and tombs, may I alone be cast out even as this stone is now.’ “ 1And having said this, he throws the stone from his hand.
- 3.25.1συστήσασθαι
An articular infinitive in the genitive case with the preposition πρὸ (πρὸ τοῦ συστήσασθαι). The accusative τοὺς Καρχηδονίους is the subject of the infinitive, and τὸν περὶ Σικελίας πόλεμον is its direct object. The middle aorist infinitive of συνίστημι here means 'to commence' or 'to bring about' a war.
- 3.25.3ποιείσθωσαν
Third-person plural present middle/passive imperative. In response to the preceding conditional clause 'ἐὰν συμμαχίαν ποιῶνται...' (if they make an alliance), it mandates that both parties (ἀμφότεροι) must do so jointly or with mutual consent.
- 3.25.5ἑκάτεροι
An elliptical construction in 'τὰ δὲ ὀψώνια τοῖς αὑτῶν ἑκάτεροι'. A verb (likely meaning 'to provide', such as παρεχέτωσαν) is omitted; ἑκάτεροι ('each of the two parties') acts as the subject, while τοῖς αὑτῶν is a dative referring to 'their own men', and ὀψώνια ('pay', 'provisions') is the accusative object.
- 3.25.6Δία λίθον
An accusative construction functioning as the direct object of the implied verb of swearing (ὀμνύειν). It is a literal Greek rendering of the Latin religious formula 'Iuppiter Lapis' (Jupiter the Stone), placing Δία (accusative) and λίθον (accusative) in apposition.
- 3.25.8εὐορκοῦντι
A present active participle in the dative masculine singular, modifying the pronoun μοι and functioning conditionally ('if I keep my oath'). It serves as the dative complement to the following optative of wish εἴη ('may good things be mine').