- 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-grc2:30.20.1-30.20.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The narrative describes how the Athenian embassy, initially seeking the preservation of Haliartus, changed their course upon being ignored and requested Delos, Lemnos, and the territory of Haliartus, which they received but faced subsequent difficulties and disgrace.
ὅτι1 οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι παρεγένοντο πρεσβεύοντες τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἁλιαρτίων σωτηρίας, παρακουόμενοι δὲ περὶ τούτου τοῦ μέρους ἐκ μεταθέσεως διελέγοντο περὶ Δήλου καὶ Λήμνου καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἁλιαρτίων χώρας, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐξαιτούμενοι τὴν κτῆσιν· εἶχον γὰρ διττὰς ἐντολάς.
That the Athenians arrived on an embassy, at first on behalf of the preservation of Haliartus; but being ignored on this matter, they changed their course and spoke concerning Delos, Lemnos, and the territory of Haliartus, requesting the possession of them for themselves; for they had double instructions.
οἷς2 περὶ μὲν τῶν κατὰ Δῆλον καὶ Λῆμνον οὐκ ἄν τις ἐπιτιμήσειε διὰ τὸ καὶ πρότερον ἀντιπεποιῆσθαι τῶν νήσων τούτων, περὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν Ἁλιαρτίων χώρας εἰκότως ἄν τις καταμέμψαιτο.
One would not blame them regarding the matters of Delos and Lemnos, because they had laid claim to these islands previously as well, but one would reasonably censure them regarding the territory of Haliartus.
τὸ γὰρ πόλιν3 σχεδὸν ἀρχαιοτάτην τῶν κατὰ τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἐπταικυῖαν μὴ συνεπανορθοῦν κατὰ πάντα τρόπον, τὸ δʼ ἐναντίον ἐξαλείφειν, ἀφαιρουμένους καὶ τὰς εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐλπίδας τῶν ἠκληρηκότων, δῆλον ὡς οὐδενὶ μὲν ἂν δόξαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων καθήκειν, ἥκιστα δὲ τῶν ἄλλων Ἀθηναίοις.
For, not to assist in restoring by every means a city that was almost the oldest in Boeotia after it had fallen, but on the contrary to wipe it out, depriving those who had been unfortunate even of their hopes for the future— is clearly what would seem appropriate to none of the Greeks, and least of all to the Athenians.
τὸ γὰρ τὴν μὲν ἰδίαν πατρίδα κοινὴν ποιεῖν ἅπασιν, τὰς δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἀναιρεῖν, οὐδαμῶς οἰκεῖον ἂν φανείη τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἤθους.
For to make one’s own country common to all, but to destroy those of others, would seem in no way consistent with the character of the city.
πλὴν ἥ γε σύγκλητος καὶ τὴν Δῆλον αὐτοῖς ἔδωκε καὶ τὴν Λῆμνον καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἁλιαρτίων χώραν. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους τοιαύτην ἔσχε διάθεσιν. —
However, the senate did grant them Delos, Lemnos, and the territory of Haliartus. And the affairs concerning the Athenians had this conclusion. —
καὶ τὴν μὲν Λῆμνον καὶ τὴν Δῆλον κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν τὸν λύκον τῶν ὤτων ἔλαβον·4
And as for Lemnos and Delos, they took, as the proverb has it, a wolf by the ears;
πολλὰ γὰρ ὑπέμειναν δυσκληρήματα συμπλεκόμενοι τοῖς Δηλίοις· ἐκ δὲ τῆς τῶν Ἁλιαρτίων χώρας ὄνειδος αὐτοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ καρπός τις συνεξηκολούθησεν. —
for they endured many hardships through being entangled with the Delians, while from the territory of Haliartus, disgrace rather than any benefit followed them. —
- 30.20.1ὅτι
The ὅτι placed at the beginning of the chapter is a formulaic introductory particle used in Byzantine excerpts (Excerpta) to introduce summarized or excerpted passages. It is translated as introducing a fact or noun clause, maintaining continuity from the previous chapter.
- 30.20.3οἷς
The dative relative pronoun οἷς at the beginning of the sentence is a connective relative referring to the "Athenians" in the preceding sentence. It functions as the object of both ἐπιτιμήσειε (which regularly governs the dative) and καταμέμψαιτο (which usually governs the genitive but here shares the same referent).
- 30.20.4τὸ γὰρ πόλιν
The structure spanning from §30.20.4 to §30.20.5 consists of the articular infinitive phrase (τὸ ... μὴ συνεπανορθοῦν ... ἐξαλείφειν) serving as the grammatical subject of ἂν δόξαι ... καθήκειν (would seem to be appropriate) which follows the parenthetical or introductory δῆλον ὡς (it is clear that). It may be analyzed as an anacoluthon, but logically the infinitive clause is the subject.
- 30.20.8τὸν λύκον τῶν ὤτων ἔλαβον
The expression "took a wolf by the ears" is a famous classical proverb (Latin: lupum auribus tenere), signifying a dangerous dilemma where letting go means being bitten, while holding on is exhausting and unsustainable. It refers to the predicament of the Athenians, who found it both difficult to maintain and dangerous to abandon their possession of Delos and Lemnos.