- 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-grc2:30.22.1-30.22.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
During his triumphal games in Rome, Lucius Anicius forced Greek flute-players and choruses to engage in a chaotic, mock physical combat instead of proper musical performances, causing massive confusion and wild applause.
Λεύκιος δὲ Ἀνίκιος, καὶ αὐτὸς Ῥωμαίων στρατηγήσας, Ἰλλυριοὺς καταπολεμήσας καὶ αἰχμάλωτον ἀγαγὼν Γένθιον τὸν τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν βασιλέα σὺν τοῖς τέκνοις, ἀγῶνας ἐπιτελῶν τοὺς ἐπινικίους ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ παντὸς γέλωτος ἄξια πράγματα ἐποίησεν, ὡς Πολύβιος ἱστορεῖ ἐν τῇ τριακοστῇ.
Lucius Anicius, who had also served as a Roman praetor, having defeated the Illyrians and brought Genthius, the king of the Illyrians, as a captive along with his children, performed actions worthy of all laughter when celebrating his triumphal games in Rome, as Polybius relates in the thirtieth book.
μεταπεμψάμενος γὰρ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐπιφανεστάτους τεχνίτας καὶ σκηνὴν κατασκευάσας μεγίστην ἐν τῷ κίρκῳ πρώτους εἰσῆγεν αὐλητὰς ἅμα πάντας.
For, having sent for the most famous artists from Greece and having constructed a very large stage in the circus, he first brought in all the flute-players together.
οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν Θεόδωρος ὁ Βοιώτιος, Θεόπομπος, Ἕρμιππος, [ὁ] Λυσίμαχος, οἵτινες ἐπιφανέστατοι ἦσαν.
These were Theodorus the Boeotian, Theopompus, Hermippus, and Lysimachus, who were the most famous.
τούτους οὖν στήσας ἐπὶ τὸ προσκήνιον μετὰ τοῦ χοροῦ αὐλεῖν ἐκέλευσεν ἅμα πάντας.
So, having stationed them upon the proscenium with the chorus, he ordered them all to play the flute together.
τῶν δὲ διαπορευομένων τὰς κρούσεις1 μετὰ τῆς ἁρμοζούσης κινήσεως προσπέμψας οὐκ ἔφη καλῶς αὐτοὺς αὐλεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀγωνίζεσθαι μᾶλλον ἐκέλευσεν.
But when they were executing their instrumental pieces with the appropriate movement, he sent word to them, saying that they were not playing well, and instead ordered them to contend.
τῶν δὲ διαπορούντων ὑπέδειξέν τις τῶν ῥαβδούχων ἐπιστρέψαντας ἐπαγαγεῖν ἐφʼ αὑτοὺς καὶ ποιεῖν ὡσανεὶ μάχην.
While they were at a loss, one of the lictors suggested that they should turn around, advance against one another, and make as it were a battle.
ταχὺ δὲ συννοήσαντες οἱ αὐληταὶ καὶ λαβόντες οἰκείαν2 ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀσελγείαις μεγάλην ἐποίησαν σύγχυσιν.
Quickly understanding this, the flute-players, adopting a manner suited to their own wantonness, created a great confusion.
συνεπιστρέψαντες δὲ τοὺς μέσους χοροὺς πρὸς τοὺς ἄκρους οἱ μὲν αὐληταὶ φυσῶντες ἀδιανόητα καὶ διαφέροντες τοὺς αὐλοὺς ἐπῆγον ἀνὰ μέρος ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους.
Turning the middle parts of the chorus towards the ends, the flute-players, blowing unintelligible sounds and brandishing their flutes, rushed against one another in turn.
ἅμα δὲ τούτοις ἐπικτυποῦντες οἱ χοροὶ καὶ συνεπεισιόντες τὴν σκηνὴν ἐπεφέροντο τοῖς ἐναντίοις καὶ πάλιν ἀνεχώρουν ἐκ μεταβολῆς.
At the same time, the choruses, stamping their feet and entering the stage together, charged against their opponents and again retreated after turning back.
ὡς δὲ καὶ περιζωσάμενός3 τις τῶν χορευτῶν ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ στραφεὶς ἦρε τὰς χεῖρας ἀπὸ πυγμῆς πρὸς τὸν ἐπιφερόμενον αὐλητήν, τότʼ ἤδη κρότος ἐξαίσιος ἐγένετο καὶ κραυγὴ τῶν θεωμένων.
And when one of the chorus dancers, girding up his garments under the circumstance, turned around and raised his hands in a boxing stance against the charging flute-player, then indeed an extraordinary applause and shouting arose from the spectators.
ἔτι δὲ τούτων ἐκ παρατάξεως ἀγωνιζομένων ὀρχησταὶ δύο εἰσήγοντο μετὰ συμφωνίας εἰς τὴν ὀρχήστραν, καὶ πύκται τέτταρες ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν μετὰ σαλπιγκτῶν καὶ βυκανιστῶν.
While these were still contending in battle array, two dancers were introduced with accompaniment into the orchestra, and four boxers mounted the stage along with trumpeters and horn-blowers.
ὁμοῦ δὲ τούτων πάντων ἀγωνιζομένων ἄλεκτον ἦν τὸ συμβαῖνον. περὶ δὲ τῶν τραγῳδῶν, φησὶν ὁ Πολύβιος, ὅ,τι ἂν ἐπιβάλωμαι λέγειν, δόξω τισὶ διαχλευάζειν.
When all these were contending together, what happened was indescribable; and concerning the tragic actors, Polybius says: “Whatever I might essay to say, I shall seem to some to be merely mocking.”
- 30.22.5τῶν δὲ διαπορευομένων τὰς κρούσεις
Genitive absolute construction. The verb διαπορεύομαι here means "to carry through" or "to execute", taking the noun κροῦσις ("striking", hence "instrumental piece/music") as its object, describing the flute-players actively carrying out their performance.
- 30.22.7λαβόντες οἰκείαν
The transitive participle λαβόντες ("taking" or "adopting") has a contextually implied object (such as "attitude" or "stance"), or the feminine accusative singular adjective οἰκείαν is used substantively (agreeing with an omitted noun like κίνησιν "movement" or στάσιν "posture") meaning "adopting a manner suited to...".
- 30.22.10περιζωσάμενός
Direct middle (or reflexive middle) participle of περιζώννυμι ("to gird around"). It means "girding up one's own garments" in order to move more freely for the mock fight.