- 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-grc2:32.3.1-32.3.17
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Leptines, sent to Rome by King Demetrius, maintained a calm and confident attitude, while Isocrates completely lost his mind and arrived in Rome resembling a wild beast. The senate virtually refused to accept them to keep the charge open for future leverage, and also rejected the Achaean envoys' petition for the release of their detainees.
ἐγένετο δέ τι περὶ τοὺς προειρημένους ἄξιον μνήμης.
There occurred, in connection with the aforementioned men, something worthy of remembrance.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Λεπτίνης μετὰ τὸ προσενεγκεῖν Γναΐῳ τὰς χεῖρας εὐθέως ἐν τῇ Λαοδικείᾳ περιῄει φανερῶς, φάσκων δίκαια πεποιηκέναι καὶ μετὰ τῆς τῶν θεῶν γνώμης ταῦτα πεπραχέναι.
For Leptines, after laying hands on Gnaeus, immediately went about openly in Laodicea, claiming that he had acted justly and had done these things with the consent of the gods.
τοῦ δὲ Δημητρίου παραλαβόντος τὰ πράγματα, προσεπορεύετο τῷ βασιλεῖ, παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν μὴ δεδιέναι διὰ τὸν Γναΐου φόνον μηδὲ βουλεύεσθαι μηδὲν δυσχερὲς κατὰ τῶν Λαοδικέων·
And when Demetrius took over the government, he approached the king, urging him not to fear on account of the murder of Gnaeus, nor to plan anything harsh against the Laodiceans;
αὐτὸς1 γὰρ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην πορεύσεσθαι καὶ διδάξειν τὴν σύγκλητον ὅτι μετὰ τῆς τῶν θεῶν γνώμης ταῦτα πεποίηκεν.
for he said that he himself would go to Rome and explain to the senate that he had done these things with the consent of the gods.
καὶ πέρας διὰ τὴν ἑτοιμότητα καὶ προθυμίαν οὗτος μὲν ἄνευ δεσμῶν ἤχθη καὶ φυλακῆς, ὁ δʼ Ἰσοκράτης ἐμπεσὼν εἰς τὴν αἰτίαν ὁλοσχερῶς παρεξέστη τῇ διανοίᾳ. τοῦ κλοιοῦ δʼ αὐτῷ περὶ τὸν τράχηλον περιτεθέντος καὶ τῆς ἁλύσεως, σπανίως μὲν καὶ τὴν τροφὴν προσίετο, τῆς δὲ τοῦ σώματος θεραπείας εἰς τέλος ἀπέστη.
And in the end, owing to his readiness and eagerness, he was led away without bonds or guard; but Isocrates, having fallen under accusation, completely lost his mind. When the collar and chain were placed around his neck, he rarely even took food, and in the end completely ceased to care for his body.
διὸ καὶ παρεγένετʼ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην θέαμα θαυμάσιον, εἰς ὃν ἀποβλέψας ἄν τις ὁμολογήσειεν διότι καὶ κατὰ σῶμα καὶ κατὰ ψυχὴν οὐδέν ἐστιν ἀνθρώπου φοβερώτερον, ὅταν ἅπαξ ἀποθηριωθῇ.
Consequently, he arrived in Rome as an extraordinary spectacle, looking at whom anyone would agree that both in body and in soul there is nothing more terrible than man, once he has been completely brutalized.
ἥ τε γὰρ ὄψις ἐκτόπως ἦν αὐτοῦ φοβερὰ καὶ θηριώδης, ὡς ἂν πλεῖον ἐνιαυτοῦ μὴ τὸν ῥύπον, μὴ τοὺς ὄνυχας, μὴ τὰς τρίχας ἀφῃρημένου,2 τά τε κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὀμμάτων ἐμφάσεως καὶ κινήσεως τοιαύτην ἐποιεῖτο τὴν φαντασίαν ὥστε τὸν θεασάμενον πρὸς πᾶν ζῷον ἑτοιμότερον ἂν προσελθεῖν ἢ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον.
For his appearance was extraordinarily terrible and beast-like, as indeed he had not for more than a year removed his dirt, nor cut his nails, nor trimmed his hair. And the state of his mind, as shown by the expression and movement of his eyes, created such an impression that any spectator would have more readily approached any wild beast than him.
ὁ δὲ Λεπτίνης μένων ἐπὶ τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς προαιρέσεως εἴς τε τὴν σύγκλητον ἕτοιμος ἦν εἰσπορεύεσθαι πρός τε τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἁπλῶς ἀνθωμολογεῖτο περὶ τῆς πράξεως, καὶ προσδιωρίζετο μηδὲν αὑτῷ δυσχερὲς ἀπαντήσειν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων. καὶ τέλος εὐστόχησε τῆς ἐλπίδος·
Leptines, on the other hand, adhering to his original resolution, was ready to enter the senate and openly confessed the deed to anyone he met, continually asserting that no harm would come to him from the Romans. And in the end he was not disappointed in his expectation;
ἡ γὰρ σύγκλητος, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν,3 ὑπολαβοῦσα διότι δόξει τοῖς πολλοῖς ἔχειν τοῦ φόνου δίκην, ἐὰν τοὺς αἰτίους παραλαβοῦσα τιμωρήσηται, τούτους μὲν οὐ προσεδέξατο μικροῦ δεῖν,4 ἐτήρει δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν ἀκέραιον, ὥστʼ ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν, ὅτε βουληθείη, χρήσασθαι τοῖς ἐγκλήμασι.
for the senate, in my opinion, assuming that the general public would think they had obtained satisfaction for the murder if they took the guilty parties and punished them, practically refused to receive these men, but kept the charge intact, so as to have the power, whenever they wished, to make use of the charges.
διὸ καὶ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἔδωκε τοιαύτην τῷ Δημητρίῳ, διότι τεύξεται τῶν φιλανθρώπων, ἐὰν τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῇ τῇ συγκλήτῳ κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐξουσίαν. —
Consequently they gave such an answer to Demetrius, namely that he would obtain favorable treatment if he gave satisfaction to the senate in accordance with the authority of his office.
ἧκον δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πρέσβεις οἱ περὶ Ξένωνα καὶ Τηλεκλῆν ὑπὲρ τῶν κατῃτιαμένων, καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ Πολυβίου καὶ τοῦ Στρατίου χάριν·
There came also envoys from the Achaeans, led by Xeno and Telecles, on behalf of the accused, and especially for the sake of Polybius and Stratius;
τοὺς μὲν γὰρ λοιποὺς σχεδὸν ἅπαντας ὁ χρόνος ἤδη καταναλώκει, τούς γε δὴ καὶ μνήμης ἀξίους.
for time had already carried off almost all the rest, at least those who were worthy of mention.
παρῆσαν δʼ οἱ πρέσβεις ἐντολὰς ἔχοντες ἁπλῶς ἀξιωματικὰς χάριν τοῦ πρὸς μηδὲν ἀντιφιλονικεῖν τῇ συγκλήτῳ.
The envoys came with instructions that were simply petitionary, so as to avoid any conflict with the senate.
εἰσπορευθέντων δὲ καὶ ποιησαμένων τοὺς ἁρμόζοντας λόγους, οὐδʼ ὣς οὐδὲν ἠνύσθη, τὸ δʼ ἐναντίον ἔδοξε τῇ συγκλήτῳ μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑποκειμένων.
But though they entered and made the appropriate speeches, even so nothing was accomplished, but on the contrary the senate decided to adhere to their existing decisions.
- 32.3.4αὐτὸς
Although this pronoun functions as the subject of the infinitive construction, it appears in the nominative case (αὐτός) rather than the accusative because it refers back to the subject of the governing verb of speaking (Leptines himself). This is a standard instance of attraction in Greek.
- 32.3.8ἀφῃρημένου
The genitive singular perfect passive participle of ἀφαιρέω forming a genitive absolute. Since this verb takes a double accusative in the active voice, the passive voice here retains the direct accusatives representing the things removed (dirt, nails, and hair).
- 32.3.11ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν
An instance of the absolute infinitive used parenthetically, meaning 'in my opinion' or 'as it seems to me.'
- 32.3.11μικροῦ δεῖν
An idiomatic absolute infinitive meaning 'almost' or 'practically.' Here it qualifies the negative statement, indicating that the senate practically refused to accept them.