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The Histories

§33.7.1-33.7.4

Roman Legation Dispatched against Prusias

Upon the return of the Roman legates who reported Prusias' violence and contempt of the Senate's orders, the angry Senate immediately dispatched ten new legates to end the war and compel Prusias to make amends to Attalus.

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§33.7.1

ὅτι τῶν περὶ τὸν Ὁρτήσιον καὶ Αὐρογκολήιον παραγεγονότων ἐκ τοῦ Περγάμου καὶ διασαφούντων τήν τε τοῦ Προυσίου καταφρόνησιν τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου παραγγελμάτων, καὶ διότι1 παρασπονδήσας καὶ συγκλείσας εἰς τὸ Πέργαμον αὐτούς τε καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἄτταλον πᾶσαν βίαν ἐνεδείξατο καὶ παρανομίαν, ἡ σύγκλητος ὀργισθεῖσα καὶ βαρέως φέρουσα τὸ γεγονὸς ἐξ αὐτῆς2 δέκα πρεσβευτὰς κατέστησε τοὺς περὶ Λεύκιον Ἀνίκιον καὶ Γάιον Φάννιον καὶ Κόιντον Φάβιον Μάξιμον, καὶ παραχρῆμʼ ἐξαπέστειλεν, ἐντολὰς αὐτοῖς δοῦσα διαλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον καὶ τὸν Προυσίαν ἀναγκάσαι δίκας ὑποσχεῖν3 Ἀττάλῳ τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἀδικημάτων. —

​That when Hortensius, Aurunculeius, and their colleagues arrived from Pergamum and made it clear that Prusias was treating the injunctions of the Senate with contempt, ​and that, in violation of the treaty, he had shut up both themselves and Attalus and his men in Pergamum, and had displayed every kind of violence and lawlessness, ​the Senate, being angered and taking the matter heavily, immediately appointed ten legates, namely Lucius Anicius, Gaius Fannius, Quintus Fabius Maximus, and their colleagues, ​and dispatched them on the spot, giving them instructions to put an end to the war and to compel Prusias to pay damages to Attalus for his unjust acts during the war.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 33.7.1–2διασαφούντων ... καὶ διότι ...

    As objects of the participle διασαφούντων, a noun phrase (τήν τε τοῦ Προυσίου καταφρόνησιν) in the first part and a clause introduced by the conjunction διότι (used here like ὅτι to introduce a noun clause meaning 'that...') in the second part are coordinated. This structure of linking a noun phrase and a subordinate clause with a coordinating conjunction (καί) is used to present different aspects of the report.

  2. 33.7.3ἐξ αὐτῆς

    Interpreted as a temporal adverbial phrase meaning 'immediately, on the spot' (ἐξ αὐτῆς [sc. τῆς ὥρας]). While it could grammatically refer to selecting legates 'from [the Senate] itself' (ἐξ αὐτῆς [sc. τῆς συγκλήτου]), the temporal usage is highly characteristic of Polybian style and fits the urgent context.

  3. 33.7.4δίκας ὑποσχεῖν

    An idiomatic expression (δίκην ὑπέχω) which usually means 'to submit to trial' or 'to suffer punishment,' but is used here in the active sense of 'to make amends' or 'to pay damages.' This interpretation is determined by the context of forcing Prusias to compensate Attalus (dative Ἀττάλῳ) for his injustices (genitive τῶν ἀδικημάτων).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)
  • 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:33.7.1-33.7.4