- 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-grc2:36.11.1-36.11.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Upon the request of the consul Manilius, Polybius set out for Lilybaeum on public business, but turned back to the Peloponnese from Corcyra after learning that Carthage had already submitted and delivered hostages.
ὅτι1 προσπεσόντων εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον γραμμάτων τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Μανιλίου διότι καλῶς ποιήσουσι Πολύβιον τὸν Μεγαλοπολίτην ἐκπέμψαντες2 μετὰ σπουδῆς εἰς Λιλύβαιον, ὡς χρείας οὔσης αὐτοῦ δημοσίων ἕνεκεν πραγμάτων, ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ἐκπέμπειν ἀκολούθως τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑπάτου γεγραμμένοις.
That, when a letter from Manilius arrived in the Peloponnese for the Achaeans, stating that they would do well to send Polybius of Megalopolis in haste to Lilybaeum, as his services were required on account of public affairs, it was resolved by the Achaeans to send him in accordance with what had been written by the consul.
ἡμεῖς3 δὲ νομίζοντες ἑαυτοῖς καθήκειν κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους τὸ πειθαρχεῖν Ῥωμαίοις, πάντα τἄλλα πάρεργα θέμενοι θερείας ἀρχομένης ἐξεπλεύσαμεν.
But we, considering that it was our duty in many ways to obey the Romans, put aside all other matters as secondary and set sail at the beginning of summer.
ἀφικόμενοι δʼ εἰς Κέρκυραν καὶ καταλαβόντες αὐτοῦ γράμματα παρὰ τῶν ὑπάτων προσπεπτωκότα τοῖς Κερκυραίοις, ἐν οἷς διεσάφουν ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ὁμήρους ἤδη παραδεδώκασιν αὐτοῖς οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, πάντως ἕτοιμοι δʼ εἰσὶν αὐτοῖς πειθαρχεῖν, νομίσαντες διαλελύσθαι τὸν πόλεμον4 καὶ μηκέτι χρείαν ἡμῶν εἶναι μηδεμίαν, αὖθις ἀπεπλεύσαμεν εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον. —
On arriving at Corcyra, however, we found there a letter from the consuls which had reached the Corcyraeans, in which they made it clear that the Carthaginians had already delivered the hostages to them, and were entirely ready to obey them. Believing, therefore, that the war was settled and that there was no longer any need of us, we sailed back again to the Peloponnese. —
- 36.11.1ὅτι
The conjunction ὅτι at the very beginning of the chapter is a remnant of the excerpting process (Excerpta), where passages were introduced as noun clauses meaning "That...". The translations reflect this characteristic structural feature.
- 36.11.1καλῶς ποιήσουσι ... ἐκπέμψαντες
The idiomatic expression "καλῶς ποιέω + participle" is used in epistolary contexts to convey a polite request or recommendation, meaning "they would do well to send" or "it would be kind of them to send".
- 36.11.2ἡμεῖς
The author Polybius often uses the first-person plural "we" (ἡμεῖς) when referring to his own actions, acting either as an "authorial plural" or implying that he was accompanied by associates.
- 36.11.4διαλελύσθαι τὸν πόλεμον
An accusative with infinitive construction (indirect discourse) introduced by the participle νομίσαντες (having believed), where τὸν πόλεμον is the subject accusative and διαλελύσθαι is the perfect passive infinitive functioning as the predicate.