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The Histories

§38.14.1-38.14.3

Character of Pytheas and Summary of the Achaean War

After describing Pytheas's dissolute background and ill-gotten wealth, the text summarizes Polybius's account of the battles in the Achaean War.

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§38.14.1

ὅτι1 Πυθέας ἦν μὲν ἀδελφὸς Ἀκαστίδου τοῦ σταδιέως, υἱὸς δὲ Κλεομνάστου, κακῶς δὲ βεβιωκὼς καὶ δοκῶν ἑαυτῷ παρακεχρῆσθαι τὴν πρώτην ἡλικίαν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν θρασὺς καὶ πλεονέκτης καὶ διʼ Εὐμένους καὶ Φιλεταίρου σεσωματοποιημένος2 διὰ τὰς προειρημένας αἰτίας. —

​Pytheas was the brother of Acastidas the stadium-runner, and the son of Cleomnastus; he had lived a dissolute life and was thought to have prostituted himself in his youth, ​and likewise in political life he was audacious and rapacious, having acquired wealth and influence through Eumenes and Philetaerus for the reasons mentioned above. —

§38.14.3

​polybius achivus quamvis tunc in africa cum scipione fuerit, tamen quia domesticam cladem ignorare non potuit, semel in achaia pugnatum3 critolao duce asserit. diaeum vero adducentem ex arcadia militem ab eodem metello praetore oppressum cum exercitu docet. —

​Although Polybius the Achaean was at that time in Africa with Scipio, yet, because he could not remain ignorant of the disaster of his own country, he asserts that a battle was fought once in Achaia under the leadership of Critolaus. Furthermore, he teaches that Diaeus, bringing soldiers from Arcadia, was crushed with his army by the same praetor Metellus. —

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 38.14.1ὅτι

    A common introductory particle at the beginning of excerpts (epitomes) that introduces a statement of fact as a dependent clause. The main clause is omitted, and it does not need to be translated.

  2. 38.14.2σεσωματοποιημένος

    Perfect passive participle of the verb σωματόω (to materialize, embody). Here it metaphorically expresses having established a social foundation, namely acquiring substantial wealth or political influence.

  3. 38.14.3semel in Achaia pugnatum

    pugnatum is the impersonal passive perfect of the intransitive verb pugno. The following Critolao duce (with Critolaus as leader) is an ablative absolute, together expressing that a battle was fought once in Achaia under Critolaus's command.

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-grc2:38.14.1-38.14.3