- 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-grc2:38.15.1-38.15.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Following Critolaus's death, Diaeus takes charge of Achaean affairs, orders the mass liberation and arming of slaves, and coerces the wealthy to fund the war, throwing the cities into chaos and despair.
ὅτι τοῦ Κριτολάου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν μετηλλαχότος, καὶ τοῦ νόμου κελεύοντος, ἐπὰν συμβῇ τι περὶ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα στρατηγόν, τὸν προγεγονότα διαδέχεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν, ἕως ἂν ἡ καθήκουσα σύνοδος γένηται τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, ἐπέβαλε1 τῷ Διαίῳ χειρίζειν καὶ προεστάναι τῶν κοινῶν πραγμάτων.
Since the general of the Achaeans, Critolaus, had died, and the law commanded that, whenever anything should happen to the current general, the predecessor should succeed to the office until the proper assembly of the Achaeans should take place, it fell to Diaeus to manage and preside over the public affairs.
διόπερ ἐκπέμψας εἰς τὰ Μέγαρα καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς Ἄργος ἔγραψε ταῖς πόλεσι πάσαις τῶν οἰκογενῶν καὶ παρατρόφων τοὺς ἀκμάζοντας2 ταῖς ἡλικίαις εἰς μυρίους καὶ δισχιλίους ἐλευθεροῦν καὶ καθοπλίσαντας πέμπειν εἰς τὴν Κόρινθον.
Therefore, having sent envoys to Megara and having arrived at Argos, he wrote to all the cities to set free those in the prime of life among the home-bred and foster slaves up to the number of twelve thousand, and, having armed them, to send them to Corinth.
ἐμέρισε δὲ ταῖς πόλεσι τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τῶν σωμάτων εἰκῇ καὶ ἀνίσως, καθάπερ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἔπραττεν.
He distributed the levy of men among the cities at random and unequally, just as he was accustomed to do in other matters as well.
οἷς δʼ ἂν ἐλλείπῃ τὸ τῶν παρατρόφων πλῆθος, ἀναπληροῦν ἔδει τὴν ἑκάστοις καθήκουσαν μοῖραν ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων οἰκετῶν.
For those cities in which the number of foster slaves was insufficient, it was necessary to make up the proper share for each from the other slaves.
θεωρῶν δὲ τὴν ἀπορίαν τὴν ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς ἰσχυρὰν οὖσαν διὰ τὸν πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους γεγονότα πόλεμον, ἐπαγγελίας ποιεῖσθαι συνηνάγκαζε καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν εἰσφέρειν τοὺς εὐπόρους, οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας.
Seeing that the poverty in the public treasury was severe because of the war that had occurred against the Lacedaemonians, he compelled the wealthy, not only men but also women, to make promises of contributions and to contribute privately.
ἅμα δὲ τούτοις παρήγγειλεν πανδημεὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἡλικίαις ἁθροίζεσθαι μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων εἰς τὴν Κόρινθον.
At the same time, he ordered those of military age to assemble in full force with their arms at Corinth.
ἐξ ὧν συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὰς πόλεις πλήρεις ἀκρισίας, ταραχῆς, δυσθυμίας.
As a result, the cities became full of confusion, disturbance, and despondency.
καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπολωλότας ἐπῄνουν, τοὺς δʼ ἐκπορευομένους ἠλέουν, καὶ προσκατεκλαίοντο πάντες ὡσανεὶ προορώμενοι τὸ μέλλον·
And they praised those who had perished, pitied those who were marching out, and all wept together as if they foresaw the future;
τὴν δὲ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἀνάτασιν καὶ τὸν ἐπισυρμὸν βαρέως ἔφερον, ὡς ἂν τῶν μὲν ἠλευθερωμένων ἄρτι, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην μεμετεωρισμένων.3
and they bore with difficulty the arrogance and the thronging of the slaves, since some had just been set free, and the rest were excited with this hope.
ἅμα δὲ τούτοις οἱ μὲν ἄνδρες εἰσφέρειν ἠναγκάζοντο παρὰ τὴν αὑτῶν προαίρεσιν ὅ,τι τις ἔχειν δόξειεν, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἀφαιρούμεναι σφῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων τὸν κόσμον ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες4
At the same time, the men were compelled, against their own will, to contribute whatever they were thought to possess, while the women, stripped of their ornaments and those of their own children, as if on purpose...
- 38.15.2ἐπέβαλε
Used impersonally (or with the law/situation as subject), taking a dative (τῷ Διαίῳ) and infinitives (χειρίζειν καὶ προεστάναι) to mean 'it fell to someone to do something' or 'it was imposed as a duty.'
- 38.15.3τῶν οἰκογενῶν καὶ παρατρόφων τοὺς ἀκμάζοντας
The genitive τῶν οἰκογενῶν καὶ παρατρόφων is a partitive genitive qualifying the accusative substantivized participle τοὺς ἀκμάζοντας ('those in the prime of life').
- 38.15.10ὡς ἂν τῶν μὲν ἠλευθερωμένων ἄρτι, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην μεμετεωρισμένων
The conjunction ὡς (or ὡς ἄν) introduces the genitive absolute construction (ἠλευθερωμένων and μεμετεωρισμένων) to express a subjective reason or the perceived state of mind ('on the ground that...', 'as though...').
- 38.15.11ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες
The sentence breaks off at the end of the clause due to a lacuna or incomplete sentence in the manuscript transmission, leaving the main verb (such as 'were stripped of' or 'offered') unexpressed.