- 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-grc2:4.41.1-4.41.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Explains the phenomenon of a massive sandbank forming off the coast of the Pontus due to silt carried by the Danube (Ister), and discusses the physical mechanism by which the flow of rivers and depth of the sea determine the location of deposits.
ἐστι δῆλον τὸ γινόμενον. τοῦ γὰρ Ἴστρου πλείοσι στόμασιν ἀπὸ τῆς Εὐρώπης εἰς τὸν Πόντον εἰσβάλλοντος, συμβαίνει πρὸς τοῦτον σχεδὸν ἐπὶ χίλια στάδια συνεστάναι ταινίαν ἡμέρας δρόμον1 ἀπέχουσαν τῆς γῆς [ἥτις νῦν συνέστηκεν] ἐκ τῆς τοῖς στόμασιν εἰσφερομένης ἰλύος·
What is happening is clear. For since the Ister empties into the Pontus from Europe by several mouths, it happens that opposite to this, at a distance of a day’s sail from the land, a sandbank has been formed, stretching for nearly a thousand stades, [which is now formed] from the mud carried down by its mouths.
ἐφʼ ἣν ἔτι πελάγιοι τρέχοντες οἱ πλέοντες τὸν Πόντον λανθάνουσιν ἐποκέλλοντες2 νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τοὺς τόπους. καλοῦσι δʼ αὐτοὺς οἱ ναυτικοὶ Στήθη.
Sailing towards this, those who navigate the Pontus, while they still think they are running in the open sea, run aground on these places unawares by night. The sailors call them “Stethe” (Breasts).
τοῦ δὲ μὴ παρʼ αὐτὴν συνίστασθαι3 τὴν γῆν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ προωθεῖσθαι τὸν χοῦν, ταύτην νομιστέον εἶναι τὴν αἰτίαν.
And that the silt is not deposited close to the land itself, but is pushed far out, must be considered to be due to this cause.
ἐφʼ ὅσον μὲν γὰρ αἱ ῥύσεις τῶν ποταμῶν διὰ τὴν βίαν τῆς φορᾶς ἐπικρατοῦσι καὶ διωθοῦνται τὴν θάλατταν, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα τὰ φερόμενα τοῖς ῥεύμασιν ἀνάγκη προωθεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ λαμβάνειν μονὴν μηδὲ στάσιν ἁπλῶς·
For as long as the currents of the rivers, by the violence of their flow, prevail over and push back the sea, for so long must both the silt and everything carried by the currents be pushed forward and find no rest or stoppage at all.
ὅταν δὲ διὰ τὸ βάθος ἤδη καὶ πλῆθος τῆς θαλάττης ἐκλύηται τὰ ῥεύματα, τότʼ εἰκὸς ἤδη κατὰ φύσιν φερόμενον κάτω μονὴν καὶ στάσιν λαμβάνειν τὸν χοῦν.
But when, owing to the depth and vastness of the sea, the currents at length lose their force, then it is natural that the silt, being carried downwards in accordance with its nature, should find rest and a stoppage.
διʼ ἃ δὴ τῶν μὲν λάβρων καὶ μεγάλων ποταμῶν τὰ μὲν χώματα μακρὰν συνίσταται, τὰ δὲ παρὰ τὴν χέρσον ἐστὶν ἀγχιβαθῆ, τῶν δʼ ἐλαττόνων καὶ πρᾴως ῥεόντων παρʼ αὐτὰς τὰς εἰσβολὰς οἱ θῖνες συνίστανται.
For this reason, indeed, the deposits of violent and large rivers are formed far out, and the parts near the mainland are deep close to the shore, while in the case of smaller and gently flowing rivers, the sandbanks are formed close to the very mouths.
μάλιστα δʼ ἔκδηλον γίνεται τοῦτο κατὰ τὰς τῶν ὄμβρων ἐπιφοράς· καὶ γὰρ τὰ τυχόντα τότε τῶν ῥείθρων, ἐπειδὰν ἐπικρατήσωσι τοῦ κύματος κατὰ τὴν εἰσβολήν, προωθοῦσι τὸν χοῦν εἰς θάλατταν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστε πρὸς λόγον ἑκάστου γίνεσθαι τὴν ἀπόστασιν τῇ βίᾳ τῶν ἐμπιπτόντων ῥευμάτων.
And this becomes most obvious during heavy downpours of rain; for then even the most ordinary streams, whenever they overcome the waves at their mouths, push the silt out into the sea to such a distance that the interval is in proportion to the violence of each of the incoming currents.
τῷ δὲ μεγέθει τῆς προειρημένης ταινίας καὶ καθόλου τῷ πλήθει τῶν εἰσφερομένων λίθων καὶ ξύλων καὶ γῆς ὑπὸ τῶν ποταμῶν οὐδαμῶς ἀπιστητέον —
Nor should one in any way disbelieve the size of the aforementioned sandbank, and in general the quantity of stones, timber, and earth brought down by the rivers—
εὔηθες γάρ — θεωροῦντας4 ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν τὸν τυχόντα χειμάρρουν ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ πολλάκις ἐκχαραδροῦντα μὲν καὶ διακόπτοντα τόπους ἠλιβάτους, φέροντα δὲ πᾶν γένος ὕλης καὶ γῆς καὶ λίθων, ἐπιχώσεις δὲ ποιούμενον τηλικαύτας ὥστʼ ἀλλοιοῦν ἐνίοτε καὶ μηδὲ γινώσκειν ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ
for it would be foolish to do so—when we see under our eyes how an ordinary mountain-torrent often, in a short time, hollows out ravines and cuts through precipitous places, carrying away every kind of timber, earth, and stones, and forming deposits so great that sometimes, in a short time, it alters and makes the place unrecognizable.
- 4.41.1ἡμέρας δρόμον
Meaning "a day's journey" (specifically, a day's sail). Here it functions as an accusative of extent of space, acting as an appositive or modifier to the noun ταινίαν.
- 4.41.2λανθάνουσιν ἐποκέλλοντες
The classic construction of λανθάνω with a participle (ἐποκέλλοντες), expressing that they run aground "unawares" or "without realizing it themselves" during the night.
- 4.41.3τοῦ δὲ μὴ παρʼ αὐτὴν συνίστασθαι
The articular infinitive clause introduced by τοῦ (τοῦ μὴ... συνίστασθαι... ἀλλʼ... προωθεῖσθαι) functions as a genitive of explanation or cause, standing in apposition to ταύτην... τὴν αἰτίαν ("this cause") at the end of the sentence.
- 4.41.9θεωροῦντας
The accusative participle θεωροῦντας refers back to the implied subject of the impersonal verbal adjective ἀπιστητέον (which expects an implied dative or accusative of general reference, e.g., "for one / when we see"), carrying a conditional or concessive sense: "seeing as we do under our eyes... [it is foolish to disbelieve]."