- 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-grc2:4.44.1-4.44.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The author explains in detail why Byzantium enjoys great advantages by sea while Chalcedon suffers from disadvantages, citing specific navigation routes, currents, and wind patterns.
διὰ πόρου. καὶ τὸ ποιοῦν1 τὴν μὲν τῶν Βυζαντίων πόλιν εὐκαιροτάτην, τὴν δὲ τῶν Καλχηδονίων τἀναντία, τοῦτʼ ἔστι τὸ νῦν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν εἰρημένον, καίπερ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ὁμοίας ἀμφοτέραις δοκούσης εἶναι τῆς θέσεως πρὸς τὴν εὐκαιρίαν.
through the channel. And what makes the city of the Byzantines highly advantageous, and that of the Chalcedonians the opposite, is what has just been said by us, although from its appearance their situation seems to be similar in both cases with respect to advantage.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως εἰς τὴν μὲν βουληθέντα2 καταπλεῦσʼ οὐ ῥᾴδιον, πρὸς ἣν δέ, κἂν μὴ βούλῃ, φέρει κατʼ ἀνάγκην ὁ ῥοῦς, καθάπερ ἀρτίως εἴπομεν.
But nevertheless, while it is not easy to sail into the one even if one wishes, towards the other, even if one does not wish, the current carries one of necessity, as we have just said.
σημεῖον δὲ τούτου· ἐκ Καλχηδόνος γὰρ οἱ βουλόμενοι διαίρειν εἰς Βυζάντιον οὐ δύνανται πλεῖν κατʼ εὐθεῖαν διὰ τὸν μεταξὺ ῥοῦν, ἀλλὰ παράγουσιν ἐπί τε τὴν Βοῦν καὶ τὴν καλουμένην Χρυσόπολιν, ἣν Ἀθηναῖοι τότε κατασχόντες Ἀλκιβιάδου γνώμῃ παραγωγιάζειν ἐπεβάλοντο πρῶτον τοὺς εἰς Πόντον πλέοντας, τὸ δʼ ἔμπροσθεν ἀφιᾶσι κατὰ ῥοῦν, ᾧ φέρονται κατʼ ἀνάγκην πρὸς τὸ Βυζάντιον.
And here is a proof of this: for those who wish to cross from Chalcedon to Byzantium cannot sail in a straight line because of the intervening current, but they steer their course indirectly towards Bous and the place called Chrysopolis, which the Athenians once occupied on the advice of Alcibiades and first attempted to collect transit-dues from those sailing into the Pontus; and from there they let themselves drift with the current, by which they are carried of necessity towards Byzantium.
ὅμοια δὲ τούτοις καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἐπὶ θάτερα πλοῦν ἐστι τῆς Βυζαντίων πόλεως·
Similar to this is the situation regarding the voyage on the other side of the city of the Byzantines.
ἄν τε γὰρ ἀφʼ Ἑλλησπόντου τρέχῃ τις τοῖς νότοις ἄν τʼ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἐκ τοῦ Πόντου τοῖς ἐτησίοις, παρὰ μὲν τὴν Εὐρώπην ἐκ τῆς Βυζαντίων πόλεως ὀρθός, ἅμα δʼ εὐπαρακόμιστός ἐστιν ὁ πλοῦς ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς Προποντίδος στενὰ κατʼ Ἄβυδον καὶ Σηστόν, κἀκεῖθεν ὡσαύτως πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον, ἀπὸ δὲ Καλχηδόνος παρὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τἀναντία τούτοις διὰ τὸ κολπώδη τὸν παράπλουν ὑπάρχειν καὶ προτείνειν πολὺ τὴν τῶν Κυζικηνῶν χώραν.
For whether one runs from the Hellespont with the south winds, or towards the Hellespont from the Pontus with the Etesian winds, the voyage along Europe from the city of the Byzantines to the narrows of the Propontis by Abydus and Sestus is straight and at the same time easy to make, and likewise from there back to Byzantium. But from Chalcedon along Asia, the opposite of this is the case, because the coastal voyage is gulf-like and the land of the Cyzicenes projects far out.
ἀφʼ Ἑλλησπόντου γὰρ φερόμενον3 εἰς Καλχηδόνα χρήσασθαι τῷ παρὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην πλῷ, κἄπειτα συνεγγίζοντα τοῖς κατὰ Βυζάντιον τόποις κάμπτειν καὶ προστρέχειν πρὸς τὴν Καλχηδόνα διὰ τὸν ῥοῦν καὶ τὰ προειρημένα δυσχερές.
For if one is borne from the Hellespont to Chalcedon, it is difficult to use the voyage along Europe and then, on approaching the districts near Byzantium, to double back and run towards Chalcedon, because of the current and the aforementioned difficulties.
ὁμοίως δὲ πάλιν ἐκπλέοντα προστρέχειν εὐθέως τῇ Θρᾴκῃ τελέως ἀδύνατον διά τε τὸν μεταξὺ ῥοῦν καὶ διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἀνέμους ἑκατέρους ἀντιπίπτειν πρὸς ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ἐπιβολάς, ἐπειδήπερ εἰσάγει μὲν εἰς τὸν Πόντον νότος, ἐξάγει δὲ βορέας, καὶ τούτοις ἀνάγκη χρῆσθαι πρὸς ἑκάτερον τὸν δρόμον τοῖς ἀνέμοις.
In like manner, it is utterly impossible for one sailing out to run straight for Thrace, both because of the intervening current and because both winds blow contrary to both attempts, since the south wind brings ships into the Pontus, while the north wind brings them out, and it is necessary to use these winds for each of the two courses.
τὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν κατὰ θάλατταν εὐκαιρίαν ποιοῦντα Βυζαντίοις ταῦτʼ ἔστι, τὰ δὲ τὴν κατὰ γῆν
Such then are the things which make for the advantage of the Byzantines by sea; while those by land...
- 4.44.1τὸ ποιοῦν
The present participle with article τὸ ποιοῦν forms a nominal phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence, of which the predicate is τοῦτʼ ἔστι. The main structure of the sentence is 'that which makes the city of the Byzantines highly advantageous... is this (τοῦτο)'.
- 4.44.2εἰς τὴν μὲν βουληθέντα
εἰς τὴν μὲν (into the one [Chalcedon]) refers to τὴν δὲ τῶν Καλχηδονίων in the preceding sentence, while πρὸς ἣν δέ (towards the other [Byzantium]) refers to τὴν μὲν τῶν Βυζαντίων. Note that the order of the pronouns is inverted compared to the previous sentence (which listed Byzantium first, then Chalcedon). The accusative participle βουληθέντα functions as the subject of the infinitive καταπλεῦσαι depending on the impersonal phrase οὐ ῥᾴδιον ('even if one wishes to sail in').
- 4.44.8φερόμενον
The accusative present participle φερόμενον functions as the subject of the series of infinitives (χρήσασθαι, κάμπτειν, προστρέχειν) governed by the impersonal adjective δυσχερές [ἐστι] ('it is difficult [for one who is borne from the Hellespont to Chalcedon] to...').
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1