- 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-grc2:4.48.1-4.48.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Byzantium seeks help from Attalus and Achaeus. The narrative explains how Achaeus consolidated his power on this side of Taurus, eventually declaring himself king, and how Byzantium relied on him to engage in the war.
Βυζαντίους. τὸ δὲ παραπλήσιον ἐποίουν καὶ Βυζάντιοι· πρός τε γὰρ Ἄτταλον καὶ πρὸς Ἀχαιὸν ἔπεμπον πρέσβεις, δεόμενοι σφίσι βοηθεῖν.
Byzantines. And the Byzantines did much the same; for they sent ambassadors both to Attalus and to Achaeus, begging them to help them.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἄτταλος ἦν πρόθυμος, εἶχε δὲ βραχεῖαν τότε ῥοπήν, ὡς ἂν ὑπʼ Ἀχαιοῦ συνεληλαμένος1 εἰς τὴν πατρῴαν ἀρχήν·
Now Attalus was eager to help, but had at that time but little weight, since he had been shut up by Achaeus within his ancestral dominion;
ὁ δʼ Ἀχαιός, κρατῶν μὲν τῆς ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου,2 βασιλέα δὲ προσφάτως αὑτὸν ἀναδεδειχώς, ἐπηγγέλλετο βοηθήσειν.
but Achaeus, who was master of the country on this side of Taurus, and had recently declared himself king, promised to help them.
ὑπάρχων δʼ ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς προαιρέσεως, τοῖς μὲν Βυζαντίοις μεγάλην ἐλπίδα παρεσκεύαζε, τοῖς δὲ Ῥοδίοις καὶ Προυσίᾳ τἀναντία κατάπληξιν.
Being of this mind, he inspired the Byzantines with great hope, but the Rhodians and Prusias with the contrary, namely, consternation.
Ἀχαιὸς γὰρ ἦν μὲν Ἀντιόχου συγγενὴς τοῦ παρειληφότος τὴν ἐν Συρίᾳ βασιλείαν, ἐγκρατὴς δʼ ἐγένετο τῆς προειρημένης δυναστείας διά τινας τοιαύτας αἰτίας.
For Achaeus was a relative of Antiochus who had succeeded to the kingdom in Syria, and he obtained the sovereignty of the aforementioned territory through some such reasons as follow.
Σελεύκου μεταλλάξαντος τὸν βίον, ὃς ἦν Ἀντιόχου τοῦ προειρημένου πατήρ, διαδεξαμένου δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν Σελεύκου πρεσβυτάτου τῶν υἱῶν, ἅμα τούτῳ διὰ τὴν οἰκειότητα συνυπερέβαλε τὸν Ταῦρον, δυσὶ μάλιστά πως ἔτεσι πρότερον τῶν νῦν λεγομένων καιρῶν.
When Seleucus, who was the father of the aforementioned Antiochus, departed this life, and Seleucus, the eldest of his sons, succeeded to the kingdom, Achaeus, owing to his relationship, crossed Taurus along with him, about two years before the times of which we are now speaking.
Σέλευκος γὰρ ὁ νέος ὡς θᾶττον παρέλαβε τὴν βασιλείαν, πυνθανόμενος Ἄτταλον πᾶσαν ἤδη τὴν ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου δυναστείαν ὑφʼ αὑτὸν πεποιῆσθαι, παρωρμήθη βοηθεῖν τοῖς σφετέροις πράγμασιν.
For as soon as the younger Seleucus succeeded to the kingdom, learning that Attalus had already reduced under his own power all the dominion on this side of Taurus, he was prompted to go to the help of his own affairs.
ὑπερβαλὼν δὲ μεγάλῃ δυνάμει τὸν Ταῦρον, καὶ δολοφονηθεὶς ὑπό τʼ Ἀπατουρίου τοῦ Γαλάτου καὶ Νικάνορος, μετήλλαξε τὸν βίον.
And having crossed Taurus with a large force, and having been treacherously murdered by Apaturius the Galatian and Nicanor, he departed this life.
Ἀχαιὸς δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀναγκαιότητα τὸν φόνον αὐτοῦ μετῆλθε3 παραχρῆμα, τοὺς περὶ τὸν Νικάνορα καὶ τὸν Ἀπατούριον ἀποκτείνας, τῶν τε δυνάμεων καὶ τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων φρονίμως καὶ μεγαλοψύχως προέστη.
But Achaeus immediately avenged his murder as duty required, by putting Nicanor and Apaturius to death, and directed the forces and the whole state with wisdom and magnanimity.
τῶν γὰρ καιρῶν παρόντων αὐτῷ, καὶ τῆς τῶν ὄχλων ὁρμῆς συνεργούσης εἰς τὸ διάδημα περιθέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν οὐ προείλετο ποιῆσαι, τηρῶν δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν Ἀντιόχῳ τῷ νεωτέρῳ τῶν υἱῶν, ἐνεργῶς ἐπιπορευόμενος ἀνεκτᾶτο τὴν ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου πᾶσαν.
For though the opportunity was favorable to him, and the enthusiasm of the multitude cooperated with him to assume the diadem, he did not choose to do this, but keeping the kingdom for Antiochus, the younger of the sons, he actively advanced and recovered the whole country on this side of Taurus.
τῶν δὲ πραγμάτων αὐτῷ παραδόξως εὐροούντων, ἐπεὶ τὸν μὲν Ἄτταλον εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ Πέργαμον συνέκλεισε, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν πάντων ἦν ἐγκρατής, ἐπαρθεὶς τοῖς εὐτυχήμασι παρὰ πόδας4 ἐξώκειλε.
But when his affairs succeeded beyond expectation, and he had shut up Attalus within Pergamum itself and was master of all the rest, he was elated by his successes and immediately went astray.
καὶ διάδημα περιθέμενος καὶ βασιλέα προσαγορεύσας αὑτὸν βαρύτατος ἦν τότε καὶ φοβερώτατος τῶν ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου βασιλέων καὶ δυναστῶν·
And having assumed the diadem and styled himself king, he was then the most powerful and formidable of the kings and rulers on this side of Taurus;
ᾧ καὶ μάλιστα τότε Βυζάντιοι πιστεύσαντες ἀνεδέξαντο τὸν πρὸς τοὺς Ῥοδίους καὶ Προυσίαν πόλεμον.
and it was in him that the Byzantines then placed their chief confidence when they undertook the war against the Rhodians and Prusias.
- 4.48.2ὡς ἂν ὑπʼ Ἀχαιοῦ συνεληλαμένος
The combination of particles ὡς ἄν is used with the perfect passive participle συνεληλαμένος (from συνελαύνω, 'to coop up' or 'drive together'). In Polybian Greek, ὡς ἄν with a participle typically expresses a subjective or inferred reason ('since he had been cooped up'), explaining the military constraints on Attalus.
- 4.48.3τῆς ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου
A geographical expression in the feminine genitive singular, where a noun like δυναστείας (dominion) or χώρας (territory) is understood. 'On this side of Taurus' (the western side) refers to western Asia Minor.
- 4.48.9τὸν φόνον αὐτοῦ μετῆλθε
The verb μετέρχομαι generally means 'to pursue' or 'go after.' When taking an object denoting a crime or murder (here φόνον), it has the specific sense of 'to avenge' or 'to prosecute (the murder).'
- 4.48.11παρὰ πόδας
An idiomatic adverbial phrase literally meaning 'at the feet,' which metaphorically means 'immediately,' 'instantly,' or 'on the spot,' indicating close temporal proximity or immediate consequence.