- 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-grc2:4.58.1-4.58.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The Aetolian forces disperse to plunder the city, allowing the Aegeirans to rally at the citadel. After a fierce hand-to-hand struggle, the Aegeirans successfully rout the invaders, who suffer heavy casualties during their panic-stricken retreat.
ἐχρῶντο τοῖς πράγμασι. διὸ καὶ βραχὺν παντελῶς χρόνον ἁθρόοι συμμείναντες περὶ τὴν ἀγοράν, λοιπὸν ἐκπαθεῖς ὄντες πρὸς τὰς ὠφελείας διέρρεον, καὶ παρεισπίπτοντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας διήρπαζον τοὺς βίους, ἤδη φωτὸς ὄντος.
This was the manner in which they handled the situation. Consequently, after remaining together around the marketplace for only a very short time, they thereafter, being frantic for plunder, began to disperse; and rushing into the houses, they began to pillage their property, as it was already daylight.
οἱ δʼ Αἰγειρᾶται, τοῦ πράγματος αὐτοῖς ἀνελπίστου καὶ παραδόξου τελέως συμβεβηκότος, οἷς μὲν ἐπέστησαν1 οἱ πολέμιοι κατὰ τὰς οἰκίας, ἐκπλαγεῖς καὶ περίφοβοι γενόμενοι πάντες ἐτρέποντο πρὸς φυγὴν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, ὡς ἤδη βεβαίως αὐτῆς κεκρατημένης2 ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων.
As for the Aegeirans, since this event had happened to them in an entirely unexpected and paradoxical manner, those in whose houses the enemy had appeared, being all struck with terror and fear, fled outside the city, supposing that it was already securely held by the enemy.
ὅσοι δὲ τῆς κραυγῆς ἀκούοντες ἐξ ἀκεραίων τῶν οἰκιῶν ἐξεβοήθουν, πάντες εἰς τὴν ἄκραν συνέτρεχον.
But all those who, hearing the shouting, rushed out to help from the untouched houses, ran together to the citadel.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἀεὶ πλείους ἐγίνοντο καὶ θαρραλεώτεροι, τὸ δὲ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν σύστρεμμα τοὐναντίον ἔλαττον καὶ ταραχωδέστερον διὰ τὰς προειρημένας αἰτίας.
These, then, became continually more numerous and more confident, while on the contrary, the body of the Aetolians became fewer and more disorganized for the reasons mentioned above.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ συνορῶντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Δωρίμαχον ἤδη τὸν περιεστῶτα κίνδυνον αὐτούς, συστραφέντες ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ τοὺς κατέχοντας τὴν ἄκραν, ὑπολαμβάνοντες τῇ θρασύτητι καὶ τόλμῃ καταπληξάμενοι τρέψασθαι3 τοὺς ἡθροισμένους ἐπὶ τὴν βοήθειαν.
Nevertheless, Dorimachus and his men, perceiving that the danger was already surrounding them, closed their ranks and charged those holding the citadel, supposing that they would terrify and rout those assembled for assistance by their boldness and daring.
οἱ δʼ Αἰγειρᾶται παρακαλέσαντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἠμύνοντο καὶ συνεπλέκοντο τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς γενναίως.
But the Aegeirans, having exhorted one another, resisted and engaged the Aetolians gallantly.
οὔσης δὲ τῆς ἄκρας ἀτειχίστου, καὶ τῆς συμπλοκῆς ἐκ χειρὸς καὶ κατʼ ἄνδρα γινομένης, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἦν ἀγὼν οἷον εἰκός, ἅτε τῶν μὲν ὑπὲρ πατρίδος καὶ τέκνων, τῶν δʼ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας ἀγωνιζομένων· τέλος γε μὴν ἐτράπησαν οἱ παρεισπεπτωκότες τῶν Αἰτωλῶν.
Since the citadel was unfortified, and the engagement was hand-to-hand and man-to-man, at first the struggle was such as might be expected, inasmuch as the one side fought for their country and children, and the other for their own safety; but in the end, those of the Aetolians who had broken in were routed.
οἱ δʼ Αἰγειρᾶται, λαβόντες ἀφορμὴν ἐγκλίματος, ἐνεργῶς ἐπέκειντο καὶ καταπληκτικῶς τοῖς πολεμίοις. ἐξ οὗ συνέβη τοὺς πλείστους τῶν Αἰτωλῶν διὰ τὴν πτοίαν αὐτοὺς ὑφʼ αὑτῶν4 φεύγοντας ἐν ταῖς πύλαις συμπατηθῆναι.
And the Aegeirans, taking advantage of the enemy’s retreat, pressed upon them actively and formidably; whence it happened that the majority of the Aetolians, in their panic, were trampled to death by one another at the gates as they fled.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀλέξανδρος ἐν χειρῶν νόμῳ κατʼ αὐτὸν ἔπεσε τὸν κίνδυνον, ὁ δʼ Ἀρχίδαμος ἐν τῷ περὶ τὰς πύλας ὠθισμῷ καὶ πνιγμῷ διεφθάρη.
Thus Alexander fell in the hand-to-hand combat in the midst of the danger itself, while Archidamus perished in the crush and suffocation around the gates.
τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν Αἰτωλῶν τὸ μὲν συνεπατήθη, τὸ δὲ κατὰ τῶν κρημνῶν φεῦγον ταῖς ἀνοδίαις ἐξετραχηλίσθη.
As for the rest of the multitude of the Aetolians, some were trampled to death, and others, fleeing down the cliffs by pathless ways, broke their necks.
τὸ δὲ καὶ διασωθὲν αὐτῶν μέρος πρὸς τὰς ναῦς, ἐρριφὸς τὰ ὅπλα παναίσχρως, ἅμα δʼ ἀνελπίστως ἐποιήσατο τὸν ἀπόπλουν.
But that part of them which did escape to the ships, having cast away their arms in a most shameful manner, made their voyage home beyond expectation.
Αἰγειρᾶται μὲν οὖν, διὰ τὴν ὀλιγωρίαν ἀποβαλόντες τὴν πατρίδα, διὰ τὴν εὐψυχίαν καὶ γενναιότητα πάλιν ἔσωσαν παραδόξως.
Thus the Aegeirans, having lost their country through their negligence, saved it again, contrary to all expectation, through their courage and nobility.
- 4.58.2οἷς μὲν ἐπέστησαν
The relative pronoun οἷς is in the dative case, and its antecedent οὗτοι (which forms a part of the subject of the main verb ἐτρέποντο) is omitted, establishing the construction 'those among whom the enemy appeared...'
- 4.58.2ὡς ἤδη βεβαίως αὐτῆς κεκρατημένης
The conjunction ὡς with the genitive absolute (αὐτῆς κεκρατημένης, with αὐτῆς referring to the city) expresses the subjective belief or rationale of the subject of the main clause ('thinking that...').
- 4.58.5ὑπολαμβάνοντες ... τρέψασθαι
The aorist middle infinitive τρέψασθαι serves as the complementary infinitive after the participle ὑπολαμβάνοντες, conveying an expectation or potential of success ('expecting to rout').
- 4.58.8αὐτοὺς ὑφʼ αὑτῶν
The combination of the pronoun αὐτούς (acting as the subject of the infinitive) and the reflexive pronoun ὑφʼ αὑτῶν emphasizes mutual action, meaning 'they themselves by themselves' (i.e., 'by one another').