- 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-grc2:4.59.1-4.59.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The Aetolian general Euripidas raids Achaean territory and defeats the pursuing Achaean sub-commander Miccus in an ambush. Euripidas then goes on to capture the strategic Dymaean fortress of Teichos, said to have been built by Heracles.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Εὐριπίδας, ὃς ἦν ἀπεσταλμένος ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγὸς τοῖς Ἠλείοις,1 καταδραμὼν τὴν Δυμαίων καὶ Φαραιέων, ἔτι δὲ τὴν τῶν Τριταιέων χώραν, καὶ περιελασάμενος λείας πλῆθος ἱκανόν, ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀποχώρησιν ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἠλείαν.
At about the same time, Euripidas, who had been sent by the Aetolians as general to the Eleans, after overrunning the territory of the Dymaeans and Pharaeans, and also that of the Tritaeans, and having driven off a sufficient quantity of booty, was making his retreat towards Elis.
ὁ δὲ Μίκκος ὁ Δυμαῖος, ὅσπερ ἐτύγχανε κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς καιροὺς ὑποστράτηγος ὢν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, ἐκβοηθήσας πανδημεὶ τούς τε Δυμαίους καὶ Φαραιεῖς,2 ἅμα δὲ καὶ Τριταιεῖς ἔχων, προσέκειτο τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπαλλαττομένοις.
But Miccus of Dyme, who happened at that time to be sub-commander of the Achaeans, having led out the Dymaeans and Pharaeans in full force to help, and having also the Tritaeans with him, pressed upon the retreating enemy.
ἐνεργότερον3 δʼ ἐπικείμενος τοῖς φεύγουσιν ἐμπεσὼν εἰς ἐνέδραν ἐσφάλη καὶ πολλοὺς ἀπέβαλε τῶν ἀνδρῶν· τετταράκοντα μὲν γὰρ ἔπεσον, ἑάλωσαν δὲ περὶ διακοσίους τῶν πεζῶν.
But pressing too vigorously upon the fugitives, he fell into an ambush, was defeated, and lost many of his men; for forty of the infantry fell, and about two hundred were captured.
ὁ μὲν οὖν Εὐριπίδας, ποιήσας τοῦτο τὸ προτέρημα, καὶ μετεωρισθεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι, μετʼ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας αὖτις ἐξελθὼν κατέλαβε παρὰ τὸν Ἄραξον φρούριον τῶν Δυμαίων εὔκαιρον τὸ καλούμενον Τεῖχος·
Euripidas, then, having achieved this success and being elated at what had happened, marched out again after a few days and seized the well-situated fortress of the Dymaeans near Cape Araxus, called Teichos;
ὅ φασιν οἱ μῦθοι τὸ παλαιὸν Ἡρακλέα πολεμοῦντα τοῖς Ἠλείοις ἐποικοδομῆσαι,4 βουλόμενον ὁρμητηρίῳ χρῆσθαι τούτῳ κατʼ αὐτῶν.
which, as the myths say, Heracles built of old when making war against the Eleans, wishing to use it as a base of operations against them.
- 4.59.1τοῖς Ἠλείοις
The dative τοῖς Ἠλείοις functions as a dative of interest or relation with the noun στρατηγός (general), meaning 'general for the Eleans' or 'general assigned to the Eleans.'
- 4.59.2ἐκβοηθήσας ... τούς τε Δυμαίους καὶ Φαραιεῖς
The intransitive verb ἐκβοηθέω (to go out to help) is used here with accusatives, which is unusual. It functions transitively or causatively as 'having called out/led out the Dymaeans and Pharaeans to help.'
- 4.59.3ἐνεργότερον
A comparative adverb used here absolutely ('too energetically' or 'too vigorously'), modifying the participle ἐπικείμενος (pressing upon) to indicate that the pursuit was carried to a dangerous excess.
- 4.59.5ὅ φασιν οἱ μῦθοι τὸ παλαιὸν Ἡρακλέα ... ἐποικοδομῆσαι
The relative pronoun ὅ (accusative, referring back to Τεῖχος) introduces a clause containing an accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on φασίν (myths say). Ἡρακλέα is the subject accusative of the infinitive ἐποικοδομῆσαι, of which ὅ is the direct object.