Clash at Apelaurum and Defeat of the Eleans — Polybius, The Histories Book 4 (4.69.1–4.69.9), Greek & English

§4.69.1

ἀθροίζεσθαι μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων. τῆς δὲ πρωτοπορείας τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐπιβαλούσης ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τὴν περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Ἀπέλαυρον, ἣ πρόκειται τῆς τῶν Στυμφαλίων πόλεως περὶ δέκα στάδιʼ, ἅμα συνεκύρησε καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἠλείων πρωτοπορείαν συμπεσεῖν¹ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερβολήν.

to assemble in arms. As the vanguard of the Macedonians reached the pass near the so-called Apelaurum, which lies about ten stades in front of the city of the Stymphalians, it happened at the same time that the vanguard of the Eleans also met at the pass.

§4.69.2

ὁ μὲν οὖν Εὐριπίδας, συννοήσας τὸ γεγονὸς ἐκ τῶν προσηγγελμένων, παραλαβὼν μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ τινας τῶν ἱππέων καὶ διαδρὰς τὸν ἐνεστῶτα καιρὸν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀποχώρησιν εἰς τὴν Ψωφῖδα ταῖς ἀνοδίαις·

Now Euripidas, understanding what had happened from the reports, took some of the cavalry with him, and escaping the immediate danger, made his retreat to Psophis by pathless ways;

§4.69.3

τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν Ἠλείων, ἐγκαταλελειμμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ προεστῶτος καὶ γεγονὸς ἐκπλαγὲς ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι, κατὰ πορείαν ἔμενε, διαπορούμενον τί δεῖ ποιεῖν καὶ πῇ τρέπεσθαι.

but the remaining multitude of the Eleans, abandoned by their commander and thrown into consternation by what had occurred, remained on their line of march, at a loss as to what they should do and which way they should turn.

§4.69.4

τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον αὐτῶν οἱ προεστῶτες ὑπελάμβανον τῶν Ἀχαιῶν αὐτῶν τινας συνεπιβεβοηθηκέναι· καὶ μάλιστʼ ἠπάτων αὐτοὺς οἱ χαλκάσπιδες·

For at first their leaders supposed that some of the Achaeans themselves had come to the rescue; and they were especially deceived by the bronze-shielded soldiers;

§4.69.5

Μεγαλοπολίτας γὰρ εἶναι τούτους ἐδόξαζον, διὰ τὸ τοιούτοις ὅπλοις κεχρῆσθαι τοὺς προειρημένους ἐν τῷ περὶ Σελλασίαν [ἐν τῷ] πρὸς Κλεομένη κινδύνῳ, καθοπλίσαντος Ἀντιγόνου τοῦ βασιλέως² πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν χρείαν.

for they imagined these to be Megalopolitans, because the aforementioned had used such weapons in the danger at Sellasia against Cleomenes, King Antigonus having equipped them for the immediate need.

§4.69.6

διόπερ ἀπεχώρουν τηροῦντες τὰς τάξεις πρός τινας ὑπερδεξίους τόπους, οὐκ ἀπελπίζοντες τὴν σωτηρίαν. ἅμα δὲ τῷ προσάγοντας αὐτοῖς τοὺς Μακεδόνας σύνεγγυς γενέσθαι³ λαβόντες ἔννοιαν τοῦ κατʼ ἀλήθειαν ὄντος, πάντες ὥρμησαν πρὸς φυγήν, ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα.

Therefore they retreated, keeping their ranks, towards certain high positions, not despairing of safety. But as soon as the advancing Macedonians came near them and they realized the truth of the matter, they all turned to flight, throwing away their arms.

§4.69.7

ζωγρίᾳ μὲν οὖν ἑάλωσαν αὐτῶν περὶ χιλίους καὶ διακοσίους, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν διεφθάρη πλῆθος, τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν Μακεδόνων, τὸ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν κρημνῶν· διέφυγον δʼ οὐ πλείους τῶν ἑκατόν.

Thus about twelve hundred of them were taken alive, and the rest of the multitude perished, some by the Macedonians and others by the cliffs; no more than a hundred escaped.

§4.69.8

ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος τά τε σκῦλα καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους εἰς Κόρινθον ἀποπέμψας εἴχετο τῶν προκειμένων.

Then Philip, having sent the spoils and the prisoners to Corinth, kept to his proposed plan.

§4.69.9

τοῖς δὲ Πελοποννησίοις πᾶσι παράδοξον ἐφάνη τὸ γεγονός· ἅμα γὰρ ἤκουον τὴν παρουσίαν καὶ τὴν νίκην τοῦ βασιλέως.

To all the Peloponnesians this event seemed extraordinary; for they heard of the presence and the victory of the king at the same time.

Syntax notes3 items

4.69.1ἅμα συνεκύρησε καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἠλείων πρωτοπορείαν συμπεσεῖν
The impersonal verb συνεκύρησε ('it happened') is used with the conjunction καί and followed by the accusative and infinitive construction τὴν ... πρωτοπορείαν συμπεσεῖν. The correlative structure ἅμα ... καί ... emphasizes the simultaneity of the two events ('at the same time... it so happened that...').
4.69.5καθοπλίσαντος Ἀντιγόνου τοῦ βασιλέως
A genitive absolute construction expressing the cause ('since King Antigonus had equipped them') by an agent (King Antigonus) different from the subject of the main clause (the Eleans). The verb καθοπλίσαντος refers to the historical event where Antigonus III Doson armed the Megalopolitans with Macedonian-style bronze shields for the Battle of Sellasia.
4.69.6ἅμα δὲ τῷ προσάγοντας αὐτοῖς τοὺς Μακεδόνας σύνεγγυς γενέσθαι
A temporal construction of ἅμα followed by the dative articular infinitive τῷ ... γενέσθαι ('at the same time as...'). The accusative τοὺς Μακεδόνας acts as the subject of the infinitive γενέσθαι, and the present participle προσάγοντας agrees with it in the accusative plural.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1
2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.69.1-4.69.9