Philip's Qualities and His Campaign in Triphylia — Polybius, The Histories Book 4 (4.77.1–4.77.10), Greek & English

§4.77.1

Φίλιππος μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν ὁμιλίαν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις συνδιατρίβοντας καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς πρᾶξιν καὶ τόλμαν οὐ μόνον παρὰ τοῖς στρατευομένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσι Πελοποννησίοις εὐδοκίμει.

So Philip, both in his intercourse with those who lived with him in the camp, and in his actions and daring in war, was highly esteemed not only among those serving in the army but also among all the other Peloponnesians.

§4.77.2

βασιλέα γὰρ πλείοσιν ἀφορμαῖς ἐκ φύσεως κεχορηγημένον πρὸς πραγμάτων κατάκτησιν οὐκ εὐμαρὲς εὑρεῖν·¹

For it was no easy matter to find a king endowed by nature with more qualifications for the acquisition of power.

§4.77.3

καὶ γὰρ ἀγχίνοια καὶ μνήμη καὶ χάρις ἐπῆν αὐτῷ διαφέρουσα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐπίφασις βασιλικὴ καὶ δύναμις, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, πρᾶξις καὶ τόλμα πολεμική.

Indeed, quickness of mind, memory, and exceptional charm belonged to him, and in addition to these, a kingly presence and authority, and most of all, action and daring in war.

§4.77.4

καὶ τί δή ποτʼ ἦν τὸ ταῦτα πάντα καταγωνισάμενον καὶ ποιῆσαν ἐκ βασιλέως εὐφυοῦς τύραννον ἄγριον οὐκ εὐχερὲς διὰ βραχέων δηλῶσαι. διὸ καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων σκέπτεσθαι καὶ διαπορεῖν ἄλλος ἁρμόσει καιρὸς μᾶλλον τοῦ νῦν ἐνεστῶτος·

And what indeed it was that subdued all these qualities and made a savage tyrant out of a gifted king is not easy to explain briefly. Therefore, another occasion will be more suitable than the present one for considering and discussing these matters.

§4.77.5

ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐκ τῆς Ὀλυμπίας ἀναζεύξας τὴν ἐπὶ Φαραίαν² παρῆν εἰς Τέλφουσαν κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Ἡραίαν. καὶ τὴν μὲν λείαν ἐλαφυροπώλει, τὴν δὲ γέφυραν ἐπεσκεύαζε τὴν κατὰ τὸν Ἀλφειόν, βουλόμενος ταύτῃ ποιήσασθαι τὴν εἰς τὴν Τριφυλίαν εἰσβολήν.

Meanwhile Philip, having set out from Olympia on the road to Pharaea, arrived at Telphusa and from there went to Heraea. And he sold the booty and repaired the bridge over the Alpheus, wishing by this way to make his invasion into Triphylia.

§4.77.6

κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Δωρίμαχος ὁ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγός, δεομένων τῶν Ἠλείων σφίσι βοηθεῖν πορθουμένοις, ἑξακοσίους Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ στρατηγὸν Φιλλίδαν αὐτοῖς ἐξέπεμψεν.

At the same time, Dorimachus, the general of the Aetolians, since the Eleans begged them for help as they were being plundered, dispatched to them six hundred Aetolians and Philidas as general.

§4.77.7

ὃς παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ἠλείαν, καὶ παραλαβὼν τοὺς μισθοφόρους τῶν Ἠλείων, ὄντας εἰς πεντακοσίους, καὶ πολιτικοὺς χιλίους, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις τοὺς Ταραντίνους, ἧκε βοηθῶν εἰς τὴν Τριφυλίαν, ἣ τῆς μὲν προσηγορίας τέτευχε ταύτης ἀπὸ Τριφύλου τῶν Ἀρκάδος παίδων ἑνός, κεῖται δὲ τῆς Πελοποννήσου παρὰ θάλατταν μεταξὺ τῆς Ἠλείων καὶ Μεσσηνίων χώρας, τέτραπται δʼ εἰς τὸ Λιβυκὸν πέλαγος, ἐσχατεύουσα τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ὡς πρὸς χειμερινὰς δύσεις, ἔχει δʼ ἐν αὑτῇ πόλεις ταύτας, Σαμικόν, Λέπρεον, Ὕπαναν, Τυπανέας, Πύργον, Αἴπιον, Βώλακα, Στυλάγγιον, Φρίξαν.

He, having arrived in Elis and having taken with him the mercenaries of the Eleans, who were about five hundred, and a thousand citizen soldiers, and along with these the Tarentines, came to Triphylia to bring help. This district obtained its name from Triphylus, one of the sons of Arcas; it lies on the coast of the Peloponnese between the territory of the Eleans and the Messenians, faces the Libyan Sea, and borders on Arcadia towards the southwest. And it has in itself these cities: Samicum, Lepreum, Hypana, Typaneae, Pyrgus, Aepium, Bolax, Stylangium, Phrixa.

§4.77.10

ὧν ὀλίγοις χρόνοις πρότερον ἐπικρατήσαντες Ἠλεῖοι προσελάβοντο καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἀλιφειρέων πόλιν, οὖσαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπʼ Ἀρκαδίαν [καὶ Μεγαλόπολιν], Λυδιάδου τοῦ Μεγαλοπολίτου κατὰ τὴν τυραννίδα πρός τινας ἰδίας πράξεις ἀλλαγὴν δόντος τοῖς Ἠλείοις.³

Of which the Eleans, having got possession a short time before, acquired also the city of the Aliphireans, which was originally under Arcadia [and Megalopolis], Lydiadas of Megalopolis having given it to the Eleans in exchange for certain private purposes during his tyranny.

Syntax notes3 items

4.77.2βασιλέα γὰρ πλείοσιν ἀφορμαῖς ἐκ φύσεως κεχορηγημένον πρὸς πραγμάτων κατάκτησιν οὐκ εὐμαρὲς εὑρεῖν
This is an impersonal expression οὐκ εὐμαρές [ἐστι] ('it is not easy') followed by the infinitive εὑρεῖν ('to find'), which takes the accusative phrase βασιλέα... κεχορηγημένον ('a king... endowed') as its direct object. Although it resembles an accusative with infinitive (A.C.I.) construction, the accusative here is the object of the infinitive, meaning 'it is not easy to find a king...'
4.77.5τὴν ἐπὶ Φαραίαν
The feminine accusative singular article τὴν is used with the directional prepositional phrase ἐπὶ Φαραίαν ('towards Pharaea') with the noun ὁδόν ('road') being omitted, an idiomatic expression meaning 'taking the road to Pharaea.'
4.77.10Λυδιάδου τοῦ Μεγαλοπολίτου κατὰ τὴν τυραννίδα πρός τινας ἰδίας πράξεις ἀλλαγὴν δόντος τοῖς Ἠλείοις
A genitive absolute construction consisting of the noun in the genitive Λυδιάδου and the aorist active participle in the genitive δόντος. It functions to explain the background circumstance or the cause ('since Lydiadas had given...') relative to the main clause's historical past.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.77.1-4.77.10