- 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-grc2:5.100.1-5.100.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Philip captures Phthiotic Thebes through a persistent siege and mining operation, enslaving its inhabitants and renaming it Philippopolis; despite receiving envoys seeking peace, he remains focused on his next military actions.
ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν ἡμέρας τρεῖς τὰς πρώτας οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο προβιβάζειν τῶν ἔργων διὰ τὸ γενναίως καὶ παραβόλως ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως.
For the first three days, then, he was unable to make any progress with the siege works because those in the city defended themselves gallantly and desperately.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ διὰ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν ἀκροβολισμῶν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν βελῶν οἱ προκινδυνεύοντες τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως οἱ μὲν ἔπεσον, οἱ δὲ κατετραυματίσθησαν, τότε βραχείας ἐνδόσεως γενομένης ἤρξαντο τῶν ὀρυγμάτων οἱ Μακεδόνες.
But when, owing to the continuity of the skirmishes and the multitude of missiles, some of those who fought in the front ranks from the city fell and others were wounded, and at that moment a slight relaxation occurred, the Macedonians began to dig the mines.
τῇ δὲ συνεχείᾳ, καίπερ ἀντιβαίνοντος τοῦ χωρίου, μόλις ἐναταῖοι1 πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος ἐξίκοντο.
And by persistent effort, although the terrain was unfavorable, they with difficulty reached the wall on the ninth day.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιούμενοι τὴν ἐργασίαν ἐκ διαδοχῆς, ὥστε μήθʼ ἡμέρας μήτε νυκτὸς διαλείπειν, ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις δύο πλέθρα τοῦ τείχους ὑπώρυξαν καὶ διεστύλωσαν.
After this, carrying on the work in shifts so as not to interrupt it day or night, within three days they undermined two plethra of the wall and supported it with props.
τῶν δʼ ἐρεισμάτων οὐ δυναμένων ὑποφέρειν τὸ βάρος, ἀλλʼ ἐνδόντων, πεσεῖν συνέβη τὸ τεῖχος πρὸ τοῦ πῦρ ἐμβαλεῖν τοὺς Μακεδόνας.2
But since the props could not bear the weight and gave way, it happened that the wall fell before the Macedonians could set fire to them.
ἐνεργὸν δὲ ποιησαμένων τὴν ἀνακάθαρσιν3 τοῦ πτώματος, καὶ παρασκευασαμένων πρὸς τὴν εἴσοδον καὶ μελλόντων ἤδη βιάζεσθαι, καταπλαγέντες παρέδοσαν οἱ Θηβαῖοι τὴν πόλιν.
When they energetically cleared away the debris of the collapse, prepared for the entrance, and were already about to force their way in, the Thebans were terrified and surrendered the city.
ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος διὰ τῆς πράξεως ταύτης ἀσφαλισάμενος τὰ κατὰ τὴν Μαγνησίαν καὶ Θετταλίαν ἀφείλετο τὰς μεγάλας ὠφελείας τῶν Αἰτωλῶν, ἀπεδείξατο δὲ καὶ ταῖς αὑτοῦ δυνάμεσιν ὅτι δικαίως ἐπανείλετο τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λεόντιον, ἐθελοκακήσαντας πρότερον ἐν τῇ περὶ τοὺς Παλαιεῖς πολιορκίᾳ.
Philip, having secured the affairs of Magnesia and Thessaly by this action, deprived the Aetolians of their great advantages, and also proved to his own forces that he had justly put to death Leontius and his faction, who had previously behaved like cowards and saboteurs in the siege of Palae.
γενόμενος δὲ κύριος τῶν Θηβῶν τοὺς μὲν ὑπάρχοντας οἰκήτορας ἐξηνδραποδίσατο, Μακεδόνας δʼ εἰσοικίσας Φιλίππου τὴν πόλιν ἀντὶ Θηβῶν κατωνόμασεν.
Having become master of Thebes, he enslaved the existing inhabitants, and having settled Macedonians there, he renamed the city Philippopolis instead of Thebes.
ἤδη δʼ αὐτοῦ συντετελεσμένου τὰ κατὰ τὰς Θήβας, πάλιν ἧκον ὑπὲρ τῶν διαλύσεων παρά τε Χίων καὶ Ῥοδίων καὶ Βυζαντίων πρέσβεις καὶ παρὰ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ βασιλέως·
When he had already finished the business of Thebes, there came again envoys on behalf of a treaty from Chios, Rhodes, and Byzantium, as well as from King Ptolemy;
οἷς παραπλησίους ἀποκρίσεις δοὺς ταῖς πρότερον, καὶ φήσας οὐκ ἀλλότριος εἶναι διαλύσεως, ἔπεμψε κελεύσας αὐτοὺς πεῖραν λαμβάνειν καὶ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν.
to whom having given answers similar to those before, and having stated that he was not averse to a treaty, he sent them away, bidding them to make trial of the Aetolians also.
αὐτὸς δὲ τῆς μὲν διαλύσεως ὠλιγώρει, τοῦ δὲ πράττειν τι τῶν ἑξῆς ἀντείχετο.
He himself, however, made light of the treaty, and applied himself to carrying out his next operations.
- 5.100.3ἐναταῖοι
The adjective ἐναταῖος (on the ninth day) is used in the nominative plural ἐναταῖοι, agreeing with the subject (the Macedonians) and functioning adverbially to mean 'on the ninth day'.
- 5.100.5πρὸ τοῦ πῦρ ἐμβαλεῖν τοὺς Μακεδόνας
The preposition πρό governs the genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἐμβαλεῖν, with τοὺς Μακεδόνας in the accusative functioning as the subject of the infinitive, creating a clause meaning 'before the Macedonians could set fire to them'.
- 5.100.6ἐνεργὸν δὲ ποιησαμένων τὴν ἀνακάθαρσιν ...
A genitive absolute construction where the participles ποιησαμένων, παρασκευασαμένων, and μελλόντων refer to the Macedonians, whose actions are distinct from the subject of the main clause, the Thebans (οἱ Θηβαῖοι).