- 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-grc2:5.109.1-5.109.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
During the winter, King Philip decides to construct a hundred Illyrian-style light boats (lembi) for troop transport and surprise attacks rather than naval battles, and sets sail in early summer to monitor the Roman fleet.
Φίλιππος δὲ κατὰ τὴν παραχειμασίαν ἀναλογιζόμενος ὅτι πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβολὰς αὐτοῦ χρεία πλοίων ἐστὶ καὶ τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ὑπηρεσίας, καὶ ταύτης οὐχ ὡς πρὸς ναυμαχίαν1 — τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ ἂν ἤλπισε2 δυνατὸς εἶναι, Ῥωμαίοις διαναυμαχεῖν — ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἕως τοῦ παρακομίζειν3 στρατιώτας καὶ θᾶττον διαίρειν οὗ πρόθοιτο καὶ παραδόξως ἐπιφαίνεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις·
During his winter quarters, Philip reflected that for his enterprises he needed ships and service by sea—and this not for naval battles, for he could not even have hoped to be able to fight a decisive naval battle against the Romans—but rather for transporting soldiers, crossing more rapidly to wherever he might purpose, and appearing before the enemy unexpectedly.
διόπερ ὑπολαβὼν ἀρίστην εἶναι πρὸς ταῦτα τὴν τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν ναυπηγίαν ἑκατὸν ἐπεβάλετο λέμβους κατασκευάζειν, σχεδὸν πρῶτος τῶν ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλέων.
Therefore, conceiving that the Illyrian style of shipbuilding was the best for these purposes, he undertook to build a hundred light boats (lembi), being almost the first of the kings in Macedonia to do so.
καταρτίσας δὲ τούτους συνῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις ἀρχομένης θερείας, καὶ βραχέα προσασκήσας τοὺς Μακεδόνας ἐν ταῖς εἰρεσίαις ἀνήχθη.
Having equipped these, he assembled his forces at the beginning of summer, and after giving the Macedonians a brief training in rowing, he put to sea.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν Ἀντίοχος μὲν ὑπερέβαλε τὸν Ταῦρον, Φίλιππος δὲ ποιησάμενος τὸν πλοῦν διʼ Εὐρίπου καὶ [τοῦ] περὶ Μαλέαν ἧκε πρὸς τοὺς περὶ Κεφαλληνίαν καὶ Λευκάδα τόπους, ἐν οἷς καθορμισθεὶς ἐκαραδόκει πολυπραγμονῶν4 τὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων στόλον.
At the same time, while Antiochus crossed the Taurus, Philip made his voyage through Euripus and around Malea, and arrived at the places around Cephallenia and Leucas, where he anchored and waited watchfully, eagerly inquiring about the Roman fleet.
πυνθανόμενος δὲ περὶ τὸ Λιλύβαιον αὐτοὺς ὁρμεῖν, θαρρήσας ἀνήχθη, καὶ προῆγε ποιούμενος τὸν πλοῦν ὡς ἐπʼ
Upon learning that they were anchored around Lilybaeum, he took courage and put to sea, advancing on his voyage as if towards...
- 5.109.1καὶ ταύτης οὐχ ὡς πρὸς ναυμαχίαν
The genitive demonstrative pronoun ταύτης refers back to the genitive phrase τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ὑπηρεσίας in the preceding clause. It initiates a contrast within the ὅτι-clause, setting up the exclusion of naval battles (ναυμαχίαν), which, after a long parenthetical remark, continues with the alternative in §109.2: ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἕως τοῦ... (but rather for...).
- 5.109.2οὐδʼ ἂν ἤλπισε
The combination of the particle ἄν with the aorist indicative (ἤλπισε) expresses past potentiality or a strong negative hypothetical assumption, emphasizing the subjective impossibility felt at the time: 'he could not even have hoped' to match the Romans in a naval battle.
- 5.109.2ἕως τοῦ παρακομίζειν
The preposition ἕως combined with the genitive of the articular infinitive (τοῦ παρακομίζειν). While ἕως normally denotes temporal limit ('until'), here it is used in a specific Polybian sense to express purpose or scope ('for the purpose of transporting', 'with a view to transporting').
- 5.109.5ἐκαραδόκει πολυπραγμονῶν
The present participle πολυπραγμονῶν (busying oneself, investigating) functions as a participle of manner or attendant circumstance modifying the imperfect main verb ἐκαραδόκει (was waiting watchfully). This describes an active, ongoing effort of gathering information while keeping a watchful eye on the Roman fleet.