Prusias' Defeat of the Galatians and Conclusion of Book 5 — Polybius, The Histories Book 5 (5.111.1–5.111.10), Greek & English

§5.111.1

ἐπράχθη δέ τι κατὰ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους καὶ Προυσίᾳ¹ μνήμης ἄξιον.

During this same period, an action worthy of record was also performed by Prusias.

§5.111.2

τῶν γὰρ Γαλατῶν, οὓς διεβίβασεν ἐκ τῆς Εὐρώπης ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἄτταλος εἰς τὸν πρὸς Ἀχαιὸν πόλεμον διὰ τὴν ἐπʼ ἀνδρείᾳ δόξαν, τούτων χωρισθέντων² τοῦ προειρημένου βασιλέως διὰ τὰς ἄρτι ῥηθείσας ὑποψίας καὶ πορθούντων μετὰ πολλῆς ἀσελγείας καὶ βίας τὰς ἐφʼ Ἑλλησπόντῳ πόλεις, τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον καὶ πολιορκεῖν τοὺς Ἰλιεῖς ἐπιβαλομένων, ἐγένετο μέν τις οὐκ ἀγεννὴς περὶ ταῦτα πρᾶξις καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν τὴν Τρῳάδα κατοικούντων Ἀλεξάνδρειαν·

For the Galatians, whom King Attalus had brought over from Europe for the war against Achaeus because of their reputation for bravery, having separated themselves from the aforesaid king owing to the suspicions recently mentioned, and plundering the cities on the Hellespont with great licentiousness and violence, and finally even undertaking to besiege the people of Ilium, an action of no ignoble character was indeed performed in this matter also by those who inhabit Alexandria in the Troad;

§5.111.4

Θεμίστην γὰρ ἐξαποστείλαντες μετʼ ἀνδρῶν τετρακισχιλίων ἔλυσαν μὲν τὴν Ἰλιέων πολιορκίαν, ἐξέβαλον δʼ ἐκ πάσης τῆς Τρῳάδος τοὺς Γαλάτας, ἐμποδίζοντες ταῖς χορηγίαις καὶ διαλυμαινόμενοι τὰς ἐπιβολὰς αὐτῶν.

for dispatching Themistes with four thousand men, they raised the siege of Ilium, and expelled the Galatians from the whole of the Troad, cutting off their provisions and frustrating their designs.

§5.111.5

οἱ δὲ Γαλάται κατασχόντες τὴν Ἀρίσβαν καλουμένην ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἀβυδηνῶν χώρᾳ, λοιπὸν ἐπεβούλευον καὶ προσεπολέμουν ταῖς περὶ τούτους τοὺς τόπους ἐκτισμέναις πόλεσιν.

But the Galatians, having seized the place called Arisba in the territory of Abydos, henceforth laid plots and made war against the cities established in those parts.

§5.111.6

ἐφʼ οὓς στρατεύσας μετὰ δυνάμεως Προυσίας καὶ παραταξάμενος τοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας κατʼ αὐτὸν τὸν κίνδυνον ἐν χερῶν νόμῳ³ διέφθειρε, τὰ δὲ τέκνα σχεδὸν ἅπαντα καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ κατέσφαξε, τὴν δʼ ἀποσκευὴν ἐφῆκε διαρπάσαι τοῖς ἠγωνισμένοις.

Prusias, marching against them with a force and drawing up his army, destroyed the men in hand-to-hand combat during the actual danger, slaughtered almost all their children and women in the camp, and abandoned their baggage to be plundered by his soldiers who had fought.

§5.111.7

πράξας δὲ ταῦτα μεγάλου μὲν ἀπέλυσε φόβου καὶ κινδύνου τὰς ἐφʼ Ἑλλησπόντου πόλεις, καλὸν δὲ παράδειγμα τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις ἀπέλιπε τοῦ μὴ ῥᾳδίαν ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Εὐρώπης βαρβάρους τὴν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν διάβασιν.⁴

By doing this, he freed the cities on the Hellespont from great fear and danger, and left a noble example to posterity that the barbarians from Europe should not make their passage into Asia an easy matter.

§5.111.8

τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν. τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν τῆς περὶ Κάνναν μάχης ἐπιτελεσθείσης τὰ πλεῖστα μετετίθετο πρὸς τοὺς Καρχηδονίους, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἡμῖν δεδήλωται.

Such then was the state of affairs in Greece and Asia. As for Italy, after the battle of Cannae had been fought, most parts went over to the Carthaginians, as has been shown by us in the preceding parts.

§5.111.9

ἡμεῖς δὲ νῦν μὲν ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν τῆς διηγήσεως λήξομεν, ἐπεὶ διεληλύθαμεν ἃς περιέσχε τῶν τε κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πράξεων ἡ τετταρακοστὴ τῶν ὀλυμπιάδων πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατόν·

But we will now bring our narrative to a close at this period, since we have gone through the events in Asia and Greece which the hundred and fortieth Olympiad contained;

§5.111.10

ἐν δὲ τῇ μετὰ ταῦτα βύβλῳ, βραχέα προσαναμνήσαντες τῆς [ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ βύβλῳ] προκατασκευῆς, ἐπὶ τὸν περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας λόγον ἐπάνιμεν κατὰ τὴν ἐν ἀρχαῖς ὑπόσχεσιν.

and in the next book, after briefly reminding the reader of the preparatory treatise [in this book], we shall return to our discourse on the Roman constitution, according to our original promise.

Syntax notes4 items

5.111.1Προυσίᾳ
Functions as a dative of agent with the passive verb ἐπράχθη.
5.111.2τῶν γὰρ Γαλατῶν ... τούτων χωρισθέντων
Constructs a genitive absolute. Due to the insertion of the relative clause οὓς ... δόξαν, which separates the subject τῶν Γαλατῶν, the demonstrative pronoun τούτων is added to resume and agree with the genitive participles.
5.111.6ἐν χερῶν νόμῳ
Literally meaning "in the law of hands," this is a characteristic idiom in Polybius meaning "in hand-to-hand combat" or "by force of arms."
5.111.7τοῦ μὴ ῥᾳδίαν ποιεῖσθαι ... τὴν ... διάβασιν
An articular infinitive in the genitive case, defining or explaining the noun παράδειγμα (expressing apposition or result). The subject of the infinitive is τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Εὐρώπης βαρβάρους (accusative), and its object is τὴν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν διάβασιν (accusative).

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

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.111.1-5.111.10