- 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-grc2:5.14.1-5.14.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Philip tests the enemy at Stratos but, as no one comes out, begins his retreat, safely reaching his ships after repelling an Aetolian pursuit. While the king and his officers celebrate their success, Megaleas and Leontius are deeply vexed by the failure of their plots.
ἀποπειρώμενος1 τῶν ἔνδον· ἐπυνθάνετο γὰρ εἰς τὸν Στράτον συνδεδραμηκέναι τῶν Αἰτωλῶν πεζοὺς μὲν εἰς τρισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ περὶ τετρακοσίους, Κρῆτας δʼ εἰς πεντακοσίους.
to test those inside; for he had been informed that about three thousand of the Aetolian infantry, about four hundred cavalry, and about five hundred Cretans had assembled at Stratos.
οὐδενὸς δʼ ἐπεξιέναι τολμῶντος, αὖτις ἀρξάμενος ἐκίνει τοὺς πρώτους, ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν Λιμναίαν καὶ τὰς ναῦς.
And as no one dared to march out, he set the van in motion again, making his march as if towards Limnaea and the ships.
ἅμα δὲ τῷ τὴν οὐραγίαν παραλλάξαι τὴν πόλιν τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὀλίγοι τῶν Αἰτωλικῶν ἱππέων ἐξελθόντες κατεπείραζον τῶν ἐσχάτων·
But as soon as the rear-guard had passed the city, at first a few of the Aetolian cavalry sallied out and harassed the hindmost;
ἐπεὶ δὲ τό τε τῶν Κρητῶν πλῆθος ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καί τινες τῶν Αἰτωλικῶν συνῆψαν τοῖς αὑτῶν ἱππεῦσι, γινομένης ὁλοσχερεστέρας συμπλοκῆς, ἠναγκάσθησαν ἐκ μεταβολῆς2 οἱ περὶ τὴν οὐραγίαν κινδυνεύειν.
but when the body of Cretans from the city and some of the Aetolians joined their own cavalry, and the engagement became more general, those in the rear-guard were forced to wheel round and fight.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἀμφοτέρων ἐφάμιλλος ἦν ὁ κίνδυνος· προσβοηθησάντων δὲ τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου μισθοφόροις τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν, ἐνέκλιναν καὶ σποράδην ἔφευγον οἱ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἱππεῖς καὶ μισθοφόροι.
At first, indeed, the combat was equally matched on both sides; but when the Illyrians came to the assistance of Philip’s mercenaries, the Aetolian cavalry and mercenaries gave way and fled in disorder.
καὶ τὸ μὲν πολὺ μέρος αὐτῶν ἕως εἰς τὰς πύλας καὶ πρὸς τὰ τείχη συνεδίωξαν οἱ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, κατέβαλον δʼ εἰς ἑκατόν.
And the king’s men pursued the greater part of them right up to the gates and to the walls, and cut down about a hundred.
ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης τῆς χρείας λοιπὸν οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἦγον, οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς οὐραγίας ἀσφαλῶς συνῆψαν πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ τὰς ναῦς.
After this action, those from the city kept quiet, while those of the rear-guard safely joined the camp and the ships.
ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος καταστρατοπεδεύσας ἐν ὥρᾳ τοῖς θεοῖς ἔθυεν εὐχαριστήρια τῆς γεγενημένης αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν ἐπιβολὴν εὐροίας, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἐκάλει, βουλόμενος ἑστιᾶσαι πάντας.
And Philip, having encamped in good time, offered thank-offerings to the gods for the success that had attended him in his enterprise, and at the same time invited the officers, wishing to entertain them all.
ἐδόκει γὰρ εἰς τόπους αὑτὸν δεδωκέναι παραβόλους καὶ τοιούτους, εἰς οὓς οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησε πρότερον στρατοπέδῳ παρεμβαλεῖν.
For he felt that he had ventured himself into hazardous places, and such as no one had previously dared to enter with an army.
ὁ δʼ οὐ μόνον ἐνέβαλε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶν ὃ προέθετο συντελεσάμενος ἀσφαλῶς ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἐπάνοδον. διʼ ἃ περιχαρὴς ὢν οὗτος μὲν ἐγίνετο περὶ τὴν τῶν ἡγεμόνων ὑποδοχήν·
But he had not only invaded with his force, but had also, having accomplished everything he proposed, made his return in safety. On which account, being overjoyed, he was occupied with the reception of his officers;
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μεγαλέαν καὶ Λεόντιον δυσχερῶς ἔφερον τὴν γεγενημένην ἐπιτυχίαν τοῦ βασιλέως, ὡς ἂν διατεταγμένοι μὲν πρὸς τὸν Ἀπελλῆν πάσαις ἐμποδιεῖν ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς αὐτοῦ, μὴ δυνάμενοι δὲ3 τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς κατὰ τοὐναντίον προχωρούντων, διεσφαλμένοι προφανῶς.4 ἀλλʼ ἧκόν γε πρὸς τὸ δεῖπνον.
but Megaleas, Leontius, and their party took the king’s success hard, inasmuch as they had agreed with Apelles to obstruct all his enterprises, but being unable to do so, but matters turning out for them in the opposite way, they were clearly baffled. Yet they did come to the banquet.
- 5.14.1ἀποπειρώμενος
A nominative masculine singular present participle modifying the subject of the main verb ἐπέστησε at the very end of the previous chunk, functioning adverbially to express the purpose of testing those inside (τῶν ἔνδον).
- 5.14.4ἐκ μεταβολῆς
An idiomatic phrase meaning 'turning about' or 'wheeling round', describing how the rear-guard, which had been retreating, was forced to turn around to face and fight the pursuing enemy.
- 5.14.11ὡς ἂν διατεταγμένοι μὲν ... μὴ δυνάμενοι δὲ
The particle combination ὡς ἄν with the perfect passive participle διατεταγμένοι introduces a subjective reason or intent ('inasmuch as they had agreed...'), and together with the coordinate participle μὴ δυνάμενοι, explains the ground of their frustration.
- 5.14.12διεσφαλμένοι προφανῶς
The perfect passive participle of διασφάλλω in the nominative plural masculine, describing the frustrated state of Megaleas and Leontius following the preceding genitive absolute. It can also be understood as a participle with the copula ἦσαν omitted.