- 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-grc2:5.24.1-5.24.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Philip encamps at a strategic location near Lacedaemon, displays his army, and then returns to Corinth via Tegea and Argos. After receiving peace envoys from Rhodes and Chios, he prepares to sail for further military operations in Phocis.
ἤδη δὲ τῆς ὥρας συναγούσης,1 ἀπαναγκαζόμενος αὐτοῦ στρατοπεδεύειν, περὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν στενῶν ἔξοδον ἐχρήσατο στρατοπεδείᾳ, κατὰ σύμπτωμα τῶν ἡγεμόνων περιβαλομένων τοιοῦτον τόπον2 οἷον οὐκ ἂν ἄλλον τις εὕροι βουλόμενος εἰς τὴν χώραν τῆς Λακωνικῆς παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν πόλιν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν εἰσβολήν.
As the hour was already drawing in, being compelled to encamp on the spot, he encamped near the exit from the pass. By a happy chance, his guides having occupied such a position as no one could find another like it, if he wished to make an invasion into the territory of Laconia right past the city itself.
ἔστι γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν προειρημένων στενῶν, ὅταν ἀπὸ τῆς Τεγέας ἢ καθόλου τῆς μεσογαίου παραγινόμενος ἐγγίζῃ τις τῇ Λακεδαίμονι, τόπος ἀπέχων μὲν τῆς πόλεως δύο μάλιστα σταδίους, ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ δὲ κείμενος τοῦ ποταμοῦ.
For there is, at the beginning of the aforementioned pass, when one approaches Lacedaemon coming from Tegea or generally from the interior, a place about two stades distant from the city, lying right on the river itself.
τούτου δὲ συμβαίνει τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν βλέπουσαν πλευρὰν περιέχεσθαι3 πᾶσαν ἀπορρῶγι μεγάλῃ καὶ παντελῶς ἀπροσίτῳ· τὸ δʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς κρημνοῖς τούτοις χωρίον ἐπίπεδόν ἐστι καὶ γεῶδες καὶ κάθυγρον, ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰς εἰσαγωγὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξαγωγὰς τῶν δυνάμεων εὐφυῶς κείμενον, ὥστε τὸν στρατοπεδεύσαντα ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ κατασχόντα τὸν ὑπερκείμενον λόφον δοκεῖν μὲν ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ στρατοπεδεύειν διὰ τὴν παράθεσιν τῆς πόλεως, στρατοπεδεύειν δʼ ἐν καλλίστῳ, κρατοῦντα τῆς εἰσόδου καὶ τῆς διόδου τῶν στενῶν.
It happens that the side of this place which looks towards the city and the river is entirely surrounded by a great and utterly inaccessible precipice; while the ground above these cliffs is flat, earthy, and well-watered, and at the same time conveniently situated for the entry and exit of troops, so that anyone encamping there and occupying the hill that lies above it would seem, on the one hand, to encamp in safety despite the proximity of the city, and on the other hand, to encamp in the most excellent position, commanding as he does the entrance and the passage through the pass.
πλὴν ὅ γε Φίλιππος, καταστρατοπεδεύσας ἐν τούτῳ μετʼ ἀσφαλείας, τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ τὴν μὲν ἀποσκευὴν προαπέστειλε, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἐξέταξεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιπέδοις εὐσύνοπτον τοῖς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως.
At any rate, Philip, having encamped in this place with safety, on the following day sent forward his baggage, and drew up his army on the level ground in full view of those in the city.
χρόνον μὲν οὖν τινα βραχὺν ἔμεινε, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κλίνας ἐπὶ κέρας ἦγε ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Τεγέαν.
Having remained there, then, for a short time, he afterwards filed off into column and led his men, making his march as if towards Tegea.
συνάψας δὲ τοῖς τόποις ἐν οἷς Ἀντίγονος καὶ Κλεομένης συνεστήσαντο τὸν κίνδυνον, αὐτοῦ κατεστρατοπέδευσε.
And having reached the spot where Antigonus and Cleomenes had fought their battle, he encamped there.
τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς θεασάμενος τοὺς τόπους καὶ θύσας τοῖς θεοῖς ἐφʼ ἑκατέρου τῶν λόφων, ὧν ὁ μὲν Ὄλυμπος, ὁ δʼ Εὔας καλεῖται, μετὰ ταῦτα προῆγε, στερροποιησάμενος τὴν οὐραγίαν.
On the following day, having surveyed the ground and offered sacrifice to the gods on each of the hills, of which one is called Olympus and the other Eva, he then advanced, having strengthened his rear-guard.
ἀφικόμενος δʼ εἰς Τεγέαν καὶ λαφυροπωλήσας πᾶσαν τὴν λείαν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ποιησάμενος διʼ Ἄργους τὴν πορείαν, ἧκε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως εἰς Κόρινθον.
Arriving at Tegea, he sold all his booty by auction, and afterwards, marching through Argos, arrived with his army at Corinth.
παρόντων δὲ πρεσβευτῶν παρά τε Ῥοδίων καὶ Χίων περὶ διαλύσεως τοῦ πολέμου, χρηματίσας τούτοις καὶ συνυποκριθεὶς4 καὶ φήσας ἕτοιμος εἶναι διαλύεσθαι καὶ νῦν καὶ πάλαι πρὸς Αἰτωλούς, τούτους μὲν ἐξέπεμπε, διαλέγεσθαι κελεύσας καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς περὶ τῆς διαλύσεως, αὐτὸς δὲ καταβὰς εἰς τὸ Λέχαιον ἐγίνετο περὶ πλοῦν, ἔχων τινὰς πράξεις ὁλοσχερεστέρας ἐν τοῖς περὶ Φωκίδα τόποις.
As ambassadors from Rhodes and Chios were present to treat for the termination of the war, he held conferences with them and, playing a part, declared that he was now, as always, ready to come to terms with the Aetolians; and so he dismissed them, ordering them to discuss the peace with the Aetolians as well. while he himself, going down to Lechaeum, prepared to set sail, as he had some more important operations to conduct in the region of Phocis.
- 5.24.1τῆς ὥρας συναγούσης
Genitive absolute. The verb συνάγω is used here in the intransitive sense of 'drawing in' or 'pressing,' referring to the evening drawing in.
- 5.24.2κατὰ σύμπτωμα τῶν ἡγεμόνων περιβαλομένων τοιοῦτον τόπον
A prepositional construction starting with 'κατὰ' containing a genitive absolute-like structure 'τῶν ἡγεμόνων περιβαλομένων'. 'ἡγεμών' here refers to the guides or officers who marked out the camp.
- 5.24.4τούτου δὲ συμβαίνει τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν βλέπουσαν πλευρὰν περιέχεσθαι
An accusative with infinitive construction (τὴν... πλευρὰν περιέχεσθαι) functioning as the subject of the impersonal verb συμβαίνει. The genitive pronoun 'τούτου' at the beginning acts as a genitive of reference ('regarding this place').
- 5.24.11συνυποκριθεὶς
The participle 'συνυποκριθεὶς' (from συνυποκρίνομαι) means 'to play a part along with' or 'to feign agreement,' indicating Philip's diplomatic posture of pretending to agree with the envoys.