- 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-grc2:5.30.1-5.30.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Due to the incompetence of the Achaean general Eperatus, the defense system collapses and the Aetolian general Pyrrhias ravages the territory. Upon the expiration of Eperatus's term, the Achaeans elect the elder Aratus as general, and the narrative transitions to affairs in Asia.
τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος ἐπιγενομένου, καὶ Φιλίππου μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἀπηλλαγμένου, τοῦ δʼ Ἐπηράτου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καταπεφρονημένου μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτικῶν νεανίσκων, κατεγνωσμένου δὲ τελέως ὑπὸ τῶν μισθοφόρων,1 οὔτʼ ἐπειθάρχει τοῖς παραγγελλομένοις οὐδεὶς οὔτʼ ἦν ἕτοιμον οὐδὲν πρὸς τὴν τῆς χώρας βοήθειαν.
When winter set in, and King Philip had departed for Macedonia, and Eperatus, the general of the Achaeans, was held in contempt by the young citizens and completely despised by the mercenaries, no one obeyed the orders given, nor was anything ready for the defense of the country.
εἰς ἃ βλέψας Πυρρίας ὁ παρὰ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἀπεσταλμένος στρατηγὸς τοῖς Ἠλείοις, ἔχων Αἰτωλῶν εἰς χιλίους καὶ τριακοσίους καὶ τοὺς τῶν Ἠλείων μισθοφόρους, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πολιτικοὺς πεζοὺς μὲν εἰς χιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ διακοσίους, ὥστʼ εἶναι τοὺς πάντας εἰς τρισχιλίους, οὐ μόνον τὴν τῶν Δυμαίων καὶ Φαραιέων συνεχῶς ἐπόρθει χώραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τῶν Πατρέων.
Pyrrhias, the general sent by the Aetolians to the Eleans, looking to these circumstances, with about thirteen hundred Aetolians and the mercenaries of the Eleans, besides whom there were about a thousand citizen infantry and two hundred cavalry, making about three thousand in all, not only continually plundered the territory of Dyme and Pharae, but also that of Patrae.
τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον ἐπὶ τὸ Παναχαϊκὸν ὄρος καλούμενον ἐπιστρατοπεδεύσας, τὸ κείμενον ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Πατρέων πόλεως, ἐδῄου πᾶσαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Ῥίον καὶ τὴν ἐπʼ Αἴγιον κεκλιμένην χώραν.
Finally, encamping on the mountain called Panachaicum, which lies above the city of Patrae, he devastated all the land sloping towards Rhium and Aegium.
λοιπὸν αἱ μὲν πόλεις κακοπαθοῦσαι καὶ μὴ τυγχάνουσαι βοηθείας δυσχερῶς πως εἶχον πρὸς τὰς εἰσφοράς, οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται, τῶν ὀψωνίων παρελκομένων καὶ καθυστερούντων, τὸ παραπλήσιον ἐποίουν περὶ τὰς βοηθείας·2
Consequently, the cities, suffering severely and obtaining no assistance, were reluctant to pay their contributions, while the soldiers, since their pay was delayed and overdue, did much the same regarding the relief expeditions;
ἐξ ἀμφοῖν δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀνταποδόσεως γινομένης, ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προύβαινε τὰ πράγματα καὶ τέλος διελύθη τὸ ξενικόν. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι διὰ τὴν τοῦ προεστῶτος ἀδυναμίαν.
and as this reciprocal action occurred on both sides, affairs went from bad to worse, and at last the mercenary force was disbanded. All this happened owing to the incapacity of the leader.
ἐν τοιαύτῃ δʼ ὄντων διαθέσει τῶν κατὰ τοὺς Ἀχαιούς, καὶ τῶν χρόνων ἤδη καθηκόντων, Ἐπήρατος μὲν ἀπετίθετο τὴν ἀρχήν, οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ τῆς θερείας ἐναρχομένης στρατηγὸν αὑτῶν Ἄρατον κατέστησαν τὸν πρεσβύτερον. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
While the affairs of the Achaeans were in such a state, and the term of office had now expired, Eperatus laid down his command, and the Achaeans, at the beginning of summer, appointed the elder Aratus as their general. Such was the state of affairs in Europe.
ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπειδὴ κατά τε τὴν τῶν χρόνων διαίρεσιν καὶ κατὰ τὴν τῶν πράξεων περιγραφὴν ἁρμόζοντα τόπον εἰλήφαμεν, μεταβάντες ἐπὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν πράξεις τὰς κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ὀλυμπιάδα τοῖς προειρημένοις ἐπιτελεσθείσας αὖτις ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ποιησό3
But for our part, since we have reached a convenient stopping-place both in our division of time and in the limits of our narrative, we shall pass on to the affairs of Asia, which took place during the same Olympiad as those mentioned above, and shall again make [our account] concerning them...
- 5.30.1τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος ἐπιγενομένου, καὶ Φιλίππου μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἀπηλλαγμένου, τοῦ δʼ Ἐπηράτου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καταπεφρονημένου μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτικῶν νεανίσκων, κατεγνωσμένου δὲ τελέως ὑπὸ τῶν μισθοφόρων
A series of genitives absolute at the beginning of the sentence. It simultaneously shows the temporal background (the onset of winter) and the situational background (Philip's departure and Eperatus's loss of authority), forming the direct cause and context for the main clause "no one obeyed, nor was anything ready."
- 5.30.5τὸ παραπλήσιον ἐποίουν περὶ τὰς βοηθείας
The expression meaning "they did much the same regarding the relief expeditions." Following the preceding statement that "the cities were reluctant to pay their contributions (δυσχερῶς πως εἶχον πρὸς τὰς εἰσφοράς)," it implies that the unpaid soldiers acted similarly (i.e., by being reluctant or refusing to go on relief expeditions), using an indirect phrasing to avoid repetition.
- 5.30.8ποιησό
An incomplete form where only the beginning of the future-referring verb (typically reconstructed as ποιησόμεθα τὸν λόγον or similar) is preserved due to textual corruption in the manuscripts. The translations reflect this incomplete nuance at the end of the sentence.