- 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-grc2:5.46.1-5.46.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The king is unable to breach Theodotus's defenses and retreats upon hearing of Xenoetas's defeat, while Xenoetas, holding full power, initiates an operation to cross the Tigris and confront Molo.
λίμναις, ἐξ ὧν ὁ μυρεψικὸς κείρεται κάλαμος. ἐπίκειται δὲ τοῖς στενοῖς ἐκ μὲν θατέρου μέρους Βρόχοι προσαγορευόμενόν τι χωρίον, ἐκ δὲ θατέρου Γέρρα, στενὴν ἀπολείποντα πάροδον.
lakes, from which the aromatic reed is cut. And there lies over the pass on one side a place called Brochoi, and on the other Gerrha, leaving only a narrow passage.
ποιησάμενος δὲ διὰ τοῦ προειρημένου τὴν πορείαν αὐλῶνος ἐπὶ πλείους ἡμέρας, καὶ προσαγαγόμενος τὰς παρακειμένας πόλεις, παρῆν πρὸς τὰ Γέρρα.
Having made his march through the aforementioned valley for several days, and having won over the neighboring cities, he arrived at Gerrha.
καταλαβὼν δὲ τὸν Θεόδοτον τὸν Αἰτωλὸν προκατειληφότα τὰ Γέρρα καὶ τοὺς Βρόχους, τὰ δὲ παρὰ τὴν λίμνην στενὰ διωχυρωμένον τάφροις καὶ χάραξι καὶ διειληφότα1 φυλακαῖς εὐκαίροις, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπεβάλετο βιάζεσθαι, πλείω δὲ πάσχων ἢ ποιῶν κακὰ διὰ τὴν ὀχυρότητα τῶν τόπων καὶ διὰ τὸ μένειν ἔτι τὸν Θεόδοτον ἀκέραιον, ἀπέστη τῆς ἐπιβολῆς.
But finding that Theodotus the Aetolian had already occupied Gerrha and Brochoi, and had strongly fortified the pass along the lake with trenches and palisades, and had distributed guards in suitable positions, he at first attempted to force his way. But suffering more damage than he inflicted, owing to the strength of the places and because Theodotus still remained unimpaired, he desisted from the attempt.
διὸ καὶ τοιαύτης οὔσης τῆς περὶ τοὺς τόπους δυσχρηστίας, προσπεσόντος αὐτῷ Ξενοίταν ἐπταικέναι τοῖς ὅλοις2 καὶ τὸν Μόλωνα πάντων τῶν ἄνω τόπων ἐπικρατεῖν, ἀφέμενος τούτων ὥρμησε τοῖς οἰκείοις πράγμασι βοηθήσων.
Therefore, as the local difficulties of the region were of such a nature, and when news reached him that Xenoetas had utterly failed and that Molo was master of all the upper country, he abandoned these enterprises and set out to bring aid to his own affairs.
ὁ γὰρ Ξενοίτας ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀποσταλεὶς αὐτοκράτωρ, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προεῖπα, καὶ μείζονος ἐξουσίας ἢ κατὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν τυχών, ὑπεροπτικώτερον μὲν ἐχρῆτο τοῖς αὑτοῦ φίλοις, θρασύτερον δὲ ταῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐπιβολαῖς.
For the general Xenoetas, having been sent out with full powers, as I said above, and having obtained greater authority than expected, behaved rather arrogantly towards his own friends, and was too bold in his attempts against the enemy.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καταζεύξας εἰς τὴν Σελεύκειαν, καὶ μεταπεμψάμενος Διογένην τὸν τῆς Σουσιανῆς ἔπαρχον καὶ Πυθιάδην τὸν τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάττης, ἐξῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις, καὶ λαβὼν πρόβλημα τὸν Τίγριν ποταμὸν ἀντεστρατοπέδευσε τοῖς πολεμίοις.
Nevertheless, establishing his camp at Seleucia, and summoning Diogenes, the governor of Susiana, and Pythiades, the commander of the Erythraean Sea, he led out his forces, and using the river Tigris as a defense, encamped opposite the enemy.
πλειόνων δὲ διακολυμβώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Μόλωνος στρατοπεδείας, καὶ δηλούντων ὡς ἐὰν διαβῇ τὸν ποταμόν, ἅπαν ἀπονεύσει πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸ τοῦ Μόλωνος στρατόπεδον — τῷ μὲν γὰρ Μόλωνι φθονεῖν,3 τῷ δὲ βασιλεῖ τὸ πλῆθος εὔνουν ὑπάρχειν διαφερόντως — ἐπαρθεὶς τούτοις ὁ Ξενοίτας ἐπεβάλετο διαβαίνειν τὸν Τίγριν.
As many crossed over to him by swimming from Molo’s camp and declared that if he should cross the river, the whole of Molo’s army would incline to his side—for they said the multitude envied Molo but were exceptionally well-disposed to the king—Xenoetas, elated by this, attempted to cross the Tigris.
ὑποδείξας δὲ διότι μέλλει ζευγνύναι τὸν ποταμὸν κατά τινα νησίζοντα τόπον, τῶν μὲν πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἐπιτηδείων οὐδὲν ἡτοίμαζε, διὸ καὶ συνέβη καταφρονῆσαι τοὺς περὶ τὸν Μόλωνα τῆς ὑποδεικνυμένης ἐπιβολῆς, τὰ δὲ πλοῖα συνήθροιζε καὶ κατήρτιζε καὶ πολλὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἐποιεῖτο περὶ τούτων.
Having made a show of intending to bridge the river at a certain island-like place, he prepared nothing suitable for this part, for which reason Molo’s men came to look with contempt on the pretended attempt; but he was collecting and equipping boats and paying great attention to these.
ἐπιλέξας δʼ ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ στρατεύματος τοὺς εὐρωστοτάτους ἱππεῖς καὶ πεζούς, ἐπὶ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἀπολιπὼν Ζεῦξιν καὶ Πυθιάδην παρῆλθε νυκτὸς ὡς ὀγδοήκοντα σταδίους ὑποκάτω τῆς τοῦ Μόλωνος στρατοπεδείας, καὶ διακομίσας τοῖς πλοίοις τὴν δύναμιν ἀσφαλῶς νυκτὸς ἔτι κατεστρατοπέδευσε, λαβὼν εὐφυῆ τόπον, ᾧ συνέβαινε κατὰ μὲν τὸ πλεῖστον ὑπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ περιέχεσθαι,
Selecting the strongest horsemen and foot-soldiers from the whole army, and leaving Zeuxis and Pythiades in the camp, he advanced by night about eighty stades below Molo’s camp, and having safely transported his force in the boats, he encamped while it was still night, securing a favorable position, which happened for the most part to be surrounded by the river.
- 5.46.3καταλαβὼν ... προκατειληφότα ... διωχυρωμένον ... διειληφότα
The participle καταλαβών (having found/discovered), which modifies the main verb ἐπεβάλετο, takes τὸν Θεόδοτον as its object, which in turn is modified by three perfect participles in the accusative: προκατειληφότα (having pre-occupied), διωχυρωμένον (having fortified), and διειληφότα (having distributed/posted). This highlights that Theodotus had already completed all these defensive preparations.
- 5.46.5προσπεσόντος αὐτῷ Ξενοίταν ἐπταικέναι τοῖς ὅλοις
Within the impersonal genitive absolute construction προσπεσόντος αὐτῷ (it having been reported to him), the accusative and infinitive clause Ξενοίταν ἐπταικέναι (that Xenoetas had utterly failed) functions as the subject. The phrase τοῖς ὅλοις means 'in the whole matter' or 'completely', emphasizing the decisive nature of the defeat.
- 5.46.8δηλούντων ὡς ἐὰν διαβῇ τὸν ποταμόν, ἅπαν ἀπονεύσει ... τῷ μὲν γὰρ Μόλωνι φθονεῖν
Inside the ὡς clause dependent on δηλούντων (showing/declaring), the protasis ἐὰν διαβῇ is paired with the future indicative ἀπονεύσει in the apodosis. The subsequent infinitives φθονεῖν and εὔνουν ὑπάρχειν represent a shift in the indirect speech to express the reason ('for they envied/disliked...'), functioning as infinitives of reported explanation.