- 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-grc2:5.50.1-5.50.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Exploiting a mutiny over unpaid wages at Apameia, Hermeias pressures the king to remove Epigenes, and subsequently assassinates him through a conspiracy involving a forged letter.
καὶ πολὺς πρὸς ταῖς παρασκευαῖς.1 ἁθροισθεισῶν δὲ τῶν δυνάμεων εἰς Ἀπάμειαν, καί τινος ἐγγενομένης στάσεως τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν προσοφειλομένων ὀψωνίων, λαβὼν ἐπτοημένον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ δεδιότα τὸ γεγονὸς κίνημα διὰ τὸν καιρόν, ἐπηγγείλατο διαλύσειν πᾶσι τὰς σιταρχίας, ἐὰν αὐτῷ συγχωρήσῃ μὴ στρατεύειν μετʼ αὐτῶν τὸν Ἐπιγένην·
and was very active in the preparations. When the forces had assembled at Apameia, and a certain mutiny had arisen among the soldiers concerning their arrears of pay, taking the king in a state of excitement and fearing the disturbance that had occurred owing to the critical time, Hermeias promised that he would pay off the rations to all of them, if the king would grant him that Epigenes should not campaign with them.
οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τʼ εἶναι τῶν κατὰ λόγον οὐδὲν πράττεσθαι κατὰ τὴν στρατείαν τηλικαύτης ἐν αὐτοῖς ὀργῆς καὶ στάσεως ἐγγεγενημένης.
For he asserted that it was impossible for any reasonable action to be performed during the campaign, while such great anger and mutiny had arisen among them.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς δυσχερῶς μὲν ἤκουσε καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἐποιεῖτο2 σπουδάζων διὰ τὴν ἐμπειρίαν τῶν πολεμικῶν συστρατεύειν αὑτῷ τὸν Ἐπιγένην, περιεχόμενος δὲ καὶ προκατειλημμένος οἰκονομίαις καὶ φυλακαῖς καὶ θεραπείαις ὑπὸ τῆς Ἑρμείου κακοηθείας οὐκ ἦν αὑτοῦ κύριος· διὸ καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν εἴκων συνεχώρησε τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις.
The king heard this with displeasure, and valued it above all things to have Epigenes campaign with him, being eager because of his experience in warfare; but being encompassed and anticipated by arrangements, guards, and attendants through the malice of Hermeias, he was not his own master. Therefore, yielding to the present circumstances, he granted what was requested.
τοῦ δʼ Ἐπιγένους κατὰ τὸ προσταχθὲν ἀναχωρήσαντος εἰς ἱμάτιον,3 οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ κατεπλάγησαν τὸν φθόνον, αἱ δὲ δυνάμεις τυχοῦσαι τῶν ἀξιουμένων ἐκ μεταβολῆς εὐνοϊκῶς διέκειντο πρὸς τὸν αἴτιον τῆς τῶν ὀψωνίων διορθώσεως πλὴν τῶν Κυρρηστῶν·
When Epigenes, according to what had been commanded, retired into private life, those in the council were struck with terror at the malice. But the forces, having obtained their demands, changed and became well-disposed towards the one who was the cause of the settlement of their pay, except for the Cyrrhestae.
οὗτοι δʼ ἐστασίασαν καὶ σχεδὸν εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους ὄντες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀπέστησαν, καὶ πολλὰς δή τινας ἀηδίας ἐπὶ χρόνον ἱκανὸν παρέσχον· τέλος δὲ μάχῃ κρατηθέντες ὑπό τινος τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως στρατηγῶν οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ περιλειφθέντες παρέδοσαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πίστιν.
These mutinied, and being nearly six thousand in number, revolted, and caused many unpleasantnesses for a considerable time; but at last, being defeated in battle by one of the king’s generals, most of them were destroyed, and the survivors surrendered themselves to the king’s mercy.
ὁ δʼ Ἑρμείας τοὺς μὲν φίλους διὰ τὸν φόβον, τὰς δὲ δυνάμεις διὰ τὴν εὐχρηστίαν ὑφʼ ἑαυτὸν πεποιημένος, ἀναζεύξας προῆγε μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως.
But Hermeias, having made the friends subject to himself through fear, and the forces through utility, struck camp and advanced with the king.
περὶ δὲ τὸν Ἐπιγένην πρᾶξιν συνεστήσατο τοιαύτην, λαβὼν συνεργὸν τὸν ἀκροφύλακα τῆς Ἀπαμείας Ἄλεξιν.
Against Epigenes he contrived the following plot, taking Alexis, the commander of the citadel of Apameia, as his accomplice.
γράψας ὡς παρὰ Μόλωνος ἀπεσταλμένην4 ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιγένην πείθει τινὰ τῶν ἐκείνου παίδων ἐλπίσι μεγάλαις ψυχαγωγήσας εἰσενέγκαντα πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιγένην καταμῖξαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν.
Having written a letter as if sent from Molo to Epigenes, he persuaded one of Epigenes’ servants, enticing him with great hopes, to bring the letter in and mix it with his master’s papers.
οὗ γενομένου παρῆν εὐθέως Ἄλεξις, καὶ διηρώτα τὸν Ἐπιγένην μή τινας ἐπιστολὰς κεκόμισται παρὰ τοῦ Μόλωνος.
When this was done, Alexis appeared immediately, and asked Epigenes whether he had received any letters from Molo.
τοῦ δʼ ἀπειπομένου πικρῶς ἐρευνᾶν ᾔτει. ταχὺ δὲ παρεισελθὼν εὗρε τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ᾗ χρησάμενος ἀφορμῇ5 παραχρῆμα τὸν Ἐπιγένην ἀπέκτεινεν.
Upon his denying it sharply, Alexis demanded to make a search. Entering quickly, he found the letter, and using this as a pretext, he immediately put Epigenes to death.
οὗ συμβάντος ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἐπείσθη δικαίως ἀπολωλέναι τὸν Ἐπιγένην, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν ὑπώπτευον μὲν τὸ γεγονός, ἦγον δὲ τὴν ἡσυχίαν διὰ τὸν φόβον.
When this happened, the king was persuaded that Epigenes had perished justly, while those about the court, though they suspected what had occurred, kept quiet because of their fear.
- 5.50.1πολὺς πρὸς ταῖς παρασκευαῖς
Referring to Hermeias (οὗτος αὐτός), the subject of the previous sentence, with the copula (ἦν) omitted. A predicative use of the adjective πολύς meaning 'greatly engaged in or devoted to'.
- 5.50.4περὶ παντὸς ἐποιεῖτο
Imperfect tense of the idiom περὶ παντὸς ποιοῦμαι (to value above all things, to be extremely anxious for). Here combined with the participle σπουδάζων, taking the following infinitive συστρατεύειν as the object of his desire.
- 5.50.6εἰς ἱμάτιον
Literally 'into clothing', a figurative and idiomatic expression meaning 'to return to civilian clothes' (analogous to the Latin toga), hence 'to retire from public office or military service into private life'.
- 5.50.11ὡς παρὰ Μόλωνος ἀπεσταλμένην
The conjunction ὡς is used with the perfect participle ἀπεσταλμένην (agreeing with ἐπιστολήν, accompanied by the prepositional phrase παρὰ Μόλωνος) to represent a false assumption or pretense contrived by Hermeias, meaning 'as if sent from Molo', rather than an objective fact.
- 5.50.13ᾗ χρησάμενος ἀφορμῇ
A structure where the relative pronoun ᾗ incorporates the noun ἀφορμῇ (which would otherwise be the antecedent) into the relative clause (incorporation or attraction of the antecedent), meaning 'using which as a pretext'.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1