- 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-grc2:5.52.1-5.52.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
King Antiochus's forces cross the Tigris and advance against Molo. Molo attempts a night attack to gain a tactical advantage, but aborts it upon the desertion of his soldiers, leading to confusion and panic in his own camp.
πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλπίδας.1 κριθείσης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Ζεύξιδος γνώμης, παραυτίκα διελόντες τὴν δύναμιν εἰς τρία μέρη κατὰ τριττοὺς τόπους τοῦ ποταμοῦ διεπεραίουν τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὰς ἀποσκευάς.
...in accordance with the king’s expectations. When the opinion of Zeuxis had been approved, they immediately divided the army into three parts and transported the main body of the troops and the baggage across the river at three different points.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιησάμενοι τὴν πορείαν ὡς ἐπὶ Δούρων ταύτης μὲν τῆς πόλεως ἔλυσαν ἐξ ἐφόδου τὴν πολιορκίαν — ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ὑπό τινος τῶν τοῦ Μόλωνος ἡγεμόνων πολιορκουμένη —
After this, making their march towards Dura, they raised the siege of this city by a sudden assault — for it happened to be besieged by one of Molo’s officers —
χρησάμενοι δὲ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐντεῦθεν ταῖς ἀναζυγαῖς ὀγδοαῖοι2 τὸ καλούμενον Ὀρεικὸν ὑπερέβαλον καὶ κατῆραν εἰς Ἀπολλωνίαν.
and continuing their march from there without interruption, on the eighth day they crossed the so-called Oreicum and arrived at Apollonia.
Μόλων δὲ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς πυθόμενος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως παρουσίαν, καὶ διαπιστῶν τοῖς περὶ τὴν Σουσιανὴν καὶ Βαβυλωνίαν ὄχλοις διὰ τὸ προσφάτως καὶ παραδόξως αὐτῶν ἐγκρατὴς γεγονέναι, φοβούμενος δὲ καὶ τῆς εἰς Μηδίαν ἐπανόδου μὴ διακλεισθῇ,3 διέγνω ζευγνύειν τὸν Τίγριν καὶ διαβιβάζειν τὰς δυνάμεις, σπεύδων, εἰ δύναιτο, προκαταλαβέσθαι τὴν τραχεῖαν τῆς Ἀπολλωνιάτιδος διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν τῷ πλήθει τῶν σφενδονητῶν τῶν προσαγορευομένων Κυρτίων.
At the same time Molo, having learned of the presence of the king, and distrusting the populations around Susiana and Babylonia because he had recently and unexpectedly gained possession of them, and also fearing lest he should be shut off from his return to Media, decided to bridge the Tigris and transport his forces across, hastening, if he could, to preoccupy the rugged part of Apolloniatis, because he trusted in the large number of the slingers called Cyrtyans.
πράξας δὲ τὸ κριθὲν ταχεῖαν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ σύντονον τὴν πορείαν.
Having executed his decision, he made a rapid and strenuous march.
ἅμα δὲ τοῦ τε Μόλωνος συνάπτοντος τοῖς προειρημένοις τόποις καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκ τῆς Ἀπολλωνίας ὁρμήσαντος μετὰ πάσης δυνάμεως, συνέβη τοὺς ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων προαποσταλέντας εὐζώνους ἅμα συμπεσεῖν ἐπί τινας ὑπερβολάς·
And just as Molo was approaching the aforesaid districts and the king was setting out from Apollonia with all his forces, it happened that the light-armed troops sent ahead by both sides clashed at the same time upon certain mountain passes.
οἳ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον συνεπλέκοντο καὶ κατεπείραζον ἀλλήλων, ἐν δὲ τῷ συνάψαι τὰς παρʼ ἀμφοῖν δυνάμεις ἀπέστησαν. καὶ τότε μὲν ἀναχωρήσαντες εἰς τὰς ἰδίας παρεμβολὰς ἐστρατοπέδευσαν τετταράκοντα σταδίους ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων διεστῶτες·
At first they engaged and tested each other’s strength, but when the main forces of both sides approached, they desisted. And on that occasion, retreating to their respective camps, they encamped at a distance of forty stades from each other.
τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης συλλογισάμενος ὁ Μόλων ὡς ἐπισφαλὴς γίνεται καὶ δύσχρηστος τοῖς ἀποστάταις πρὸς τοὺς βασιλεῖς ὁ μεθʼ ἡμέραν καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον κίνδυνος, ἐπεβάλετο νυκτὸς ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον.
When night came on, Molo, reflecting how hazardous and disadvantageous for rebels a conflict by day and face to face against kings becomes, undertook to attack Antiochus’s forces by night.
ἐπιλέξας δὲ τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους καὶ τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ στρατοπέδου περιῄει κατά τινας τόπους, θέλων ἐξ ὑπερδεξίου ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν.
Having selected the most fit and the most vigorous men from the whole army, he went around by certain places, wishing to make the attack from a superior position.
γνοὺς δὲ κατὰ τὴν πορείαν δέκα νεανίσκους ἁθρόους ἀποκεχωρηκότας πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίοχον, ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐπινοίας ἀπέστη, ταχὺ δʼ ἐκ μεταβολῆς ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀποχώρησιν καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ χάρακα περὶ τὴν ἑωθινήν, πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐνέπλησε θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς·
But learning during the march that ten young men had deserted in a body to Antiochus, he abandoned this design, and quickly making his retreat by a change of direction, and arriving at his own camp about dawn, he filled the whole army with noise and confusion;
δείσαντες γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ὕπνων οἱ κατὰ τὸν χάρακα διὰ τὴν τῶν προσιόντων ἔφοδον μικροῦ δεῖν4 ἐξέπεσον ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς.
for those in the camp, being frightened out of their sleep by the sudden approach of those who were coming, came within a little of fleeing from the camp.
Μόλων μὲν οὖν, καθʼ ὅσον ἐδύνατο, κατεπράϋνε τὴν
Molo indeed, therefore, as far as he was able, calmed the...
- 5.52.1πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλπίδας
This prepositional phrase modifies the infinitive μεταβαλέσθαι (to change sides) at the very end of the previous section (§5.51.11). Since it is positioned at the beginning of this chunk, it must be understood in connection with the preceding context.
- 5.52.3ὀγδοαῖοι
The adjective in the nominative plural agrees with the subject, but functions adverbially to indicate time ('on the eighth day').
- 5.52.4μὴ διακλεισθῇ
A μὴ clause introducing a fear after the participle φοβούμενος ('fearing'). It takes the subjunctive passive to express apprehension ('lest he should be shut off').
- 5.52.13μικροῦ δεῖν
An idiomatic expression meaning 'almost' or 'all but', here modifying the following verb ἐξέπεσον ('fled') to indicate they were on the verge of fleeing.