- 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-grc2:5.63.1-5.63.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Agathocles and Sosibius devise a plan to gain time through negotiations with Antiochus, involving various foreign embassies as mediators to secure time for war preparations. Meanwhile, they recall mercenaries from abroad and appoint experienced commanders to organize and train their forces.
παρασκευάς. λοιπὸν δὲ συνεδρεύσαντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ Σωσίβιον, οἱ τότε προεστῶτες τῆς βασιλείας, ἐκ τῶν ἐνδεχομένων τὸ δυνατὸν ἔλαβον1 πρὸς τὸ παρόν.
Under these circumstances, Agathocles and Sosibius, who were then in charge of the kingdom, held a council and, from what was possible, took the best course of action for the present.
ἐβουλεύσαντο γὰρ γίνεσθαι μὲν περὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευήν, ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ διαπρεσβευόμενοι κατεκλύειν τὸν Ἀντίοχον, συνεργοῦντες κατὰ τὴν ἔμφασιν τῇ προϋπαρχούσῃ περὶ αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Πτολεμαίου διαλήψει·
For they resolved to busy themselves with the preparations for war, but in the meantime, by sending embassies, to pacify Antiochus, cooperative in appearance with the pre-existing opinion he held about Ptolemy.
αὕτη δʼ ἦν ὡς πολεμεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἂν τολμήσαντος,2 διὰ λόγου δὲ καὶ τῶν φίλων διδάξοντος καὶ πείσοντος αὐτὸν ἀποστῆναι τῶν κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν τόπων.
And this opinion was that he would not dare to go to war, but would, through negotiations and his friends, try to instruct and persuade him to withdraw from the regions of Coele-Syria.
κριθέντων δὲ τούτων οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀγαθοκλέα καὶ Σωσίβιον ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ταχθέντες ἐξέπεμπον ἐπιμελῶς τὰς πρεσβείας πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίοχον.
These things having been decided, Agathocles and Sosibius, appointed to this task, carefully dispatched embassies to Antiochus.
ἅμα δὲ διαπεμψάμενοι πρός τε Ῥοδίους καὶ Βυζαντίους καὶ Κυζικηνούς, σὺν δὲ τούτοις Αἰτωλούς, ἐπεσπάσαντο πρεσβείας ἐπὶ τὰς διαλύσεις.
At the same time, they sent messages to the Rhodians, the Byzantines, and the Cyzicenes, and along with these to the Aetolians, urging them to send embassies for mediation.
αἳ καὶ παραγενόμεναι μεγάλας αὐτοῖς ἔδοσαν ἀφορμάς, διαπρεσβευόμεναι πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς βασιλεῖς, εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν ἀναστροφὴν καὶ χρόνον πρὸς τὰς τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευάς.
These embassies, upon arriving, provided them with great opportunities, as they traveled back and forth between both kings, for gaining a respite and time for the preparations for war.
ταύταις τε δὴ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐχρημάτιζον ἐν τῇ Μέμφει προκαθήμενοι, παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀντίοχον ἀπεδέχοντο, φιλανθρώπως ποιούμενοι τὰς ἀπαντήσεις.
Based in Memphis, they held continuous audience with these envoys, and in like manner received those from Antiochus, making friendly responses.
ἀνεκαλοῦντο δὲ καὶ συνήθροιζον εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν τοὺς μισθοφόρους τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἔξω πόλεσιν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν μισθοδοτουμένους.
They also recalled and assembled in Alexandria the mercenaries who were kept in their pay in the foreign cities.
ἐξαπέστελλον δὲ καὶ ξενολόγους καὶ παρεσκεύαζον τοῖς προϋπάρχουσι καὶ τοῖς παραγινομένοις τὰς σιταρχίας.
They dispatched recruiting officers, and prepared provisions for both the existing soldiers and those who were arriving.
ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν λοιπὴν ἐγίνοντο παρασκευήν, ἀνὰ μέρος καὶ συνεχῶς διατρέχοντες εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ἵνα μηδὲν ἐλλίπῃ τῶν χορηγιῶν πρὸς τὰς προκειμένας ἐπιβολάς.
In like manner, they were occupied with the rest of the preparations, visiting Alexandria by turns and continuously, so that nothing of the supplies should be lacking for the undertakings before them.
τὴν δὲ περὶ τὰ ὅπλα κατασκευὴν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκλογὴν καὶ διαίρεσιν Ἐχεκράτει τῷ Θετταλῷ καὶ Φοξίδᾳ τῷ Μελιταιεῖ παρέδοσαν, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις Εὐρυλόχῳ τῷ Μάγνητι καὶ Σωκράτει τῷ Βοιωτίῳ· σὺν οἷς ἦν καὶ Κνωπίας Ἀλλαριώτης.
The preparation of arms, and the selection and division of the men, they entrusted to Echecrates of Thessaly and Phoxidas of Melitea, and along with them to Eurylochus of Magnesia and Socrates of Boeotia, with whom was also Cnopias of Allaria.
εὐκαιρότατα γὰρ δὴ τούτων ἐπελάβοντο τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἵτινες ἔτι Δημητρίῳ καὶ Ἀντιγόνῳ συστρατευόμενοι κατὰ ποσὸν ἔννοιαν εἶχον τῆς ἀληθείας3 καὶ καθόλου τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις χρείας.
For they had engaged these men most opportunely, who, having served under Demetrius and Antigonus, had a considerable understanding of actual warfare and of service in the field in general.
οὗτοι δὲ παραλαβόντες τὸ πλῆθος ἐνδεχομένως ἐχείριζον καὶ στρατιωτικῶς.
These men, taking charge of the multitude, managed them as efficiently and soldierly as possible.
- 5.63.1ἐκ τῶν ἐνδεχομένων τὸ δυνατὸν ἔλαβον
An idiomatic expression meaning "to take the best course of action possible under the circumstances" (literally, "to take what is possible out of the available options").
- 5.63.3ὡς πολεμεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἂν τολμήσαντος
A genitive absolute construction introduced by the conjunction ὡς, with the logical subject (Ptolemy) omitted. The particle ἂν goes with the participle τολμήσαντος to express potentiality or likelihood ("that he would not dare to go to war").
- 5.63.13ἔννοιαν εἶχον τῆς ἀληθείας
The noun ἀλήθεια, which usually means "truth," is used here in a military context to denote "actual warfare" or "real combat." Thus, the whole phrase means "they had an understanding of real fighting (as opposed to mere theory)."