- 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-grc2:5.68.1-5.68.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
As diplomatic negotiations fail and spring approaches, Antiochus and Ptolemy's general Nicolaus initiate military preparations and maneuvers by land and sea for the control of Coele-Syria.
διόπερ ἐπεὶ πρεσβεύοντες μὲν ἅλις εἶχον1 ἀμφότεροι, πέρας δʼ οὐδὲν ἐγίνετο περὶ τὰς συνθήκας, συνῆπτε δὲ τὰ τῆς ἐαρινῆς ὥρας,2 Ἀντίοχος μὲν συνῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις, ὡς εἰσβαλῶν καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν καὶ καταστρεψόμενος τὰ καταλειπόμενα μέρη τῶν ἐν Κοίλῃ Συρίᾳ πραγμάτων, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον ὁλοσχερέστερον ἐπιτρέψαντες τῷ Νικολάῳ χορηγίας τε παρεῖχον εἰς τοὺς κατὰ Γάζαν τόπους δαψιλεῖς καὶ δυνάμεις ἐξέπεμπον πεζικὰς καὶ ναυτικάς.
Therefore, when both parties had had enough of embassies, and no conclusion was reached regarding the treaty, while the spring season was drawing near, Antiochus assembled his forces, with the intention of invading both by land and by sea and of subduing the remaining parts of the affairs in Coele-Syria. On the other hand, Ptolemy’s party, having entrusted the command more entirely to Nicolaus, provided abundant supplies to the districts around Gaza and sent out forces of infantry and navy.
ὧν προσγενομένων3 εὐθαρσῶς ὁ Νικόλαος εἰς τὸν πόλεμον ἐνέβαινε, πρὸς πᾶν τὸ παραγγελλόμενον ἑτοίμως αὐτῷ συνεργοῦντος Περιγένους τοῦ ναυάρχου·
Upon the arrival of these, Nicolaus entered upon the war with good courage, with Perigenes the admiral readily cooperating with him in everything that was commanded;
τοῦτον γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ναυτικῶν δυνάμεων ἐξαπέστειλαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον, ἔχοντα καταφράκτους μὲν ναῦς τριάκοντα, φορτηγοὺς δὲ πλείους τῶν τετρακοσίων.
for Ptolemy’s party had sent him out in command of the naval forces, having thirty decked ships and more than four hundred merchant vessels.
Νικόλαος δὲ τὸ μὲν γένος ὑπῆρχεν Αἰτωλός, τριβὴν δὲ καὶ τόλμαν ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς οὐδενὸς εἶχεν ἐλάττω τῶν παρὰ Πτολεμαίῳ στρατευομένων.
Nicolaus was by birth an Aetolian, and in military experience and daring he was inferior to none of those who served under Ptolemy.
προκαταλαβόμενος δὲ μέρει μέν τινι τὰ κατὰ Πλάτανον στενά, τῇ δὲ λοιπῇ δυνάμει, μεθʼ ἧς αὐτὸς ἦν, τὰ περὶ Πορφυρεῶνα πόλιν, ταύτῃ παρεφύλαττε τὴν εἰσβολὴν τοῦ βασιλέως, ὁμοῦ συνορμούσης αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς ναυτικῆς δυνάμεως.
Having preoccupied the narrow pass of Platanus with a certain part of his forces, and the district around the city of Porphyreon with the remaining force with which he himself was, he watched for the invasion of the king in this place, while the naval force was also anchoring alongside him.
Ἀντίοχος δὲ παρελθὼν εἰς Μάραθον, καὶ παραγενομένων πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἀραδίων ὑπὲρ συμμαχίας, οὐ μόνον προσεδέξατο τὴν συμμαχίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν διαφορὰν τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους κατέπαυσε, διαλύσας τοὺς ἐν τῇ νήσῳ πρὸς τοὺς τὴν ἤπειρον κατοικοῦντας τῶν Ἀραδίων.
Antiochus, having advanced to Marathus, when the Aradians came to him to propose an alliance, not only accepted the alliance, but also put an end to the previous dispute existing among them, reconciling those of the Aradians who dwelt on the island with those who inhabited the mainland.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ποιησάμενος τὴν εἰσβολὴν κατὰ τὸ καλούμενον Θεοῦ πρόσωπον ἧκε πρὸς Βηρυτόν, Βότρυν μὲν ἐν τῇ παρόδῳ καταλαβόμενος, Τριήρη δὲ καὶ Κάλαμον ἐμπρήσας.
After this, having made his invasion by the place called the Face of God, he came to Berytus, having occupied Botrys on his way, and having burned Trieres and Calamus.
ἐντεῦθεν δὲ Νίκαρχον μὲν καὶ Θεόδοτον προαπέστειλε, συντάξας προκαταλαβέσθαι τὰς δυσχωρίας περὶ τὸν Λύκον καλούμενον ποταμόν· αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν προῆλθε καὶ κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὸν Δαμούραν ποταμόν, συμπαραπλέοντος ἅμα καὶ Διογνήτου τοῦ ναυάρχου.
From there he sent on Nicarchus and Theodotus, with orders to preoccupy the difficult passes around the river called Lycus; and he himself, taking up his army, advanced and encamped around the river Damuras, while Diognetus the admiral was sailing along with him.
παραλαβὼν δὲ πάλιν ἐντεῦθεν τούς τε περὶ τὸν Θεόδοτον καὶ Νίκαρχον τοὺς ἐκ τῆς δυνάμεως εὐζώνους, ὥρμησε κατασκεψόμενος τὰς προκατεχομένας ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τὸν Νικόλαον δυσχωρίας.
Taking with him again from there those under Theodotus and Nicarchus, together with the light-armed men of his force, he set out to reconnoitre the narrow passes preoccupied by Nicolaus and his men.
συνθεωρήσας δὲ τὰς τῶν τόπων ἰδιότητας, τότε μὲν ἀνεχώρησε πρὸς τὴν παρεμβολήν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἡμέραν, καταλιπὼν αὐτοῦ τὰ βαρέα τῶν ὅπλων καὶ Νίκαρχον ἐπὶ τούτων, προῆγε μετὰ τῆς λοιπῆς δυ4
Having observed the peculiarities of the terrain, he retired for the moment to his camp, but on the following day, leaving his heavy-armed troops there with Nicarchus in command of them, he advanced with the rest of his forces.
- 5.68.1πρεσβεύοντες μὲν ἅλις εἶχον
The adverb ἅλις with ἔχω and the participle πρεσβεύοντες forms a construction meaning 'to have had enough of doing' or 'to have sufficiently finished' diplomatic negotiations.
- 5.68.1συνῆπτε δὲ τὰ τῆς ἐαρινῆς ὥρας
The verb συνάπτω is used here intransitively to mean 'to draw near' or 'approach'. The subject τὰ τῆς ἐαρινῆς ὥρας is a neuter plural referring to the spring season.
- 5.68.3ὧν προσγενομένων
The relative pronoun ὧν refers back to the 'forces' (δυνάμεις) in the preceding sentence, forming a genitive absolute construction with the participle (meaning 'when these had joined').
- 5.68.11προῆγε μετὰ τῆς λοιπῆς δυ
The letters δυ at the end of the text are due to a lacuna in the manuscript and must be understood in context as the truncated form of the word δυνάμεως (forces).