- 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-grc2:5.69.1-5.69.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Antiochus divides his forces into three to attack the narrow pass at the foot of Lebanon, succeeds in breaking through Nicolaus' defence line thanks to Theodotus' maneuver, and forces the enemy to retreat to Sidon.
νάμεως1 ἐπὶ τὴν προκειμένην χρείαν. τῆς δὲ κατὰ τὸν Λίβανον παρωρείας κατὰ τοὺς τόπους τούτους συγκλειούσης τὴν παραλίαν εἰς στενὸν καὶ βραχὺν τόπον, συμβαίνει καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν ῥάχει δυσβάτῳ καὶ τραχείᾳ διεζῶσθαι, στενὴν δὲ καὶ δυσχερῆ παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν θάλατταν ἀπολειπούσῃ2 πάροδον.
... [for]ce for the work before him. As the foot-hills of Lebanon in these parts coop up the shore into a narrow and small space, it happens that this very place is girdled by a difficult and rugged ridge, leaving a narrow and difficult pass close by the sea itself.
ἐφʼ ᾗ3 τότε Νικόλαος παρεμβεβληκώς, καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῷ τῶν ἀνδρῶν πλήθει προκατειληφὼς τόπους, τοὺς δὲ ταῖς χειροποιήτοις κατασκευαῖς διησφαλισμένος, ῥᾳδίως ἐπέπειστο κωλύσειν τῆς εἰσόδου τὸν Ἀντίοχον.
On this pass Nicolaus had then encamped, and having preoccupied some parts with the multitude of his men, and secured others with artificial works, he was easily persuaded that he would prevent Antiochus from entering.
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διελὼν εἰς τρία μέρη τὴν δύναμιν τὸ μὲν ἓν Θεοδότῳ παρέδωκε, προστάξας συμπλέκεσθαι καὶ βιάζεσθαι παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν παρώρειαν τοῦ Λιβάνου, τὸ δʼ ἕτερον Μενεδήμῳ, διὰ πλειόνων ἐντειλάμενος κατὰ μέσην πειράζειν τὴν ῥάχιν·
But the king, having divided his forces into three parts, gave one to Theodotus, commanding him to engage and force his way close by the foot-hills of Lebanon, and the second to Menedemus, instructing him with more detailed orders to make an attempt along the middle of the ridge;
τὸ δὲ τρίτον πρὸς θάλατταν ἀπένειμε, Διοκλέα τὸν στρατηγὸν τῆς Παραποταμίας ἡγεμόνα συστήσας.
and the third he assigned to the sea-side, establishing Diocles, the general of Parapotamia, as its commander.
αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῆς θεραπείας εἶχε τὸν μέσον τόπον, πάντα βουλόμενος ἐποπτεύειν καὶ παντὶ τῷ δεομένῳ παραβοηθεῖν.
He himself, with his bodyguard, occupied the middle position, wishing to oversee everything and to bring aid to any part that needed it.
ἅμα δὲ τούτοις ἐξηρτυμένοι παρενέβαλον εἰς ναυμαχίαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Διόγνητον καὶ Περιγένην, συνάπτοντες κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν τῇ γῇ καὶ πειρώμενοι ποιεῖν ὡς ἂν εἰ4 μίαν ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς πεζομαχίας καὶ ναυμαχίας.
At the same time, those under Diognetus and Perigenes, prepared for battle, put to sea for a naval engagement, drawing as close as possible to the land and trying to make, as it were, a single scene of the land-battle and sea-fight.
πάντων δὲ ποιησαμένων ἀφʼ ἑνὸς σημείου καὶ παραγγέλματος ἑνὸς τὰς προσβολάς, ἡ μὲν ναυμαχία πάρισον εἶχε τὸν κίνδυνον διὰ τὸ καὶ τῷ πλήθει καὶ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς παραπλήσιον εἶναι τὸ παρʼ ἀμφοῖν ναυτικόν, τῶν δὲ πεζῶν τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπεκράτουν οἱ τοῦ Νικολάου, συγχρώμενοι ταῖς τῶν τόπων ὀχυρότησι, ταχὺ δὲ τῶν περὶ τὸν Θεόδοτον ἐκβιασαμένων τοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ παρωρείᾳ, κἄπειτα ποιουμένων ἐξ ὑπερδεξίου τὴν ἔφοδον, τραπέντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Νικόλαον ἔφευγον προτροπάδην ἅπαντες.
When all made their attacks at a single signal and a single command, the naval battle presented an equal danger, because the fleet on both sides was very similar both in numbers and in equipment, but as for the infantry, at first those under Nicolaus had the upper hand, making use of the strength of the positions; but when those under Theodotus quickly forced back the enemy on the foot-hills, and then made their attack from higher ground, Nicolaus and his men turned and all fled headlong.
κατὰ δὲ τὴν φυγὴν ἔπεσον μὲν αὐτῶν εἰς δισχιλίους, ζωγρίᾳ δʼ ἑάλωσαν οὐκ ἐλάττους τούτων· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες ἀπεχώρησαν ἐπὶ Σιδῶνος.
In the flight about two thousand of them fell, and no fewer than these were taken alive; and all the rest retreated to Sidon.
ὁ δὲ Περιγένης, ἐπικυδέστερος ὢν ταῖς ἐλπίσι κατὰ τὴν ναυμαχίαν, συνθεωρήσας τὸ κατὰ τοὺς πεζοὺς ἐλάττωμα καὶ διατραπείς, ἀσφαλῶς ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἀποχώρησιν εἰς τοὺς αὐτοὺς τόπους.
Perigenes, though he had been more glorious in his hopes during the naval battle, having observed the defeat of the infantry and being disheartened, made his retreat in safety to the same places.
- 5.69.1νάμεως
Connects with the incomplete word "δυ-" at the end of the previous chunk to form "δυνάμεως" (force, genitive).
- 5.69.1ἀπολειπούσῃ
A present participle in the dative feminine singular, modifying the preceding dative noun "ῥάχει" (ridge).
- 5.69.2ἐφʼ ᾗ
The antecedent of the relative pronoun "ᾗ" (dative feminine singular) is "πάροδον" (pass) at the end of the preceding sentence.
- 5.69.7ὡς ἂν εἰ
An idiomatic expression meaning "as if" or "as though" introducing a hypothetical comparison.