- 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-grc2:5.80.1-5.80.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The armies of Ptolemy and Antiochus advance and camp near Raphia, initially remaining at a distance, but frequent skirmishes break out once Antiochus moves his camp closer to Ptolemy's lines.
Πτολεμαῖος δὲ ποιησάμενος τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ Πηλουσίου, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει κατέζευξε, προσαναλαβὼν δὲ τοὺς ἐφελκομένους1 καὶ σιτομετρήσας τὴν δύναμιν ἐκίνει, καὶ προῆγε ποιούμενος τὴν πορείαν παρὰ τὸ Κάσιον καὶ τὰ Βάραθρα καλούμενα διὰ τῆς ἀνύδρου.
Ptolemy, having made his march towards Pelusium, first of all pitched his camp in this city. Then, taking up the stragglers and distributing rations to his army, he set them in motion and advanced, making his way past Mount Casius and the places called the Barathra (Pits), through the waterless desert.
διανύσας δʼ ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον πεμπταῖος,2 κατεστρατοπέδευσε πεντήκοντα σταδίους ἀποσχὼν Ῥαφίας, ἣ κεῖται μετὰ Ῥινοκόλουρα πρώτη τῶν κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν πόλεων ὡς πρὸς τὴν Αἴγυπτον.
Accomplishing his journey to his destination on the fifth day, he encamped at a distance of fifty stades from Raphia, which lies next after Rhinocolura and is the first of the cities of Coele-Syria on the side of Egypt.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Ἀντίοχος ἧκε τὴν δύναμιν ἔχων, παραγενόμενος δʼ εἰς Γάζαν καὶ προσαναλαβὼν ἐνταῦθα τὴν δύναμιν αὖθις προῄει βάδην. καὶ παραλλάξας τὴν προειρημένην πόλιν3 κατεστρατοπέδευσε νυκτός, ἀποσχὼν τῶν ὑπεναντίων ὡς δέκα σταδίους.
At the very same time Antiochus arrived with his army, and coming to Gaza and taking up his forces there, he again advanced at a slow pace. Having passed the aforementioned city, he encamped by night, at a distance of about ten stades from the enemy.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ διαστήματι γεγονότες ἀντεστρατοπέδευον ἀλλήλοις·
At first, then, being at this distance, they remained encamped opposite to one another.
μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέρας Ἀντίοχος, ἅμα τόπον βουλόμενος εὐφυέστερον μεταλαβεῖν καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἐμποιῆσαι θάρσος, προσεστρατοπέδευσε τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον, ὥστε μὴ πλεῖον τῶν πέντε σταδίων τοὺς χάρακας ἀπέχειν4 ἀλλήλων.
But after a few days Antiochus, wishing at once to occupy a more advantageous position and to inspire courage in his forces, moved his camp close to that of Ptolemy, so that their ramparts were not more than five stades apart from each other.
ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ περί τε τὰς ὑδρείας καὶ προνομὰς ἐγίνοντο συμπλοκαὶ πλείους, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ μεταξὺ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἀκροβολισμοὶ συνίσταντο, ποτὲ μὲν ἱππέων, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ πεζῶν.
During this time, numerous skirmishes took place over water-carrying and foraging, and likewise between the camps minor engagements occurred, sometimes of cavalry and sometimes also of infantry.
- 5.80.2τοὺς ἐφελκομένους
A substantival present middle/passive participle meaning 'those dragged along behind'. It refers to the stragglers, non-combatants, or baggage train who were falling behind the main body of the marching army.
- 5.80.3πεμπταῖος
An adjective meaning 'on the fifth day', functioning predicatively to agree with the subject, Ptolemy. In Greek, adjectives indicating time or days are regularly used in agreement with the subject to express adverbial time relations.
- 5.80.4προειρημένην πόλιν
Although two cities, Gaza and Raphia, have been mentioned just before, the context of Antiochus arriving at Gaza (παραγενόμενος δʼ εἰς Γάζαν), organizing his forces there, and then advancing (προῄει) indicates that the 'aforementioned city' which he passed (παραλλάξας) is Gaza.
- 5.80.6ὥστε μὴ πλεῖον τῶν πέντε σταδίων τοὺς χάρακας ἀπέχειν
A consecutive clause introduced by ὥστε with the infinitive ἀπέχειν. Its subject is the accusative τοὺς χάρακας (the ramparts). μὴ πλεῖον τῶν πέντε σταδίων uses the comparative to express a limit of distance, meaning 'not more than five stades apart.'