- 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-grc2:5.87.1-5.87.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Following his defeat, Antiochus sues for peace due to domestic instability and fear of Achaeus, while Ptolemy, guided by his habitual indolence, accepts a one-year truce and returns to Alexandria, prompting Antiochus to prepare for an expedition against Achaeus.
Ἀντίοχος δὲ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν ἐπώνυμον αὑτοῦ πόλιν εὐθέως ἐξέπεμψε τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον1 τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν καὶ Θεόδοτον τὸν ἡμιόλιον πρεσβευτὰς πρὸς τὸν Πτολεμαῖον ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης καὶ διαλύσεως, ἀγωνιῶν τὴν τῶν ὑπεναντίων ἔφοδον·
Antiochus, arriving at the city named after himself, immediately dispatched the embassy of his nephew Antipater and Theodotus Hemiolius to Ptolemy to treat for peace and reconciliation, as he was anxious about an invasion by the enemy.
ἠπίστει μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ὄχλοις διὰ τὸ γεγονὸς ἐλάττωμα περὶ αὐτόν, ἐφοβεῖτο δὲ τὸν Ἀχαιὸν μὴ συνεπίθηται2 τοῖς καιροῖς.
For he distrusted the masses on account of the defeat he had suffered, and was afraid that Achaeus might take advantage of the opportunity to attack him.
Πτολεμαῖος δὲ τούτων οὐδὲν συλλογιζόμενος, ἀλλʼ ἀσμενίζων ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι προτερήματι διὰ τὸ παράδοξον καὶ συλλήβδην ἐπὶ τῷ Κοίλην Συρίαν ἐκτῆσθαι3 παραδόξως, οὐκ ἀλλότριος ἦν τῆς ἡσυχίας, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ τὸ δέον οἰκεῖος, ἑλκόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς συνήθους ἐν τῷ βίῳ ῥᾳθυμίας καὶ καχεξίας.
But Ptolemy, taking none of these things into consideration, and on the contrary rejoicing at the success that had occurred because of its unexpectedness, and in short at having acquired Coele-Syria beyond all expectation, was far from being averse to peace; rather, he was more than reasonably eager for it, being dragged down by the habit of indolence and luxury in his private life.
πλὴν παραγενομένων τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον, βραχέα προσαναταθεὶς καὶ καταμεμψάμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις τὸν Ἀντίοχον, συνεχώρησε σπονδὰς ἐνιαυσίους.
Nevertheless, when Antipater’s embassy arrived, after uttering a few threats and censuring Antiochus for what he had done, he granted a one-year truce.
καὶ τούτοις μὲν ἐπικυρώσοντα4 τὰς διαλύσεις συνεξαπέστειλε Σωσίβιον, αὐτὸς δὲ διατρίψας ἐπὶ τρεῖς μῆνας ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην τόποις καὶ καταστησάμενος τὰς πόλεις, μετὰ ταῦτα καταλιπὼν τὸν Ἀνδρόμαχον τὸν Ἀσπένδιον στρατηγὸν ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν προειρημένων τόπων ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς καὶ τῶν φίλων ἐπʼ Ἀλεξανδρείας, παράδοξον τοῖς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ λοιποῦ βίου προαίρεσιν τέλος ἐπιτεθεικὼς τῷ πολέμῳ.5
And with them he dispatched Sosibius to ratify the treaty, while he himself, after spending three months in the districts of Syria and Phoenicia and settling the affairs of the cities, thereafter left Andromachus of Aspendus as governor over all the aforementioned places, and set out with his sister and his friends for Alexandria, having thus put an end to the war in a manner unexpected to his subjects, but in harmony with the purpose of the rest of his life.
Ἀντίοχος δὲ τὰ περὶ τὰς σπονδὰς ἀσφαλισάμενος πρὸς τὸν Σωσίβιον, ἐγίνετο κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν περὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀχαιὸν παρασκευήν. τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
Antiochus, having secured the terms of the treaty with Sosibius, occupied himself, in accordance with his original intention, with preparations against Achaeus. Such was the state of affairs in Asia.
- 5.87.1τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀντίπατρον
A common Greek idiom meaning 'Antipater and his companions' or 'Antipater and his entourage', here referring to the whole embassy headed by Antipater himself.
- 5.87.2μὴ συνεπίθηται
Subjunctive (aorist middle, third-person singular) introduced by the verb of fearing ἐφοβεῖτο, forming a subordinate clause of apprehension ('fearing lest he should attack...').
- 5.87.3ἐπὶ τῷ ... ἐκτῆσθαι
An articular infinitive construction with the dative article τῷ and the perfect infinitive ἐκτῆσθαι (from κτάομαι) governed by the preposition ἐπί, expressing cause ('on account of having acquired').
- 5.87.5ἐπικυρώσοντα
Future active participle in the accusative masculine singular, agreeing with the direct object Σωσίβιον, used with a verb of sending (συνεξαπέστειλε) to express purpose ('in order to ratify').
- 5.87.7παράδοξον ... τέλος ἐπιτεθεικὼς τῷ πολέμῳ
The direct object of the perfect active participle ἐπιτεθεικὼς is τέλος, which is modified by παράδοξον. The prepositional phrase with πρός qualifies the 'end' (τέλος) as being in accordance with the choice of the rest of his life, emphasizing that the peace was unexpected to his subjects but consistent with his own personal character.