- 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-grc2:5.93.1-5.93.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Aratus intervened in Megalopolis to reconcile its citizens, who, in the aftermath of their city's destruction by Cleomenes, were severely divided over rebuilding plans, land redistribution, and the laws of Prytanis.
ταῦτα δʼ ἁρμοσάμενος διέλυε τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας πρὸς αὑτοὺς κατὰ τὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν δόγμα.
Having arranged these matters, he proceeded to reconcile the Megalopolitans among themselves in accordance with the decree of the Achaeans.
συνέβαινε γὰρ τούτους προσφάτως ὑπὸ Κλεομένους ἐπταικότας τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον1 ἐκ θεμελίων ἐσφαλμένους πολλῶν μὲν ἐπιδεῖσθαι, πάντων δὲ σπανίζειν·
For it happened that, having recently suffered a blow to their city by Cleomenes and, as the saying goes, having been utterly overthrown from its foundations, they were in need of many things, indeed lacked everything.
τοῖς μὲν γὰρ φρονήμασιν ἔμενον, ταῖς δὲ χορηγίαις καὶ κοινῇ καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν πρὸς πᾶν ἀδυνάτως εἶχον.
For while they remained firm in their spirit, in their resources both public and private they were powerless for everything.
διόπερ ἦν ἀμφισβητήσεως, φιλοτιμίας, ὀργῆς τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις πάντα πλήρη· τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι καὶ περὶ τὰ κοινὰ πράγματα καὶ περὶ τοὺς κατʼ ἰδίαν βίους, ὅταν ἐλλίπωσιν αἱ χορηγίαι τὰς ἑκάστων ἐπιβολάς.
Therefore everything was full of dispute, rivalry, and mutual anger; for this is wont to happen both in public affairs and in private lives, whenever resources fall short of each person’s undertakings.
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἠμφισβήτουν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τειχισμοῦ τῆς πόλεως, φάσκοντες οἱ μὲν συνάγειν αὐτὴν δεῖν καὶ ποιεῖν τηλικαύτην ἡλίκην καὶ τειχίζειν ἐπιβαλλόμενοι καθίξονται2 καὶ φυλάττειν καιροῦ περιστάντος δυνήσονται· καὶ γὰρ νῦν παρὰ τὸ μέγεθος αὐτῆς καὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν ἐσφάλθαι.
First of all, they were disputing over the fortification of the city, some asserting that they ought to contract it and make it of such a size that they would succeed in both undertaking to fortify it and being able to guard it when a critical moment arose; for, they said, even recently they had met with disaster because of its vast size and lack of defenders.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις εἰσφέρειν ᾤοντο δεῖν τοὺς κτηματικοὺς τὸ τρίτον μέρος τῆς γῆς εἰς τὴν τῶν προσλαμβανομένων οἰκητόρων ἀναπλήρωσιν.
In addition to this, they thought that the landowners ought to contribute a third part of their land for the replenishment of additional settlers.
οἱ δʼ οὔτε τὴν πόλιν ἐλάττω ποιεῖν ὑπέμενον οὔτε τὸ τρίτον τῶν κτήσεων εὐδόκουν εἰσφέρειν μέρος.
But the others would neither submit to making the city smaller, nor did they consent to contribute a third part of their possessions.
μάλιστά τε τῶν νόμων ὑπὸ Πρυτάνιδος γεγραμμένων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐφιλονείκουν, ὃν ἔδωκε μὲν αὐτοῖς νομοθέτην Ἀντίγονος, ἦν δὲ3 τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκ τοῦ Περιπάτου καὶ ταύτης τῆς αἱρέσεως.
And they were especially in bitter dispute with each other concerning the laws written by Prytanis, whom Antigonus had given to them as a legislator, and who was one of the distinguished men from the Peripatos and of that school.
τοιαύτης δʼ οὔσης τῆς ἀμφισβητήσεως ποιησάμενος Ἄρατος τὴν ἐνδεχομένην ἐπιστροφὴν κατέπαυσε τὴν φιλοτιμίαν αὐτῶν.
Such being the dispute, Aratus, by giving the matter appropriate attention, put an end to their rivalry.
ἐφʼ οἷς4 δʼ ἔληξαν τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφορᾶς, γράψαντες εἰς στήλην παρὰ τὸν τῆς Ἑστίας ἀνέθεσαν βωμὸν ἐν Ὁμαρίῳ.
And the terms on which they ended their mutual dispute, they inscribed on a stele and set up beside the altar of Hestia in the Homarium.
- 5.93.2τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον
A parenthetical accusative of specification used adverbially, meaning 'as the saying goes' or 'as they say'. It introduces the metaphorical and proverbial expression 'from the foundations' (ek themelion) that follows.
- 5.93.5καθίξονται
Future tense of the verb 'kathikneomai' (to reach, attain, or succeed). Combined with the participle 'epiballomenoi' (undertaking), it indicates that they would successfully accomplish their undertaking (of building the walls).
- 5.93.8ὃν ἔδωκε μὲν αὐτοῖς νομοθέτην Ἀντίγονος, ἦν δὲ
The relative pronoun (accusative) serves as the direct object of the verb in the first clause. In the subsequent clause introduced by the conjunction, grammar would strictly require a nominative pronoun to act as the subject, but the pronoun is shared without case adjustment.
- 5.93.10ἐφʼ οἷς
A preposition with the relative pronoun in the dative case. The antecedent is omitted, forming a formulaic expression meaning 'on the conditions that' or 'on the terms under which'.