- 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-grc2:8.13.1-8.13.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Philip marches to capture Lissus and Acrolissus, and after reconnoitering the terrain, decides to bypass the impregnable Acrolissus and plans a stratagem using the space between the city and the citadel, hiding his light-armed troops.
πάλαι δὲ τῇ διανοίᾳ περὶ τὸν Λίσσον καὶ τὸν Ἀκρόλισσον ὤν, καὶ σπουδάζων ἐγκρατὴς γενέσθαι τῶν τόπων τούτων, ὥρμησε μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως· ποιησάμενος δὲ τὴν πορείαν ἐπὶ δύʼ ἡμέρας, καὶ διελθὼν τὰ στενά, κατέζευξε παρὰ τὸν Ἀρδάξανον ποταμόν, οὐ μακρὰν τῆς πόλεως.
Having long had Lissus and Acrolissus in his mind, and being eager to make himself master of these places, he set out with his army; and having marched for two days, and passed through the pass, he encamped by the river Ardaxanus, not far from the city.
θεωρῶν δὲ τόν τε τοῦ Λίσσου περίβολον καὶ τὰ πρὸς τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὴν μεσόγαιον ἠσφαλισμένον διαφερόντως καὶ φύσει καὶ κατασκευῇ, τόν τε παρακείμενον Ἀκρόλισσον αὐτῷ καὶ διὰ τὴν εἰς ὕψος ἀνάτασιν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἄλλην ἐρυμνότητα τοιαύτην ἔχοντα φαντασίαν ὥστε μηδʼ ἂν ἐλπίσαι1 μηδένα κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν, τῆς μὲν περὶ τοῦτον ἐλπίδος ἀπέστη τελέως, τῆς δὲ πόλεως οὐ λίαν ἀπήλπισε.
Observing that the circuit wall of Lissus, both on the side of the sea and on the side of the inland, was exceptionally well secured both by nature and by art, and that the adjacent Acrolissus presented such an appearance, owing to its towering height and its general steepness, that no one could even hope to take it by storm, he completely abandoned his hope regarding the latter, but did not altogether despair of the city.
συνθεωρήσας δὲ τὸ μεταξὺ διάστημα τοῦ Λίσσου καὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκρόλισσον πρόποδος σύμμετρον ὑπάρχον πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τὴν κατὰ τῆς πόλεως, κατὰ τοῦτο διενοήθη συστησάμενος ἀκροβολισμὸν χρήσασθαι στρατηγήματι πρὸς τὸ παρὸν οἰκείῳ.
Having observed that the intervening distance between Lissus and the foot of Acrolissus was well suited for an attempt upon the city, he resolved to arrange a skirmish at this point and employ a stratagem suitable to the present circumstances.
δοὺς δὲ μίαν ἡμέραν πρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν τοῖς Μακεδόσι, καὶ παρακαλέσας ἐν αὐτῇ τὰ πρέποντα τῷ καιρῷ, τὸ μὲν πολὺ μέρος καὶ χρησιμώτατον τῶν εὐζώνων ἔτι νυκτὸς εἴς τινας φάραγγας ὑλώδεις ἔκρυψε κατὰ τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς μεσογαίου τόπον ὑπὲρ τὸ προειρημένον διάστημα, τοὺς δὲ πελταστὰς εἰς τὴν ἐπαύριον ἔχων καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν μέρος τῶν εὐζώνων ἐπὶ θάτερα τῆς πόλεως κατὰ θάλατταν ἐχρῆτο τῇ πορείᾳ.
Having allowed the Macedonians one day for rest, and having encouraged them during it with words suitable to the occasion, he hid the greater and most efficient part of his light-armed troops, while it was still night, in certain wooded ravines in the inland region above the aforementioned distance, and on the following day, keeping the peltasts and the rest of the light-armed troops with him, he made his march along the sea on the other side of the city.
περιελθὼν δὲ τὴν πόλιν, καὶ γενόμενος κατὰ τὸν προειρημένον τόπον, δῆλος ἦν ὡς2 ταύτῃ ποιησόμενος τὴν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἀνάβασιν.
Having gone round the city and arrived at the aforementioned place, he made it clear that he intended to make his ascent to the city from this side.
οὐκ ἀγνοουμένης δὲ τῆς τοῦ Φιλίππου παρουσίας ἦν πλῆθος ἱκανὸν ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς πέριξ Ἰλλυρίδος εἰς τὸν Λίσσον ἡθροισμένον·
As Philip’s presence was not unknown, a sufficient force from all the surrounding Illyrian territory had assembled in Lissus;
τῷ μὲν γὰρ Ἀκρολίσσῳ διὰ τὴν ὀχυρότητα πιστεύοντες μετρίαν3
for trusting in Acrolissus on account of its strength, they had placed but a moderate...
- 8.13.3ὥστε μηδʼ ἂν ἐλπίσαι
The infinitive with ἄν (ἂν ἐλπίσαι) in the ὥστε clause represents the potential optative (ἂν ἐλπίσειέ τις, 'no one would hope'), expressing a hypothetical result.
- 8.13.7δῆλος ἦν ὡς
A personal construction with the adjective δῆλος (literally, 'he was manifest as intending to...'), which is functionally equivalent to an impersonal construction ('it was clear that he intended to...'). The particle ὡς with the future participle (ποιησόμενος) denotes his subjective intention or a feigned purpose.
- 8.13.9μετρίαν
A feminine accusative singular adjective. The surviving text breaks off here; syntactically, it must have modified a feminine accusative singular noun (such as φυλακήν, 'garrison' or 'guard') that is now lost.