- 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-grc2:9.11a.1-9.11a.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
It records that Rome, suffering from a severe food shortage, sought aid from Ptolemy, details the extreme price inflation of the time, and notes that despite the crisis, they did not neglect their military preparations.
ὅτι1 οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι πρεσβευτὰς ἐξαπέστειλαν πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον, βουλόμενοι σίτῳ χορηγηθῆναι διὰ τὸ μεγάλην εἶναι παρʼ αὐτοῖς σπάνιν, ὡς ἂν τοῦ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἅπαντος ἐφθαρμένου2 μέχρι τῶν τῆς Ῥώμης πυλῶν, ἔξωθεν δὲ μὴ γενομένης ἐπικουρίας, ἅτε κατὰ πάντα τὰ μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης πολέμων ἐνεστώτων καὶ στρατοπέδων παρακαθημένων, πλὴν τῶν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον τόπων.
That the Romans dispatched envoys to Ptolemy, wishing to be supplied with corn, because there was a great scarcity among them, inasmuch as the whole of the crops throughout Italy had been destroyed by the armies right up to the gates of Rome, and no assistance was forthcoming from outside, since wars were raging and armies were encamped in all parts of the inhabited world, except for the regions of Egypt.
εἰς γὰρ τοσοῦτον κατὰ τὴν Ῥώμην προεβεβήκει τὰ τῆς ἐνδείας ὥστε τὸν Σικελικὸν μέδιμνον πεντεκαίδεκα δραχμῶν3 ὑπάρχειν.
For the state of scarcity at Rome had reached such a pitch that a Sicilian medimnus was at the price of fifteen drachmae.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως τοιαύτης οὔσης τῆς περιστάσεως οὐκ ἠμέλουν τῶν πολεμικῶν. —
But nevertheless, although such was the crisis, they did not neglect their military affairs. —
- 9.11a.1ὅτι
A declarative 'that'-clause typical of excerpts, lacking a main verb and introducing a summary of events. Translated as 'That...'
- 9.11a.2ὡς ἂν τοῦ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ... ἐφθαρμένου
A genitive absolute construction introduced by ὡς ἄν, denoting the reason or circumstances as perceived. τοῦ ... ἅπαντος either refers back to σῖτος ('the whole of the crops') or functions as a neuter ('everything/the whole area of Italy').
- 9.11a.3πεντεκαίδεκα δραχμῶν
A genitive of price/value qualifying the infinitive ὑπάρχειν, meaning 'to be at the price of fifteen drachmae'.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)
- 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1