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Polybius · The Histories §1.8.1-1.8.5

Decline of the Mamertines and the Rise of Hiero

Passage 8 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This chunk describes how the Mamertines were driven back by the Syracusans after losing Roman support, and how the young Hiero was appointed general by the Syracusan army and won the favor of the citizens through his moderate rule.

§1.8.1οἱ δὲ Μαμερτῖνοι — τοῦτο γὰρ τοὔνομα κυριεύσαντες οἱ Καμπανοὶ τῆς Μεσσήνης προσηγόρευσαν σφᾶς αὐτούς — ἕως μὲν συνεχρῶντο τῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων συμμαχίᾳ τῶν τὸ Ῥήγιον κατασχόντων, οὐ μόνον τῆς ἑαυτῶν πόλεως καὶ χώρας ἀσφαλῶς κατεκράτουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῆς συνορούσης οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε παρηνώχλουν τοῖς τε Καρχηδονίοις καὶ τοῖς Συρακοσίοις καὶ πολλὰ μέρη τῆς Σικελίας ἐφορολόγουν.
The Mamertines—for this was the name which the Campanians who seized Messene gave themselves—as long as they enjoyed the alliance of the Romans who had occupied Rhegium, not only held secure possession of their own city and territory, but also caused no small trouble to both the Carthaginians and the Syracusans regarding the bordering territory, and levied tribute on many parts of Sicily.
§1.8.2ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐστερήθησαν τῆς προειρημένης ἐπικουρίας, συγκλεισθέντων τῶν τὸ Ῥήγιον κατεχόντων εἰς τὴν πολιορκίαν, παρὰ πόδας ὑπὸ τῶν Συρακοσίων αὐτοὶ πάλιν συνεδιώχθησαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν διά τινας τοιαύτας αἰτίας.
But when they were deprived of the aforesaid assistance, owing to those who held Rhegium being shut up in the siege, they themselves in turn were immediately driven back into the city by the Syracusans for some such reasons as follow.
§1.8.3χρόνοις οὐ πολλοῖς πρότερον αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν Συρακοσίων διενεχθεῖσαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ διατρίβουσαι περὶ τὴν Μεργάνην κατέστησαν ἐξ αὑτῶν ἄρχοντας, Ἀρτεμίδωρόν τε καὶ τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα βασιλεύσαντα τῶν Συρακοσίων Ἱέρωνα, νέον μὲν ὄντα κομιδῇ, πρὸς δέ τι γένος εὐφυῆ βασιλικῆς καὶ πραγματικῆς οἰκονομίας.
Not long before this, the Syracusan forces, having quarreled with those in the city and being stationed near Mergane, appointed commanders from among themselves, Artemidorus and Hiero, who later became king of the Syracusans, a man who was very young indeed, but by nature endowed with a certain talent for royal and practical administration.
§1.8.4ὁ δὲ παραλαβὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ παρεισελθὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν διά τινων οἰκείων καὶ κύριος γενόμενος τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων οὕτως ἐχρήσατο πρᾴως καὶ μεγαλοψύχως τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὥστε τοὺς Συρακοσίους, καίπερ οὐδαμῶς εὐδοκουμένους ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀρχαιρεσίαις, τότε πάντας ὁμοθυμαδὸν εὐδοκῆσαι στρατηγὸν αὑτῶν ὑπάρχειν Ἱέρωνα.
Having taken command and entered the city through some of his relatives, and having got the upper hand of the opposing faction, he managed affairs with such gentleness and magnanimity that the Syracusans, although by no means pleased with elections made by the soldiers, on this occasion all with one accord approved of Hiero being their general.
§1.8.5ὃς ἐκ τῶν πρώτων ἐπινοημάτων εὐθέως δῆλος ἦν τοῖς ὀρθῶς σκοπουμένοις μειζόνων ὀρεγό
From his very first designs, he was immediately recognized by those who observed correctly as aiming at greater things.

Notes

  1. §1.8.1τῆς συνορούσης — The feminine noun γῆς (land) is omitted, meaning "bordering territory" or "adjacent land."
  2. §1.8.1οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε — Literally "not as it happened to be," used as an emphatic expression meaning "no ordinary," "not in a casual way," or "seriously."
  3. §1.8.2συγκλεισθέντων τῶν τὸ Ῥήγιον κατεχόντων — Genitive absolute construction, acting as an adverbial or causal clause connected to ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐστερήθησαν, explaining that the siege of those holding Rhegium led directly to the Mamertines losing their support.
  4. §1.8.3πρὸς δέ τι γένος εὐφυῆ — The phrase πρὸς δέ τι γένος means "in a certain aspect" or "by nature." εὐφυῆ is an accusative adjective agreeing with Ἱέρωνα, governing the following genitives βασιλικῆς καὶ πραγματικῆς οἰκονομίας ("for royal and practical administration").
  5. §1.8.4ὥστε τοὺς Συρακοσίους ... εὐδοκῆσαι — A result clause introduced by ὥστε with the accusative (τοὺς Συρακοσίους) and infinitive (εὐδοκῆσαι), prepared by οὕτως in the main clause. The subject of the infinitive is τοὺς Συρακοσίους.
  6. §1.8.5ὀρεγό[μενος] — Although the text is truncated at ὀρεγό, it is reconstructed as the participle ὀρεγόμενος (aiming at, desiring). The expression δῆλος ἦν (he was clearly...) takes a nominative participle to complete its meaning.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §1.8.1-1.8.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.8.1-1.8.5

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