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Polybius · The Histories §11.17.1-11.17.7

Machanidas Isolated and Seeking Escape Along the Trench

Passage 713 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

As Philopoemen predicted, the enemy is routed, and he focuses on the final task of capturing Machanidas. Realizing his strategic error and finding himself isolated as his men flee, Machanidas rides along the trench looking for a crossing.

§11.17.1πλὴν ὅ γε Φιλοποίμην οὐ διεψεύσθη τῇ προνοίᾳ τοῦ συντελεσθησομένου· τροπὴν γὰρ ἰσχυρὰν συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων.
Philopoemen, however, was not deceived in his foresight of what would happen; for a decisive rout of the Lacedaemonians actually occurred.
§11.17.2συνορῶν δὲ τὴν φάλαγγα νικῶσαν καὶ τὰ ὅλα καλῶς αὑτῷ προχωροῦντα καὶ λαμπρῶς, ἐπὶ τὸ καταλειπόμενον ὥρμησε τῆς ὅλης ἐπιβολῆς· τοῦτο δʼ ἦν τὸ μὴ διαφυγεῖν τὸν Μαχανίδαν.
And seeing that the phalanx was victorious, and that the whole action was progressing successfully and brilliantly for him, he turned his attention to the remaining part of his entire plan, which was to prevent Machanidas from escaping.
§11.17.3εἰδὼς οὖν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ διώγματος παράπτωσιν ἀποτετμημένον ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τὴν πόλιν μέρεσι τῆς τάφρου μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων μισθοφόρων, ἐκαραδόκει τὴν τούτου παρουσίαν.
Knowing, therefore, that he had been cut off in the parts of the trench towards the city with his own mercenaries, owing to his mistake during the pursuit, he was eagerly waiting for his appearance.
§11.17.4ὁ δὲ Μαχανίδας, συνθεωρήσας κατὰ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ διώγματος φεύγουσαν τὴν αὑτοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ συλλογισάμενος διότι προπέπτωκε καὶ διέψευσται τῆς ὅλης ἐλπίδος, εὐθέως ἐπειρᾶτο συστραφεὶς μεθʼ ὧν εἶχε περὶ αὑτὸν ξένων, ἅθρους διαπεσεῖν διὰ τῶν ἐσκεδασμένων καὶ διωκόντων.
But Machanidas, seeing during his return from the pursuit that his own force was in flight, and realizing that he had advanced too far and had been deceived in his whole hope, immediately attempted, having rallied around himself the mercenaries he had, to force his way in a body through those who were scattered and pursuing.
§11.17.5εἰς ἃ καὶ συνορῶντες ἔνιοι συνέμενον αὐτῷ τὰς ἀρχάς, ταύτην ἔχοντες τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας.
Some of them, seeing this, remained with him at first, holding this as their hope of safety.
§11.17.6ὡς δὲ παραγενόμενοι συνεῖδον τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς τηροῦντας τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς τάφρου γέφυραν, τότε δὴ πάντες ἐξαθυμήσαντες ἀπέρρεον ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος ἐπορίζετο τὴν σωτηρίαν.
But when they arrived and saw the Achaeans guarding the bridge over the trench, then indeed they all lost heart and melted away from him, and each individual sought safety for himself.
§11.17.7καθʼ ὃν δὴ καιρὸν ὁ τύραννος ἀπογνοὺς τὴν διὰ τῆς γεφύρας ὁδὸν παρήλαυνε παρὰ τὴν τάφρον, ἐνεργῶς διάβασιν ζητῶν.
At which very moment the tyrant, giving up the passage by the bridge, rode along the trench, actively seeking a crossing.

Notes

  1. 11.17.1τῇ προνοίᾳ τοῦ συντελεσθησομένου — τῇ προνοίᾳ is a dative of respect or cause ('in his foresight' or 'because of his foresight'). τοῦ συντελεσθησομένου is the genitive of the future passive participle in the neuter singular used substantively ('what is going to happen'), which functions as an objective genitive dependent on προνοίᾳ.
  2. 11.17.2τὸ μὴ διαφυγεῖν τὸν Μαχανίδαν — The articular infinitive phrase with τὸ stands in apposition to τοῦτο as the subject or complement of the main clause. τὸν Μαχανίδαν is the accusative subject of the infinitive διαφυγεῖν.
  3. 11.17.4μεθʼ ὧν εἶχε περὶ αὑτὸν ξένων — The antecedent τῶν ξένων has been attracted into the relative clause and shares the genitive case of the relative pronoun ὧν. The grammatically expected structure would be μετὰ τῶν ξένων οὓς εἶχε ('with the mercenaries whom he had').
  4. 11.17.5τὰς ἀρχάς — The accusative noun phrase is used adverbially to mean 'at first' or 'initially.'

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §11.17.1-11.17.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.17.1-11.17.7

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