Polybius · The Histories §11.7.1-11.7.5

Philip's Destruction of Thermum and His Impiety

Passage 703 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Describing Philip V's regret over failing to capture Attalus, and his subsequent destruction of the remaining votive offerings at the temple of Apollo in Thermum, condemning his impiety. It also includes brief lexicographical fragments on the Aetolian cities of Ellopion and Phytaeon.

§11.7.1καὶ πολλὰ μὲν αὑτὸν κατοιμώξας ὅτι παρὰ μικρὸν ἔλθοι τοῦ λαβεῖν τὸν Ἄτταλον ὑποχείριον. — §11.7.2ὅτι Φίλιππος πορευθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν Τριχωνίδα λίμνην καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν Θέρμον, ἔνθʼ ἦν ἱερὸν Ἀπόλλωνος, ὅσα πρότερον ἀπέλιπε τῶν ἀναθημάτων, τότε πάλιν ἅπαντα διελωβήσατο, κακῶς μὲν πρὸ τοῦ, κακῶς δὲ τότε χρώμενος τῷ θυμῷ· §11.7.3τὸ γὰρ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὀργιζόμενον εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἀσεβεῖν τῆς πάσης ἀλογιστίας ἐστὶ σημεῖον. — Ἐλλόπιον, πόλις Αἰτωλίας.

And after having greatly lamented himself because he had come within a little of capturing Attalus and getting him into his power. — That Philip, having marched to the Trichonian lake and having arrived at Thermum, where there was a sanctuary of Apollo, on this occasion again destroyed all the votive offerings which he had previously left behind, behaving badly before, and behaving badly on this occasion also, in giving way to his anger; for to commit impiety against the divine because of being angry with men is a sign of complete folly. — Ellopion, a city of Aetolia.

§11.7.4Πολύβιος ια#.

Polybius, book 11.

Φύταιον, πόλις Αἰτωλίας.

Phytaeon, a city of Aetolia.

§11.7.5Πολύβιος ἑνδεκάτῳ.

Polybius, in the eleventh book.

Notes

11.7.1παρὰ μικρὸν ἔλθοι τοῦ λαβεῖν — An idiomatic expression meaning "to come within a little of doing" or "to almost succeed in doing." The verb ἔρχομαι (here ἔλθοι in the oblique optative for indirect discourse) is accompanied by the prepositional phrase παρὰ μικρόν ("by a narrow margin"), and is followed by the genitive of the articular infinitive τοῦ λαβεῖν indicating the event that was narrowly missed.
11.7.3τὸ γὰρ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὀργιζόμενον εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἀσεβεῖν — The subject of the sentence is the articular infinitive phrase τὸ ... ἀσεβεῖν ("to commit impiety"). The participle ὀργιζόμενον is in the accusative singular masculine (or neuter), agreeing with the unexpressed subject of the infinitive ἀσεβεῖν (the general "someone"), in accordance with the standard rule that the subject of an infinitive is put in the accusative.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §11.7.1-11.7.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.7.1-11.7.5

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