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Polybius · The Histories §13.9.1-13.9.5

Antiochus III and the Negotiations with the Gerraeans

Passage 794 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This fragment describes the diplomatic negotiations with the region of Chattenia and the city of Gerrha during King Antiochus III's eastern campaign, recording the confirmation of the Gerraeans' freedom, their heavy tribute to the king, and his subsequent voyage.

§13.9.1Λάβαι, ὡς Σάβαι, Χαττηνίας πόλις.
Labae, like Sabae, a city of Chattenia.
Πολύβιος τρισκαιδεκάτῳ.
Polybius in the thirteenth book.
τὸ ἐθνικὸν Λαβαῖος ὡς Σαβαῖος.
The ethnic name is Labaios like Sabaios.
τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας ἀμφότεραι· ἡ γὰρ Χαττηνία τῶν Γερραίων ἐστὶ χώρα. — Χαττηνία, χώρα τρίτη Γερραίων.
Both belong to the same country; for Chattenia is a country of the Gerraeans. — Chattenia, the third region of the Gerraeans.
§13.9.2Πολύβιος ιγ# "3ἔστι δʼ ἡ Χαττηνία τἄλλα μὲν λυπρά, κώμαις δὲ καὶ πύργοις διεσκεύασται διὰ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν Γερραίων· οὗτοι γὰρ αὐτὴν νέμονται"
Polybius, book 13: "3Chattenia is in other respects poor, but is equipped with villages and towers for the convenience of the Gerraeans; for these occupy it" 3.
§13.9.33. ἔστι δὲ τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης.
It is on the Red Sea.
οἱ πολῖται Χαττηνοί, ὡς αὐτός· "3τούτοις μὲν γὰρ παρήγγειλε φείδεσθαι τῆς τῶν Χαττηνῶν χώρασ"3. — §13.9.4οἱ δὲ Γερραῖοι ἀξιοῦσι τὸν βασιλέα μὴ καταλῦσαι τὰ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν αὐτοῖς δεδομένα, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ἀΐδιον εἰρήνην καὶ ἐλευθερίαν.
The citizens are Chattenoi, as he himself says: "3For to these he commanded to spare the country of the Chattenoi"3. — And the Gerraeans requested the king not to abolish what had been given to them by the gods, that is, perpetual peace and freedom.
ὁ δὲ ἑρμηνευθείσης οἱ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔφη συγχωρεῖν τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις. — §13.9.5κυρωθείσης δὲ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τοῖς Γερραίοις ἐστεφάνωσαν παραχρῆμα τὸν Ἀντίοχον τὸν βασιλέα πεντακοσίοις ἀργυρίου ταλάντοις, χιλίοις δὲ λιβανωτοῦ καὶ διακοσίοις τῆς λεγομένης στακτῆς.
And he, when the letter had been interpreted to him, said he agreed to their requests. — When freedom was confirmed to the Gerraeans, they immediately crowned King Antiochus with five hundred talents of silver, a thousand of frankincense, and two hundred of the so-called stacte.
καὶ ἐποίει τὸν πλοῦν ἐπὶ Τύλον τὴν νῆσον καὶ ἐποίει τὸν ἀπόπλουν ἐπὶ Σελευκείας.
And he made his voyage to the island of Tylos and made his return voyage to Seleucia.
ἦσαν δὲ τὰ ἀρώματα ἐν τῇ Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάττῃ.
And the spices were in the Red Sea region.

Notes

  1. 13.9.1τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας — The genitive τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας functions as a predicate genitive of belonging or origin with the subject ἀμφότεραι (both cities, i.e., Labae and Sabae).
  2. 13.9.4ἑρμηνευθείσης οἱ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς — The genitive absolute construction ἑρμηνευθείσης τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ("when the letter had been interpreted") encloses the enclitic third-person singular dative pronoun οἱ, which refers to the king (Antiochus) as the indirect recipient of the action.
  3. 13.9.5ἐστεφάνωσαν ... πεντακοσίοις ἀργυρίου ταλάντοις — The verb ἐστεφάνωσαν ("they crowned") is used here with the dative of means or material (πεντακοσίοις... ταλάντοις) as an idiomatic expression meaning "to honor/present with gifts" instead of crowning with a literal wreath.
  4. 13.9.5ἐποίει — The imperfect verbs ἐποίει ("was making [his voyage]") denote the ongoing or successive stages of the king's maritime journey as a continuous process.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §13.9.1-13.9.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.9.1-13.9.5

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