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Polybius · The Histories §14.11.1-14.11.5

Flatterers and Courtesans at the Ptolemaic Court

Passage 807 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Polybius critically describes the flatterers and courtesans surrounding the Ptolemaic kings, specifically mentioning Philon as the flatterer of Agathocles, and influential mistresses such as Cleino and Agathocleia who dominated the court.

§14.11.1Πολύβιος ἐν τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ φησὶν Ἀγαθοκλέους τοῦ Οἰνάνθης υἱοῦ, ἑταίρου δὲ τοῦ Φιλοπάτορος βασιλέως, κόλακα γενέσθαι Φίλωνα. — §14.11.2Πολύβιος δὲ ἐν τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τῶν ἱστοριῶν Κλεινοῦς φησι τῆς οἰνοχοούσης αὑτῷ Πτολεμαίῳ τῷ Φιλαδέλφῳ εἰκόνας πολλὰς ἀνακεῖσθαι κατὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν μονοχίτωνας καὶ ῥυτὸν ἐχούσας ἐν ταῖς χερσίν.
Polybius in his fourteenth book says that Philon became a flatterer of Agathocles, the son of Oenanthe, and companion of king Philopator. — And Polybius in the fourteenth book of his Histories says that many statues of Cleino, who poured wine for Ptolemy Philadelphus himself, are dedicated throughout Alexandria, wearing only a chiton and holding a rhyton in their hands.
§14.11.3αἱ δὲ κάλλισται τῶν οἰκιῶν, φησίν, οὐ Μυρτίου καὶ Μνησίδος καὶ Ποθεινῆς προσαγορεύονται; §14.11.4καίτοι Μνησὶς μὲν ἦν αὐλητρὶς καὶ Ποθεινή. Μύρτιον δὲ μία τῶν ἀποδεδειγμένων καὶ κοινῶν δεικτηριάδων.
"And are not the most beautiful of houses," he says, "named after Myrtion, Mnesis, and Potheine?" And yet, Mnesis was a flute-player, and so was Potheine; while Myrtion was one of those publicly registered, common prostitutes.
§14.11.5τοῦ δὲ Φιλοπάτορος βασιλέως Πτολεμαίου οὐκ Ἀγαθόκλεια ἡ ἑταίρα ἐκράτει ἡ καὶ πᾶσαν ἀνατρέψασα τὴν βασιλείαν; —
And did not the courtesan Agathocleia rule over king Ptolemy Philopator, she who also overturned the entire kingdom? —

Notes

  1. 14.11.1Ἀγαθοκλέους — The genitive Ἀγαθοκλέους depends on the accusative predicate noun κόλακα ('flatterer'). Meanwhile, Φίλωνα functions as the subject accusative of the infinitive γενέσθαι.
  2. 14.11.2μονοχίτωνας καὶ ῥυτὸν ἐχούσας — These accusative feminine plurals agree with the accusative subject εἰκόνας ('statues'), not with the name Κλεινοῦς (genitive singular), indicating that the statues themselves depict her wearing a chiton and holding a rhyton.
  3. 14.11.5τοῦ δὲ Φιλοπάτορος βασιλέως Πτολεμαίου — This genitive phrase functions as the object of the verb ἐκράτει ('ruled over'), as the verb κρατέω regularly governs the genitive case.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §14.11.1-14.11.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:14.11.1-14.11.5

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