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Polybius · The Histories §16.35.1-16.35.2

Achaean Mediation and Rhodes' Alignment with Rome

Passage 884 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

After the fall of Abydos, while the Achaean League urges Rhodes to reconcile with Philip, Roman envoys intervene to prevent it, and Rhodes decides to prioritize friendship with Rome.

§16.35.1ὅτι παρῆσαν μετὰ τὴν ἅλωσιν Ἀβύδου παρὰ τοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνους εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον πρεσβευταί, παρακαλοῦντες τὸν δῆμον εἰς τὰς πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον διαλύσεις.
That after the capture of Abydos, ambassadors came from the Achaean nation to Rhodes, urging the people to come to terms with Philip.
§16.35.2οἷς ἐπελθόντων τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης πρεσβευτῶν καὶ διαλεγομένων ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ποιεῖσθαι διαλύσεις πρὸς Φίλιππον ἄνευ Ῥωμαίων, ἔδοξε προσέχειν τῷ δήμῳ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις καὶ στοχάζεσθαι τῆς τούτων φιλίας. —
And upon their arrival, when the ambassadors from Rome appeared and spoke against making any terms with Philip without the Romans, it was resolved by the people to pay heed to the Romans and to aim at securing their friendship.

Notes

  1. §16.35.1ὅτι — A conjunction introducing a factual report, typical of the excerpted texts (Excerpta), leading the entire sentence without a main independent clause.
  2. §16.35.2οἷς — Connecting relative pronoun (dative plural) referring to the Achaean ambassadors (πρεσβευταί) in the previous section. It depends on the participle ἐπελθόντων in the subsequent genitive absolute construction ("upon whom [the Roman ambassadors] having arrived").
  3. §16.35.2ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ποιεῖσθαι — A phrase consisting of the preposition ὑπέρ and the articular infinitive (middle present) with negation. Here it expresses the content or purpose of the persuasion ("against making" / "not to make").

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §16.35.1-16.35.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:16.35.1-16.35.2

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