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Polybius · The Histories §16.39.1-16.39.5

Scopas's Campaign in Judea and Submission to Antiochus

Passage 888 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This chunk cites Polybius's sixteenth book of Histories, describing Ptolemy's general Scopas's campaign in Judea, his subsequent defeat by Antiochus, and the submission of the Jews around the temple in Jerusalem.

§16.39.1μαρτυρεῖ τούτοις ἡμῶν τοῖς λόγοις Πολύβιος ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἑξκαιδεκάτῃ τῶν ἱστοριῶν αὐτοῦ φησιν οὕτως· "ὁ δὲ τοῦ Πτολεμαίου στρατηγὸς Σκόπας ὁρμήσας εἰς τοὺς ἄνω τόπους κατεστρέψατο ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος. "— §16.39.2τῆς δὲ πολιορκίας ῥεμβώδους γενομένης ὁ μὲν Σκόπας ἠδόξει καὶ διεβέβλητο νεανικῶς. — λέγει δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ βίβλῳ ὡς" §16.39.3τοῦ Σκόπα νικηθέντος ὑπʼ Ἀντιόχου τὴν μὲν Βατανέαν καὶ Σαμάρειαν καὶ Ἄβιλα καὶ Γάδαρα παρέλαβεν Ἀντίοχος·
Polybius of Megalopolis bears witness to these words of ours; for in the sixteenth book of his Histories he speaks as follows: "And Scopas, the general of Ptolemy, having set out for the upper regions, subdued the nation of the Jews during the winter." — But as the siege became prolonged and indecisive, Scopas fell into disrepute and was violently calumniated. — And he says in the same book that: "when Scopas was defeated by Antiochus, Antiochus took possession of Batanea, Samaria, Abila, and Gadara.
§16.39.4μετʼ ὀλίγον δὲ προσεχώρησαν αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων οἱ περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ προσαγορευόμενον Ἱεροσόλυμα κατοικοῦντες.
And shortly after, those of the Jews who dwelt around the temple called Jerusalem also went over to him.
§16.39.5ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ πλείω λέγειν ἔχοντες, καὶ μάλιστα περὶ τῆς γενομένης περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐπιφανείας, εἰς ἕτερον καιρὸν ὑπερθησόμεθα τὴν διήγησιν. "
concerning which temple, although we have more to say, and especially regarding the divine manifestation that occurred around it, we shall defer the narrative to another occasion."

Notes

  1. 16.39.2ῥεμβώδους — The adjective ῥεμβώδης (literally "wandering" or "unstable") is used here to describe a siege (πολιορκία) that was indecisive, erratic, or dragging on without success.
  2. 16.39.5ὑπὲρ οὗ — The relative pronoun οὗ (genitive) takes the preceding neuter noun τὸ ἱερὸν ("the temple") as its antecedent. Together with the preposition ὑπέρ, it means "concerning which."
  3. 16.39.5ἔχοντες — The present participle ἔχοντες agrees with the unexpressed plural subject ("we") and, governing the infinitive λέγειν, means "having [the ability/means] to say." It is interpreted here with a concessive force ("although we have more to say").

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §16.39.1-16.39.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:16.39.1-16.39.5

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