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Polybius · The Histories §18.17.1-18.17.6

Extortions of Nabis's Wife in Argos and Attalus's Speech

Passage 906 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes how the tyrant Nabis sent his wife to Argos to extort money through brutal means, and how King Attalus addressed the people, reminding them of their ancestral virtue.

§18.17.1ὅτι Νάβις ὁ τύραννος ἀπολιπὼν ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν Ἀργείων πόλεως Τιμοκράτην τὸν Πελληνέα διὰ τὸ μάλιστα τούτῳ πιστεύειν καὶ χρῆσθαι πρὸς τὰς ἐπιφανεστάτας πράξεις, ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην, καὶ μετά τινας ἡμέρας ἐξέπεμψε τὴν γυναῖκα, §18.17.2δοὺς ἐντολὰς παραγενομένην εἰς Ἄργος περὶ πόρον γίνεσθαι χρημάτων.
The tyrant Nabis, having left Timocrates of Pellene in charge of the city of the Argives because he especially trusted him and employed him for his most important undertakings, returned to Sparta, and after a few days sent out his wife, giving her orders that, when she arrived in Argos, she should busy herself with the procurement of money.
§18.17.3ἡ δʼ ἀφικομένη πολὺ κατὰ τὴν ὠμότητα Νάβιν ὑπερέθετο·
She, on her arrival, far surpassed Nabis in cruelty.
§18.17.4ἀνακαλεσαμένη γὰρ τῶν γυναικῶν τινὰς μὲν κατʼ ἰδίαν, τινὰς δὲ κατὰ συγγένειαν, πᾶν γένος αἰκίας καὶ βίας προσέφερε, §18.17.5μέχρι σχεδὸν ἁπασῶν οὐ μόνον τὸν χρυσοῦν ἀφείλετο κόσμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν τὸν πολυτελέστατον.
For, having summoned some of the women individually and others by family group, she inflicted every kind of outrage and violence upon them, until she had stripped almost all of them not only of their gold ornaments but even of their most costly clothing.
— ὁ δὲ Ἄτταλος περιβαλλόμενος πλείω λόγον, §18.17.6ὑπεμίμνησκεν αὐτοὺς τῆς ἀνέκαθεν τῶν προγόνων ἀρετῆς. —
But Attalus, wrapping himself in more discourse, reminded them of the ancient virtue of their ancestors.

Notes

  1. 18.17.2παραγενομένην — An accusative feminine singular aorist participle agreeing with `τὴν γυναῖκα` in the preceding clause. It also functions as the subject of the following infinitive `γίνεσθαι`, indicating the condition under which she is to carry out the orders.
  2. 18.17.5περιβαλλόμενος πλείω λόγον — The middle participle `περιβαλλόμενος` is used here with the meaning of "wrapping oneself in" or "adopting," and combined with `πλείω λόγον` (more discourse) it means "spending many words" or "speaking at length."

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §18.17.1-18.17.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.17.1-18.17.6

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