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Polybius · The Histories §18.42.1-18.42.8

Ratification of Peace with Philip and the Ten Commissioners

Passage 932 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Roman senate and assembly ratify the peace treaty with Philip and dispatch ten commissioners to Greece to secure its liberty, while the debate regarding the Achaean alliance is deferred to these commissioners due to territory disputes among the Greek states.

§18.42.1ὅτι ἐπὶ Μαρκέλλου Κλαυδίου ὑπάτου παρειληφότος τὴν ὕπατον ἀρχὴν ἧκον εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην οἵ τε παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου πρέσβεις οἵ τε παρὰ τοῦ Τίτου καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ὑπὲρ τῶν πρὸς Φίλιππον συνθηκῶν.
When the consul Marcus Claudius had entered upon his consulship, there arrived in Rome the ambassadors from Philip, and also those from Titus and the allies, concerning the treaty with Philip.
§18.42.2λόγων δὲ πλειόνων γενομένων ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ, ταύτῃ μὲν ἐδόκει βεβαιοῦν τὰς ὁμολογίας·
After many speeches had been made in the senate, it seemed good to this body to confirm the agreement.
§18.42.3εἰς δὲ τὸν δῆμον εἰσενεχθέντος τοῦ διαβουλίου Μάρκος, αὐτὸς ἐπιθυμῶν τῆς εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα διαβάσεως, ἀντέλεγε καὶ πολλὴν ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν εἰς τὸ διακόψαι τὰς συνθήκας.
But when the motion was brought before the people, Marcus, who himself desired to cross over to Greece, spoke against it and made great efforts to break off the treaty.
§18.42.4οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὅ γε δῆμος κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Τίτου προαίρεσιν ἐπεκύρωσε τὰς διαλύσεις.
Nevertheless, the people ratified the peace terms in accordance with the inclination of Titus.
§18.42.5ὧν ἐπιτελεσθεισῶν εὐθέως ἡ σύγκλητος ἄνδρας δέκα καταστήσασα τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἐξέπεμπε τοὺς χειριοῦντας τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα μετὰ τοῦ Τίτου καὶ βεβαιώσοντας τοῖς Ἕλλησι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.
When these things were completed, the senate immediately appointed ten distinguished men and sent them to manage the affairs of Greece together with Titus and to guarantee liberty to the Greeks.
§18.42.6ἐποιήσαντο δὲ λόγους ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ καὶ περὶ τῆς συμμαχίας οἱ παρὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πρέσβεις, οἱ περὶ Δαμόξενον τὸν Αἰγιέα·
The ambassadors from the Achaeans, those under Damoxenus of Aegium, also made speeches in the senate concerning the alliance.
§18.42.7γενομένης δʼ ἀντιρρήσεως κατὰ τὸ παρὸν διὰ τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον Ἠλείους μὲν ἀμφισβητεῖν τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς Τριφυλίας, Μεσσηνίους δʼ ὑπὲρ Ἀσίνης καὶ Πύλου, συμμάχους τότε Ῥωμαίων ὑπάρχοντας, Αἰτωλοὺς δὲ περὶ τῆς Ἡραιῶν πόλεως, ὑπέρθεσιν ἔλαβε τὸ διαβούλιον ἐπὶ τοὺς δέκα.
But since an objection arose for the present, because they disputed face to face—the Eleans with the Achaeans concerning Triphylia, the Messenians (who were then allies of the Romans) concerning Asine and Pylos, and the Aetolians concerning the city of Heraea—the decision was referred to the ten commissioners.
§18.42.8καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν σύγκλητον ἐπὶ τούτοις ἦν.
And such was the state of affairs in the senate.

Notes

  1. §18.42.2ταύτῃ — Feminine singular dative of the demonstrative pronoun οὗτος, referring back to the preceding feminine noun ἡ σύγκλητος (the senate). It functions either as a dative of interest/judgment ('it seemed good to this body') or locative dative ('in this body').
  2. §18.42.5τοὺς χειριοῦντας ... καὶ βεβαιώσοντας — Future active participles in the accusative plural (from χειρίζω and βεβαιόω respectively). They modify the preceding ἄνδρας δέκα, expressing the 'purpose' of the mission ('in order to manage... and guarantee...').
  3. §18.42.7διὰ τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον Ἠλείους μὲν ἀμφισβητεῖν ... Μεσσηνίους δʼ ... Αἰτωλοὺς δὲ ... — A causal prepositional phrase composed of the preposition διὰ with the articular infinitive τὸ ἀμφισβητεῖν. The accusatives Ἠλείους, Μεσσηνίους, and Αἰτωλοὺς serve as the subject of the infinitive, structured in a parallel μέν ... δέ ... δέ ... contrast, creating a complex nested clause.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §18.42.1-18.42.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.42.1-18.42.8

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