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Polybius · The Histories §18.55.1-18.55.9

The King's Anacleteria and the Character of Polycrates

Passage 945 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The passage discusses the Egyptian court celebrating the King's Anacleteria after settling the Aetolian affairs, and describes the career, contribution, and subsequent decline of Polycrates.

§18.55.1ἀπέλυσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων.
The king released them with their property.
Σκόπα δὲ καὶ ζῶντος μὲν ἐπίσημος ἦν ἡ φιλαργυρία — πολὺ γὰρ δή τι τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους ὑπερέθετο κατὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν — ἀποθανόντος δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐγενήθη διὰ τοῦ πλήθους τοῦ χρυσίου καὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς τῆς εὑρημένης παρʼ αὐτῷ.
As for Scopas, his greed was notorious even during his lifetime—for he indeed far surpassed other men in avarice—but after his death it became still more conspicuous because of the quantity of gold and the furniture found in his possession.
§18.55.2λαβὼν γὰρ συνεργὸν τὴν ἀγριότητα τὴν Χαριμόρτου καὶ τὴν μέθην, ἄρδην ἐξετοιχωρύχησε τὴν βασιλείαν.
For taking as his accomplices the cruelty and drunkenness of Charimortus, he thoroughly plundered the kingdom.
§18.55.3ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς ἔθεντο καλῶς οἱ περὶ τὴν αὐλήν, εὐθέως ἐγίνοντο περὶ τὸ ποιεῖν Ἀνακλητήρια τοῦ βασιλέως, οὐδέπω μὲν τῆς ἡλικίας κατεπειγούσης, νομίζοντες δὲ λήψεσθαί τινα τὰ πράγματα κατάστασιν καὶ πάλιν ἀρχὴν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον προκοπῆς, δόξαντος αὐτοκράτορος ἤδη γεγονέναι τοῦ βασιλέως.
When those about the court had settled the affairs of the Aetolians satisfactorily, they immediately turned their attention to celebrating the King's Anacleteria, although his age did not yet require it; but they thought that affairs would acquire a certain stability, and that a fresh start would be made toward improvement, once the king was deemed to have become an independent ruler.
§18.55.4χρησάμενοι δὲ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς μεγαλομερῶς, ἐπετέλουν τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀξίως τοῦ τῆς βασιλείας προσχήματος, πλεῖστα Πολυκράτους δοκοῦντος εἰς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ταύτην αὐτοῖς συνηργηκέναι.
Having made their preparations on a magnificent scale, they performed the ceremony in a manner worthy of the dignity of the kingdom, Polycrates being thought to have assisted them most in this enterprise.
§18.55.5ὁ γὰρ προειρημένος ἀνὴρ καὶ κατὰ τὸν πατέρα μὲν ἔτι νέος ὢν οὐδενὸς ἐδόκει τῶν περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν δευτερεύειν οὔτε κατὰ τὴν πίστιν οὔτε κατὰ τὰς πράξεις, ὁμοίως δὲ κατὰ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα βασιλέα.
For the aforesaid man, even when he was still young in the time of the king's father, seemed to be second to none of those about the court in loyalty or in action, and similarly in the time of the present king.
§18.55.6πιστευθεὶς γὰρ τῆς Κύπρου καὶ τῶν ἐν ταύτῃ προσόδων ἐν καιροῖς ἐπισφαλέσι καὶ ποικίλοις, οὐ μόνον διεφύλαξε τῷ παιδὶ τὴν νῆσον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλῆθος ἱκανὸν ἥθροισε χρημάτων, ἃ τότε παραγεγόνει κομίζων τῷ βασιλεῖ, παραδεδωκὼς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς Κύπρου Πτολεμαίῳ τῷ Μεγαλοπολίτῃ.
For having been entrusted with Cyprus and its revenues in precarious and complicated times, he not only preserved the island for the prince, but also amassed a sufficient amount of money, which he had then arrived bringing to the king, having handed over the government of Cyprus to Ptolemy of Megalopolis.
§18.55.7τυχὼν δὲ διὰ ταῦτα μεγάλης ἀποδοχῆς καὶ περιουσίας ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς χρόνοις, μετὰ ταῦτα προβαινούσης τῆς ἡλικίας ὁλοσχερῶς εἰς ἀσέλγειαν ἐξώκειλε καὶ βίον ἀσυρῆ.
Having obtained because of this great favor and wealth in the subsequent period, after this, as his age advanced, he drifted completely into debauchery and a vulgar life.
§18.55.8παραπλησίαν δέ τινα τούτῳ φήμην ἐκληρονόμησεν ἐπὶ γήρως καὶ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Ἀγησάρχου.
A similar reputation was inherited in his old age by Ptolemy also, the son of Agesarchus.
§18.55.9περὶ ὧν, ὅταν ἐπὶ τοὺς καιροὺς ἔλθωμεν, οὐκ ὀκνήσομεν διασαφεῖν τὰ παρακολουθήσαντα ταῖς ἐξουσίαις αὐτῶν ἀπρεπῆ.
Concerning whom, when we come to the proper times, we shall not hesitate to declare the disgraceful actions that accompanied their powers.

Notes

  1. 18.55.1Σκόπα — A Doric or North-West Greek genitive singular form meaning 'of Scopas'. Here it forms a genitive absolute construction with the participle `ζῶντος` (and in contrast with `ἀποθανόντος`), meaning 'while Scopas was still alive.' Alternatively, it can be construed as a possessive genitive modifying `φιλαργυρία` with the participle in agreement.
  2. 18.55.3δόξαντος αὐτοκράτορος ἤδη γεγονέναι τοῦ βασιλέως — A genitive absolute construction where `δόξαντος` (aorist passive participle of `δοκέω`, 'to be deemed') has `τοῦ βασιλέως` as its subject. The infinitive clause `αὐτοκράτορος γεγονέναι` ('to have become an independent ruler') functions as the complement of `δόξαντος`. The entire phrase means 'once the king was deemed to have become an independent ruler.'
  3. 18.55.6πιστευθεὶς γὰρ τῆς Κύπρου — A passive construction characteristic of Greek, where the active verb `πιστεύω` (to entrust something to someone) is put into the passive. The active dative (the person entrusted) becomes the subject (`πιστευθείς`), and the object of entrustment (the thing) is expressed in the genitive `τῆς Κύπρου`.
  4. 18.55.9τὰ παρακολουθήσαντα ταῖς ἐξουσίαις αὐτῶν ἀπρεπῆ — The article `τὰ` and the adjective `ἀπρεπῆ` ('disgraceful things') form a frame construction, enclosing the attributive participle phrase `παρακολουθήσαντα ταῖς ἐξουσίαις αὐτῶν` ('which accompanied their powers'). The entire phrase functions as a nominalized object meaning 'the disgraceful things that accompanied their powers.'

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §18.55.1-18.55.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.55.1-18.55.9

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