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Polybius · The Histories §18.9.1-18.9.10

Embassy to the Senate and Titus's Approval of Truce

Passage 898 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

While those present demand the complete evacuation of Greece first, Philip proposes postponing the meeting and sending an embassy to the Senate. Titus, despite the opposition of the others, agrees to this request, arguing that the winter prevents military action anyway, making it a suitable time to consult the Senate.

§18.9.1πάντων δὲ τῶν παρόντων δυσαρεστουμένων τῇ διαλύσει καὶ φασκόντων δεῖν τὸ κοινὸν ἐπίταγμα πρῶτον ποιεῖν — τοῦτο δʼ ἦν ἁπάσης ἐκχωρεῖν τῆς Ἑλλάδος — εἰ δὲ μή, διότι τὰ κατὰ μέρος μάταια γίνεται καὶ πρὸς οὐδέν, §18.9.2θεωρῶν ὁ Φίλιππος τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀμφισβήτησιν καὶ δεδιὼς ἅμα τὰς κατηγορίας, ἠξίου τὸν Τίτον ὑπερθέσθαι τὴν σύνοδον εἰς τὴν αὔριον διὰ τὸ καὶ τὴν ὥραν εἰς ὀψὲ συγκλείειν· ἢ γὰρ πείσειν ἢ πεισθήσεσθαι τοῖς παρακαλουμένοις.
But since all those present were dissatisfied with the settlement and maintained that the common demand must be fulfilled first—which was to evacuate the whole of Greece—otherwise, the partial concessions would become useless and of no effect, Philip, seeing the disagreement among them and at the same time fearing the accusations, requested Titus to postpone the meeting until the next day, since the hour was also drawing to a close late in the evening; for he said he would either persuade them or be persuaded by their demands.
§18.9.3τοῦ δὲ συγχωρήσαντος, ταξάμενοι συμπορεύεσθαι πρὸς τὸν κατὰ Θρόνιον αἰγιαλόν, τότε μὲν ἐχωρίσθησαν, τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ πάντες ἧκον ἐπὶ τὸν ταχθέντα τόπον ἐν ὥρᾳ.
When Titus consented, they agreed to meet at the shore near Thronion and parted for the time being, and on the following day all arrived at the appointed place in good time.
§18.9.4καὶ βραχέα διαλεχθεὶς ὁ Φίλιππος ἠξίου πάντας, μάλιστα δὲ τὸν Τίτον, μὴ διακόψαι τὴν διάλυσιν, τῶν γε δὴ πλείστων εἰς συμβατικὴν διάθεσιν ἠγμένων, §18.9.5ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν ἐνδέχεται διʼ αὑτῶν συμφώνους γενέσθαι περὶ τῶν ἀντιλεγομένων· εἰ δὲ μή, πρεσβεύσειν ἔφη πρὸς τὴν σύγκλητον, κἀκείνην πείσειν περὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων, ἢ ποιήσειν ὅ, τι ποτʼ ἂν ἐπιτάττῃ.
After speaking briefly, Philip requested all of them, and especially Titus, not to break off the settlement, since indeed most of the points had been brought to a state of compromise, but if it were possible, to come to an agreement among themselves regarding the points in dispute; otherwise, he said he would send an embassy to the Senate and either persuade them regarding the matters in question, or do whatever they might command.
§18.9.6ταῦτα δʼ αὐτοῦ προτείνοντος, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι πάντες ἔφασαν δεῖν πράττειν τὰ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ μὴ προσέχειν τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις.
When he proposed this, all the others said that they must carry on the war and pay no attention to his requests.
§18.9.7ὁ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς οὐκ ἀγνοεῖν μὲν οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ἔφη διότι τὸν Φίλιππον οὐκ εἰκός ἐστι ποιῆσαι τῶν παρακαλουμένων οὐδέν· §18.9.8τῷ δʼ ἁπλῶς μηδὲν ἐμποδίζειν τὰς σφετέρας πράξεις τὴν αἰτουμένην χάριν ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκποιεῖν ἔφη χαρίζεσθαι.
But the Roman general said that he himself was not unaware that it was unlikely that Philip would perform any of the demands; nevertheless, he said that it was quite possible for him to grant the requested favor since it did not hinder their operations in any way.
§18.9.9κυρωθῆναι μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ ὣς εἶναι δυνατὸν οὐδὲν τῶν νῦν λεγομένων ἄνευ τῆς συγκλήτου, πρὸς δὲ τὸ λαβεῖν πεῖραν τῆς ἐκείνων γνώμης εὐφυῶς ἔχειν τὸν ἐπιφερόμενον καιρόν· §18.9.10τῶν γὰρ στρατοπέδων οὐδʼ ὣς δυναμένων οὐδὲν πράττειν διὰ τὸν χειμῶνα, τοῦτον ἀποθέσθαι τὸν χρόνον εἰς τὸ προσανενεγκεῖν τῇ συγκλήτῳ περὶ τῶν προσπιπτόντων, οὐκ ἄθετον, ἀλλʼ οἰκεῖον εἶναι πᾶσι.
For none of the current proposals could be ratified in any case without the Senate, and the coming period of time was well suited for making a trial of their opinion; for since the armies could do nothing in any case because of the winter, to set aside this time for referring the current matters to the Senate was not useless, but highly convenient for all.

Notes

  1. 18.9.1διότι — The conjunction διότι here introduces the reason supporting the preceding conditional phrase 'εἰ δὲ μή' (otherwise), functioning in the sense of 'because' or 'since'.
  2. 18.9.4τῶν γε δὴ πλείστων — The subject of the genitive absolute construction, serving as the semantic subject of the participle ἠγμένων. While πλείστων could be interpreted as masculine ('most of the people') or neuter ('most of the points'), it is more natural in this diplomatic context to take it as neuter, referring to the majority of negotiable matters.
  3. 18.9.8τῷ δʼ ἁπλῶς μηδὲν ἐμποδίζειν — The articular infinitive τῷ ἐμποδίζειν in the dative case expresses cause ('by the fact that...'). The verb ἐκποιεῖν is used impersonally ('it is fully possible' or 'it is feasible'), complemented by the infinitive χαρίζεσθαι. The structural skeleton of the clause is that Titus said it was quite possible to grant the favor because it did not impede their own actions.
  4. 18.9.10ἀποθέσθαι — The middle infinitive ('to set aside' or 'to reserve'). Within the indirect speech following the genitive absolute τῶν στρατοπέδων... δυναμένων, this forms the core of the subject clause 'τοῦτον ἀποθέσθαι τὸν χρόνον εἰς τὸ...' (to set aside this time for...) which acts as the subject of the infinitive 'οὐκ ἄθετον... εἶναι'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §18.9.1-18.9.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.9.1-18.9.10

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