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Polybius · The Histories §2.44.1-2.44.6

Death of Demetrius and Accession of the Tyrants

Passage 132 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Seizing the opportunity presented by the dismay of the Peloponnesian tyrants after King Demetrius's death, the Achaeans urged them to abdicate, resulting in Lydiadas, Aristomachus, and other rulers joining the Achaean League.

§2.44.1διαιρέσεως τοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνους.
concerning the partition of the Achaean nation.
Ἀντιγόνου δὲ μεταλλάξαντος, καὶ συνθεμένων τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ συμμαχίαν πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ μετασχόντων εὐγενῶς σφίσι τοῦ πρὸς Δημήτριον πολέμου, τὰ μὲν τῆς ἀλλοτριότητος καὶ δυσμενείας ἤρθη κατὰ τὸ παρόν, ὑπεγένετο δὲ κοινωνικὴ καὶ φιλική τις αὐτοῖς διάθεσις.
But when Antigonus died, and the Achaeans had concluded an alliance with the Aetolians and had generously shared with them the burden of the war against Demetrius, their mutual estrangement and hostility were for the time being removed, and a spirit of cooperation and friendship arose between them.
§2.44.2Δημητρίου δὲ βασιλεύσαντος δέκα μόνον ἔτη καὶ μεταλλάξαντος τὸν βίον περὶ τὴν πρώτην διάβασιν εἰς τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα Ῥωμαίων, ἐγένετό τις εὔροια πραγμάτων πρὸς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπιβολὴν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν.
When Demetrius, after reigning for only ten years, died about the time of the first Roman crossing into Illyria, a favorable current of affairs arose for the original enterprise of the Achaeans.
§2.44.3οἱ γὰρ ἐν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ μόναρχοι δυσελπιστήσαντες ἐπὶ τῷ μετηλλαχέναι μὲν τὸν Δημήτριον, ὃς ἦν αὐτοῖς οἱονεὶ χορηγὸς καὶ μισθοδότης, ἐπικεῖσθαι δὲ τὸν Ἄρατον, οἰόμενον δεῖν σφᾶς ἀποτίθεσθαι τὰς τυραννίδας καὶ τοῖς μὲν πεισθεῖσι μεγάλας δωρεὰς καὶ τιμὰς προτείνοντα, τοῖς δὲ μὴ προσέχουσιν ἔτι μείζους ἐπανατεινόμενον φόβους καὶ κινδύνους διὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, §2.44.4ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ τὸ πεισθέντες ἀποθέσθαι μὲν τὰς τυραννίδας, ἐλευθερῶσαι δὲ τὰς ἑαυτῶν πατρίδας, μετασχεῖν δὲ τῆς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πολιτείας.
For the tyrants in the Peloponnese, losing all hope because of the death of Demetrius, who had been as it were their patron and paymaster, and because of the pressure of Aratus, who thought they ought to lay down their tyrannies, offering great rewards and honors to those who complied, and threatening those who refused with still greater fears and dangers through the power of the Achaeans, were induced to lay down their tyrannies, free their respective homelands, and join the Achaean league.
§2.44.5Λυδιάδας μὲν οὖν ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης ἔτι ζῶντος Δημητρίου, κατὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ προαίρεσιν, πάνυ πραγματικῶς καὶ φρονίμως προϊδόμενος τὸ μέλλον ἀπετέθειτο τὴν τυραννίδα καὶ μετεσχήκει τῆς ἐθνικῆς συμπολιτείας.
Lydiadas of Megalopolis, indeed, while Demetrius was still alive, of his own free will, having very practically and prudently foreseen the future, had already laid down his tyranny and joined the national league.
§2.44.6Ἀριστόμαχος δʼ ὁ τῶν Ἀργείων τύραννος καὶ Ξένων ὁ τῶν Ἑρμιονέων καὶ Κλεώνυμος ὁ τῶν Φλιασίων τότʼ ἀποθέμενοι τὰς μοναρχίας ἐκοινώνησαν τῆς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν δημοκρατίας.
Aristomachus, the tyrant of Argos, Xenon of Hermione, and Cleonymus of Phlius, then laid down their tyrannies and joined the Achaean democracy.

Notes

  1. §2.44.1διαιρέσεως — Genitive dependent on the preposition `ὑπὲρ` (concerning) at the very end of the previous chapter (§2.43.10). The sentence is divided by the modern chapter division.
  2. §2.44.1συνθεμένων τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ συμμαχίαν — The middle participle `συνθεμένων` forms a genitive absolute construction with its subject `τῶν Ἀχαιῶν`. The middle verb `συντίθεμαι` (to conclude/agree upon) takes the accusative noun `συμμαχίαν` as its direct object.
  3. §2.44.3οἱ γὰρ ἐν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ μόναρχοι δυσελπιστήσαντες... — The main verb for the subject `οἱ ... μόναρχοι` is `ὥρμησαν` in the following section (§2.44.4). The causal participle `δυσελπιστήσαντες` (losing hope) governs the prepositional phrase `ἐπὶ τῷ`, which controls two articular infinitives `μετηλλαχέναι` and `ἐπικεῖσθαι`, causing a long hyperbaton between the subject and the main verb.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §2.44.1-2.44.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.44.1-2.44.6

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