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Polybius · The Histories §2.70.1-2.70.8

Restoration of Sparta and the Death of Antigonus

Passage 158 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Antigonus restores the constitution of Sparta after its capture, but quickly returns to Macedonia upon hearing of an Illyrian invasion. Although he successfully repels the invaders, he falls ill and dies due to hemorrhaging caused by shouting in battle, leaving the throne to Philip.

§2.70.1Ἀντίγονος δʼ ἐγκρατὴς γενόμενος ἐξ ἐφόδου τῆς Σπάρτης τά τε λοιπὰ μεγαλοψύχως καὶ φιλανθρώπως ἐχρήσατο τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις, τό τε πολίτευμα τὸ πάτριον αὐτοῖς ἀποκαταστήσας ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις ἀνέζευξε μετὰ τῶν δυνάμεων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, προσαγγελθέντος αὐτῷ τοὺς Ἰλλυριοὺς εἰσβεβληκότας εἰς Μακεδονίαν πορθεῖν τὴν χώραν.
Antigonus, having made himself master of Sparta at the first assault, treated the Lacedaemonians generously and humanely in all other respects, and, after restoring to them their ancestral constitution, within a few days evacuated the city with his forces, as news was brought to him that the Illyrians had invaded Macedonia and were ravaging the country.
§2.70.2οὕτως ἀεί ποθʼ ἡ τύχη τὰ μέγιστα τῶν πραγμάτων παρὰ λόγον εἴωθε κρίνειν.
Thus, fortune is ever wont to decide the most important matters contrary to expectation.
§2.70.3καὶ γὰρ τότε Κλεομένης, εἴτε τὰ κατὰ τὸν κίνδυνον παρείλκυσε τελέως ὀλίγας ἡμέρας, εἴτʼ ἀναχωρήσας ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ βραχὺ τῶν καιρῶν ἀντεποιήσατο, διακατέσχεν ἂν τὴν ἀρχήν.
For on that occasion also, if Cleomenes had delayed the decisive battle for only a few days, or if, after retreating from the battle into the city, he had held out for even a short space of time, he would have preserved his sovereignty.
§2.70.4οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ Ἀντίγονος παραγενόμενος εἰς Τεγέαν καὶ τούτοις ἀποδοὺς τὴν πάτριον πολιτείαν δευτεραῖος ἐντεῦθεν εἰς Ἄργος ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ἦλθε τὴν τῶν Νεμέων πανήγυριν.
However, Antigonus arrived at Tegea, and, after restoring their ancestral constitution to them also, went thence on the second day to Argos, arriving just at the time of the Nemean festival.
§2.70.5ἐν ᾗ τυχὼν πάντων τῶν πρὸς ἀθάνατον δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ἀνηκόντων ὑπό τε τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν ἑκάστης τῶν πόλεων ὥρμησε κατὰ σπουδὴν εἰς Μακεδονίαν.
At this festival, having received from the Achaean League and from each of the cities individually every kind of honor and distinction tending to immortal fame, he set out in haste for Macedonia.
§2.70.6καταλαβὼν δὲ τοὺς Ἰλλυριοὺς ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ καὶ συμβαλὼν ἐκ παρατάξεως τῇ μὲν μάχῃ κατώρθωσε, τῇ δὲ παρακλήσει καὶ κραυγῇ τῇ κατʼ αὐτὸν τὸν κίνδυνον ἐκθύμως χρησάμενος εἰς αἵματος ἀναγωγὴν καί τινα τοιαύτην διάθεσιν ἐμπεσὼν μετʼ οὐ πολὺ νόσῳ τὸν βίον μετήλλαξε, §2.70.7καλὰς ἐλπίδας ὑποδείξας ἐν αὑτῷ πᾶσι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις χρείαν, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον κατὰ τὴν ὅλην αἵρεσιν καὶ καλοκἀγαθίαν.
Finding the Illyrians in the country, he engaged them in a pitched battle and was successful; but having exerted himself with extreme passion in encouraging his men and shouting during the actual danger, he brought up blood, and falling into a critical condition of this kind, he died of illness not long after, having given all the Greeks great hopes in his person, not only by his service in the field, but still more by his general character and high principles.
§2.70.8τὴν δὲ Μακεδόνων βασιλείαν ἀπέλιπε Φιλίππῳ τῷ Δημητρίου.
He left the kingdom of Macedonia to Philip, the son of Demetrius.

Notes

  1. §2.70.1προσαγγελθέντος αὐτῷ — An impersonal genitive absolute construction where the neuter singular participle προσαγγελθέντος takes the accusative and infinitive clause τοὺς Ἰλλυριοὺς... πορθεῖν τὴν χώραν as its subject, meaning "it having been reported to him that the Illyrians were ravaging the country."
  2. §2.70.3διακατέσχεν ἂν — An apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence, using the past indicative with ἄν. The protasis is supplied by the preceding alternative clauses introduced by εἴτε... εἴτε... ("if he had delayed... or if he had held out...").
  3. §2.70.6εἰς αἵματος ἀναγωγὴν — This prepositional phrase modifies the following participle ἐμπεσὼν (having fallen into), meaning "falling into a state of bringing up blood" (i.e., hemorrhaging). ἀναγωγή literally means "bringing up," here referring to vomiting blood.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §2.70.1-2.70.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.70.1-2.70.8

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