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Polybius · The Histories §20.10.1-20.10.17

Harsh Demands of Manius and Renewal of the War

Passage 957 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Roman general Manius imposes harsh demands on the Aetolians, who had surrendered, and threatens to chain their envoys. Upon hearing this, the Aetolian populace is infuriated, and encouraged by promises of aid from King Antiochus III, they reject the peace negotiations, leading to the resumption of war.

§20.10.1πλὴν ταῦτα κρίναντες ἐξέπεμψαν ἅμα τῷ Λευκίῳ τοὺς περὶ Φαινέαν διασαφήσοντας τὰ δεδογμένα τῷ Μανίῳ κατὰ σπουδήν·
Having, however, come to this decision, they dispatched Phaneas and his associates in haste along with Lucius to explain their decision to Manius.
§20.10.2οἳ καὶ συμμίξαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ καὶ πάλιν ὁμοίως δικαιολογηθέντες ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν, ἐπὶ καταστροφῆς εἶπαν διότι κέκριται τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐγχειρίζειν εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων πίστιν.
When they met with the general, they again in like manner defended themselves, but at the end they stated that the Aetolians had decided to commit themselves to the faith of the Romans.
§20.10.3ὁ δὲ Μάνιος μεταλαβών "οὐκοῦν οὕτως ἔχει ταῦτα," φησίν," §20.10.4ὦ ἄνδρες Αἰτωλοί; "τῶν δὲ κατανευσάντων, "τοιγαροῦν πρῶτον μὲν δεήσει μηδένα διαβαίνειν ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν, μήτε κατʼ ἰδίαν μήτε μετὰ κοινοῦ δόγματος, §20.10.5δεύτερον Δικαίαρχον ἔκδοτον δοῦναι καὶ Μενέστρατον τὸν Ἠπειρώτην," ὃς ἐτύγχανε τότε παραβεβοηθηκὼς εἰς Ναύπακτον, "σὺν δὲ τούτοις Ἀμύνανδρον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τῶν Ἀθαμάνων τοὺς ἅμα τούτῳ συναποχωρήσαντας πρὸς αὐτούς. §20.10.6"ὁ δὲ Φαινέας μεσολαβήσας "ἀλλʼ οὔτε δίκαιον," ἔφησεν, "οὔθʼ Ἑλληνικόν ἐστιν, ὦ στρατηγέ, τὸ παρακαλούμενον. " §20.10.7ὁ δὲ Μάνιος οὐχ οὕτως ὀργισθεὶς ὡς βουλόμενος εἰς ἔννοιαν αὐτοὺς ἀγαγεῖν τῆς περιστάσεως καὶ καταπλήξασθαι τοῖς ὅλοις, "ἔτι γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἑλληνοκοπεῖτε" φησὶ "καὶ περὶ τοῦ πρέποντος καὶ καθήκοντος ποιεῖσθε λόγον, δεδωκότες ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὴν πίστιν;
Manius, taking up the word, said, "Is this, then, the case, men of Aetolia?" and on their nodding assent, he continued, "Therefore, in the first place, none of you shall cross over to Asia, either privately or by a public decree; secondly, you must surrender Dicaearchus and Menestratus the Epirot," who happened at that time to have gone to Naupactus with reinforcements, "and together with them, King Amynander and those of the Athamanes who accompanied him in his defection to you." But Phaneas interrupted him and said, "But, general, what you demand is neither just nor in accordance with Greek custom." Manius, not so much because he was angry, but because he wished to bring them to a sense of their situation and to thoroughly terrify them, replied, "What, do you still play the Greek, and talk of what is proper and duty, after having committed yourselves to our faith?
οὓς ἐγὼ δήσας εἰς τὴν ἅλυσιν ἀπάξω πάντας, ἂν τοῦτʼ ἐμοὶ δόξῃ. §20.10.8"ταῦτα λέγων φέρειν ἅλυσιν ἐκέλευσε καὶ σκύλακα σιδηροῦν ἑκάστῳ περιθεῖναι περὶ τὸν τράχηλον.
I will put you all in chains and carry you off, if I think fit." Saying this, he ordered chains to be brought and an iron collar to be put round the neck of each.
§20.10.9οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν ἔκθαμβοι γεγονότες ἕστασαν ἄφωνοι πάντες, οἱονεὶ παραλελυμένοι καὶ τοῖς σώμασι καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς διὰ τὸ παράδοξον τῶν ἀπαντωμένων·
Thereupon Phaneas and his associates, being utterly amazed, stood all speechless, as if paralyzed both in body and mind by the unexpectedness of what they met with.
§20.10.10ὁ δὲ Λεύκιος καί τινες ἕτεροι τῶν συμπαρόντων χιλιάρχων ἐδέοντο τοῦ Μανίου μηδὲν βουλεύσασθαι δυσχερὲς ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ἀνδρῶν, ἐπεὶ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες πρεσβευταί. τοῦ δὲ συγχωρήσαντος ἤρξατο λέγειν ὁ Φαινέας·
But Lucius and some of the other military tribunes who were present begged Manius not to take any harsh resolution against the men before him, since they were ambassadors.
§20.10.11ἔφη γὰρ αὑτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀποκλήτους ποιήσειν τὰ προσταττόμενα, προσδεῖσθαι δὲ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν, εἰ μέλλει κυρωθῆναι τὰ παραγγελλόμενα.
Upon his consenting, Phaneas began to speak; for he said that he himself and the apocleti would do what was commanded, but that they also needed the consent of the general assembly if the orders were to be ratified.
§20.10.12τοῦ δὲ Μανίου φήσαντος αὐτὸν ὀρθῶς λέγειν, ἠξίου πάλιν ἀνοχὰς αὑτοῖς δοθῆναι δεχημέρους.
When Manius said that he spoke correctly, Phaneas requested that a ten days' truce should be granted to them again.
συγχωρηθέντος δὲ καὶ τούτου, τότε μὲν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐχωρίσθησαν·
This also being conceded, they separated on these terms for the time being.
§20.10.13παραγενόμενοι δʼ εἰς τὴν Ὑπάταν διεσάφουν τοῖς ἀποκλήτοις τὰ γεγονότα καὶ τοὺς ῥηθέντας λόγους.
When they arrived at Hypata, they explained what had happened and the words that had been spoken to the apocleti.
ὧν ἀκούσαντες τότε πρῶτον ἔννοιαν ἔλαβον Αἰτωλοὶ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀγνοίας καὶ τῆς ἐπιφερομένης αὐτοῖς ἀνάγκης.
On hearing this, the Aetolians then for the first time came to a sense of their own ignorance and of the necessity that was imposed upon them.
§20.10.14διὸ γράφειν ἔδοξεν εἰς τὰς πόλεις καὶ συγκαλεῖν τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς χάριν τοῦ βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν προσταττομένων.
Therefore they decided to write to the cities and to summon the Aetolians for the purpose of deliberating on the commands.
§20.10.15διαδοθείσης δὲ τῆς φήμης ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπηντημένων τοῖς περὶ τὸν Φαινέαν, οὕτως ἀπεθηριώθη τὸ πλῆθος ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἀπαντᾶν οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο πρὸς τὸ διαβούλιον.
But when the report of what had happened to Phaneas and his companions was spread, the multitude became so infuriated that no one even attempted to attend the council.
§20.10.16τοῦ δʼ ἀδυνάτου κωλύσαντος βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν ἐπιταττομένων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοῦ Νικάνδρου κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον καταπλεύσαντος ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς τὰ Φάλαρα τοῦ κόλπου τοῦ Μηλιέως, ὅθεν καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐποιήσατο, καὶ διασαφοῦντος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς αὑτὸν προθυμίαν καὶ τὰς εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐπαγγελίας, ἔτι μᾶλλον ὠλιγώρησαν, τοῦ μηδὲν γενέσθαι πέρας ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης.
While the impossibility of assembling prevented them from deliberating on the orders, Nicander also at this very time sailed back from Asia to Phalara on the Maliac Gulf, whence he had made his start, and reporting the king's eagerness on their behalf and his promises for the future, they disregarded the peace still more, so that no conclusion was reached.
§20.10.17ὅθεν ἅμα τῷ διελθεῖν τὰς ἐν ταῖς ἀνοχαῖς ἡμέρας κατάμονος αὖθις ὁ πόλεμος ἐγεγόνει τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς.
Wherefore, as soon as the days of the truce had expired, the war once more became stationary and continuous for the Aetolians.

Notes

  1. 20.10.1τοὺς περὶ Φαινέαν διασαφήσοντας — The future participle `διασαφήσοντας` expresses purpose ("in order to explain"), modifying the object of the verb `ἐξέπεμψαν`. The phrase `τοὺς περὶ Φαινέαν` is an idiomatic expression meaning "Phaneas and his associates," acting as the main ambassadors.
  2. 20.10.7ἑλληνοκοπεῖτε — A rare verb characteristic of Polybius, meaning "to play the Greek" or "to affect Greek ways." It is used here by Manius to mock and rebuke the Aetolians for still attempting to argue on equal terms according to Greek diplomatic customs, despite having committed themselves unconditionally to the Roman "faith" (surrender).
  3. 20.10.15διαδοθείσης δὲ τῆς φήμης ... ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἀπαντᾶν οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο — Following the genitive absolute `διαδοθείσης δὲ τῆς φήμης` (when the report was spread) at the beginning, the main clause is `οὕτως ἀπεθηριώθη τὸ πλῆθος` (the multitude became so infuriated), followed by a consecutive `ὥστε` clause (`ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἀπαντᾶν οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο`). The infinitive `ἀπαντᾶν` (to attend) depends on the verb `ἐπεβάλετο` (attempted).
  4. 20.10.16τοῦ δʼ ἀδυνάτου κωλύσαντος ... τοῦ μηδὲν γενέσθαι πέρας — Multiple genitive absolute clauses (`τοῦ δʼ ἀδυνάτου κωλύσαντος` and `τοῦ Νικάνδρου... καταπλεύσαντος... καὶ διασαφοῦντος`) run in parallel to state the causes, modifying the main verb `ὠλιγώρησαν` (they disregarded). The genitive articular infinitive phrase at the end, `τοῦ μηδὲν γενέσθαι πέρας...`, expresses the result or consequence (that no conclusion was reached regarding the peace).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §20.10.1-20.10.17. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:20.10.1-20.10.17

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