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Polybius · The Histories §21.38.1-21.38.7

Chiomara's Revenge and Noble Virtue

Passage 1000 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Chiomara, the wife of a Galatian chief, is captured and outraged by a Roman centurion, but she takes her revenge during the ransom exchange and brings his severed head to her husband. Polybius later meets her in Sardis and admires her high spirit and intelligence.

§21.38.1Χιομάραν δὲ συνέβη τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος αἰχμάλωτον γενέσθαι μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων γυναικῶν, ὅτε Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Γνάιος ἐνίκησαν μάχῃ τοὺς ἐν Ἀσίᾳ Γαλάτας.
It happened that Chiomara, the wife of Ortiagon, was made a prisoner of war along with the other women, when the Romans and Gnaeus defeated the Galatians in Asia in battle.
§21.38.2ὁ δὲ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ταξίαρχος ἐχρήσατο τῇ τύχῃ στρατιωτικῶς καὶ κατῄσχυνεν.
But the military tribune who had captured her, taking advantage of her fortune in a soldierly fashion, outraged her.
§21.38.3ἦν δʼ ἄρα καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν καὶ ἀργύριον ἀμαθὴς καὶ ἀκρατὴς ἄνθρωπος, ἡττήθη δʼ ὅμως ὑπὸ τῆς φιλαργυρίας, καὶ χρυσίου συχνοῦ διομολογηθέντος ὑπὲρ τῆς γυναικὸς ἦγεν αὐτὴν ἀπολυτρώσων, ποταμοῦ τινος ἐν μέσῳ διείργοντος.
He was, as it turned out, a man uncouth and uncontrolled with regard to both pleasure and money; nevertheless, he was overcome by greed, and when a large amount of gold had been agreed upon for the woman, he brought her to be ransomed, with a certain river flowing in between.
§21.38.4ὡς δὲ διαβάντες οἱ Γαλάται τὸ χρυσίον ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ καὶ παρελάμβανον τὴν Χιομάραν, ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ νεύματος προσέταξεν ἑνὶ παῖσαι τὸν Ῥωμαῖον ἀσπαζόμενον αὐτὴν καὶ φιλοφρονούμενον,
But when the Galatians, having crossed over, gave him the gold and were receiving Chiomara, she, by a nod, ordered one of them to strike the Roman who was kissing her goodbye and showing her affection.
§21.38.5ἐκείνου δὲ πεισθέντος καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκόψαντος, ἀραμένη καὶ περιστείλασα τοῖς κόλποις ἀπήλαυνεν.
When the man obeyed and cut off his head, she picked it up, wrapped it in the folds of her garment, and rode away.
§21.38.6ὡς δʼ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῷ προύβαλεν, ἐκείνου θαυμάσαντος καὶ εἰπόντος "ὦ γύναι, καλὸν ἡ πίστισ" "ναί", εἶπεν "ἀλλὰ κάλλιον ἕνα μόνον ζῆν ἐμοὶ συγγεγενημένον". §21.38.7ταύτῃ μὲν ὁ Πολύβιός φησι διὰ λόγων ἐν Σάρδεσι γενόμενος θαυμάσαι τό τε φρόνημα καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν. —
When she came to her husband and threw the head before him, and he, in astonishment, said, "O wife, fidelity is a beautiful thing," she replied, "Yes, but it is more beautiful that only one man who has slept with me should remain alive." Polybius says that he met this woman and spoke with her in Sardis, and wondered at both her high spirit and her intelligence. —

Notes

  1. §21.38.1συνέβη τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος αἰχμάλωτον γενέσθαι — The impersonal verb συνέβη is followed by an accusative and infinitive construction (Χιομάραν... γενέσθαι). It means 'it happened that Chiomara became a prisoner'. τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος uses the genitive of relationship, meaning 'the wife of Ortiagon'.
  2. §21.38.2ἐχρήσατο τῇ τύχῃ στρατιωτικῶς — Literally 'used the fortune in a soldierly fashion'. In this context, it euphemistically means that he took advantage of her helpless situation as a prisoner to violate her with military brutality.
  3. §21.38.3ἦν δʼ ἄρα — The particle ἄρα indicates the discovery of an existing but previously unrealized fact or an unexpected truth. It carries the nuance of 'as it turned out' or 'actually'.
  4. §21.38.3ἀπολυτρώσων — A future active participle modifying the subject of ἦγεν (from ἄγω), expressing purpose ('in order to ransom/release her').
  5. §21.38.4ἀσπαζόμενον αὐτὴν καὶ φιλοφρονούμενον — Present participles in the accusative modifying τὸν Ῥωμαῖον. They indicate that the Roman's actions of kissing her goodbye and showing affection were actively ongoing at the very moment she gave the order to strike.
  6. §21.38.6ἕνα μόνον ζῆν ἐμοὶ συγγεγενημένον — An accusative and infinitive clause serving as the subject of the comparative κάλλιον. ἕνα μόνον is the subject of the infinitive ζῆν, and is modified by the perfect middle-passive participle συγγεγενημένον (from συγγίγνομαι, meaning 'to have sexual intercourse with'). It means 'that only one man who has slept with me should remain alive'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §21.38.1-21.38.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:21.38.1-21.38.7

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