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Polybius · The Histories §21.41.1-21.41.12

Gnaeus Receives Envoys and Marches to Pamphylia

Passage 1003 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

While Gnaeus, the Roman general, is in Ephesus, embassies from various cities and neighboring rulers arrive to seek peace terms. He then marches to Pamphylia to receive the promised supplies and money from Antiochus.

§21.41.1ὅτι κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν Γναΐου τοῦ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγοῦ παραχειμάζοντος ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, κατὰ τὸν τελευταῖον ἐνιαυτὸν τῆς ὑποκειμένης ὀλυμπιάδος, παρεγένοντο πρεσβεῖαι παρά τε τῶν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ παρʼ ἑτέρων πλειόνων, συμφοροῦσαι στεφάνους τῷ Γναΐῳ διὰ τὸ νενικηκέναι τοὺς Γαλάτας.
At this time, while Gnaeus, the Roman general, was wintering in Ephesus in Asia, during the last year of the current Olympiad, embassies arrived from the Greek cities in Asia and from many others, bringing crowns to Gnaeus because of his victory over the Galatians.
§21.41.2ἅπαντες γὰρ οἱ τὴν ἐπὶ τάδε τοῦ Ταύρου κατοικοῦντες οὐχ οὕτως ἐχάρησαν Ἀντιόχου λειφθέντος ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν ἀπολελύσθαι τινὲς μὲν φόρων, οἱ δὲ φρουρᾶς, καθόλου δὲ πάντες βασιλικῶν προσταγμάτων, ὡς ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων αὐτοῖς φόβον ἀφῃρῆσθαι καὶ δοκεῖν ἀπηλλάχθαι τῆς τούτων ὕβρεως καὶ παρανομίας.
For all the inhabitants on this side of Taurus did not rejoice so much at the defeat of Antiochus—because some seemed to be released from tribute, others from garrisons, and all in general from royal decrees—as they did at the removal of their fear of the barbarians and the appearance of being delivered from their insolence and lawlessness.
§21.41.3ἦλθε δὲ καὶ παρʼ Ἀντιόχου Μουσαῖος καὶ παρὰ τῶν Γαλατῶν πρεσβευταί, βουλόμενοι μαθεῖν ἐπὶ τίσιν αὐτοὺς δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν φιλίαν.
Musaeus also came from Antiochus, and ambassadors from the Galatians, wishing to learn on what terms they were to make peace.
§21.41.4ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ παρʼ Ἀριαράθου τοῦ τῶν Καππαδοκῶν βασιλέως· καὶ γὰρ οὗτος, μετασχὼν Ἀντιόχῳ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐλπίδων καὶ κοινωνήσας τῆς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους μάχης, ἐδεδίει καὶ διηπορεῖτο περὶ τῶν καθʼ αὑτόν.
Likewise, there came ambassadors from Ariarathes, the king of the Cappadocians; for he too, having shared the same hopes with Antiochus and taken part in the battle against the Romans, was afraid and in great anxiety about his own affairs.
§21.41.5διὸ καὶ πλεονάκις πέμπων πρεσβευτὰς ἐβούλετο μαθεῖν τί δοὺς ἢ τί πράξας δύναιτʼ ἂν παραιτήσασθαι τὴν σφετέραν ἄγνοιαν.
Therefore, by sending envoys repeatedly, he wished to learn what he could pay or do to deprecate his error.
§21.41.6ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τὰς μὲν παρὰ τῶν πόλεων πρεσβείας πάσας ἐπαινέσας καὶ φιλανθρώπως ἀποδεξάμενος ἐξαπέστειλε, §21.41.7τοῖς δὲ Γαλάταις ἀπεκρίθη διότι προσδεξάμενος Εὐμένη τὸν βασιλέα, τότε ποιήσεται τὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς συνθήκας.
The general, however, commended and graciously received all the embassies from the cities and dismissed them; but to the Galatians he replied that he would make a treaty with them only after he had received King Eumenes.
τοῖς δὲ περὶ Ἀριαράθην εἶπεν ἑξακόσια τάλαντα δόντας τὴν εἰρήνην ἔχειν.
To the envoys of Ariarathes he said that they might have peace on the payment of six hundred talents.
§21.41.8πρὸς δὲ τὸν Ἀντιόχου πρεσβευτὴν συνετάξατο μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἥξειν ἐπὶ τοὺς τῆς Παμφυλίας ὅρους, τά τε δισχίλια τάλαντα καὶ πεντακόσια κομιούμενος καὶ τὸν σῖτον ὃν ἔδει δοῦναι τοῖς στρατιώταις αὐτοῦ πρὸ τῶν συνθηκῶν κατὰ τὰς πρὸς Λεύκιον ὁμολογίας.
With the ambassador of Antiochus he agreed to march with his army to the borders of Pamphylia, in order to receive the two thousand five hundred talents and the grain which was to be given to his soldiers before the treaty, in accordance with the agreement made with Lucius.
§21.41.9μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καθαρμὸν ποιησάμενος τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ τῆς ὥρας παραδιδούσης, παραλαβὼν Ἄτταλον ἀνέζευξεν καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς Ἀπάμειαν ὀγδοαῖος ἐπέμεινε τρεῖς ἡμέρας, κατὰ δὲ τὴν τετάρτην ἀναζεύξας προῆγε, χρώμενος ἐνεργοῖς ταῖς πορείαις.
After this, having performed a purification of his army, and as the season permitted, he set out taking Attalus with him, and arriving at Apamea on the eighth day, he remained there for three days; on the fourth day, he set out again and advanced, marching with great activity.
§21.41.10ἀφικόμενος δὲ τριταῖος εἰς τὸν συνταχθέντα τόπον τοῖς περὶ Ἀντίοχον, αὐτοῦ κατεστρατοπέδευσε.
Arriving on the third day at the place agreed upon with the representatives of Antiochus, he encamped there.
§21.41.11συμμιξάντων δὲ τῶν περὶ τὸν Μουσαῖον καὶ παρακαλούντων αὐτὸν ἐπιμεῖναι, διότι καθυστεροῦσιν αἵ θʼ ἅμαξαι καὶ τὰ κτήνη τὰ παρακομίζοντα τὸν σῖτον καὶ τὰ χρήματα, πεισθεὶς τούτοις ἐπέμεινε τρεῖς ἡμέρας.
When Musaeus and his companions met him and entreated him to wait, because the wagons and beasts of burden bringing the grain and the money were lagging behind, he complied and waited for three days.
§21.41.12τῆς δὲ χορηγίας ἐλθούσης τὸν μὲν σῖτον ἐμέτρησε ταῖς δυνάμεσι, τὰ δὲ χρήματα παραδούς τινι τῶν χιλιάρχων συνέταξεν παρακομίζειν εἰς Ἀπάμειαν.
When the supplies arrived, he distributed the grain to his troops, and handing over the money to one of his military tribunes, he ordered him to convey it to Apamea.

Notes

  1. 21.41.2οὐχ οὕτως ἐχάρησαν ... ὡς ἐπὶ τῷ — A comparative construction using οὐχ οὕτως ... ὡς ... ('not so much ... as ...'), expressing a strong contrast where the latter is emphasized over the former. The grounds for the initial joy (ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν... 'at the appearance of...') and the subsequent greater joy (ἐπὶ τῷ... ἀφῃρῆσθαι... 'at the removal of...') are balanced using parallel articular infinitives in the dative case introduced by the preposition ἐπί.
  2. 21.41.5τί δοὺς ἢ τί πράξας δύναιτʼ ἂν — The optative with ἄν (δύναιτʼ ἂν) expresses potentiality ('how he might be able'). The aorist participles δοὺς and πράξας function adverbially as conditional clauses ('by paying what or by doing what'), together forming an indirect question clause explaining what actions could deprecate their past errors.
  3. 21.41.9τῆς ὥρας παραδιδούσης — A genitive absolute construction in the present tense, with τῆς ὥρας as the subject and the present participle παραδιδούσης as the predicate. The verb παραδίδωμι is used intransitively here in the sense of 'allowing' or 'offering an opportunity', meaning 'as the season permitted (or offered favorable conditions for marching)'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §21.41.1-21.41.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:21.41.1-21.41.12

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