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Polybius · The Histories §21.44.1-21.44.3

Oath of Antiochus and Destruction of the Ships at Patara

Passage 1006 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

After the treaty is concluded, the Roman general sends envoys to Syria to receive the king's oath, and orders the naval commander Fabius to burn the ships at Patara.

§21.44.1τμηθέντων δὲ τῶν ὁρκίων ἐπὶ τούτοις, εὐθέως ὁ στρατηγὸς Κόιντον Μινύκιον Θέρμον καὶ Λεύκιον τὸν ἀδελφόν, ἄρτι κεκομικότα τὰ χρήματα παρὰ τῶν Ὀροανδέων, §21.44.2εἰς Συρίαν ἐξαπέστειλε, συντάξας κομίζεσθαι τοὺς ὅρκους παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ διαβεβαιώσασθαι τὰ κατὰ μέρος ὑπὲρ τῶν συνθηκῶν.
When the treaty had been solemnized on these terms, the general immediately dispatched Quintus Minucius Thermus and his own brother Lucius, who had just brought the money from the Oroandians, to Syria, directing them to receive the oaths from the king and to ratify the detailed terms of the treaty.
§21.44.3πρὸς δὲ Κόιντον Φάβιον τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ στρατηγὸν ἐξέπεμψε γραμματοφόρους, κελεύων πάλιν πλεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς Πάταρα καὶ παραλαβόντα τὰς ὑπαρχούσας αὐτόθι ναῦς διαπρῆσαι. —
And to Quintus Fabius, the commander of the fleet, he sent letter-carriers, ordering him to sail again to Patara and, after taking over the ships that were there, to burn them.

Notes

  1. 21.44.1τμηθέντων δὲ τῶν ὁρκίων — An expression derived from the ancient custom of cutting victims to make an oath (ὅρκια τέμνω). It is a genitive absolute with a passive aorist participle, meaning "when the treaty had been solemnized."
  2. 21.44.1ἄρτι κεκομικότα — Perfect active participle in the accusative masculine singular, modifying the preceding noun phrase Λεύκιον τὸν ἀδελφόν (his brother Lucius), indicating that he had just brought the indemnity from the Oroandians.
  3. 21.44.3διαπρῆσαι — Aorist active infinitive of the verb διαπρήθω (to burn up). It functions as part of the accusative with infinitive construction governed by the participle κελεύων (ordering), with αὐτόν (him, i.e., Fabius) acting as its subject.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §21.44.1-21.44.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:21.44.1-21.44.3

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