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Polybius · The Histories §22.13.1-22.13.13

The Maroneia Massacre and Philip's Audience with Roman Envoys

Passage 1022 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Narrates King Philip's frustration at being forced to evacuate Thrace by Roman order, which he vented through the massacre of the Maronites, and his subsequent tense interview with the newly arrived Roman envoys led by Appius.

§22.13.1ὅτι Φίλιππος ὁ βασιλεύς, διαπεμψαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης τῶν ἰδίων πρεσβευτῶν καὶ δηλούντων ὅτι δεήσει κατʼ ἀνάγκην ἀποβαίνειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης πόλεων, §22.13.2πυθόμενος ταῦτα καὶ βαρέως φέρων ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν πανταχόθεν αὐτοῦ περιτέμνεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν, ἐναπηρείσατο τὴν ὀργὴν εἰς τοὺς ταλαιπώρους Μαρωνείτας.
King Philip, when his own envoys sent messages to him from Rome, making it clear that it would be absolutely necessary for him to evacuate the cities in Thrace, having heard this and taking it hard because his dominion seemed to be clipped on every side, vented his anger upon the unfortunate Maronites.
§22.13.3μεταπεμψάμενος γὰρ Ὀνόμαστον τὸν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης τεταγμένον ἐκοινολογήθη τούτῳ περὶ τῆς πράξεως.
For, having summoned Onomastus, who was in charge of affairs in Thrace, he conferred with him about the business.
§22.13.4ὁ δʼ Ὀνόμαστος ἀναχωρήσας ἐξαπέστειλε Κάσσανδρον εἰς Μαρώνειαν, συνήθη τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑπάρχοντα διὰ τὸ ποιεῖσθαι τὸν πλείονα χρόνον ἐκεῖ τὴν διατριβήν, §22.13.5ἅτε τοῦ Φιλίππου πάλαι τοὺς αὐλικοὺς ἐγκαθεικότος εἰς τὰς πόλεις ταύτας καὶ συνήθεις πεποιηκότος τοὺς ἐγχωρίους ταῖς τούτων παρεπιδημίαις.
And Onomastus, having withdrawn, dispatched Cassander to Maroneia, who was familiar with the populace because he had spent most of his time there, since Philip had long ago introduced his courtiers into these cities and had made the inhabitants familiar with their visits.
§22.13.6μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέρας ἑτοιμασθέντων τῶν Θρᾳκῶν, καὶ τούτων ἐπεισελθόντων διὰ τοῦ Κασσάνδρου νυκτός, ἐγένετο μεγάλη σφαγὴ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν Μαρωνειτῶν ἀπέθανον.
A few days later, when the Thracians had been prepared and had entered the city at night through Cassander, a great slaughter took place and many of the Maronites died.
§22.13.7κολασάμενος δὲ τῷ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τοὺς ἀντιπράττοντας ὁ Φίλιππος καὶ πληρώσας τὸν ἴδιον θυμόν, ἐκαραδόκει τὴν τῶν πρεσβευτῶν παρουσίαν [πεπεισμένος μηδένα τολμήσειν κατηγορήσειν αὐτοῦ διὰ τὸν φόβον].
Having punished his opponents in this manner and satisfied his own wrath, Philip was waiting expectantly for the arrival of the envoys, convinced that no one would dare to accuse him because of fear.
§22.13.8μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον παραγενομένων τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον καὶ ταχέως πυθομένων τὰ γεγονότα κατὰ τὴν Μαρώνειαν καὶ πικρῶς τῷ Φιλίππῳ μεμψιμοιρούντων ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἐβούλετο μὲν ἀπολογεῖσθαι, §22.13.9φάσκων μὴ κεκοινωνηκέναι τῆς παρανομίας, ἀλλʼ αὐτοὺς ἐν αὑτοῖς στασιάζοντας Μαρωνείτας, [καὶ] τοὺς μὲν ἀποκλίνοντας πρὸς Εὐμένη κατὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν, τοὺς δὲ πρὸς ἑαυτόν, εἰς ταύτην ἐμπεπτωκέναι τὴν ἀτυχίαν.
After some time, when Appius and his colleagues arrived and quickly learned what had happened in Maroneia and bitterly blamed Philip for these things, he wished to make his defense, asserting that he had no share in the lawlessness, but that the Maronites themselves, in a state of civil strife among themselves, some inclining out of goodwill toward Eumenes and others toward himself, had fallen into this misfortune.
§22.13.10καλεῖν δʼ ἐκέλευε κατὰ πρόσωπον, εἴ τις αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖ.
And he demanded that if anyone accused him, they should summon him face to face.
§22.13.11τοῦτο δʼ ἐποίει πεπεισμένος μηδένα τολμήσειν διὰ τὸν φόβον, τῷ δοκεῖν τὴν μὲν ἐκ Φιλίππου τιμωρίαν ἐκ χειρὸς ἔσεσθαι τοῖς ἀντιπράξασιν, τὴν δὲ Ῥωμαίων ἐπικουρίαν μακρὰν ἀφεστάναι.
He did this because he was convinced that no one would dare to do so because of fear, as the vengeance from Philip seemed to be ready at hand for those who opposed him, while the assistance of the Romans was far away.
§22.13.12τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον οὐ φασκόντων προσδεῖσθαι δικαιολογίας, σαφῶς γὰρ εἰδέναι τὰ γεγονότα καὶ τὸν αἴτιον τούτων, εἰς ἀπορίαν ἐνέπιπτεν ὁ Φίλιππος.
But since Appius and his colleagues said that they had no need of further defense, for they knew clearly what had happened and who was responsible for it, Philip fell into embarrassment.
§22.13.13καὶ τὴν μὲν πρώτην ἔντευξιν ἄχρι τού
And the first interview up to this point...

Notes

  1. §22.13.2ἐπὶ τῷ δοκεῖν πανταχόθεν αὐτοῦ περιτέμνεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν — The articular infinitive τῷ δοκεῖν in the dative is governed by the preposition ἐπί, indicating the cause of the emotion (bearing it hard). It takes a secondary accusative and infinitive construction περιτέμνεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν as its complement, where τὴν ἀρχήν serves as the subject accusative of the passive infinitive περιτέμνεσθαι.
  2. §22.13.9αὐτοὺς ἐν αὑτοῖς στασιάζοντας Μαρωνείτας ... ἐμπεπτωκέναι — This is an accusative and infinitive construction introduced by the participle of saying φάσκων. The accusative noun Μαρωνείτας serves as the subject of the infinitive ἐμπεπτωκέναι, while the distributive phrases τοὺς μὲν ... τοὺς δὲ ... stand in apposition to Μαρωνείτας (partitive apposition).
  3. §22.13.11τῷ δοκεῖν — An articular infinitive in the dative case expressing cause. The subsequent infinitive clauses (τιμωρίαν ... ἔσεσθαι and ἐπικουρίαν ... ἀφεστάναι) function as the subject of δοκεῖν, indicating the ground of the conviction ('by its seeming that...').

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §22.13.1-22.13.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:22.13.1-22.13.13

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