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Polybius · The Histories §23.2.1-23.2.11

Demetrius's Defense and the Senate's Leniency

Passage 1033 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Senate, sparing the young Demetrius from direct defense, ordered him to read Philip's written memorandum answering each accusation. Out of favor for Demetrius, the Senate granted a lenient reply to Macedonia but resolved to send commissioners to monitor compliance.

§23.2.1ὅθεν ἡ σύγκλητος, οὔτʼ αὐτὴ δυναμένη διευκρινεῖν οὔτε τὸν Δημήτριον κρίνουσα δεῖν ἑκάστοις τούτων λόγον ὑπέχειν, §23.2.2ἅτε καὶ φιλανθρώπως πρὸς αὐτὸν διακειμένη καὶ θεωροῦσα νέον ὄντα κομιδῇ καὶ πολὺ τῆς τοιαύτης συστροφῆς καὶ ποικιλίας ἀπολειπόμενον, §23.2.3μάλιστα δὲ βουλομένη μὴ τῶν Δημητρίου λόγων ἀκούειν, ἀλλὰ τῆς Φιλίππου γνώμης ἀληθινὴν λαβεῖν πεῖραν, §23.2.4αὐτὸν Δημήτριον παρέλυσε τῆς δικαιολογίας, ἤρετο δὲ τὸν νεανίσκον καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ φίλους εἴ τινα περὶ τούτων ὑπομνηματισμὸν ἔχουσι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως.
Hence the Senate, being unable themselves to decide the details, and judging that Demetrius ought not to be held responsible for giving an account of each of these matters, as they were both well disposed towards him and saw that he was quite young and fell far short of dealing with such embarrassment and complexity, and above all because they wished not to listen to the words of Demetrius, but to obtain a true test of Philip's real intention, exempted Demetrius himself from the defense, and asked the young man and the friends with him if they had any memorandum on these matters from the king.
§23.2.5τοῦ δὲ Δημητρίου φήσαντος ἔχειν καὶ προτείναντός τι βυβλίδιον οὐ μέγα, λέγειν αὐτὸν ἐκέλευσεν ἥνπερ τὰ ὑπομνήματα περιεῖχε πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν κατηγορουμένων ἀπόφασιν κεφαλαιώδη.
When Demetrius said he had one and offered a small notebook, they ordered him to read out the summary answer which the memorandum contained for each of the accusers.
§23.2.6ὁ δὲ τὸ μὲν πεποιηκέναι τὸ προσταχθὲν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἔφασκεν, ἢ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ μὴ πεπρᾶχθαι τοῖς ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀνετίθει.
He declared either that he had done what had been commanded by the Romans, or laid the blame for its not being done upon the accusers.
§23.2.7προσέκειτο δὲ πρὸς ταῖς πλείσταις ἀποφάσεσι "καίτοι οὐκ ἴσως χρησαμένων ἡμῖν τῶν πρεσβευτῶν τῶν περὶ Καικίλιον ἐν τούτοισ" καὶ πάλιν "καίτοι γε οὐ δικαίως ἡμῶν ταῦτα πασχόντων". §23.2.8τοιαύτης δʼ οὔσης τῆς Φιλίππου γνώμης ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἀποφάσεσι, διακούσασα τῶν παραγεγονότων ἡ σύγκλητος μίαν ἐποιήσατο περὶ πάντων διάληψιν.
And to most of the answers there was added, "although the ambassadors under Caecilius did not deal fairly with us in these matters," and again, "although we are suffering these things unjustly." Philip's intention being of this nature in all the answers, the Senate, having heard all those who had come, made a single decision concerning all the matters.
§23.2.9ἀποδεξαμένη γὰρ τὸν Δημήτριον μεγαλομερῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως διὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, πολλοὺς καὶ παρακλητικοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν διαθεμένη λόγους, ἀπόκρισιν ἔδωκε διότι περὶ πάντων καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνεγνωσμένων Δημητρίῳ πιστεύει διότι τὰ μὲν γέγονε, τὰ δʼ ἔσται, καθάπερ δίκαιόν ἐστι γίνεσθαι.
For having received Demetrius handsomely and kindly through the consul, and having addressed many encouraging words to him, they gave an answer to the effect that, on all matters both spoken by him and read aloud, they trusted Demetrius that some things had been done, and others would be done, just as it was right for them to be done.
§23.2.10ἵνα δὲ καὶ Φίλιππος εἰδῇ διότι τὴν χάριν ταύτην ἡ σύγκλητος Δημητρίῳ δίδωσιν, ἐξαποστελεῖν ἔφη πρεσβευτὰς ἐποψομένους εἰ γίνεται πάντα κατὰ τὴν τῆς συγκλήτου βούλησιν, ἅμα δὲ διασαφήσοντας τῷ βασιλεῖ διότι τῆς συμπεριφορᾶς τυγχάνει ταύτης διὰ Δημήτριον.
And in order that Philip too might know that the Senate was granting this favor to Demetrius, they said they would send ambassadors to see if everything was being done according to the will of the Senate, and at the same time to make it clear to the king that he obtained this forbearance because of Demetrius.
§23.2.11καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τοιαύτης ἔτυχε διεξαγωγῆς.
And these matters met with such a conclusion.

Notes

  1. §23.2.5ἥνπερ τὰ ὑπομνήματα περιεῖχε πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν κατηγορουμένων ἀπόφασιν κεφαλαιώδη — Syntactic attraction of the antecedent, where ἀπόφασιν κεφαλαιώδη (summary answer), which is the grammatical object of λέγειν, is drawn inside the relative clause governed by ἥνπερ. In a standard order, it would be τὴν ἀπόφασιν κεφαλαιώδη ἥνπερ τὰ ὑπομνήματα περιεῖχε...
  2. §23.2.9διότι — Here, διότι does not function as a causal conjunction ("because"), but as a substitute for ὅτι introducing a noun clause ("that"), a usage highly characteristic of Hellenistic Greek. The same usage is repeated in the second διότι of this section, as well as in the next section (διότι τὴν χάριν... and διασαφήσοντας... διότι...).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §23.2.1-23.2.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:23.2.1-23.2.11

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