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Polybius · The Histories §23.3.1-23.3.10

Roman Favor for Demetrius and Macedonian Suspicions

Passage 1034 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This section relates Eumenes' embassy making new charges, and details how the Senate's excessive favor toward Demetrius and Titus's private intrigues stoked fatal suspicions within the Macedonian royal family, eventually leading to Demetrius's execution.

§23.3.1μετὰ δὲ τούτους εἰσῆλθον οἱ παρʼ Εὐμένους πρέσβεις καὶ περί τε τῆς βοηθείας τῆς ἀποσταλείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου τῷ Προυσίᾳ κατηγόρησαν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης τόπων, φάσκοντες οὐδʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν αὐτὸν ἐξαγηοχέναι τὰς φρουρὰς ἐκ τῶν πόλεων.
After them, the ambassadors from Eumenes entered, and they made accusations both concerning the aid sent by Philip to Prusias and concerning the places in Thrace, claiming that not even now had he withdrawn his garrisons from the cities.
§23.3.2τοῦ δὲ Φιλοκλέους ὑπὲρ τούτων βουληθέντος ἀπολογεῖσθαι διὰ τὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸν Προυσίαν πεπρεσβευκέναι καὶ τότε περὶ τούτων ἐξαπεστάλθαι πρὸς τὴν σύγκλητον ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου, §23.3.3βραχύν τινα χρόνον ἡ σύγκλητος ἐπιδεξαμένη τοὺς λόγους ἔδωκεν ἀπόκρισιν διότι, τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης τόπων ἐὰν μὴ καταλάβωσιν οἱ πρεσβευταὶ πάντα διῳκημένα κατὰ τὴν τῆς συγκλήτου γνώμην καὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις εἰς τὴν Εὐμένους πίστιν ἐγκεχειρισμένας, οὐκέτι δυνήσεται φέρειν οὐδὲ καρτερεῖν παρακουομένη περὶ τούτων.
When Philocles wished to make a defense on these matters, because he had both been on an embassy to Prusias and had been sent at that time to the Senate concerning these things by Philip, the Senate, having tolerated his speech for a short time, gave an answer to the effect that, concerning the places in Thrace, unless the ambassadors should find everything arranged according to the opinion of the Senate and all the cities handed over to the protection of Eumenes, they would no longer be able to bear or endure being disregarded on these matters.
§23.3.4καὶ τῆς μὲν Φιλίππου καὶ Ῥωμαίων παρατριβῆς ἐπὶ πολὺ προβαινούσης ἐπίστασις ἐγενήθη κατὰ τὸ παρὸν διὰ τὴν τοῦ Δημητρίου παρουσίαν·
And though the friction between Philip and the Romans was advancing to a great length, a pause occurred for the present on account of the presence of Demetrius.
§23.3.5πρὸς μέντοι γε τὴν καθόλου τῆς οἰκίας ἀτυχίαν οὐ μικρὰ συνέβη τὴν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τοῦ νεανίσκου πρεσβείαν συμβαλέσθαι.
However, towards the general misfortune of the royal house, it happened that the young man's embassy to Rome contributed not a little.
§23.3.6ἥ τε γὰρ σύγκλητος ἀπερεισαμένη τὴν χάριν ἐπὶ τὸν Δημήτριον ἐμετεώρισε μὲν τὸ μειράκιον, ἐλύπησε δὲ καὶ τὸν Περσέα καὶ τὸν Φίλιππον ἰσχυρῶς τῷ δοκεῖν μὴ διʼ αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ διὰ Δημήτριον τυγχάνειν τῆς παρὰ Ῥωμαίων φιλανθρωπίας.
For the Senate, by attributing the favor to Demetrius, made the youth elated, and severely vexed both Perseus and Philip by the fact that they seemed to obtain the kindness from the Romans not because of themselves, but because of Demetrius.
§23.3.7ὅ τε Τίτος ἐκκαλεσάμενος τὸ μειράκιον καὶ προβιβάσας εἰς λόγους ἀπορρήτους, οὐκ ὀλίγα συνεβάλετο πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν.
And Titus, having called the youth aside and led him on into secret conversations, contributed not a little to the same outcome.
§23.3.8τόν τε γὰρ νεανίσκον ἐψυχαγώγησεν, ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα συγκατασκευασόντων αὐτῷ Ῥωμαίων τὴν βασιλείαν, τούς τε περὶ τὸν Φίλιππον ἠρέθισε, γράψας ἐξ αὐτῆς τὸν Δημήτριον ἀποστέλλειν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην μετὰ τῶν φίλων ὡς πλείστων καὶ χρησιμωτάτων.
For he both beguiled the young man, on the ground that the Romans would very soon secure the kingdom for him, and irritated Philip and his associates, by writing that he should immediately send Demetrius back to Rome with as many and as useful friends as possible.
§23.3.9ταύταις γὰρ ταῖς ἀφορμαῖς χρησάμενος ὁ Περσεὺς μετʼ ὀλίγον ἔπεισε τὸν πατέρα συγκαταθέσθαι τῷ Δημητρίου θανάτῳ.
For Perseus, using these opportunities, after a short time persuaded his father to consent to the death of Demetrius.
§23.3.10περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ὡς ἐχειρίσθη τὰ κατὰ
So, concerning these matters, how they were handled...

Notes

  1. §23.3.2τοῦ δὲ Φιλοκλέους ὑπὲρ τούτων βουληθέντος ἀπολογεῖσθαι — Genitive absolute construction showing the circumstance under which Philocles attempted a defense, with the following clause introduced by `διά` and the infinitive explaining his motive.
  2. §23.3.3παρακουομένη — Present passive participle, agreeing in gender, number, and case with the subject of the main clause, `ἡ σύγκλητος` (the Senate). It describes the state of having their decisions ignored.
  3. §23.3.5τὴν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τοῦ νεανίσκου πρεσβείαν συμβαλέσθαι — An accusative with infinitive construction functioning as the subject of the impersonal verb `συνέβη`.
  4. §23.3.6τῷ δοκεῖν μὴ διʼ αὐτούς — An articular infinitive in the dative case, expressing cause ('by the fact that they seemed...').
  5. §23.3.8ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα συγκατασκευασόντων αὐτῷ Ῥωμαίων τὴν βασιλείαν — A genitive absolute construction with the future participle `συγκατασκευασόντων` introduced by `ὡς`, expressing a subjective claim or promise regarding a future expectation made to the young man.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §23.3.1-23.3.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:23.3.1-23.3.10

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