§23.9.1ὅτι κατὰ τὸ δεύτερον ἔτος ἡ σύγκλητος, παραγενομένων πρέσβεων παρʼ Εὐμένους καὶ Φαρνάκου καὶ Φιλίππου καὶ παρὰ τοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνους, ἔτι δὲ παρὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος ἐκπεπτωκότων καὶ παρὰ τῶν κατεχόντων τὴν πόλιν, ἐχρημάτισε τούτοις.
That in the second year, when embassies arrived from Eumenes, Pharnaces, and Philip, as well as from the Achaean nation, and furthermore from the Lacedaemonian exiles and from those in possession of the city, the Senate gave them audience.
§23.9.2ἧκον δὲ καὶ Ῥόδιοι πρεσβεύοντες ὑπὲρ τῆς Σινωπέων ἀτυχίας.
There came also envoys from Rhodes to plead regarding the misfortune of the Sinopeans.
§23.9.3τούτοις μὲν οὖν καὶ τοῖς παρʼ Εὐμένους καὶ Φαρνάκου πρεσβεύουσιν ἡ σύγκλητος ἀπεκρίθη διότι πέμψει πρεσβευτὰς τοὺς ἐπισκεψομένους περί τε Σινωπέων καὶ περὶ τῶν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἀμφισβητουμένων.
To these, therefore, and to the envoys from Eumenes and Pharnaces, the Senate replied that it would send commissioners to investigate both the case of the Sinopeans and the matters in dispute between the kings.
§23.9.4τοῦ δὲ Κοΐντου Μαρκίου προσφάτως ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος παραγεγονότος καὶ περί τε τῶν ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ διασεσαφηκότος, οὐκέτι πολλῶν προσεδεήθη λόγων ἡ σύγκλητος, §23.9.5ἀλλʼ εἰσκαλεσαμένη καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Πελοποννήσου καὶ Μακεδονίας πρεσβεύοντας διήκουσε μὲν τῶν λόγων, τάς γε μὴν ἀποκρίσεις ἔδωκε καὶ τὴν διάληψιν ἐποιήσατο τῶν πραγμάτων οὐ πρὸς τοὺς τῶν πρεσβευτῶν λόγους, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀποπρεσβείαν ἁρμοσαμένη τοῦ Μαρκίου.
Since Quintus Marcius had recently arrived from Greece and had made a full report on the affairs in Macedonia and the Peloponnese, the Senate no longer required many words, but calling in the envoys from the Peloponnese and Macedonia, it heard their speeches indeed, yet it gave its replies and made its decision on the situation not in accordance with the speeches of the envoys, but adapting itself to the report of Marcius.
§23.9.6ὃς ὑπὲρ μὲν τοῦ Φιλίππου τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπηγγέλκει διότι πεποίηκε μὲν τὰ προσταττόμενα, πεποίηκε δὲ τὰ πάντα βαρυνόμενος, καὶ καθότι λαβὼν καιρὸν πᾶν τι ποιήσει κατὰ Ῥωμαίων.
For Marcius had reported concerning King Philip that although he had performed what was commanded, he had done everything with a heavy heart, and that as soon as he found an opportunity, he would do everything in his power against the Romans.
§23.9.7διὸ καὶ τοῖς μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου πρεσβευταῖς τοιαύτην ἔδωκε τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, διʼ ἧς ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς γεγονόσιν ἐπῄνει τὸν Φίλιππον, εἰς δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν ᾤετο δεῖν προσέχειν αὐτὸν ἵνα μηδὲν ὑπεναντίον φαίνηται πράττων Ῥωμαίοις.
Consequently, the Senate gave such a reply to the envoys of Philip, in which it praised Philip for what had been done, but for the future deemed that he should pay heed that he might not appear to be doing anything contrary to the interests of the Romans.
§23.9.8περὶ δὲ τῶν κατὰ Πελοπόννησον ὁ Μάρκιος τοιαύτην ἐπεποίητο τὴν ἀπαγγελίαν διότι, τῶν Ἀχαιῶν οὐ βουλομένων ἀναφέρειν οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τὴν σύγκλητον, ἀλλὰ φρονηματιζομένων καὶ πάντα διʼ ἑαυτῶν πράττειν ἐπιβαλλομένων, §23.9.9ἐὰν παρακούσωσι μόνον αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ παρὸν καὶ βραχεῖαν ἔμφασιν ποιήσωσιν δυσαρεστήσεως, ταχέως ἡ Λακεδαίμων τῇ Μεσσήνῃ συμφρονήσει.
Regarding the affairs in the Peloponnese, Marcius had made a report to the effect that, since the Achaeans did not wish to refer anything to the Senate but were high-spirited and attempted to manage everything by themselves, if the Romans should merely ignore them for the present and give a slight indication of displeasure, Lacedaemon would quickly make common cause with Messene.
§23.9.10τούτου δὲ γενομένου μετὰ μεγάλης χάριτος ἥξειν τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἔφη καταπεφευγότας ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους.
And if this happened, he said, the Achaeans would come with great gratitude as suppliants to the Romans.
§23.9.11διότι τοῖς μὲν ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος ἀπεκρίθησαν τοῖς περὶ Σήριππον, βουλόμενοι μετέωρον ἐᾶσαι τὴν πόλιν, διότι πάντα πεποιήκασιν αὐτοῖς τὰ δυνατά, κατὰ δὲ τὸ παρὸν οὐ νομίζουσιν εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ πρᾶγμα πρὸς αὑτούς.
Therefore, to the envoys from Lacedaemon under Serippus, wishing to leave that city in suspense, they replied that they had done everything in their power for them, but for the present they did not consider this matter to be their concern.
§23.9.12τῶν δʼ Ἀχαιῶν παρακαλούντων, εἰ μὲν δυνατόν ἐστιν, βοήθειαν αὐτοῖς πέμψαι κατὰ τὴν συμμαχίαν ἐπὶ τοὺς Μεσσηνίους, εἰ δὲ μή, προνοηθῆναι γʼ ἵνα μηθεὶς τῶν ἐξ Ἰταλίας μήθʼ ὅπλα μήτε σῖτον εἰς τὴν Μεσσήνην εἰσαγάγῃ, τούτων μὲν οὐδενὶ προσεῖχον, §23.9.13ἀπεκρίθησαν δὲ διότι οὐδʼ ἂν ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων ἢ Κορινθίων ἢ τῶν Ἀργείων ἀφίστηται δῆμος, οὐ δεήσει τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς θαυμάζειν ἐὰν μὴ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἡγῶνται.
And when the Achaeans requested that, if possible, they should send them assistance in accordance with the alliance against the Messenians, or if not, that they should at least take precautions that no one from Italy should import either arms or corn into Messene, they paid no attention to any of these requests, but replied that even if the people of Lacedaemon, Corinth, or Argos should secede, the Achaeans need not wonder if the Romans did not consider it their concern.
§23.9.14ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἐκθέμενοι, κηρύγματος ἔχουσαν διάθεσιν τοῖς βουλομένοις ἕνεκεν Ῥωμαίων ἀφίστασθαι τῆς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πολιτείας, λοιπὸν τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς παρακατεῖχον, καραδοκοῦντες τὰ κατὰ τὴν Μεσσήνην, πῶς προχωρήσει τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς.
Having delivered this reply, which had the character of a proclamation to those who wished to secede from the Achaean league for the sake of the Romans, they henceforth detained the envoys, waiting to see how the affairs in Messene would turn out for the Achaeans.
§23.9.15καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
And such was the state of affairs in Italy.