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Polybius · The Histories §25.5.1-25.5.5

Rhodes' Reaction to the Roman Senate's Decision

Passage 1069 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Upon the arrival of the Roman ambassadors with the senate's decision, confusion arises in both Rhodes and Lycia, prompting the Rhodians to send an embassy to Rome.

§25.5.1ὅτι εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον παραγενομένων τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης πρεσβευτῶν καὶ διασαφούντων τὰ δεδογμένα τῇ συγκλήτῳ, θόρυβος ἦν ἐν τῇ Ῥόδῳ καὶ πολλὴ ταραχὴ περὶ τοὺς πολιτευομένους, ἀγανακτούντων ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ φάσκειν ἐν δωρεᾷ δεδόσθαι τοὺς Λυκίους αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμμαχίαν.
When the ambassadors from Rome arrived in Rhodes and made clear the decisions of the senate, there was an uproar in Rhodes and great confusion among the politicians, who were indignant because it was asserted that the Lycians had been given to them not as a gift, but under an alliance.
§25.5.2ἄρτι γὰρ δοκοῦντες καλῶς τεθεῖσθαι τὰ κατὰ Λυκίους, αὖθις ἄλλην ἀρχὴν ἑώρων φυομένην πραγμάτων·
For having just thought that the affairs of the Lycians had been satisfactorily settled, they now saw another beginning of trouble springing up.
§25.5.3εὐθέως γὰρ οἱ Λύκιοι, τῶν Ῥωμαίων παραγενομένων καὶ διασαφούντων ταῦτα τοῖς Ῥοδίοις, πάλιν ἐστασίαζον καὶ πᾶν ὑπομένειν οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτονομίας καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας.
For immediately, when the Romans arrived and made these things clear to the Rhodians, the Lycians again began to revolt and were ready to endure anything for their autonomy and freedom.
§25.5.4οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ οἵ γε Ῥόδιοι διακούσαντες τῶν πρεσβευτῶν καὶ νομίσαντες ἐξηπατῆσθαι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὑπὸ τῶν Λυκίων, παραχρῆμα κατέστησαν τοὺς περὶ Λυκόφρονα πρεσβευτάς, διδάξοντας τὴν σύγκλητον περὶ τῶν προειρημένων.
Nevertheless, the Rhodians, having heard the ambassadors to the end and believing that the Romans had been deceived by the Lycians, immediately appointed Lycophron and his colleagues as ambassadors to inform the senate about the aforementioned matters.
§25.5.5καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τούτων ἦν, ὅσον οὔπω δοκούντων πάλιν ἐπαναστήσεσθαι τῶν Λυκίων.
And these matters were in this state, while the Lycians seemed on the point of rising in rebellion again.

Notes

  1. §25.5.1ἀγανακτούντων — Genitive plural present participle. Although logically agreeing with the subject of the preceding accusative phrase περὶ τοὺς πολιτευομένους ('among the politicians'), it functions syntactically as a loose genitive absolute, explaining the reason or circumstance of their indignation.
  2. §25.5.5ὅσον οὔπω δοκούντων πάλιν ἐπαναστήσεσθαι τῶν Λυκίων — The adverbial phrase ὅσον οὔπω ('just about to', 'all but') modifies the genitive absolute construction δοκούντων τῶν Λυκίων ('while the Lycians seemed...'). The future infinitive ἐπαναστήσεσθαι serves as the complementary infinitive of δοκούντων, describing an imminent rebellion.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §25.5.1-25.5.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:25.5.1-25.5.5

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