Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §28.19.1-28.19.7

Egypt's Council and the Greek Envoys to Antiochus

Passage 1111 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The royal advisors in Egypt established a council to address the crisis and decided to send the Greek envoys currently present to negotiate a reconciliation with Antiochus.

§28.19.1ὅτι μετὰ τὸ παραλαβεῖν Ἀντίοχον τὰ κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἔδοξε τοῖς περὶ τὸν Κομανὸν καὶ Κινέαν συνεδρεύσασιν μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως κοινοβούλιον καταγράφειν ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων ἡγεμόνων τὸ βουλευσόμενον περὶ τῶν ἐνεστώτων.
After Antiochus had taken control of the affairs in Egypt, those around Comanus and Cineas, who were sitting in council with the king, decided to enroll a joint council from the most distinguished leaders to deliberate on the present situation.
§28.19.2πρῶτον οὖν ἔδοξε τῷ συνεδρίῳ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος παρεπιδημήσαντας πέμπειν πρεσβευτὰς ὡς τὸν Ἀντίοχον κοινολογησομένους ὑπὲρ διαλύσεως.
First, therefore, it was resolved by the council to send those who were visiting from Greece as envoys to Antiochus to negotiate about a reconciliation.
§28.19.3ἦσαν δὲ τότε παρὰ μὲν τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πρεσβεῖαι διτταί, μία μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν φιλανθρώπων ἀνανεώσεως, ἣν ἐπρέσβευον Ἀλκίθος Ξενοφῶντος Αἰγιεὺς καὶ Πασιάδας, ἄλλη δὲ περὶ τοῦ τῶν Ἀντιγονείων ἀγῶνος.
At that time, there were two embassies from the Achaean League: one concerning the renewal of friendly privileges, on which Alcithus of Aegium, son of Xenophon, and Pasiadas were serving as envoys; the other concerning the games of the Antigoneia.
§28.19.4ἦν δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων πρεσβεία περὶ δωρεᾶς, ἧς ἡγεῖτο Δημάρατος, καὶ θεωρίαι διτταί, μία μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν Παναθηναίων, ἧς προειστήκει Καλλίας ὁ παγκρατιαστής, ἡ δʼ ἄλλη περὶ μυστηρίων, ὑπὲρ ἧς Κλεόστρατος ἐποιεῖτο τὸν χρηματισμὸν καὶ τοὺς λόγους.
There was also an embassy from the Athenians concerning a gift, led by Demaratus, and two sacred missions: one for the Panathenaea, headed by Callias the pancratiast, and the other concerning the mysteries, for which Cleostratus conducted the business and speeches.
§28.19.5ἐκ δὲ Μιλήτου παρῆσαν Εὔδημος καὶ Ἱκέσιος, ἐκ δὲ Κλαζομενῶν Ἀπολλωνίδης καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος.
From Miletus, Eudemus and Hicesius were present; and from Clazomenae, Apollonides and Apollonius.
§28.19.6ἐξαπέστειλε δὲ καὶ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς Τληπόλεμον καὶ Πτολεμαῖον τὸν ῥήτορα πρεσβευτάς.
King Ptolemy also dispatched Tlepolemus and Ptolemy the rhetorician as envoys.
§28.19.7οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἔπλεον ἀνὰ τὸν ποταμὸν εἰς τὴν ἀπάντησιν. —
These men, then, sailed up the river to meet him. —

Notes

  1. §28.19.1τοῖς περὶ τὸν Κομανὸν καὶ Κινέαν — The phrase "οἱ περί + accusative" is an idiomatic expression referring to a person and their associates, or sometimes primarily the person themselves. Here, it refers to the faction surrounding Comanus and Cineas, the advisors of King Ptolemy.
  2. §28.19.1τὸ βουλευσόμενον — A neuter future active participle modifying the preceding noun `κοινοβούλιον` (joint council). The future participle functions attributively to express purpose ("which was to deliberate").
  3. §28.19.7ἀνὰ τὸν ποταμὸν — The preposition `ἀνά` with the accusative means "up along" or "upward through," referring here to sailing up the Nile River.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §28.19.1-28.19.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:28.19.1-28.19.7

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.