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Polybius · The Histories §28.22.1-28.22.3

Antiochus's Embassy to Rome and Gifts for the Greeks

Passage 1114 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Antiochus, while keeping Alexandria under siege, dispatched envoys to Rome and raised substantial funds to present gifts to the Romans and various Greek cities.

§28.22.1ὅτι Ἀντίοχος μετὰ τὸ καταλιπεῖν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν πολιορκεῖν πρεσβευτὰς εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἐξέπεμπεν· §28.22.2οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν Μελέαγρος, Σωσιφάνης, Ἡρακλείδης· §28.22.3συνθεὶς ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα τάλαντα, πεντήκοντα μὲν στέφανον Ῥωμαίοις, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τῶν χρημάτων εἰς δωρεάν τισιν τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα πόλεων. —
That Antiochus, after leaving Alexandria under siege, sent ambassadors to Rome; these were Meleager, Sosiphanes, and Heraclides; having put together one hundred and fifty talents, fifty as a crown for the Romans, and the rest of the money as a gift for some of the cities in Greece. —

Notes

  1. §28.22.1μετὰ τὸ καταλιπεῖν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν πολιορκεῖν — The preposition μετὰ with the articular infinitive τὸ καταλιπεῖν means 'after leaving', taking Ἀλεξάνδρειαν as its object. The active present infinitive πολιορκεῖν functions as a complement of result or purpose ('to be besieged' or 'for others to besiege'), meaning 'after leaving Alexandria under siege'.
  2. §28.22.3συνθεὶς — Aorist active participle (nominative masculine singular) of συντίθημι ('to put together', 'to procure'), agreeing with the subject Antiochus, meaning 'having amassed' or 'having raised' one hundred and fifty talents.
  3. §28.22.3στέφανον — In the phrase πεντήκοντα μὲν [τάλαντα] στέφανον Ῥωμαίοις, στέφανον ('crown') is in apposition to the fifty talents (or an accusative of purpose/destination), referring to the diplomatic custom of presenting a golden crown (or its monetary equivalent) to the Romans.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §28.22.1-28.22.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:28.22.1-28.22.3

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