§28.8.1ὅτι Περσεὺς πρὸς Γένθιον τὸν βασιλέα ἀπέστειλε πρεσβευτὰς Πλευρᾶτόν τε τὸν Ἰλλυριόν, ὄντα φυγάδα παρʼ αὐτῷ, §28.8.2καὶ τὸν Βεροιαῖον Ἀδαῖον, δοὺς ἐντολὰς διασαφεῖν τὰ πεπραγμένα κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον πρός τε Ῥωμαίους αὐτῷ καὶ πρὸς Δαρδανίους, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πρὸς Ἠπειρώτας καὶ πρὸς Ἰλλυριοὺς κατὰ τὸ παρόν, καὶ παρακαλεῖν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν τούτου καὶ Μακεδόνων φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν.
That Perseus sent as envoys to King Genthius the Illyrian Pleuratus, who was an exile at his court, and Adaeus of Beroea, giving them instructions to declare what had been done by him in the war against the Romans and the Dardanians, and further at present against the Epirotes and the Illyrians, and to exhort him to friendship and alliance with himself and the Macedonians.
§28.8.3οἳ καὶ ποιησάμενοι τὴν πορείαν ὑπὲρ τὸ Σκάρδον ὄρος διὰ τῆς Ἐρήμου καλουμένης Ἰλλυρίδος, ἣν οὐ πολλοῖς χρόνοις ἀνώτερον ἀνάστατον ἐποίησαν Μακεδόνες εἰς τὸ δυσέργους ποιῆσαι τοῖς Δαρδανεῦσι τὰς εἰς τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα καὶ Μακεδονίαν §28.8.4εἰσβολάς· πλὴν οἵ γε περὶ τὸν Ἀδαῖον διὰ τούτων τῶν τόπων μετὰ πολλῆς κακοπαθείας ἦλθον εἰς Σκόδραν καὶ πυθόμενοι τὸν Γένθιον ἐν Λίσσῳ διατρίβειν διεπέμψαντο πρὸς αὐτόν.
These men, making their journey over Mount Scardus through the so-called Illyrian Desert, which not long before the Macedonians had laid waste in order to make difficult for the Dardanians their inroads into Illyria and Macedonia; however, Adaeus and his party, after much hardship through these regions, arrived at Scodra, and learning that Genthius was staying in Lissus, they sent messages to him.
§28.8.5τοῦ δὲ ταχέως αὐτοὺς μεταπεμψαμένου, συμμίξαντες διελέγοντο περὶ ὧν εἶχον τὰς ἐντολάς.
Since the king quickly sent for them, they met with him and discussed the matters on which they had instructions.
§28.8.6ὁ δὲ Γένθιος οὐκ ἐδόκει μὲν ἀλλότριος εἶναι τῆς πρὸς τὸν Περσέα φιλίας, ἐσκήπτετο δὲ τοῦ μὴ παραχρῆμα συγκατατίθεσθαι τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις τὴν ἀχορηγησίαν καὶ μὴ δύνασθαι χωρὶς χρημάτων ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους πόλεμον.
Now Genthius did not seem to be averse to friendship with Perseus, but as a pretext for not immediately assenting to the requests, he alleged his lack of resources and his inability to undertake the war against the Romans without money.
§28.8.7οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν Ἀδαῖον ταύτας λαβόντες τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ἐπανῆγον.
So Adaeus and his party returned, having received these answers.
§28.8.8ὁ δὲ Περσεὺς παραγενόμενος εἰς Στύβερραν τήν τε λείαν ἐλαφυροπώλησεν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἀνέπαυσε, προσδεχόμενος τοὺς περὶ τὸν Πλευρᾶτον.
Meanwhile, Perseus, having arrived at Styberra, sold the booty and rested his army, while waiting for Pleuratus and his party.
§28.8.9παραγενομένων δʼ αὐτῶν, ἀκούσας τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Γενθίου πάλιν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἔπεμπε τὸν Ἀδαῖον καὶ σὺν τούτῳ τὸν Γλαυκίαν, ἕνα τῶν σωματοφυλάκων, καὶ τρίτον τὸν Ἰλλυριὸν διὰ τὸ τὴν διάλεκτον εἰδέναι τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα, §28.8.10δοὺς ἐντολὰς τὰς αὐτάς, ὥσπερ οὐ κυρίως τοῦ Γενθίου διασεσαφηκότος τίνος προσδεῖται καὶ τίνος γενομένου δύναται συγκαταβαίνειν εἰς τὰ παρακαλούμενα.
Upon their arrival, having heard the message from Genthius, he immediately sent back Adaeus, and with him Glaucias, one of his bodyguards, and as a third, the Illyrian because of his knowing the Illyrian language, giving them the same instructions, just as if Genthius had not explicitly declared what he needed, and upon what condition being fulfilled he could accede to the requests.
§28.8.11τούτων δʼ ἀφορμησάντων, ἀναζεύξας αὐτὸς μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν ἐφʼ Ὕσκανα. —
When they had set out, he himself decamped with his army and marched toward Uscana.