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Polybius · The Histories §30.13.1-30.13.11

Pro-Roman Denunciations and the Deportation of Greek Opponents

Passage 1155 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Following the defeat of Perseus, pro-Roman leaders from across Greece gathered in Macedonia, prompting the Roman commissioners to deport their political opponents based on their slander, though they acted with caution towards the Achaean League.

§30.13.1ὅτι μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Περσέως κατάλυσιν ἅμα τῷ κριθῆναι τὰ ὅλα πανταχόθεν ἐξέπεμπον πρέσβεις συγχαρησομένους τοῖς στρατηγοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγονόσιν.
That after the overthrow of Perseus, as soon as the main issue was decided, they dispatched from all quarters envoys to congratulate the generals on what had occurred.
§30.13.2τῶν δὲ πραγμάτων ὁλοσχερῶς ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους κεκλικότων, ἐπιπολάζοντες διὰ τὸν καιρὸν οἱ δοκοῦντες εἶναι φίλοι Ῥωμαίων ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς πολιτεύμασιν, εἴς τε τὰς πρεσβείας οὗτοι καθίσταντο καὶ τὰς ἄλλας χρείας.
Since affairs had completely inclined towards the Romans, those in all the states who pretended to be friends of the Romans, riding high because of the circumstances, were appointed to the embassies and other offices.
§30.13.3διὸ συνέδραμον εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν ἐκ μὲν Ἀχαΐας Καλλικράτης, Ἀριστόδαμος, Ἀγησίας, Φίλιππος, §30.13.4ἐκ δὲ Βοιωτίας οἱ περὶ Μνάσιππον, ἐκ δὲ τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας οἱ περὶ Χρέμαν, παρὰ δὲ τῶν Ἠπειρωτῶν οἱ περὶ τὸν Χάροπα καὶ Νικίαν, παρὰ δὲ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν οἱ περὶ τὸν Λυκίσκον καὶ Τίσιππον.
Therefore, there assembled in Macedonia from Achaea, Callicrates, Aristodamus, Agesias, and Philippus; from Boeotia, the party of Mnasippus; from Acarnania, the party of Chremas; from the Epirotes, the party of Charops and Nicias; and from the Aetolians, the party of Lyciscus and Tisippus.
§30.13.5ἁπάντων δὲ τούτων ὁμοῦ γενομένων καὶ πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἁμιλλωμένων προθύμως, καὶ μηδενὸς ὑπάρχοντος ἀνταγωνιστοῦ διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἀντιπολιτευομένους ἅπαντας εἴκοντας τοῖς καιροῖς ἀνακεχωρηκέναι τελέως, ἀκονιτὶ κατεκράτησαν τῆς ὑποθέσεως οἱ προειρημένοι.
When all of these had gathered together and were eagerly striving for the same object, and since there was no opponent because all those of the opposite party had completely withdrawn, yielding to the times, the aforementioned men achieved their purpose without a struggle.
§30.13.6πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις καὶ τὰς ἐθνικὰς συστάσεις οἱ δέκα διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἐπιταγήν, οὓς δεήσει πορεύεσθαι τῶν ἀνδρῶν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην.
Now, to the other cities and national confederacies, the ten commissioners issued their command through the generals themselves, specifying which of the men would have to proceed to Rome.
§30.13.7οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν ὡς ἐπίπαν οὓς ἀπέγραψαν οἱ προειρημένοι κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἀντιπαραγωγάς, πλὴν ὀλίγων τελέως τῶν ἔκδηλόν τι πεποιηκότων.
And these were, on the whole, those whom the aforementioned leaders had written down in accordance with their private animosities, except for a very few who had done something overt.
§30.13.8πρὸς δὲ τὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνος πρεσβευτὰς ἐξέπεμψαν τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους ἄνδρας τῶν δέκα, Γάιον Κλαύδιον καὶ Γνάιον Δομέτιον, §30.13.9διὰ δύʼ αἰτίας, πρῶτον μὲν εὐλαβούμενοι τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς μή ποτʼ οὐ πειθαρχήσωσι τοῖς γραφομένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ κινδυνεύσωσιν οἱ περὶ τὸν Καλλικράτην, δόξαντες ἐξειργάσθαι τὰς κατὰ πάντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων διαβολάς, §30.13.10ὃ κατʼ ἀλήθειαν ἦν, δεύτερον δὲ διὰ τὸ μηθὲν ἐν τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις γράμμασιν ἀκριβὲς εὑρῆσθαι κατὰ μηδενὸς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν.
But to the Achaean nation, they dispatched as envoys the most illustrious men of the ten commissioners, Gaius Claudius and Gnaeus Domitius, for two reasons: first, because they were cautious lest the Achaeans might not obey their written instructions, and also lest the lives of Callicrates and his party might be endangered, as they were thought to have fabricated the slanders against all the Greeks —which indeed was the truth—and second, because nothing definite was found against any of the Achaeans in the captured correspondence.
§30.13.11περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων μετά τινα χρόνον ἐξέπεμπεν ὁ στρατηγὸς τὰς ἐπιστολὰς καὶ τοὺς πρέσβεις, καίπερ οὐκ εὐδοκούμενος κατά γε τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην ταῖς τῶν περὶ τὸν Λυκίσκον καὶ Καλλικράτην διαβολαῖς, ὡς ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων ὕστερον ἐγένετο καταφανές. —
Thus, concerning these matters, after some time the general sent out the letters and the envoys, although in his own mind he was not pleased with the slanders of Lyciscus, Callicrates, and their party, as became manifest afterwards from the events themselves.

Notes

  1. 30.13.1ἅμα τῷ κριθῆναι τὰ ὅλα — The temporal preposition ἅμα is combined with the articular infinitive in the dative τῷ κριθῆναι to express simultaneity ('at the same time as...'). τὰ ὅλα serves as the subject accusative of the infinitive, meaning 'the whole state of affairs' or 'the main issue.'
  2. 30.13.9μή ποτʼ οὐ πειθαρχήσωσι — A clause of fearing/caution introduced by the participle εὐλαβούμενοι. While a fearing clause with μή + subjunctive normally means 'lest they should do...', the addition of the negative οὐ creates a negative fear: 'lest they should not do...' (i.e., 'fearing that they might not obey').
  3. 30.13.11καίπερ οὐκ εὐδοκούμενος — The concessive particle καίπερ modifies the present mediopassive participle εὐδοκούμενος (from εὐδοκέω), meaning 'although not being pleased with.' It takes the dative nominal phrase ταῖς... διαβολαῖς to express disapproval of or dissatisfaction with the slanders.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §30.13.1-30.13.11. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:30.13.1-30.13.11

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