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Polybius · The Histories §30.15.1

Paullus Destroys the Cities of Epirus and Enslaves Inhabitants

Passage 1157 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Citing Polybius, this passage records that Paullus, after the defeat of Macedonia and Perseus, destroyed seventy cities in Epirus (mostly belonging to the Molossians) and enslaved 150,000 people.

§30.15.1τῶν γοῦν Ἠπειρωτῶν ἑβδομήκοντα πόλεις Πολύβιός φησιν ἀνατρέψαι Παῦλον μετὰ τὴν Μακεδόνων καὶ Περσέως κατάλυσιν· Μολοττῶν δʼ ὑπάρξαι τὰς πλείστας· πέντε δὲ καὶ δέκα μυριάδας ἀνθρώπων ἐξανδραποδίσασθαι.
At any rate, Polybius says that, after the overthrow of the Macedonians and Perseus, Paullus destroyed seventy cities of the Epirotes, and that most of these belonged to the Molossians, and enslaved one hundred and fifty thousand people.

Notes

  1. §30.15.1Μολοττῶν — A genitive of possession or belonging functioning as the predicate of the infinitive ὑπάρξαι, meaning "belonged to the Molossians." The subject of this infinitive, the accusative τὰς πλείστας, refers back to the feminine plural noun πόλεις (cities), which must be supplied.
  2. §30.15.1ἐξανδραποδίσασθαι — The logical subject of this infinitive is Παῦλον (Paullus), which serves as the accusative subject for the entire indirect discourse. The middle voice (first aorist middle infinitive) implies enslaving or selling into slavery for one's own interest or on one's own behalf.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §30.15.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:30.15.1

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