Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §30.26.1-30.26.3

Thirty Days of Spectacles, Ointments, and Banquets

Passage 1168 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

After the games, gladiatorial combats, and beast hunts were celebrated for thirty days, during the first five days various precious ointments were provided for everyone in the gymnasium. Lavish banquets were also held, with sometimes a thousand and sometimes fifteen hundred dining couches laid out with the most costly appointments.

§30.26.1ἐπιτελεσθέντων δὲ τῶν ἀγώνων καὶ μονομαχιῶν καὶ κυνηγεσίων κατὰ τριάκονθʼ ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς τὰς θέας συνετέλει, πέντε μὲν τὰς πρώτας ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ πάντες ἐκ χρυσῶν ὁλκείων ἠλείφοντο κροκίνῳ μύρῳ.
When the games, gladiatorial combats, and beast hunts had been celebrated for thirty days, during which he exhibited these spectacles, for the first five days everyone in the gymnasium was anointed with saffron ointment from golden basins.
§30.26.2ἦν δὲ ταῦτα πεντεκαίδεκα, καὶ κινναμωμίνου τὰ ἴσα καὶ ναρδίνου.
And of these there were fifteen, and an equal number for cinnamon and nard ointments.
παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ ταῖς ἑξῆς εἰσεφέρετο τήλινον, ἀμαράκινον, ἴρινον, πάντα διαφέροντα ταῖς εὐωδίαις.
In like manner, on the following days also, there were brought in fenugreek, marjoram, and iris ointments, all of them outstanding in their fragrance.
§30.26.3ἔστρωτο δὲ εἰς εὐωχίαν ποτὲ μὲν χίλια τρίκλινα, ποτὲ δὲ χίλια πεντακόσια μετὰ τῆς πολυτελεστάτης διασκευῆς.
And for the banqueting, sometimes a thousand dining couches were laid, and sometimes fifteen hundred, with the most costly appointments.

Notes

  1. §30.26.1ἐπιτελεσθέντων δὲ τῶν ἀγώνων — This is a genitive absolute construction where the participle and its subjects (τῶν ἀγώνων καὶ μονομαχιῶν καὶ κυνηγεσίων) are in the genitive case, differing from the subject of the main clause (πάντες), indicating the temporal background or circumstance.
  2. §30.26.1πέντε μὲν τὰς πρώτας — This is an accusative of duration of time. The feminine noun ἡμέρας is omitted from the context, meaning "during the first five days."
  3. §30.26.2ταῦτα πεντεκαίδεκα — The neuter plural pronoun ταῦτα refers to the preceding noun χρυσῶν ὁλκείων (golden basins/vessels). The following genitives κινναμωμίνου and ναρδίνου are neuter singular adjectives of material, also modifying the omitted noun ὁλκεῖα, meaning that there were "an equal number" (τὰ ἴσα) of vessels for cinnamon and nard ointments.
  4. §30.26.3ἔστρωτο — This is the third-person singular pluperfect passive of the verb στρώννυμι (to spread/lay). Although the subject is the neuter plural noun χίλια τρίκλινα (a thousand dining couches), the verb is singular in accordance with the Greek grammatical rule that neuter plural subjects take singular verbs.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §30.26.1-30.26.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:30.26.1-30.26.3

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.