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Polybius · The Histories §30.27.1-30.27.4

Antiochus IV Deceives the Roman Embassy with Lavish Hospitality

Passage 1169 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Roman embassy led by Tiberius arrives to spy, but Antiochus IV conceals his true hostility and welcomes them with excessive friendliness, completely dispelling their suspicions.

§30.27.1ὅτι μετὰ τὴν συντέλειαν τῶν ἀγώνων, ἄρτι τούτων γεγονότων, ἧκον οἱ περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον πρεσβευταί, κατασκόπων ἔχοντες τάξιν.
After the completion of the games, when these had just taken place, the ambassadors under Tiberius arrived, having the character of spies.
§30.27.2οἷς οὕτως ἐπιδεξίως ἀπήντησεν Ἀντίοχος καὶ φιλοφρόνως ὥστε μὴ οἷον τοὺς περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον ὑποπτεῦσαί τι περὶ αὐτοῦ πραγματικὸν ἢ παρατριβῆς ἔμφασιν ἔχον ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν λεγόντων τι τοιοῦτον καταγινώσκειν διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀπάντησιν φιλανθρωπίας·
Antiochus met them so adroitly and courteously that Tiberius and his companions, far from suspecting any real design on his part or anything indicating friction arising from the events at Alexandria, actually condemned those who said anything of the kind, because of the excessive friendliness of his reception.
§30.27.3ὅς γε πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τῆς αὐλῆς παρεχώρησε τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς, μικροῦ δὲ καὶ τοῦ διαδήματος κατὰ τὴν ἐπίφασιν, καίπερ οὐκ ὢν τῇ προαιρέσει τοιοῦτος, §30.27.4ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἀλλοτριώτατα διακείμενος πρὸς Ῥωμαίους.
Indeed, among other things, he even yielded his palace to the ambassadors, and in appearance almost yielded his diadem as well, although he was not of such a disposition in his actual purpose, but on the contrary was most hostilely disposed towards the Romans.

Notes

  1. 30.27.1ἄρτι τούτων γεγονότων — Genitive absolute construction. It temporally specifies the preceding phrase 'after the completion of the games' with the meaning 'when these had just taken place'.
  2. 30.27.2μὴ οἷον — The construction οὐχ οἷον ... ἀλλὰ καί ... ('not only... but also/even...'). Since it is inside the result clause introduced by ὥστε, the negative particle becomes μὴ and is followed by infinitives.
  3. 30.27.3ὅς γε — The relative pronoun ὅς with the intensive particle γε, introducing a causal relative clause ('inasmuch as he...', 'since he...').
  4. 30.27.3μικροῦ — An adverbial expression meaning 'almost' or 'nearly' (short for μικροῦ δεῖν). The verb παρεχώρησε ('yielded') is understood, which governs the genitive τοῦ διαδήματος.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §30.27.1-30.27.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:30.27.1-30.27.4

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