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Polybius · The Histories §31.14.1-31.14.13

Demetrius's Flight to Ostia and Embarkation

Passage 1188 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

After reading Polybius's message, Demetrius immediately escapes the party by feigning illness. He finalizes the flight plan with Nicanor and others, and they head to Ostia under the cover of night. Facilitated by Menyllus's clever cover story and preparations, the group safely boards the vessel and sets sail at dawn.

§31.14.1ταῦτα διαναγνοὺς ὁ Δημήτριος καὶ συννοήσας τὰς ὑποθέσεις, καὶ τίνες καὶ παρὰ τίνος εἰσίν, παραυτίκα προσποιηθεὶς ὡς ἐπιναύσιος γεγονὼς ἀπηλλάττετο, συμπροπεμπόντων αὐτὸν καὶ τῶν φίλων.
Having read this through and understood the suggestions, and who they were from and what they meant, Demetrius immediately pretended to feel sick from drinking and took his leave, with his friends also accompanying him to see him off.
§31.14.2παραγενόμενος δʼ ἐπὶ σκηνὴν τοὺς μὲν ἀνεπιτηδείους τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐξέπεμψεν εἰς τὰς Ἀναγνείας, συντάξας λαβόντας τὰ λίνα καὶ τοὺς κύνας ἀπαντᾶν ἐπὶ τὸ Κίρκαιον· §31.14.3ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐπιμελῶς εἰώθει κυνηγετεῖν τὸν ὗν· ἐξ οὗ καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πολύβιον αὐτῷ συνηθείας τὴν καταρχὴν γενέσθαι συνέπεσεν.
On arriving at his lodgings, he sent away those of his servants who were unsuitable for the enterprise to Anagnia, instructing them to take the nets and the dogs and meet him at Circeium; for he was accustomed to hunt wild boars there with great enthusiasm, from which circumstance, indeed, his friendship with Polybius had had its beginning.
§31.14.4μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς περὶ τὸν Νικάνορα διεσάφει τὴν ἐπιβολὴν καὶ κοινωνεῖν παρεκάλει τῶν αὐτῶν ἐλπίδων.
After this, he disclosed the design to Nicanor and his companions, and exhorted them to share in the same hopes.
§31.14.5πάντων δὲ προθύμως δεξαμένων τὸν λόγον, παρήγγειλε κατὰ σπουδὴν ἐπανελθόντας ἐπὶ τὰς ἰδίας καταλύσεις τοῖς μὲν παισὶν συντάξαι προάγειν ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν εἰς τὰς Ἀναγνείας καὶ μετὰ τῶν κυνηγῶν ἀπαντᾶν εἰς τὸ Κίρκαιον, §31.14.6αὐτοὺς δὲ λαβόντας ἐσθῆτας τὰς ὁδοιπορικὰς ἀνακάμπτειν ὡς αὐτόν, εἰπόντας τοῖς οἰκέταις ὅτι μετὰ Δημητρίου συμμίξουσιν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἐπὶ τὸν προειρημένον τόπον.
When they all eagerly accepted the proposal, he ordered them to return in haste to their respective lodgings and instruct their servants to set out at dawn for Anagnia, and to meet them at Circeium with the huntsmen, while they themselves, taking their traveling clothes, should return to him, having told their servants that they would join them on the following day at the aforementioned place together with Demetrius.
§31.14.7γενομένων δὲ πάντων καθὼς προείρηται, προῆγον εἰς τὴν Ὠστίαν νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ Τιβέριος.
When everything had been done as described above, they proceeded by night to Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber.
§31.14.8ὁ δὲ Μένυλλος προπορευόμενος ἐκοινολογεῖτο τοῖς ναυτικοῖς, φάσκων αὑτῷ προσπεπτωκέναι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως διʼ ὃ δέον ἐστὶν αὐτὸν μὲν μένειν κατὰ τὸ παρὸν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ, τῶν δὲ νεανίσκων τοὺς πιστοτάτους ἐκπέμψαι πρὸς αὐτόν, παρʼ ὧν ἐπιγνώσεται πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἀδελφόν.
Menyllus, going on ahead, conversed with the crew, saying that a message had reached him from the king, because of which he himself had to remain for the present in Rome, but must send to him the most trustworthy of the young men, from whom the king would learn everything regarding his brother.
§31.14.9διόπερ αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἔφησεν ἐμβαίνειν, τοὺς δὲ νεανίσκους ἥξειν περὶ μέσας νύκτας τοὺς μέλλοντας πλεῖν.
Therefore, he said that he himself would not embark, but that the young men who were to sail would arrive about midnight.
§31.14.10τῶν δὲ ναυκλήρων ἀδιαφορούντων διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτοῖς τὸ ταχθὲν ναῦλον ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ πάντα κατηρτικότων ἐκ πολλοῦ τὰ πρὸς τὸν πλοῦν, §31.14.11παρῆσαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Δημήτριον κατὰ τρίτην φυλακὴν λήγουσαν, ὄντες ὀκτὼ καὶ παῖδες πέντε καὶ παιδάρια τρία.
The shipmasters, being indifferent since the fare agreed upon from the beginning remained secured for them, and having already fully prepared everything for the voyage long before, Demetrius and his party arrived as the third watch was ending, being eight in number, with five servants and three young boys.
§31.14.12τοῦ δὲ Μενύλλου κοινολογηθέντος αὐτοῖς καὶ παραδείξαντος τὴν τῶν ἐπιμηνίων παρασκευήν, ἔτι δὲ συστήσαντος τῷ ναυκλήρῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐπιβάταις ἐκτενῶς, οὗτοι μὲν ἐπέβησαν,
When Menyllus had spoken with them and shown them the supply of provisions for a month, and had also warmly recommended them to the shipmaster and the passengers, they embarked.
§31.14.13ὁ δὲ κυβερνήτης ἄρτι διαφαύσκοντος ἄρας τὰς ἀγκύρας ἐτέλει τὸν πλοῦν, ἁπλῶς οὐδεμίαν ἔννοιαν ἔχων τοῦ πράγματος, ἀλλʼ ὡς στρατιώτας τινὰς ἄγων παρὰ τοῦ Μενύλλου πρὸς τὸν Πτολεμαῖον.
The pilot, just as dawn was breaking, weighed anchor and proceeded on the voyage, having absolutely no inkling of the truth, but believing that he was carrying some soldiers sent by Menyllus to Ptolemy.

Notes

  1. §31.14.1ὡς ἐπιναύσιος γεγονὼς — Although "as if having become seasick" is the literal translation, in this drinking context it means "pretending to feel sick or queasy from drinking." This aligns with Polybius's concern about Demetrius's potential drunkenness in the previous chunk.
  2. §31.14.5τοῖς μὲν παισὶν συντάξαι ... αὐτοὺς δὲ ... ἀνακάμπτειν — These are two infinitive clauses governed by the verb παρήγγειλε (ordered). In the first, συντάξαι (to instruct) has τοῖς παισὶν (their servants) as its dative object. In the second, αὐτοὺς (themselves) serves as the accusative subject of ἀνακάμπτειν (to return), contrasting the actions of the servants (παῖδες) and the masters (αὐτοί).
  3. §31.14.8διʼ ὃ δέον ἐστὶν — The neuter accusative singular relative pronoun ὅ refers to the preceding clause (the message from the king) as its antecedent. Combined with the preposition διά, it marks a logical consequence ("because of which", "therefore"). δέον ἐστὶν is an impersonal construction meaning "it is necessary."
  4. §31.14.10τῶν δὲ ναυκλήρων ἀδιαφορούντων ... καὶ πάντα κατηρτικότων — A genitive absolute construction. With τῶν ναυκλήρων (the shipmasters) as the logical subject, the present participle ἀδιαφορούντων (being indifferent) and the perfect participle κατηρτικότων (having prepared) are connected by καί, explaining the background or reason for the main action (the arrival of Demetrius's party).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §31.14.1-31.14.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:31.14.1-31.14.13

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