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Polybius · The Histories §31.3.1-31.3.5

Ariarathes' Embassy and Renewal of the Roman Alliance

Passage 1177 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Ambassadors from Ariarathes, the new king of Cappadocia, arrived in Rome to renew their friendship and alliance. The Senate received them warmly, largely due to the highly favorable report previously brought back by Tiberius Gracchus and his colleagues.

§31.3.1ὅτι παρεγένοντο κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν παρʼ Ἀριαράθου τοῦ νεωστὶ διαδεδεγμένου τὴν Καππαδοκῶν βασιλείαν πρέσβεις, ἀνανεωσόμενοι τήν τε φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν, §31.3.2καὶ καθόλου παρακαλέσοντες τὴν σύγκλητον ἀποδέξασθαι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εὔνοιαν καὶ προθυμίαν, ἣν ἔχει καὶ κοινῇ καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν πρὸς ἅπαντας Ῥωμαίους.
That at the same time ambassadors arrived from Ariarathes, who had newly succeeded to the kingdom of the Cappadocians, to renew both the friendship and the alliance that previously existed, — and in general to entreat the Senate to accept the goodwill and eagerness of the king, which he has both collectively and individually toward all Romans.
§31.3.3ἡ δὲ σύγκλητος διακούσασα τῶν λόγων τήν τε φιλίαν ἀνενεώσατο καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν καὶ καθόλου τὴν ὅλην αἵρεσιν ἀποδεξαμένη τοῦ βασιλέως φιλανθρώπως ἐγενήθη.
And the Senate, having listened to their words, renewed both the friendship and the alliance, and in general, having accepted the whole disposition of the king, behaved in a friendly manner.
§31.3.4τοῦτο δʼ ἐγένετο μάλιστα διὰ τὸ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἐξαπεστάλησαν ἐπισκεψόμενοι τὰ κατὰ τοὺς βασιλεῖς, ἐπανελθόντας εὐφήμους λόγους ποιήσασθαι περί τε τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ καθόλου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῶν.
And this happened especially because Tiberius and his party, at the time they were dispatched to inspect the affairs of the kings, having returned, made favorable reports concerning both his father and their kingdom in general.
§31.3.5οἷς πιστεύσαντες οἱ τοῦ συνεδρίου τούς τε πρεσβευτὰς φιλανθρώπως ἀπεδέξαντο καὶ τὴν ὅλην αἵρεσιν τοῦ βασιλέως.
Trusting these reports, the members of the council kindly received both the ambassadors and the whole disposition of the king.

Notes

  1. §31.3.1ὅτι — The ὅτι at the beginning of the text is a characteristic marker of Byzantine excerpts (such as the Constantinian Excerpts), serving to introduce the excerpted content as 'That...' without being subordinate to a main verb in the immediate context.
  2. §31.3.1ἀνανεωσόμενοι — Future middle participle, masculine plural nominative of the verb ἀνανεόομαι, modifying the preceding noun πρέσβεις and expressing purpose ('in order to renew'). Similarly, παρακαλέσοντες in §31.3.2 is also a future participle of purpose.
  3. §31.3.4διὰ τὸ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον ... ποιήσασθαι — A causal construction consisting of the preposition διά with the articular infinitive τὸ ποιήσασθαι (aorist middle infinitive). The accusative phrase τοὺς περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον ('Tiberius and his party') acts as the subject of the infinitive, with the relative clause (καθʼ ὃν...) and participles (ἐπισκεψόμενοι, ἐπανελθόντας) embedded within it.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §31.3.1-31.3.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:31.3.1-31.3.5

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