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Polybius · The Histories §31.33.1-31.33.5

Demetrius's Recognition as King and Mission to Rome

Passage 1207 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Demetrius, upon receiving a report from Menochares, concentrates his efforts on conciliating the Roman envoys to secure his recognition as king. He then sends a crown to Rome, along with the murderer of Gnaeus and Isocrates.

§31.33.1ὅτι τοῦ Μηνοχάρους παραγενηθέντος εἰς τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν πρὸς Δημήτριον καὶ διασαφήσαντος τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν γεγενημένην ἔντευξιν αὐτῷ πρὸς τοὺς περὶ Τεβέριον ἐν τῇ Καππαδοκίᾳ, §31.33.2νομίσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀναγκαιότατον εἶναι τῶν παρόντων τὸ τοὺς προειρημένους ἄνδρας ἐξομιλῆσαι καθʼ ὅσον οἷός τʼ ἦν, §31.33.3πάντα τἄλλα πάρεργα ποιησάμενος διεπέμπετο πρὸς τούτους, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον εἰς Παμφυλίαν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάλιν εἰς Ῥόδον, πάντα ποιήσειν Ῥωμαίοις ἀναδεχόμενος, ἕως ἐξειργάσατο βασιλεὺς ὑπʼ αὐτῶν προσαγορευθῆναι.
When Menochares arrived at Antioch to see Demetrius and explained to the king the interview he had had in Cappadocia with Tiberius and his colleagues, the king, thinking that the most necessary of his immediate tasks was to conciliate the aforementioned men as far as he could, made all other matters secondary and kept sending envoys to them, first to Pamphylia and afterwards again to Rhodes, promising to do everything for the Romans, until he succeeded in being addressed by them as king.
§31.33.4καὶ γὰρ ἦν ὁ Τεβέριος εὔνους αὐτῷ διαφερόντως· διὸ καὶ μεγάλα συνεβάλετο πρὸς τὸ καθικέσθαι καὶ κτήσασθαι τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτόν.
For Tiberius was exceptionally well-disposed to him; and for this reason he contributed greatly to his attaining and securing his kingdom.
§31.33.5ὁ δὲ Δημήτριος τυχὼν τῆς προειρημένης ἀφορμῆς εὐθέως εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἔπεμπε πρεσβευτὰς στέφανόν τε κομίζοντας καὶ τὸν αὐτόχειρα τοῦ Γναΐου γεγονότα καὶ σὺν τούτοις τὸν κριτικὸν Ἰσοκράτην.
Demetrius, having obtained the aforementioned opportunity, immediately sent envoys to Rome, bearing a crown, and also the man who had been the actual murderer of Gnaeus, and along with them the grammarian Isocrates.

Notes

  1. §31.33.1τοῦ Μηνοχάρους παραγενηθέντος — A genitive absolute construction. It introduces 'Menochares' as a subject distinct from the main clause's subject ('the king'), establishing the temporal background for the main action.
  2. §31.33.2τὸ τοὺς προειρημένους ἄνδρας ἐξομιλῆσαι — The articular infinitive clause functions as the subject of the infinitive clause (ἀναγκαιότατον εἶναι) which is dependent on νομίσας. τοὺς προειρημένους ἄνδρας is the accusative object of the infinitive ἐξομιλῆσαι ('to conciliate' or 'to win over').
  3. §31.33.4πρὸς τὸ καθικέσθαι καὶ κτήσασθαι τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτόν — The preposition πρὸς with the articular infinitive τὸ expresses purpose or result. The pronoun αὐτόν (accusative) is the subject of the two infinitives καθικέσθαι ('to attain') and κτήσασθαι ('to secure'), while τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχήν ('affairs of the kingdom') functions as the object of these infinitives.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §31.33.1-31.33.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:31.33.1-31.33.5

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