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Polybius · The Histories §31.7.1-31.7.4

Ariarathes Secures Rule and Recovers Family Remains

Passage 1181 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

King Ariarathes of Cappadocia, celebrating the stability of his rule after receiving favorable responses from Rome, sent an embassy to Lysias in Antioch to recover and honorably bury the bones of his mother and sister.

§31.7.1ὁ δὲ Ἀριαράθης ὁ βασιλεὺς Καππαδοκίας προσδεδεγμένος τοὺς εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀποσταλέντας πρεσβευτάς, νομίσας ἐκ τῶν ἀποκρίσεων ἐν ὀρθῷ κεῖσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν αὑτῷ νῦν, ἐπειδὴ καθῖκται τῆς Ῥωμαίων εὐνοίας, ἔθυε τοῖς θεοῖς χαριστήρια τῶν γεγονότων καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας εἱστία.
King Ariarathes of Cappadocia, having received the ambassadors who had been sent to Rome, and thinking from their replies that his kingdom was now on a secure footing since he had attained the goodwill of the Romans, offered thank-sacrifices to the gods for what had happened and feasted his leading men.
§31.7.2μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πρεσβευτὰς ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λυσίαν εἰς τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν, σπουδάζων ἀνακομίσασθαι τὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς καὶ μητρὸς ὀστᾶ.
After this, he sent ambassadors to Lysias and his party at Antioch, being anxious to recover the bones of his sister and mother.
§31.7.3τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐγκαλεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ γεγονότος ἀσεβήματος ἀπεδοκίμαζεν, οὐ βουλόμενος ἐρεθίζειν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λυσίαν, ἵνα μὴ διαψευσθῇ τῆς προθέσεως, καίπερ βαρέως φέρων τὸ γεγονός· ἀξιωματικὰς δὲ δοὺς ἐντολὰς ἐξαπέστειλε τοὺς πρέσβεις.
He decided, therefore, not to bring accusations concerning the impious deed that had occurred, although he took the event heavily, as he did not wish to irritate Lysias and his party lest he should be disappointed in his purpose; but giving them instructions of a dignified character, he sent the ambassadors forth.
§31.7.4τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Λυσίαν συγχωρησάντων, καὶ τῶν ὀστῶν ἀνακομισθέντων ὡς αὐτόν, ἀποδεξάμενος μεγαλομερῶς τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτῶν ἔθαψε παρὰ τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς τάφον κηδεμονικῶς. —
When Lysias and his party consented, and the bones were brought back to him, he received their arrival magnificently and buried them with filial care beside his father's tomb. —

Notes

  1. §31.7.1ἐν ὀρθῷ κεῖσθαι — An idiomatic expression meaning "to be on a secure footing" or "to be in a right position." It forms part of the accusative-with-infinitive construction dependent on νομίσας ("thinking"), where τὴν βασιλείαν ("the kingdom") is the subject accusative and αὑτῷ ("for him") is a dative of interest.
  2. §31.7.1καθῖκται τῆς Ῥωμαίων εὐνοίας — The verb καθικνέομαι ("to reach, attain") in the perfect indicative middle/passive third-person singular (καθῖκται) governs the genitive object (τῆς εὐνοίας). The implied subject is either King Ariarathes himself or his kingdom.
  3. §31.7.3τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐγκαλεῖν... ἀπεδοκίμαζεν — The articular present infinitive τὸ ἐγκαλεῖν ("to bring accusations") functions as the direct object of the imperfect verb ἀπεδοκίμαζεν ("rejected, decided against").
  4. §31.7.3διαψευσθῇ τῆς προθέσεως — The passive of the verb διαψεύδω ("to be deceived, disappointed") governs the genitive (τῆς προθέσεως) to mean "to be frustrated in one's purpose" or "to fail in one's design." The aorist passive subjunctive third-person singular (διαψευσθῇ) is used here after ἵνα μή in a negative purpose clause.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §31.7.1-31.7.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:31.7.1-31.7.4

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