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Polybius · The Histories §32.14.1-32.14.2

Envoys from Phoenice and the Senate's Response

Passage 1221 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Ambassadors from both the ruling party and the exiles of Phoenice in Epirus arrived and presented their cases in person, and the senate replied that it would send instructions to the ambassadors going to Illyria.

§32.14.1κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον παραγεγονότων πρεσβευτῶν ἐξ Ἠπείρου παρά τε τῶν τὴν Φοινίκην κατεχόντων καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐκπεπτωκότων καὶ ποιησαμένων λόγους κατὰ πρόσωπον, §32.14.2ἔδωκεν ἀπόκρισιν αὐτοῖς ἡ σύγκλητος ὅτι δώσει περὶ τούτων ἐντολὰς τοῖς ἀποστελλομένοις πρεσβευταῖς εἰς τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα μετὰ Γαΐου Μαρκίου.
At this time, when ambassadors arrived from Epirus, both from those who held Phoenice and from those who had been expelled, and held a conference face to face, the senate gave them an answer that it would give instructions concerning these matters to the ambassadors being sent to Illyria with Gaius Marcius.

Notes

  1. §32.14.1παραγεγονότων πρεσβευτῶν — This is a genitive absolute construction (genitive participle), providing the temporal background for the main clause in §32.14.2 ("ἔδωκεν ... ἡ σύγκλητος"). The participle "ποιησαμένων" at the end of the sentence also agrees with "πρεσβευτῶν" as part of this construction.
  2. §32.14.1τῶν τὴν Φοινίκην κατεχόντων καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐκπεπτωκότων — This designates two opposing factions: "those who hold (occupy) Phoenice" (the former participle phrase) and "those who have been expelled (exiles)" (the latter participle phrase). It shows that both rival groups sent embassies to state their cases directly before the senate.
  3. §32.14.2ὅτι δώσει — The verb "δώσει" within the "ὅτι" clause is a future active indicative third-person singular, with "ἡ σύγκλητος" of the main clause as its subject. This demonstrates a typical Greek rule of indirect discourse, where the original tense of direct discourse (future) is retained even after a main verb in the past tense ("ἔδωκεν").

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §32.14.1-32.14.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:32.14.1-32.14.2

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