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Polybius · The Histories §32.7.1-32.7.5

Dispute Between the Delians and Athenians and Rome's Ruling

Passage 1214 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Delians, expelled from their island and resettled in Achaea, seek a legal settlement from the Athenians and obtain a favorable ruling from the Roman Senate through Achaean envoys.

§32.7.1ὅτι παρὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἧκον πρέσβεις καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν οἱ περὶ Θεαρίδαν καὶ Στέφανον ὑπὲρ τῶν Δηλίων. §32.7.2τοῖς γὰρ Δηλίοις δοθείσης ἀποκρίσεως παρὰ Ῥωμαίων, μετὰ τὸ συγχωρηθῆναι τὴν Δῆλον τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις, αὐτοῖς μὲν ἐκχωρεῖν ἐκ τῆς νήσου, §32.7.3τὰ δʼ ὑπάρχοντα κομίζεσθαι, μεταστάντες εἰς Ἀχαΐαν οἱ Δήλιοι καὶ πολιτογραφηθέντες ἐβούλοντο τὸ δίκαιον ἐκλαβεῖν παρὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων κατὰ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς σύμβολον. §32.7.4τῶν δʼ Ἀθηναίων φασκόντων μηδὲν εἶναι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τῆς δικαιοδοσίας ταύτης, ᾐτοῦντο ῥύσια τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς οἱ Δήλιοι κατὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων. §32.7.5ὑπὲρ ὧν τότε πρεσβεύσαντες ἔλαβον ἀπόκρισιν κυρίας εἶναι τὰς κατὰ τοὺς νόμους γεγενημένας παρὰ τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς οἰκονομίας περὶ τῶν Δηλίων.
That envoys arrived from the Athenians, and from the Achaeans Thearidas and Stephanos and their party on behalf of the Delians. For when an answer had been given to the Delians by the Romans, after Delos had been ceded to the Athenians, that they themselves should evacuate the island and carry away their property, the Delians, having migrated to Achaea and been enrolled as citizens, wished to obtain justice from the Athenians according to the treaty with the Achaeans. But when the Athenians asserted that this jurisdiction had nothing to do with them, the Delians asked the Achaeans for the right of reprisal against the Athenians. Having sent envoys at that time on these matters, they received an answer that the arrangements made concerning the Delians in accordance with the laws among the Achaeans were valid.

Notes

  1. §32.7.1ὅτι — This ὅτι is a characteristic usage in historical epitomes, introducing facts or reports without a main governing verb, functioning as 'that...' or 'it is reported that...'.
  2. §32.7.2αὐτοῖς μὲν ἐκχωρεῖν — An infinitive of indirect speech representing the command, explaining the content of the noun ἀποκρίσεως in the preceding genitive absolute clause. The following κομίζεσθαι is similarly dependent on this construction.
  3. §32.7.4μηδὲν εἶναι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τῆς δικαιοδοσίας ταύτης — The preposition πρός with the accusative (αὐτούς) means 'to have to do with,' and τῆς δικαιοδοσίας ταύτης is a partitive genitive. Literally, 'nothing of this jurisdiction belongs to them,' expressing the Athenians' denial of Achaean jurisdiction over them.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §32.7.1-32.7.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:32.7.1-32.7.5

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