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Polybius · The Histories §32.9.1-32.9.5

Delmatian Incursions and the Roman Embassy

Passage 1216 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

In response to complaints from the peoples of Issa and Daorsi, the Roman Senate dispatched an embassy led by Gaius Fannius to investigate Illyria, particularly the Delmatians, who had been invading neighboring territories since the death of King Pleuratus.

§32.9.1ὅτι τῶν Ἰσσίων πλεονάκις πεπρεσβευκότων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην καὶ διασαφούντων ὅτι Δελματεῖς τὴν χώραν ἀδικοῦσι καὶ τὰς πόλεις τὰς μετʼ αὐτῶν ταττομένας· §32.9.2αὗται δʼ εἰσὶν Ἐπέτιον καὶ Τραγύριον· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν Δαορσῶν ἐγκαλούντων, §32.9.3ἐξαπέστειλεν ἡ σύγκλητος πρεσβευτὰς τοὺς περὶ Γάιον Φάννιον ἐποπτεύσοντας τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα, καὶ μάλιστα τούτων τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Δελματεῖς.
ὅτι When the people of Issa had sent embassies to Rome on several occasions, declaring that the Delmatians were injuring their territory and the cities allied with them— these being Epetium and Tragurium—and likewise when the Daorsi also brought charges, the Senate dispatched embassies led by Gaius Fannius to inspect the affairs in Illyria, and especially among these, the affairs of the Delmatians.
§32.9.4οὗτοι δέ, μέχρι μὲν ἔζη Πλευρᾶτος, ὑπήκουον ἐκείνῳ· μεταλλάξαντος δὲ τούτου τὸν βίον, καὶ διαδεξαμένου Γενθίου τὴν βασιλείαν, ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ τούτου τοῖς ὁμόροις προσεπολέμουν καὶ κατεστρέφοντο τοὺς ἀστυγείτονας, ὧν ἔνιοι καὶ φόρους αὐτοῖς ἔφερον· ὁ δὲ φόρος ἦν θρέμματα καὶ σῖτος.
These people, as long as Pleuratus lived, were obedient to him; but when he departed this life and Genthius succeeded to the kingship, they revolted from him and made war on their neighbors and subdued the adjacent peoples, some of whom even paid them tribute; and the tribute consisted of cattle and corn.
§32.9.5καὶ οἱ μὲν περὶ Φάννιον ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐξώρμησαν. —
And Fannius and his colleagues set out for these purposes.

Notes

  1. 32.9.1ὅτι — An introductory particle typical of excerpts (Excerpta), indicating indirect speech or a summary. It is syntactically picked up by the main verb ἐξαπέστειλεν in §32.9.3, imparting a reported narrative tone.
  2. 32.9.1τῶν Ἰσσίων πλεονάκις πεπρεσβευκότων ... καὶ διασαφούντων — A genitive absolute construction. Together with τῶν Δαορσῶν ἐγκαλούντων in §32.9.2, it expresses the cause or reason for the main action ἐξαπέστειλεν in §32.9.3.
  3. 32.9.3τοὺς περὶ Γάιον Φάννιον — The idiomatic expression 'οἱ περί + accusative' referring to the embassy headed or led by Gaius Fannius. Although it can sometimes refer to the individual himself, here it denotes Fannius and his fellow envoys.
  4. 32.9.3ἐποπτεύσοντας — Future participle of ἐποπτεύω in the masculine plural accusative, expressing purpose ('in order to inspect'). It agrees with the preceding accusative object πρεσβευτάς.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §32.9.1-32.9.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:32.9.1-32.9.5

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