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Polybius · The Histories §33.5.1-33.5.4

Archias' Plot to Betray Cyprus and His Suicide

Passage 1227 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Outlines the conspiracy of Archias to betray Cyprus to Demetrius, his subsequent exposure and suicide, and the moral lesson regarding the empty desires of humans.

§33.5.1προτείνειν αὐτῷ πεντακόσια τάλαντα παραχωρήσαντι τῆς Κύπρου, καὶ τἄλλα συνακολουθήσοντα λυσιτελῆ καὶ τίμια παρʼ αὐτῷ συνεπιδεικνύειν, προσενεγκαμένῳ τὴν χρείαν ταύτην.
That they should offer him five hundred talents on condition of his surrendering Cyprus, and point out, in addition, other advantageous and honorable benefits that would follow under him, if he rendered this service.
§33.5.2aτῷ δὲ Πτολεμαίῳ γενομένης προσαγγελίας παρεῖναι τὸν Ἀρχίαν. — §33.5.2ὅτι Ἀρχίας βουλόμενος τὴν Κύπρον προδοῦναι τῷ Δημητρίῳ καὶ φωραθεὶς καὶ εἰς κρίσιν ἀχθεὶς καλῳδίῳ τῶν ἐκ τῆς αὐλαίας παραπεπετασμένων ἑαυτὸν ἀπεκρέμασεν.
But when a report was made to Ptolemy, Archias was to be brought before him. — That Archias, wishing to betray Cyprus to Demetrius, was detected and brought to trial, and hanged himself with a cord from one of the curtains hung in the palace.
§33.5.3τῷ γὰρ ὄντι διὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας κενοὶ κενὰ λογίζονται κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν.
For in truth, "empty men form empty calculations because of their desires," as the proverb says.
§33.5.4καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος δόξας πεντακόσια τάλαντα προσλήψεσθαι καὶ τὰ προϋπάρχοντα χρήματα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα προσαπέβαλεν.
For he too, thinking that he would receive five hundred talents in addition, lost both his pre-existing property and his life as well.

Notes

  1. 33.5.1παραχωρήσαντι — Aorist participle dative masculine singular agreeing with the dative pronoun αὐτῷ. It functions conditionally ('if he surrendered'). Similarly, προσενεγκαμένῳ at the end of the section also expresses a condition ('if he rendered').
  2. 33.5.2aγενομένης προσαγγελίας — Genitive absolute construction ('when a report was made'). The following παρεῖναι is the present infinitive of πάρειμι ('to be present, appear'), here used to express a command or decision.
  3. 33.5.2τῶν ἐκ τῆς αὐλαίας παραπεπετασμένων — Perfect passive participle genitive neuter plural accompanied by the prepositional phrase ἐκ τῆς αὐλαίας ('from the curtain'). It depends on the noun καλῳδίῳ ('with a cord') in a partitive sense, indicating 'the cords stretched out from the curtain'.
  4. 33.5.4προσαπέβαλεν — Third person singular aorist indicative active of the verb προσαποβάλλω ('to lose in addition'). A compound of the prefix προσ- ('in addition, besides') and ἀποβάλλω ('to lose'), fitting the context that, far from gaining five hundred talents, he lost his life in addition to his original property.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §33.5.1-33.5.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:33.5.1-33.5.4

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