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Polybius · The Histories §33.8.1-33.8.3

Massalian Appeal for Aid and the Roman Mission

Passage 1230 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Ambassadors from Massalia arrive in Rome to request aid against the Ligurian blockade and the siege of their cities, prompting the Senate to dispatch envoys to investigate the situation and reason with the barbarians.

§33.8.1ὅτι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν ἧκον πρεσβευταὶ καὶ παρὰ Μασσαλιητῶν, §33.8.2οἳ πάλαι μὲν κακῶς πάσχοντες ὑπὸ τῶν Λιγυστίνων, τότε δὲ συγκλειόμενοι τελέως, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ πολιορκουμένων τῶν πόλεων Ἀντιπόλεως καὶ Νικαίας, ἐξαπέστειλαν πρεσβευτὰς εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τοὺς τά τε γινόμενα διασαφήσοντας καὶ δεησομένους σφίσι βοηθεῖν.
That about the same time there arrived also ambassadors from the Massaliotes, who, having long suffered ill-treatment at the hands of the Ligurians, and being at that time completely shut in, and moreover their cities of Antipolis and Nicaea being besieged, dispatched ambassadors to Rome to explain what was happening and to entreat them to send aid.
§33.8.3ὧν καὶ παρελθόντων εἰς τὴν σύγκλητον, ἔδοξε τῷ συνεδρίῳ πρεσβευτὰς πέμψαι τοὺς ἅμα μὲν αὐτόπτας ἐσομένους τῶν γινομένων, ἅμα δὲ πειρασομένους λόγῳ διορθώσασθαι τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν ἄγνοιαν. —
When these had appeared before the Senate, it resolved to send legates who should both be eyewitnesses of what was taking place, and at the same time try by argument to correct the ignorance of the barbarians.

Notes

  1. §33.8.2τοὺς ... διασαφήσοντας καὶ δεησομένους — The future participles `διασαφήσοντας` and `δεησομένους` with the definite article `τοὺς` modify the antecedent `πρεσβευτάς`, expressing the purpose or mission of the embassy ("ambassadors who were to explain... and entreat...").
  2. §33.8.3ὧν καὶ παρελθόντων — A genitive absolute construction with the relative pronoun `ὧν` (referring back to `πρεσβευτάς` in the previous sentence). It functions as a connecting relative ("When these had appeared...").

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §33.8.1-33.8.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:33.8.1-33.8.3

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