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Polybius · The Histories §36.11.1-36.11.4

Polybius's Mission to Lilybaeum and Return

Passage 1274 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Upon the request of the consul Manilius, Polybius set out for Lilybaeum on public business, but turned back to the Peloponnese from Corcyra after learning that Carthage had already submitted and delivered hostages.

§36.11.1ὅτι προσπεσόντων εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον γραμμάτων τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Μανιλίου διότι καλῶς ποιήσουσι Πολύβιον τὸν Μεγαλοπολίτην ἐκπέμψαντες μετὰ σπουδῆς εἰς Λιλύβαιον, ὡς χρείας οὔσης αὐτοῦ δημοσίων ἕνεκεν πραγμάτων, ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ἐκπέμπειν ἀκολούθως τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑπάτου γεγραμμένοις.
That, when a letter from Manilius arrived in the Peloponnese for the Achaeans, stating that they would do well to send Polybius of Megalopolis in haste to Lilybaeum, as his services were required on account of public affairs, it was resolved by the Achaeans to send him in accordance with what had been written by the consul.
§36.11.2ἡμεῖς δὲ νομίζοντες ἑαυτοῖς καθήκειν κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους τὸ πειθαρχεῖν Ῥωμαίοις, πάντα τἄλλα πάρεργα θέμενοι θερείας ἀρχομένης ἐξεπλεύσαμεν.
But we, considering that it was our duty in many ways to obey the Romans, put aside all other matters as secondary and set sail at the beginning of summer.
§36.11.3ἀφικόμενοι δʼ εἰς Κέρκυραν καὶ καταλαβόντες αὐτοῦ γράμματα παρὰ τῶν ὑπάτων προσπεπτωκότα τοῖς Κερκυραίοις, ἐν οἷς διεσάφουν ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ὁμήρους ἤδη παραδεδώκασιν αὐτοῖς οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, πάντως ἕτοιμοι δʼ εἰσὶν αὐτοῖς πειθαρχεῖν,
On arriving at Corcyra, however, we found there a letter from the consuls which had reached the Corcyraeans, in which they made it clear that the Carthaginians had already delivered the hostages to them, and were entirely ready to obey them.
§36.11.4νομίσαντες διαλελύσθαι τὸν πόλεμον καὶ μηκέτι χρείαν ἡμῶν εἶναι μηδεμίαν, αὖθις ἀπεπλεύσαμεν εἰς τὴν Πελοπόννησον. —
Believing, therefore, that the war was settled and that there was no longer any need of us, we sailed back again to the Peloponnese. —

Notes

  1. §36.11.1ὅτι — The conjunction ὅτι at the very beginning of the chapter is a remnant of the excerpting process (Excerpta), where passages were introduced as noun clauses meaning "That...". The translations reflect this characteristic structural feature.
  2. §36.11.1καλῶς ποιήσουσι ... ἐκπέμψαντες — The idiomatic expression "καλῶς ποιέω + participle" is used in epistolary contexts to convey a polite request or recommendation, meaning "they would do well to send" or "it would be kind of them to send".
  3. §36.11.2ἡμεῖς — The author Polybius often uses the first-person plural "we" (ἡμεῖς) when referring to his own actions, acting either as an "authorial plural" or implying that he was accompanied by associates.
  4. §36.11.4διαλελύσθαι τὸν πόλεμον — An accusative with infinitive construction (indirect discourse) introduced by the participle νομίσαντες (having believed), where τὸν πόλεμον is the subject accusative and διαλελύσθαι is the perfect passive infinitive functioning as the predicate.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §36.11.1-36.11.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:36.11.1-36.11.4

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