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Polybius · The Histories §38.14.1-38.14.3

Character of Pytheas and Summary of the Achaean War

Passage 1295 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

After describing Pytheas's dissolute background and ill-gotten wealth, the text summarizes Polybius's account of the battles in the Achaean War.

§38.14.1ὅτι Πυθέας ἦν μὲν ἀδελφὸς Ἀκαστίδου τοῦ σταδιέως, υἱὸς δὲ Κλεομνάστου, κακῶς δὲ βεβιωκὼς καὶ δοκῶν ἑαυτῷ παρακεχρῆσθαι τὴν πρώτην ἡλικίαν, §38.14.2ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν θρασὺς καὶ πλεονέκτης καὶ διʼ Εὐμένους καὶ Φιλεταίρου σεσωματοποιημένος διὰ τὰς προειρημένας αἰτίας. — §38.14.3πολψβιυς αξηιϝυς θυαμϝις τυνξ ιν αφριξα ξυμ σξιπιονε φυεριτ, ταμεν θυια δομεστιξαμ ξλαδεμ ιγνοραρε νον ποτυιτ, σεμελ ιν αξηαια πυγνατυμ ξριτολαο δυξε ασσεριτ.
Pytheas was the brother of Acastidas the stadium-runner, and the son of Cleomnastus; he had lived a dissolute life and was thought to have prostituted himself in his youth, and likewise in political life he was audacious and rapacious, having acquired wealth and influence through Eumenes and Philetaerus for the reasons mentioned above. — Although Polybius the Achaean was at that time in Africa with Scipio, yet, because he could not remain ignorant of the disaster of his own country, he asserts that a battle was fought once in Achaia under the leadership of Critolaus.
διαευμ ϝερο αδδυξεντεμ εχ αρξαδια μιλιτεμ αβ εοδεμ μετελλο πραετορε οππρεσσυμ ξυμ εχερξιτυ δοξετ. —
Furthermore, he teaches that Diaeus, bringing soldiers from Arcadia, was crushed with his army by the same praetor Metellus. —

Notes

  1. §38.14.1ὅτι — A common introductory particle at the beginning of excerpts (epitomes) that introduces a statement of fact as a dependent clause. The main clause is omitted, and it does not need to be translated.
  2. §38.14.2σεσωματοποιημένος — Perfect passive participle of the verb σωματόω (to materialize, embody). Here it metaphorically expresses having established a social foundation, namely acquiring substantial wealth or political influence.
  3. §38.14.3πολψβιυς αξηιϝυς ... — The original text is written in Latin (Polybius Achivus quamvis tunc in Africa...) but transliterated using corresponding Greek letters, including using digamma (ϝ) for 'v'.
  4. §38.14.3semel in Achaia pugnatum — pugnatum is the impersonal passive perfect of the intransitive verb pugno. The following Critolao duce (with Critolaus as leader) is an ablative absolute, together expressing that a battle was fought once in Achaia under Critolaus's command.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §38.14.1-38.14.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:38.14.1-38.14.3

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