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Polybius · The Histories §4.13.1-4.13.7

Burials after Caphyae and the Aetolian Withdrawal

Passage 290 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The outcome of the battle of Caphyae, the burial of the dead by the Megalopolitans, the withdrawal of the Aetolians, and the assembly of the allies which officially initiated the Social War.

§4.13.1τον ἀπέβη τὸν τρόπον.
turned out in this manner.
οἱ δὲ Μεγαλοπολῖται, συνέντες τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς περὶ τὸ Μεθύδριον ἐστρατοπεδευκότας, ἧκον ἀπὸ σάλπιγγος πανδημεὶ βοηθοῦντες τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ τῆς μάχης, §4.13.2καὶ μεθʼ ὧν ζώντων ἤλπισαν κινδυνεύσειν πρὸς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, τούτους ἠναγκάζοντο θάπτειν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τετελευτηκότας.
But the Megalopolitans, learning that the Aetolians had encamped around Methydrium, came to their aid with all their people at the sound of the trumpet, on the very day following the battle, and those with whom they had hoped to share danger against the enemy while alive, they were now forced to bury as having met their end at the hands of the foes.
§4.13.3ὀρύξαντες δὲ τάφρον ἐν τῷ τῶν Καφυέων πεδίῳ, καὶ συναθροίσαντες τοὺς νεκρούς, ἐκήδευσαν μετὰ πάσης φιλοτιμίας τοὺς ἠτυχηκότας.
Having dug a trench in the plain of Caphyae and gathered the dead, they buried the unfortunate victims with every mark of respect.
§4.13.4οἱ δʼ Αἰτωλοὶ παραδόξως διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τῶν ψιλῶν ποιήσαντες τὸ προτέρημα, λοιπὸν ἤδη μετʼ ἀσφαλείας διὰ μέσης Πελοποννήσου διῄεσαν.
But the Aetolians, having unexpectedly gained the advantage by means of their cavalry and light troops alone, henceforth passed through the middle of the Peloponnese in safety.
§4.13.5ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ καταπειράσαντες μὲν τῆς Πελληνέων πόλεως, κατασύραντες δὲ τὴν Σικυωνίαν χώραν, τέλος κατὰ τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἀπόλυσιν.
During this time, they made an attempt upon the city of Pellene, plundered the Sicyonian territory, and finally made their departure by way of the Isthmus.
§4.13.6τὴν μὲν οὖν αἰτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀφορμὴν ὁ συμμαχικὸς πόλεμος ἔσχεν ἐκ τούτων, τὴν δʼ ἀρχὴν ἐκ τοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένου δόγματος ἁπάντων τῶν συμμάχων·
Thus, the Social War derived its cause and occasion from these events, but its commencement from the decree of all the allies which was passed after this.
§4.13.7οἳ συνελθόντες εἰς τὴν τῶν Κορινθίων πόλιν ἐπεκύρωσαν τὸ διαβούλιον διαπροστατεύσαντος Φι
They, having assembled in the city of the Corinthians, ratified the resolution under the leadership of Phi[lip...]

Notes

  1. 4.13.1ἀπὸ σάλπιγγος — The preposition ἀπό denotes the immediate cause or signal, meaning 'at the sound of the trumpet' or 'immediately upon the summons.'
  2. 4.13.1τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ τῆς μάχης — The idiomatic phrase τῇ κατὰ πόδας ἡμέρᾳ ('the following day') is qualified by the genitive τῆς μάχης ('of the battle').
  3. 4.13.2μεθʼ ὧν ζώντων ἤλπισαν κινδυνεύσειν — The relative pronoun ὧν undergoes case attraction to the genitive under the government of the preposition μετά instead of taking the accusative of its antecedent τούτους. The participle ζώντων functions predicatively ('while they were still alive').
  4. 4.13.7διαπροστατεύσαντος Φι — A genitive absolute construction. The aorist participle διαπροστατεύσαντος takes the incomplete proper name Φι (the abbreviation of the genitive Φιλίππου, referring to Philip V of Macedon) as its subject.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.13.1-4.13.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.13.1-4.13.7

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