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Polybius · The Histories §4.14.1-4.14.9

Aratus' Defense at the Assembly and Pardon

Passage 291 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Aratus, accused by political opponents of responsibility for the defeat at Caphyae, successfully defends his actions and past achievements before the assembly, regaining the full support of the multitude as the narrative transitions to the next Olympiad.

§4.14.1λίππου τοῦ βασιλέως.
-lip the king.
τὸ δὲ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν πλῆθος μετά τινας ἡμέρας ἁθροισθὲν εἰς τὴν καθήκουσαν σύνοδον, πικρῶς διέκειτο καὶ κοινῇ καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν πρὸς τὸν Ἄρατον, ὡς τοῦτον ὁμολογουμένως αἴτιον γεγονότα τοῦ προειρημένου συμπτώματος.
A few days later, the multitude of the Achaeans, having assembled for their regular meeting, was bitterly disposed towards Aratus both in public and in private, as he was admittedly the cause of the aforementioned disaster.
§4.14.2διὸ καὶ τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων κατηγορούντων αὐτοῦ καὶ φερόντων ἀπολογισμοὺς ἐναργεῖς, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἠγανάκτει καὶ παρωξύνετο τὸ πλῆθος.
Therefore, as his political opponents accused him and brought forward clear accounts of his conduct, the multitude became even more indignant and exasperated.
§4.14.3ἐδόκει γὰρ πρῶτον ἁμάρτημα προφανὲς εἶναι τὸ μηδέπω τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτῷ καθηκούσης προλαβόντα τὸν ἀλλότριον καιρὸν ἀναδέχεσθαι τοιαύτας πράξεις ἐν αἷς συνῄδει πολλάκις αὑτῷ διεσφαλμένῳ·
For first, it seemed a manifest error that, before his term of office had yet begun, he had forestalled another's time and taken upon himself such actions, in which he was well aware that he had often failed before.
§4.14.4δεύτερον δὲ καὶ μεῖζον τούτου τὸ διαφεῖναι τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἀκμὴν ἐν μέσῳ Πελοποννήσου τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ὑπαρχόντων, ἄλλως τε καὶ προδιειληφότα διότι σπεύδουσιν οἱ περὶ τὸν Σκόπαν καὶ Δωρίμαχον κινεῖν τὰ καθεστῶτα καὶ συνταράξαι τὸν πόλεμον·
Secondly, and even greater than this, was his disbanding of the Achaeans while the Aetolians were still in the middle of the Peloponnese, especially since he had beforehand perceived that Scopas and Dorimachus and their followers were eager to disturb the established order and stir up war.
§4.14.5τρίτον δὲ τὸ συμβαλεῖν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις οὕτω μετʼ ὀλίγων μηδεμιᾶς κατεπειγούσης ἀνάγκης, δυνάμενον ἀσφαλῶς εἰς τὰς παρακειμένας πόλεις ἀποχωρῆσαι καὶ συναγαγεῖν τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς καὶ τότε συμβαλεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις, εἰ τοῦτο πάντως ἡγεῖτο συμφέρειν·
Thirdly, his engaging with the enemy with so few men when no pressing necessity compelled him, when he might have safely retreated to the neighboring cities, assembled the Achaeans, and only then engaged the enemy, if he thought this to be entirely advantageous.
§4.14.6τελευταῖον καὶ μέγιστον τὸ προθέμενον καὶ συμβαλεῖν οὕτως εἰκῇ καὶ ἀσκόπως χρήσασθαι τοῖς πράγμασιν ὥστε παρέντα τὰ πεδία καὶ τὴν τῶν ὁπλιτῶν χρείαν διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν εὐζώνων ταῖς παρωρείαις πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς ποιήσασθαι τὸν κίνδυνον, οἷς οὐδὲν ἦν τούτου προυργιαίτερον οὐδʼ οἰκειότερον.
Lastly and greatest of all, that having resolved to engage, he acted so randomly and thoughtlessly in his management of the affair that, abandoning the plains and the services of the hoplites, he risked a battle against the Aetolians on the mountain slopes with light-armed troops alone, than which nothing could be more favorable or more suited to the enemy.
§4.14.7οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἅμα τῷ προελθόντα τὸν Ἄρατον ἀναμνῆσαι μὲν τῶν προπεπολιτευμένων καὶ πεπραγμένων πρότερον αὑτῷ, φέρειν δʼ ἀπολογισμοὺς περὶ τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων ὡς οὐ γέγονεν αἴτιος τῶν συμβεβηκότων, αἰτεῖσθαι δὲ συγγνώμην, εἰ καί τι παρεώρακε κατὰ τὸν γενόμενον κίνδυνον, οἴεσθαι δὲ δεῖν καὶ καθόλου σκοπεῖσθαι τὰ πράγματα μὴ πικρῶς, §4.14.8ἀλλʼ ἀνθρωπίνως, οὕτως ταχέως καὶ μεγαλοψύχως μετεμελήθη τὸ πλῆθος ὥστε καὶ τοῖς συνεπιτιθεμένοις αὐτῷ τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων ἐπὶ πολὺ δυσαρεστῆσαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἑξῆς πάντα βουλεύεσθαι κατὰ τὴν Ἀράτου γνώμην.
Nevertheless, as soon as Aratus came forward and reminded them of his past political services and achievements, and offered defenses against the charges to the effect that he was not responsible for what had happened, and begged for indulgence if he had indeed committed any oversight during the danger that occurred, and urged them to look at the situation not with severity, but with human charity, the multitude changed their minds so quickly and generously that they became highly displeased with those of his political opponents who had joined in attacking him, and for the future resolved everything in accordance with the opinion of Aratus.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἔπεσεν ὀλυμπιάδα, §4.14.9τὰ δʼ ἑξῆς εἰς τὴν τετταρακοστὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑκατόν.
These events, then, fell within the previous Olympiad, but those which follow belong to the hundred and fortieth.

Notes

  1. §4.14.3συνῄδει πολλάκις αὑτῷ διεσφαλμένῳ — The construction of σύνοιδα + dative reflexive pronoun + dative participle meaning 'to be conscious of having done something'. Here, the perfect passive participle of διασφάλλω (διεσφαλμένῳ) is used, indicating that Aratus was well aware of his own past failures.
  2. §4.14.4ἀκμὴν — Derived from the accusative of the noun ἀκμή (height, prime), but used adverbially in Hellenistic Greek to mean 'still' or 'yet' (equivalent to ἔτι). This usage is characteristic of the Koine period and not found in classical Attic.
  3. §4.14.5δυνάμενον — Accusative masculine singular participle agreeing with the implied accusative subject of the preceding infinitive (Aratus), expressing concession or circumstance ('although he was able to'). While it could be analyzed as an impersonal accusative absolute ('it being possible'), it is more naturally understood as agreeing with the agent Aratus, denoting his personal choice of action.
  4. §4.14.7ἅμα τῷ ... ἀναμνῆσαι — The preposition ἅμα combined with the dative articular infinitive (τῷ ἀναμνῆσαι) expresses temporal simultaneity ('at the same time as doing...', 'as soon as...'). Within this phrase, the accusative subject τὸν Ἄρατον and a series of coordinate infinitives (φέρειν, αἰτεῖσθαι, οἴεσθαι) are embedded, forming a lengthy adverbial clause that modifies the main verb μετεμελήθη.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.14.1-4.14.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.14.1-4.14.9

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