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Polybius · The Histories §4.23.1-4.23.9

Spartan Envoys' Defense and Philip's Council

Passage 300 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Lacedaemonian envoys meet Philip, blaming the slain Adeimantus for the disturbance and promising loyalty to the alliance. Within Philip's council, opinions are divided between punishing Sparta severely and showing leniency.

§4.23.1ἀπεχώρησαν πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον.
withdrew to Philip.
ταῦτα δὲ πράξαντες εὐθέως ἔπεμπον οἱ προεστῶτες ἔφοροι τῶν πραγμάτων τοὺς κατηγορήσοντας πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον τῶν ἀνῃρημένων καὶ παρακαλέσοντας αὐτὸν ἐπισχεῖν τὴν παρουσίαν, ἕως ἂν ἐκ τοῦ γεγονότος κινήματος εἰς τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν ἔλθῃ τὰ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν· γινώσκειν δὲ διότι πρόκειται διατηρεῖν αὐτοῖς πάντα τὰ δίκαια καὶ φιλάνθρωπα πρὸς Μακεδόνας· §4.23.2οἳ καὶ συμμίξαντες ἤδη περὶ τὸ Παρθένιον ὄρος ὄντι τῷ βασιλεῖ διελέχθησαν ἀκολούθως ταῖς ἐντολαῖς. §4.23.3ὁ δὲ διακούσας παρεκάλεσε τοὺς ἥκοντας κατὰ σπουδὴν ποιήσασθαι τὴν εἰς οἶκον ἐπάνοδον καὶ δηλοῦν τοῖς ἐφόροις ὅτι κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς πορευθεὶς αὐτὸς μὲν ἐν Τεγέᾳ ποιήσεται τὴν στρατοπεδείαν, ἐκείνους δʼ οἴεται δεῖν τὴν ταχίστην ἐκπέμπειν ἄνδρας ἀξιοχρέους τοὺς κοινολογησομένους πρὸς αὑτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεστώτων. §4.23.4ποιησάντων δὲ τὸ προσταχθὲν τῶν ἀπαντησάντων, διακούσαντες τὰ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ προεστῶτες τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων
Having done these things, the ruling ephors immediately sent envoys to Philip to accuse those who had been slain and to beg him to delay his arrival, until the affairs in the city should return to their restoration from the upheaval that had occurred; and they requested him to assure himself that they purposed to maintain all their duties of justice and friendship towards the Macedonians. These, having met the king who was already near Mount Parthenion, spoke in accordance with their instructions. Having heard them out, he urged those who had come to make their return home in haste and to make clear to the ephors that, marching without interruption, he himself would pitch his camp in Tegea, and he thought they ought to send as quickly as possible trustworthy men to confer with him about the present affairs. When those who had met him did what was ordered, the leaders of the Lacedaemonians, having heard the message from the king, sent ten men to Philip.
§4.23.5ἐξέπεμψαν ἄνδρας δέκα πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον οἳ καὶ πορευθέντες εἰς τὴν Τεγέαν καὶ παρελθόντες εἰς τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως συνέδριον, Ὠμίου προεστῶτος αὐτῶν, κατηγόρησαν μὲν τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἀδείμαντον ὡς αἰτίων γεγονότων τῆς κινήσεως, §4.23.6πάντα δʼ ὑπισχνοῦνται ποιήσειν αὐτοὶ τῷ Φιλίππῳ τὰ κατὰ τὴν συμμαχίαν, καὶ μηδενὸς ἐν μηδενὶ φανήσεσθαι δεύτεροι κατὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν εὔνοιαν τῶν δοκούντων ἀληθινῶν αὐτῷ φίλων ὑπάρχειν. §4.23.7οἱ μὲν οὖν Λακεδαιμόνιοι ταῦτα καὶ τούτοις παραπλήσια διαλεχθέντες μετέστησαν, οἱ δὲ μετέχοντες τοῦ συνεδρίου διεφέροντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ταῖς γνώμαις. §4.23.8καὶ τινὲς μέν, εἰδότες τὴν κακοπραγμοσύνην τῶν ἐν τῇ Σπάρτῃ, καὶ πεπεισμένοι τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀδείμαντον ἀπολωλέναι διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὑτοὺς εὔνοιαν, τούς τε Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπιβεβλῆσθαι κοινοπραγεῖν τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς, συνεβούλευον τῷ Φιλίππῳ παράδειγμα ποιῆσαι τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, χρησάμενον αὐτοῖς τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὅνπερ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐχρήσατο Θηβαίοις εὐθέως παραλαβὼν τὴν ἀρχήν· §4.23.9ἕτεροι δὲ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τὴν μὲν τοιαύτην ὀργὴν βαρυτέραν ἀπέφαινον εἶναι τῶν γεγονότων, ἐπιτιμῆσαι δὲ δεῖν τοῖς αἰτίοις, καὶ μεταστησάμενον τούτους ἐγχειρίσαι τὸ πολίτευμα καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς τοῖς αὑτοῦ
These, having journeyed to Tegea and entered the council of the king, with Omias as their leader, accused Adeimantus and his party of having been the causes of the upheaval, and they promised that they themselves would do everything for Philip in accordance with the alliance, and would in no respect appear second to any of those who were considered to be his true friends in goodwill towards him. So the Lacedaemonians, having spoken these and similar words, withdrew; and those who participated in the council differed in opinion from one another. And some, knowing the misbehavior of those in Sparta, and being convinced that Adeimantus and his party had perished because of their goodwill towards them, and that the Lacedaemonians had set themselves to cooperate with the Aetolians, advised Philip to make an example of the Lacedaemonians, treating them in the same manner as Alexander had treated the Thebans immediately upon taking over the empire; but others among the elders declared that such wrath was too heavy for what had occurred, and that he ought to censure the guilty, and having removed them, hand over the government and the offices to his own...

Notes

  1. §4.23.1τοὺς κατηγορήσοντας ... καὶ παρακαλέσοντας — Future participles expressing purpose. The direct object of the preceding transitive verb `ἔπεμπον` (such as 'envoys') is omitted, but the participles function substantively to supply this role.
  2. §4.23.1γινώσκειν δὲ διότι — The infinitive `γινώσκειν` introduces the instructions to be delivered by the envoys. Syntactically, it functions as an indirect command dependent on the implied verbal idea of ordering or sending from the main clause.
  3. §4.23.8τούς τε Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπιβεβλῆσθαι — An accusative and infinitive (A.C.I.) construction functioning as the object of the preceding participle `πεπεισμένοι` (being convinced), expressing what they were convinced of: 'that the Lacedaemonians had set themselves to...'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.23.1-4.23.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.23.1-4.23.9

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