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Polybius · The Histories §4.26.1-4.26.8

Outbreak of the Social War and Ratification of Decrees

Passage 303 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The Allied War begins; Philip proposes talks to the Aetolians which they evade, while the Achaeans and other allies ratify the decree to prepare for war.

§4.26.1τούτου δὲ τοῦ δόγματος κυρωθέντος κατὰ τὸ πρῶτον ἔτος τῆς ἑκατοστῆς καὶ τετταρακοστῆς ὀλυμπιάδος ὁ μὲν συμμαχικὸς προσαγορευόμενος πόλεμος ἀρχὴν εἰλήφει δικαίαν καὶ πρέπουσαν τοῖς γεγονόσιν ἀδικήμασιν.
This decree having been ratified in the first year of the hundred and fortieth Olympiad, the war styled the Allied War had its beginning, a beginning just and appropriate to the offenses that had been committed.
§4.26.2οἱ δὲ σύνεδροι παραχρῆμα πρεσβευτὰς ἐξαπέστελλον πρὸς τοὺς συμμάχους, ἵνα παρʼ ἑκάστοις διὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἐπικυρωθέντος τοῦ δόγματος ἐκφέρωσι πάντες τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας πόλεμον.
The councilors at once dispatched ambassadors to the allies, in order that, the decree being ratified by the general assembly in each state, they might all declare war against the Aetolians from their respective territories.
§4.26.3ἔπεμψε δὲ καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς ἐπιστολὴν ὁ Φίλιππος, διασαφῶν ἵνʼ εἴ τι λέγειν ἔχουσι δίκαιον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων, ἔτι καὶ νῦν συνελθόντες διὰ λόγου ποιῶνται τὴν διεξαγωγήν· εἰ δʼ ὑπειλήφασι, §4.26.4διότι χωρὶς κοινοῦ δόγματος λεηλατοῦσι καὶ πορθοῦσι πάντας, οὐκ ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς ἀδικουμένους, ἐὰν δʼ ἀμύνωνται, νομισθήσεσθαι τούτους κατάρχειν τοῦ πολέμου, πάντων αὐτοὺς εὐηθεστάτους εἶναι.
Philip also sent a letter to the Aetolians, pointing out that if they had any just defense to make concerning the charges, they should even now meet and settle the matter by discussion; but if they assumed, that because they plundered and ravaged everyone without a common decree, those who were wronged would not defend themselves, and that if they did defend themselves, these latter would be considered to have initiated the war, they were the most foolish of all men.
§4.26.5κομισάμενοι δʼ οἱ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἄρχοντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐλπίσαντες οὐχ ἥξειν τὸν Φίλιππον, συνέθεντο ῥητὴν ἡμέραν ἐν ᾗ πρὸς τὸ Ῥίον ἀπαντήσουσι.
On receiving this letter, the magistrates of the Aetolians, hoping at first that Philip would not come, agreed upon a specified day on which they would meet at Rhium.
§4.26.6γνόντες δὲ παραγινόμενον, ἀπέστειλαν γραμματοφόρον διασαφοῦντες ὡς οὐ δύνανται πρὸ τῆς τῶν Αἰτωλῶν συνόδου διʼ αὑτῶν οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων οἰκονομεῖν.
But when they learned that he was arriving, they sent a messenger explaining that they could not decide anything concerning the general interests by themselves before the general assembly of the Aetolians.
§4.26.7οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ συνελθόντες εἰς τὴν καθήκουσαν σύνοδον τό τε δόγμα πάντες ἐπεκύρωσαν καὶ τὸ λάφυρον ἐπεκήρυξαν κατὰ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν.
The Achaeans, having met in their regular assembly, all ratified the decree and proclaimed the right of reprisal against the Aetolians.
§4.26.8προσελθόντος δὲ καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν ἐν Αἰγίῳ καὶ διαλεχθέντος διὰ πλειόνων, τὰ ῥηθέντα μετʼ εὐνοίας ἀπεδέξαντο καὶ τὰ προϋπάρχοντα φιλάνθρωπα τοῖς προγόνοις ἀνενεώσαντο πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν Φίλιππον.
When the king also appeared before the council at Aegium and spoke at length, they accepted his words with goodwill and renewed with Philip himself the friendly relations which had previously existed with his ancestors.

Notes

  1. 4.26.1τούτου δὲ τοῦ δόγματος κυρωθέντος — A genitive absolute construction expressing time or cause ("with this decree having been ratified" / "upon the ratification of this decree"), whose subject is distinct from that of the main clause.
  2. 4.26.2ἵνα παρʼ ἑκάστοις διὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἐπικυρωθέντος τοῦ δόγματος ἐκφέρωσι — Within the purpose clause introduced by ἵνα, a genitive absolute clause (ἐπικυρωθέντος τοῦ δόγματος) is embedded. The phrase διὰ τῶν πολλῶν ("through the multitude", i.e., by the popular assembly) denotes the agency for the passive action of the participle ἐπικυρωθέντος.
  3. 4.26.3εἰ δʼ ὑπειλήφασι... πάντων αὐτοὺς εὐηθεστάτους εἶναι — A complex conditional construction. The protasis starting with εἰ δʼ ὑπειλήφασι ("but if they assume") takes a διότι clause containing indirect statements in the infinitive (οὐκ ἀμύνεσθαι, νομισθήσεσθαι). The final clause, πάντων αὐτοὺς εὐηθεστάτους εἶναι ("that they are the most foolish of all men"), acts as the main conclusion in the infinitive (accusative with infinitive), implying an ellipsis of a verb of thinking or declaring.
  4. 4.26.6γνόντες δὲ παραγινόμενον — The present participle παραγινόμενον is used predicatively as the complement of the verb of knowing γνόντες (from γινώσκω), indicating that they perceived the factual action of his actual arrival ("knowing that he was coming").
  5. 4.26.8τὰ προϋπάρχοντα φιλάνθρωπα τοῖς προγόνοις — The dative τοῖς προγόνοις ("to/with the ancestors") depends on the substantivized neuter plural phrase τὰ προϋπάρχοντα φιλάνθρωπα ("previously existing friendly relations/acts of goodwill"), referring to the goodwill previously maintained with Philip's ancestors.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.26.1-4.26.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.26.1-4.26.8

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