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Polybius · The Histories §4.37.1-4.37.8

Simultaneous Outbreak of Wars Across the Mediterranean

Passage 314 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

During the transition of generals in Achaea and Aetolia, various powers in the Hellenistic world (Hannibal, Rome, Antiochus, Ptolemy, Lycurgus, and Philip) simultaneously initiate their military campaigns or preparations.

§4.37.1Ἀράτῳ μὲν οὖν συνέβαινε κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἤδη λήγειν τὴν ἀρχήν, Ἄρατον δὲ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καθεσταμένον ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν παραλαμβάνειν τὴν στρατηγίαν.
For Aratus the elder, it happened that his term of office was already coming to an end at this time, and his son Aratus, having been appointed by the Achaeans, was to succeed to the generalship.
§4.37.2Αἰτωλῶν δʼ ἐστρατήγει Σκόπας· ὁ δὲ χρόνος αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς μάλιστα τότε πως διῄρητο· τὰς γὰρ ἀρχαιρεσίας Αἰτωλοὶ μὲν ἐποίουν μετὰ τὴν φθινοπωρινὴν ἰσημερίαν εὐθέως, Ἀχαιοὶ δὲ τότε περὶ τὴν τῆς Πλειάδος ἐπιτολήν.
The general of the Aetolians was Scopas; and the time of his office was at that time somehow divided from theirs; for the Aetolians held their elections immediately after the autumnal equinox, but the Achaeans at that time around the rising of the Pleiades.
§4.37.3ἤδη δὲ τῆς θερείας ἐνισταμένης, καὶ μετειληφότος Ἀράτου τοῦ νεωτέρου τὴν στρατηγίαν, ἅμα πάντα τὰ πράγματα τὰς ἐπιβολὰς ἐλάμβανε καὶ τὰς ἀρχάς.
Now as the summer was already beginning, and Aratus the younger had taken over the generalship, all affairs simultaneously received their impulse and beginning.
§4.37.4Ἀννίβας μὲν γὰρ ἐνεχείρει κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους Ζάκανθαν πολιορκεῖν, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ Λεύκιον Αἰμίλιον εἰς τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐξαπέστελλον ἐπὶ Δημήτριον τὸν Φάριον· ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ βύβλῳ δεδηλώκαμεν.
For Hannibal at this time was undertaking to besiege Saguntum, and the Romans were dispatching Lucius Aemilius with a force to Illyria against Demetrius of Pharos; about which events we have spoken in the preceding book.
§4.37.5Ἀντίοχος δέ, Πτολεμαΐδα καὶ Τύρον παραδόντος αὐτῷ Θεοδότου, τοῖς κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν ἐγχειρεῖν ἐπεβάλλετο· Πτολεμαῖος δὲ περὶ παρασκευὴν ἐγίνετο τοῦ πρὸς Ἀντίοχον πολέμου.
And Antiochus, since Theodotus had surrendered Ptolemais and Tyre to him, was attempting to lay hands on Coele-Syria; while Ptolemy was occupied with preparations for the war against Antiochus.
§4.37.6Λυκοῦργος δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁμοίων βουλόμενος ἄρχεσθαι Κλεομένει, τὸ τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν Ἀθήναιον ἐπολιόρκει προσεστρατοπεδευκώς. Ἀχαιοὶ δὲ μισθοφόρους ἱππεῖς καὶ πεζοὺς ἥθροιζον εἰς τὸν περιεστῶτα πόλεμον·
And Lycurgus, wishing to begin in the same manner as Cleomenes, was besieging the Athenaion belonging to the Megalopolitans, having encamped before it; while the Achaeans were gathering mercenary horse and foot for the impending war.
§4.37.7Φίλιππος δʼ ἐκ Μακεδονίας ἐκίνει μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, ἔχων Μακεδόνων φαλαγγίτας μὲν μυρίους, πελταστὰς δὲ πεντακισχιλίους, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις ἱππεῖς ὀκτακοσίους.
Philip was on the march from Macedonia with his army, having ten thousand Macedonian phalangites, five thousand peltasts, and along with these eight hundred horse.
§4.37.8ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἅπαντʼ ἦν ἐν τοιαύταις ἐπιβολαῖς καὶ παρασκευαῖς.
All these things, then, were in such states of undertaking and preparation.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς ἐξήνεγκαν Ῥόδιοι Βυζαντίοις πόλεμον διά τινας
But about the same time the Rhodians declared war against the Byzantines, owing to certain...

Notes

  1. 4.37.1Ἀράτῳ μὲν οὖν συνέβαινε... Ἄρατον δὲ — There is an asymmetrical construction in the two clauses governed by the impersonal verb συνέβαινε ('it happened that'). The first clause uses the dative Ἀράτῳ ('for Aratus') with the infinitive λήγειν, while the second clause employs an accusative and infinitive construction (Ἄρατον ... παραλαμβάνειν), with both serving as the subject-clauses of συνέβαινε.
  2. 4.37.2ὁ δὲ χρόνος αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς μάλιστα τότε πως διῄρητο — The dative pronoun αὐτῷ refers to Scopas (or the Aetolian generalship). The verb διῄρητο (pluperfect passive of διαίρω) means 'was divided,' referring here to the temporal divergence (lack of overlap) between the terms of office of the Aetolian and Achaean generals.
  3. 4.37.6ἀπὸ τῶν ὁμοίων βουλόμενος ἄρχεσθαι Κλεομένει — The prepositional phrase ἀπὸ τῶν ὁμοίων means 'to begin (archasthai) from similar things.' The dative Κλεομένει is a dative of comparison/similarity dependent on the adjective ὁμοίων, meaning 'wishing to begin his military operations from the same starting point as Cleomenes did' (specifically, by invading Megalopolitan territory).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.37.1-4.37.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.37.1-4.37.8

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