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Polybius · The Histories §4.52.1-4.52.10

Mediation of Cavarus and the Peace Treaty of Byzantium

Passage 329 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Through the mediation of Cavarus, king of the Galatians, peace is established among Byzantium, Rhodes, and Prusias. The treaty stipulates the abolition of the Byzantine toll and the restoration of territories and captives by Prusias.

§4.52.1σχήμονα τῶν πραγμάτων.
respectable way out of the situation.
Καυάρου δὲ τοῦ τῶν Γαλατῶν βασιλέως παραγενομένου πρὸς τὸ Βυζάντιον, καὶ σπουδάζοντος διαλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον καὶ διέχοντος τὰς χεῖρας φιλοτίμως, συνεχώρησαν τοῖς παρακαλουμένοις ὅ τε Προυσίας οἵ τε Βυζάντιοι. §4.52.2πυθόμενοι δʼ οἱ Ῥόδιοι τήν τε τοῦ Καυάρου σπουδὴν καὶ τὴν ἐντροπὴν τοῦ Προυσίου, σπουδάζοντες δὲ καὶ τὴν αὑτῶν πρόθεσιν ἐπὶ τέλος ἀγαγεῖν, §4.52.3πρεσβευτὴν μὲν Ἀριδίκην προεχειρίσαντο πρὸς τοὺς Βυζαντίους, Πολεμοκλῆ δὲ τρεῖς ἔχοντα τριήρεις ὁμοῦ συναπέστειλαν, §4.52.4βουλόμενοι τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον καὶ τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸ κηρύκειον ἅμα πέμπειν πρὸς τοὺς Βυζαντίους.
Upon the arrival of Cavarus, the king of the Galatians, in Byzantium, who was eager to put an end to the war and enthusiastically held out his hands as a mediator, both Prusias and the Byzantines yielded to what was requested. The Rhodians, on learning of the earnestness of Cavarus and the deference of Prusias, and being eager also to bring their own purpose to its conclusion, appointed Aridices as ambassador to the Byzantines, and at the same time sent Polemocles with three triremes, wishing, as the saying goes, to send to the Byzantines at once the spear and the herald's staff.
ἐπιφανέντων δὲ τούτων, ἐγένοντο διαλύσεις ἐπὶ Κώθωνος τοῦ Καλλιγείτονος ἱερομνημονοῦντος ἐν τῷ Βυζαντίῳ, §4.52.5πρὸς μὲν Ῥοδίους ἁπλαῖ, Βυζαντίους μὲν μηδένα πράττειν τὸ διαγώγιον τῶν εἰς τὸν Πόντον πλεόντων, Ῥοδίους δὲ καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους τούτου γενομένου τὴν εἰρήνην ἄγειν πρὸς Βυζαντίους· §4.52.6πρὸς δὲ Προυσίαν τοιαίδε τινές, εἶναι Προυσίᾳ καὶ Βυζαντίοις εἰρήνην καὶ φιλίαν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, μὴ στρατεύειν δὲ μήτε Βυζαντίους ἐπὶ Προυσίαν τρόπῳ μηδενὶ μήτε Προυσίαν ἐπὶ Βυζαντίους· §4.52.7ἀποδοῦναι δὲ Προυσίαν Βυζαντίοις τάς τε χώρας καὶ τὰ φρούρια καὶ τοὺς λαοὺς καὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ σώματα χωρὶς λύτρων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὰ πλοῖα τὰ κατʼ ἀρχὰς ληφθέντα τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τὰ βέλη τὰ καταληφθέντʼ ἐν τοῖς ἐρύμασιν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰ ξύλα καὶ τὴν λιθίαν καὶ τὸν κέραμον τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Ἱεροῦ χωρίου — §4.52.8ὁ γὰρ Προυσίας, ἀγωνιῶν τὴν τοῦ Τιβοίτου κάθοδον, πάντα καθεῖλε τὰ δοκοῦντα τῶν φρουρίων εὐκαίρως πρός τι κεῖσθαι — §4.52.9ἐπαναγκάσαι δὲ Προυσίαν καὶ ὅσα τινὲς τῶν Βιθυνῶν εἶχον ἐκ τῆς Μυσίας χώρας τῆς ὑπὸ Βυζαντίους ταττομένης ἀποδοῦναι τοῖς γεωργοῖς. §4.52.10ὁ μὲν οὖν Ῥοδίοις καὶ Προυσίᾳ πρὸς Βυζαντίους συστὰς πόλεμος τοιαύτας ἔλαβε τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ
Upon their appearance, peace was concluded while Cothon, son of Calligeiton, was hieromnemon in Byzantium, the treaty with the Rhodians was simple: the Byzantines should not levy any toll on those sailing into the Pontus, and on this being done, the Rhodians and their allies should keep peace with the Byzantines; and that with Prusias was of this kind: there should be peace and friendship for all time between Prusias and the Byzantines, and neither should the Byzantines make war upon Prusias in any manner, nor Prusias upon the Byzantines; and Prusias should restore to the Byzantines their lands, forts, populations, and prisoners of war without ransom, and in addition to these, the ships captured at the beginning of the war, and the missiles seized in the strongholds, and likewise the timber, stonework, and tiling taken from the place called Hieron— for Prusias, in his anxiety over the return of Tiboites, had dismantled all the forts that seemed to be advantageously situated for any purpose— and Prusias should compel also the Bithynians to restore to the farmers all that they held from the territory of Mysia which was subject to the Byzantines. Such then were the beginnings and

Notes

  1. 4.52.1σχήμονα — Combines with the prefix `εὐ-` at the end of the preceding chunk to form the compound adjective `εὐσχήμονα` ("respectable", "decent"), modifying the preceding noun `ἐξαγωγὴν` ("way out").
  2. 4.52.2ἐντροπὴν — Meaning "deference" or "respect". Here it refers to Prusias' respectful attitude or willingness to heed the mediation efforts of Cavarus.
  3. 4.52.4τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸ κηρύκειον — A Greek proverbial expression "the spear and the herald's staff," symbolically referring to presenting a choice between war (the spear) and peace (the herald's staff).
  4. 4.52.7ἀποδοῦναι — An infinitive of stipulation or command in a treaty context, listing the concrete terms of the agreement introduced by `διαλύσεις ἐγένοντο`.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.52.1-4.52.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.52.1-4.52.10

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