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Polybius · The Histories §4.75.1-4.75.8

Surrender of Thalamas and Philip's Spoils

Passage 352 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Philip besieged the Elean refugees and their abundant livestock in the stronghold of Thalamas, quickly forcing the unprepared multitude to surrender, and then returned to Olympia laden with spoils.

§4.75.1νόντων, οἰκοῦσι διαφερόντως Ἠλεῖοι.
remaining, the Eleans live in a remarkably distinct manner.
διὸ καὶ κατὰ τὴν Φιλίππου παρουσίαν ἄπλετον μὲν ἦν τὸ τῶν ἁλισκομένων πλῆθος, ἔτι δὲ πλεῖον τὸ τῶν συμπεφευγότων.
For this reason, also during the presence of Philip, the number of those captured was immense, and still greater was the number of those who had fled for refuge.
§4.75.2πλείστη δʼ ἀποσκευὴ καὶ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ἡθροίσθη σωμάτων καὶ θρεμμάτων εἰς τὸ χωρίον, ὃ καλοῦσι Θαλάμας, διὰ τὸ τήν τε χώραν τὴν πέριξ αὐτοῦ στενὴν εἶναι καὶ δυσέμβολον τό τε χωρίον ἀπραγμάτευτον καὶ δυσπρόσοδον.
An immense amount of baggage and a very great multitude of people and cattle were gathered together at the stronghold which they call Thalamas, because the country around it was narrow and difficult of access, and the stronghold itself was secure and hard to approach.
§4.75.3ἀκούων δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν συμπεφευγότων εἰς τὸν προειρημένον τόπον, καὶ κρίνας μηδὲν ἀβασάνιστον μηδʼ ἀπέραντον ἀπολιπεῖν, τοῖς μὲν μισθοφόροις προκατελάβετο τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς εἰσβολῆς εὐφυῶς κειμένους τόπους,
When the king heard of the multitude of those who had fled for refuge to the aforementioned place, and deciding to leave nothing unattempted or unfinished, he pre-occupied with his mercenaries the places that were advantageously situated at the entrance.
§4.75.4αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν ἀποσκευὴν καταλιπὼν ἐν τῷ χάρακι καὶ τὸ πλεῖον μέρος τῆς δυνάμεως, ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς πελταστὰς καὶ τοὺς εὐζώνους προῆγε διὰ τῶν στενῶν· οὐδενὸς δὲ κωλύοντος ἧκε πρὸς τὸ χωρίον.
He himself, leaving the baggage and the greater part of his force in the camp, took the peltasts and the light-armed troops and advanced through the narrow passes; and since no one opposed him, he arrived at the stronghold.
§4.75.5καταπλαγέντων δὲ τῶν συμπεφευγότων τὴν ἔφοδον, ἅτε δὴ πρὸς πᾶσαν πολεμικὴν χρείαν ἀπείρως καὶ ἀπαρασκεύως διακειμένων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ συνδεδραμηκότος ὄχλου συρφετώδους, ταχέως παρέδοσαν αὑτούς·
Those who had fled there, being struck with terror at his approach, inasmuch as they were inexperienced and unprepared for any military duty, and at the same time a disorderly rabble of people having crowded together there, quickly surrendered themselves.
§4.75.6ἐν οἷς ἦσαν καὶ μισθοφόροι διακόσιοι μιγάδες, οὓς ἧκεν ἔχων Ἀμφίδαμος ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Ἠλείων.
Among them were also two hundred mercenary soldiers of mixed nationalities, whom Amphidamus, the general of the Eleans, had brought with him.
§4.75.7ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος, κυριεύσας ἀποσκευῆς τε πολλῆς καὶ σωμάτων πλειόνων ἢ πεντακισχιλίων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τῆς τετράποδος λείας ἀναρίθμητον ἐξελασάμενος πλῆθος, τότε μὲν ἐπανῆλθε πρὸς χάρακα,
Philip, having become master of a great deal of baggage and of more than five thousand people, and having besides driven off an countless number of four-footed booty, returned for the time to his camp.
§4.75.8μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῆς δυνάμεως ὑπεργεμούσης αὐτῷ παντοδαπῆς ὠφελείας, βαρὺς ὢν καὶ δύσχρηστος, ἀνεχώρει διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ κατέζευξε πάλιν εἰς τὴν Ὀλυμπίαν.
But after this, since his army was overloaded with booty of every kind, being heavy and difficult to move, he retreated on this account, and encamped again at Olympia.

Notes

  1. §4.75.1νόντων — Combined with 'emme-' at the end of the previous chunk, it forms the present participle 'emmenontōn' (genitive plural of emmenō). This completes the genitive absolute construction 'eti tēs palaias synētheias hoion aithygmatōn emmenontōn' ('while some sparks as it were of their ancient custom still remained').
  2. §4.75.2διὰ τὸ τήν τε χώραν ... εἶναι — A causal clause introduced by the preposition dia with the articular infinitive to ... einai. The correlative conjunctions te ... te connect two accusative subjects: 'the country around it (tēn chōran)' and 'the stronghold (to chōrion)'. In the second clause, the infinitive einai is omitted after to chōrion.
  3. §4.75.5καταπλαγέντων δὲ τῶν συμπεφευγότων τὴν ἔφοδον — The phrase kataplagentōn tōn sympepheugotōn is a genitive absolute construction. The aorist passive participle kataplagentōn (from kataplēttō) takes the accusative tēn ephodon ('the approach/attack') as a direct object expressing the object of mental or emotional affection.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.75.1-4.75.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.75.1-4.75.8

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