Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §4.87.1-4.87.13

Failure of Apelles' Plot and Philip's Wintering

Passage 364 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Apelles attempts to dismantle the administration established by Antigonus's will in order to consolidate his own power by slandering Taurion and Alexander, but his schemes fail due to Aratus's counter-influence. King Philip returns to Argos for winter quarters, bringing Book 4 to its conclusion.

§4.87.1ὁ δʼ Ἀπελλῆς οὐδαμῶς ἀφίστατο τῆς προθέσεως, ἀλλʼ ἅμα μὲν τὸν Ταυρίωνα τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ τεταγμένον διέβαλλεν, §4.87.2οὐ ψέγων, ἀλλʼ ἐπαινῶν καὶ φάσκων ἐπιτήδειον αὐτὸν εἶναι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις συνδιατρίβειν, βουλόμενος ἕτερον ἐπισταθῆναι διʼ αὑτοῦ τοῖς ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ πράγμασι.
Apelles by no means abandoned his purpose, but on the one hand, slandered Taurion, who had been appointed over affairs in the Peloponnese, not by blaming, but by praising him and saying that he was fit to spend time with the king in the field, wishing that another person should be appointed through himself over the affairs in the Peloponnese.
§4.87.3καινὸς γὰρ δή τις οὗτος εὕρηται τρόπος διαβολῆς τὸ μὴ ψέγοντας, ἀλλʼ ἐπαινοῦντας λυμαίνεσθαι τοὺς πέλας· §4.87.4εὕρηται δὲ μάλιστα καὶ πρῶτον τοιαύτη κακεντρέχεια καὶ βασκανία καὶ δόλος ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὰς αὐλὰς διατριβόντων καὶ τῆς τούτων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ζηλοτυπίας καὶ πλεονεξίας.
For indeed this new method of slander has been found, of harming one's neighbors not by blaming, but by praising them; and such malice, envy, and deceit have been found especially and first of all among those who spend their time about courts, and from their jealousy and greed toward one another.
§4.87.5ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς θεραπείας τεταγμένον Ἀλέξανδρον, ὅτε λάβοι καιρόν, διέδακνε, βουλόμενος καὶ τὴν περὶ τὸ σῶμα φυλακὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διʼ αὑτοῦ γενέσθαι καὶ καθόλου κινῆσαι τὴν ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου καταλειφθεῖσαν διάταξιν.
In like manner, he also attacked Alexander, who had been appointed over the bodyguard, whenever he found an opportunity, wishing that the protection of the king's person should also be managed through himself, and in general to alter the arrangement left by Antigonus.
§4.87.6Ἀντίγονος γὰρ καλῶς μὲν ζῶν προέστη τῆς τε βασιλείας καὶ τοῦ παιδὸς αὑτοῦ, καλῶς δὲ τὸν βίον μεταλλάττων προενοήθη πρὸς τὸ μέλλον περὶ πάντων τῶν πραγμάτων.
For Antigonus, while alive, had governed well both the kingdom and his own son, and on changing his life, had well provided for the future concerning all affairs.
§4.87.7ἀπολιπὼν γὰρ διαθήκην ἔγραφε Μακεδόσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν διῳκημένων· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος διέταξε πῶς καὶ διὰ τίνων ἕκαστα δεήσει χειρίζεσθαι, βουλόμενος μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν καταλιπεῖν τοῖς περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλοτιμίας καὶ στάσεως.
For leaving a will, he wrote to the Macedonians concerning his administration, and likewise concerning the future he arranged how and through whom each of the matters should be managed, wishing to leave to those about the court no ground for rivalry and discord toward one another.
§4.87.8ἐν οἷς τῶν τότε συστρατευομένων αὐτὸς μὲν Ἀπελλῆς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτρόποις ἀπελέλειπτο, Λεόντιος δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν πελταστῶν, Μεγαλέας δʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ γραμματείου, Ταυρίων δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ Πελοπόννησον, Ἀλέξανδρος δʼ ἐπὶ τῆς θεραπείας.
Among these, of those who were then serving with him, Apelles himself was left among the guardians, Leontius over the peltasts, Megaleas over the secretariat, Taurion over affairs in the Peloponnese, and Alexander over the bodyguard.
§4.87.9τὸν μὲν οὖν Λεόντιον καὶ Μεγαλέαν ὑφʼ αὑτὸν εἶχεν ὁλοσχερῶς, τὸν δʼ Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ Ταυρίωνα μεταστησάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς χρείας ἔσπευδε καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τἄλλα πάντα διʼ αὑτοῦ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἰδίων φίλων χειρίζειν.
Now, he held Leontius and Megaleas entirely under his own control, but having removed Alexander and Taurion from their office, he hastened to manage both these and all other matters through himself and through his own friends.
§4.87.10ὃ δὴ καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐπετέλεσε μὴ παρασκευάσας ἀνταγωνιστὴν Ἄρατον αὑτῷ· νῦν δὲ ταχέως πεῖραν ἔλαβε τῆς σφετέρας ἀφροσύνης καὶ πλεονεξίας.
This indeed he would have easily accomplished if he had not raised up Aratus as an antagonist for himself; but as it was, he quickly experienced the result of his own folly and greed.
§4.87.11ὃ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐπεβάλετο πρᾶξαι κατὰ τῶν πέλας, τοῦτʼ ἔπαθε καὶ λίαν ἐν πάνυ βραχεῖ χρόνῳ.
For what he himself undertook to do against his neighbors, this he suffered himself, and that too in a very short time.
§4.87.12πῶς δὲ καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ τοῦτο συνέβη γενέσθαι κατὰ μὲν τὸ παρὸν ὑπερθησόμεθα καὶ καταστρέψομεν τὴν βύβλον ταύτην, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἑξῆς πειρασόμεθα σαφῶς ὑπὲρ ἑκάστων ἐξαγγέλλειν.
How and in what manner this happened to take place, we shall postpone for the present and bring this book to an end, but in the following books we shall try to relate clearly concerning each of these matters.
§4.87.13Φίλιππος δὲ τὰ προειρημένα διαταξάμενος ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς Ἄργος, κἀνταῦθα τὴν παραχειμασίαν ἐποίει μετὰ τῶν φίλων, τὰς δὲ δυνάμεις ἀπέλυσεν εἰς Μακεδονίαν.
Philip, having arranged the aforementioned matters, returned to Argos, and there spent the winter with his friends, and dismissed his forces to Macedonia.

Notes

  1. 4.87.3τὸ μὴ ψέγοντας, ἀλλʼ ἐπαινοῦντας λυμαίνεσθαι τοὺς πέλας — An infinitive phrase substantivized by the article `τὸ`, functioning in apposition to or as an explanatory definition of the noun `τρόπος` (method). The subject of the infinitive `λυμαίνεσθαι` is represented by the accusative participles `ψέγοντας, ἐπαινοῦντας`, referring to general agents ('slanderers').
  2. 4.87.5ὅτε λάβοι — The optative with `ὅτε` in a temporal clause expresses a general or repeated action in the past ('whenever he found an opportunity').
  3. 4.87.10ἂν ἐπετέλεσε μὴ παρασκευάσας — The main clause with `ἄν` and the indicative past (`ἐπετέλεσε`) expresses a past contrary-to-fact apodosis. The negative participle `μὴ παρασκευάσας` replaces the protasis (conditional clause), meaning 'if he had not raised up/provided'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §4.87.1-4.87.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.87.1-4.87.13

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.