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Polybius · The Histories §5.107.1-5.107.7

Unrest in Egypt and Antiochus' War Preparations

Passage 471 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Due to Ptolemy IV's misjudgment, signs of rebellion emerge in Egypt, while Antiochus III prepares for war against Achaeus. Meanwhile, the Aetolians become dissatisfied with the general peace concluded by Agelaus.

§5.107.1εστώτων ἀκρισίαν.
[lead]ers' lack of judgment.
Πτολεμαίῳ γε μὴν εὐθέως ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι τὸν πρὸς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους πόλεμον.
For Ptolemy, however, immediately from this time, there began to arise the war against the Egyptians.
§5.107.2ὁ γὰρ προειρημένος βασιλεὺς καθοπλίσας τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐπὶ τὸν πρὸς Ἀντίοχον πόλεμον πρὸς μὲν τὸ παρὸν ἐνδεχομένως ἐβουλεύσατο, τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος ἠστόχησε·
For the aforesaid king, having armed the Egyptians for the war against Antiochus, took proper measures for the immediate situation, but missed the mark regarding the future.
§5.107.3φρονηματισθέντες γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ Ῥαφίαν προτερήματος, οὐκέτι τὸ προσταττόμενον οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν ὑπομένειν, ἀλλʼ ἐζήτουν ἡγεμόνα καὶ πρόσωπον, ὡς ἱκανοὶ βοηθεῖν ὄντες αὑτοῖς.
For, having become emboldened by their victory at Raphia, they were no longer able to endure being commanded, but sought a leader and a representative, believing themselves capable of helping themselves.
ὃ καὶ τέλος ἐποίησαν οὐ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον.
And this indeed they finally did not long afterwards.
§5.107.4Ἀντίοχος δὲ μεγάλῃ παρασκευῇ χρησάμενος ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι, μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς θερείας ἐπιγενομένης ὑπερέβαλε τὸν Ταῦρον, καὶ συνθέμενος πρὸς Ἄτταλον τὸν βασιλέα κοινοπραγίαν ἐνίστατο τὸν πρὸς Ἀχαιὸν πόλεμον.
Antiochus, having made great preparations during the winter, after this, when summer came, crossed the Taurus, and having formed an alliance for joint action with King Attalus, entered upon the war against Achaeus.
§5.107.5Αἰτωλοὶ δὲ παραυτὰ μὲν εὐδοκοῦντες τῇ γενομένῃ διαλύσει πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιούς, ὡς ἂν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῖς τοῦ πολέμου προκεχωρηκότος — διὸ καὶ στρατηγὸν Ἀγέλαον εἵλοντο τὸν Ναυπάκτιον, δοκοῦντα πλεῖστα συμβεβλῆσθαι πρὸς τὰς διαλύσεις — §5.107.6οὐδένα χρόνον διαλιπόντες δυσηρέστουν καὶ κατεμέμφοντο τὸν Ἀγέλαον ὡς ὑποτετμημένον πάσας αὐτῶν τὰς ἔξωθεν ὠφελείας καὶ τὰς εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐλπίδας, διὰ τὸ μὴ πρὸς τινάς, πρὸς πάντας δὲ τοὺς Ἕλληνας πεποιῆσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην.
But the Aetolians, though for the moment well pleased with the peace concluded with the Achaeans, as the war had not proceeded according to their mind—for which reason also they chose Agelaus of Naupactus as their general, who was thought to have contributed most to the peace— without allowing any time to pass, they became discontented and blamed Agelaus for having cut off all their external sources of profit and their hopes for the future, because he had made peace not with some, but with all of the Greeks.
§5.107.7ὁ δὲ προειρημένος ἀνὴρ ὑποφέρων τὴν προειρημένην τοιαύτην ἀλογίαν καὶ μέμψιν παρακατεῖχε τὰς ὁρμὰς αὐτῶν· διὸ καὶ καρτερεῖν οὗτοι μὲν ἠναγκάζοντο παρὰ φύσιν.
But the aforesaid man, bearing up under such unreasonable blame as mentioned before, held back their impulses; for which reason they were forced to restrain themselves contrary to their nature.

Notes

  1. 5.107.2τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος ἠστόχησε — The verb ἠστόχησε (missed the mark) takes the genitive case (τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος). The contrast with πρὸς μὲν τὸ παρὸν (for the present) highlights the success in immediate measures versus the failure in long-term foresight.
  2. 5.107.3ὃ καὶ τέλος ἐποίησαν — The neuter singular relative pronoun ὃ in the accusative case refers to the entire action described in the preceding clause (seeking a leader and trying to help themselves). τέλος functions as an adverbial accusative meaning 'finally' or 'in the end'.
  3. 5.107.5ὡς ἂν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῖς τοῦ πολέμου προκεχωρηκότος — A genitive absolute construction with the participle προκεχωρηκότος, introduced by ὡς ἂν to express a subjective reason or perceived cause. αὐτοῖς is a dative of interest (for them). The whole phrase indicates that the war had not proceeded according to their wishes.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.107.1-5.107.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.107.1-5.107.7

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