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Polybius · The Histories §5.19.1-5.19.8

Philip's Ravaging and Devastation of Laconia

Passage 383 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Philip penetrates deep into Laconia, encamping and plundering at Amyclae, Pyrrhus' Camp, and Carnium. He then marches past Gythium to Heleia, thoroughly devastating the surrounding regions.

§5.19.1κειντο πρὸς τὸ παρόν.
[The Lacedaemonians] were for the present in a difficult position.
ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὰς Ἀμύκλας.
Meanwhile Philip, on the first day, encamped around Amyclae.
§5.19.2αἱ δʼ Ἀμύκλαι καλούμεναι τόπος ἐστὶ τῆς Λακωνικῆς χώρας καλλιδενδρότατος καὶ καλλικαρπότατος, ἀπέχει δὲ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος ὡς εἴκοσι σταδίους.
The place called Amyclae is the most beautifully wooded and most fertile region of the Laconian territory, and is about twenty stades distant from Lacedaemon.
§5.19.3ὑπάρχει δὲ καὶ τέμενος Ἀπόλλωνος ἐν αὐτῷ σχεδὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τῶν κατὰ τὴν Λακωνικὴν ἱερῶν.
There is also a sanctuary of Apollo in it, which is perhaps the most famous of the temples in Laconia.
κεῖται δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐν τοῖς πρὸς θάλατταν κεκλιμένοις μέρεσι.
It lies in the parts of the city sloping towards the sea.
§5.19.4τῇ δʼ ἐπιούσῃ πορθῶν ἅμα τὴν χώραν εἰς τὸν Πύρρου καλούμενον κατέβη χάρακα.
On the following day, while plundering the country, he went down to the place called Pyrrhus' Camp.
δύο δὲ τὰς ἑξῆς ἡμέρας ἐπιδραμὼν καὶ δῃώσας τοὺς σύνεγγυς τόπους, §5.19.5κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὸ Κάρνιον, ὅθεν ὁρμήσας ἦγε πρὸς Ἀσίνην·
For the next two days, having overrun and devastated the neighboring districts, he encamped around Carnium.
καὶ ποιησάμενος προσβολάς, οὐδέν γε τῶν προύργου περαίνων, ἀνέζευξε, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐπιπορευόμενος ἔφθειρε τὴν χώραν πᾶσαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Κρητικὸν πέλαγος τετραμμένην ἕως Ταινάρου.
Setting out from there, he led his army toward Asine; and having made assaults on it, but achieving nothing of importance, he struck camp, and for the rest of his march laid waste to all the territory facing the Cretan Sea as far as Taenarum.
§5.19.6μεταβαλόμενος δʼ αὖτις ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν παρὰ τὸν ναύσταθμον τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, ὃ καλεῖται μὲν Γύθιον, ἔχει δʼ ἀσφαλῆ λιμένα, τῆς δὲ πόλεως ἀπέχει περὶ διακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα στάδια.
Turning back again, he made his march past the naval station of the Lacedaemonians, which is called Gythium, and has a safe harbor, and is about two hundred and thirty stades distant from the city.
§5.19.7τοῦτο δʼ ἀπολιπὼν κατὰ πορείαν δεξιὸν κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὴν Ἑλείαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὡς πρὸς μέρος θεωρουμένη πλείστη καὶ καλλίστη χώρα τῆς Λακωνικῆς.
Leaving this on his right during his march, he encamped around Heleia, which, considered as a single district, is the largest and most beautiful territory in Laconia.
§5.19.8ὅθεν ἀφιεὶς τὰς προνομὰς αὐτόν τε τὸν τόπον τοῦτον πάντα κατεπυρπόλει καὶ διέφθειρε τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ καρπούς, ἀφικνεῖτο δὲ ταῖς προνομαῖς καὶ πρὸς Ἀκρίας καὶ Λεύκας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν τῶν Βοιῶν χώραν.
Setting out his foraging parties from there, he burned all this place and destroyed the crops in it, and his foraging parties reached as far as Acriae and Leucae, and even the territory of the Boeates.

Notes

  1. 5.19.1κειντο — The second half of the imperfect verb `διέκειντο`, continuing from `διέ-` at the very end of the preceding chunk. Due to a textual division or lacuna, it must be construed together with the prefix to form the verb whose subject is the Lacedaemonians from the previous sentence.
  2. 5.19.3τῆς πόλεως — A genitive of separation or point of view indicating the starting point of distance or direction: 'in the parts sloping towards the sea from the city (of Sparta)'.
  3. 5.19.5τῶν προύργου — The crasis form of the prepositional phrase `πρὸ ἔργου` (useful, effective) functioning as an adjective/adverb `προύργου`, preceded by the neuter plural genitive article. It acts as a partitive genitive depending on the preceding pronoun `οὐδέν` with a negative, meaning 'achieving nothing of importance'.
  4. 5.19.7ὡς πρὸς μέρος θεωρουμένη — The passive participle `θεωρουμένη` (being considered) combined with `ὡς πρὸς μέρος` (as a part/district), expressing a qualification: 'when considered as a single district' (in comparison with the rest of Laconia).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.19.1-5.19.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.19.1-5.19.8

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