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Polybius · The Histories §5.50.1-5.50.14

Hermeias' Plot and the Murder of Epigenes

Passage 414 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Exploiting a mutiny over unpaid wages at Apameia, Hermeias pressures the king to remove Epigenes, and subsequently assassinates him through a conspiracy involving a forged letter.

§5.50.1καὶ πολὺς πρὸς ταῖς παρασκευαῖς.
and was very active in the preparations.
ἁθροισθεισῶν δὲ τῶν δυνάμεων εἰς Ἀπάμειαν, καί τινος ἐγγενομένης στάσεως τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν προσοφειλομένων ὀψωνίων, §5.50.2λαβὼν ἐπτοημένον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ δεδιότα τὸ γεγονὸς κίνημα διὰ τὸν καιρόν, ἐπηγγείλατο διαλύσειν πᾶσι τὰς σιταρχίας, ἐὰν αὐτῷ συγχωρήσῃ μὴ στρατεύειν μετʼ αὐτῶν τὸν Ἐπιγένην·
When the forces had assembled at Apameia, and a certain mutiny had arisen among the soldiers concerning their arrears of pay, taking the king in a state of excitement and fearing the disturbance that had occurred owing to the critical time, Hermeias promised that he would pay off the rations to all of them, if the king would grant him that Epigenes should not campaign with them.
§5.50.3οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τʼ εἶναι τῶν κατὰ λόγον οὐδὲν πράττεσθαι κατὰ τὴν στρατείαν τηλικαύτης ἐν αὐτοῖς ὀργῆς καὶ στάσεως ἐγγεγενημένης.
For he asserted that it was impossible for any reasonable action to be performed during the campaign, while such great anger and mutiny had arisen among them.
§5.50.4ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς δυσχερῶς μὲν ἤκουσε καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἐποιεῖτο σπουδάζων διὰ τὴν ἐμπειρίαν τῶν πολεμικῶν συστρατεύειν αὑτῷ τὸν Ἐπιγένην, §5.50.5περιεχόμενος δὲ καὶ προκατειλημμένος οἰκονομίαις καὶ φυλακαῖς καὶ θεραπείαις ὑπὸ τῆς Ἑρμείου κακοηθείας οὐκ ἦν αὑτοῦ κύριος·
The king heard this with displeasure, and valued it above all things to have Epigenes campaign with him, being eager because of his experience in warfare; but being encompassed and anticipated by arrangements, guards, and attendants through the malice of Hermeias, he was not his own master.
διὸ καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν εἴκων συνεχώρησε τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις.
Therefore, yielding to the present circumstances, he granted what was requested.
§5.50.6τοῦ δʼ Ἐπιγένους κατὰ τὸ προσταχθὲν ἀναχωρήσαντος εἰς ἱμάτιον, οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ κατεπλάγησαν τὸν φθόνον,
When Epigenes, according to what had been commanded, retired into private life, those in the council were struck with terror at the malice.
§5.50.7αἱ δὲ δυνάμεις τυχοῦσαι τῶν ἀξιουμένων ἐκ μεταβολῆς εὐνοϊκῶς διέκειντο πρὸς τὸν αἴτιον τῆς τῶν ὀψωνίων διορθώσεως πλὴν τῶν Κυρρηστῶν·
But the forces, having obtained their demands, changed and became well-disposed towards the one who was the cause of the settlement of their pay, except for the Cyrrhestae.
§5.50.8οὗτοι δʼ ἐστασίασαν καὶ σχεδὸν εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους ὄντες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀπέστησαν, καὶ πολλὰς δή τινας ἀηδίας ἐπὶ χρόνον ἱκανὸν παρέσχον· τέλος δὲ μάχῃ κρατηθέντες ὑπό τινος τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως στρατηγῶν οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ περιλειφθέντες παρέδοσαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πίστιν.
These mutinied, and being nearly six thousand in number, revolted, and caused many unpleasantnesses for a considerable time; but at last, being defeated in battle by one of the king's generals, most of them were destroyed, and the survivors surrendered themselves to the king's mercy.
§5.50.9ὁ δʼ Ἑρμείας τοὺς μὲν φίλους διὰ τὸν φόβον, τὰς δὲ δυνάμεις διὰ τὴν εὐχρηστίαν ὑφʼ ἑαυτὸν πεποιημένος, ἀναζεύξας προῆγε μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως.
But Hermeias, having made the friends subject to himself through fear, and the forces through utility, struck camp and advanced with the king.
§5.50.10περὶ δὲ τὸν Ἐπιγένην πρᾶξιν συνεστήσατο τοιαύτην, λαβὼν συνεργὸν τὸν ἀκροφύλακα τῆς Ἀπαμείας Ἄλεξιν.
Against Epigenes he contrived the following plot, taking Alexis, the commander of the citadel of Apameia, as his accomplice.
§5.50.11γράψας ὡς παρὰ Μόλωνος ἀπεσταλμένην ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιγένην πείθει τινὰ τῶν ἐκείνου παίδων ἐλπίσι μεγάλαις ψυχαγωγήσας εἰσενέγκαντα πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιγένην καταμῖξαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν.
Having written a letter as if sent from Molo to Epigenes, he persuaded one of Epigenes' servants, enticing him with great hopes, to bring the letter in and mix it with his master's papers.
§5.50.12οὗ γενομένου παρῆν εὐθέως Ἄλεξις, καὶ διηρώτα τὸν Ἐπιγένην μή τινας ἐπιστολὰς κεκόμισται παρὰ τοῦ Μόλωνος.
When this was done, Alexis appeared immediately, and asked Epigenes whether he had received any letters from Molo.
§5.50.13τοῦ δʼ ἀπειπομένου πικρῶς ἐρευνᾶν ᾔτει.
Upon his denying it sharply, Alexis demanded to make a search.
ταχὺ δὲ παρεισελθὼν εὗρε τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ᾗ χρησάμενος ἀφορμῇ παραχρῆμα τὸν Ἐπιγένην ἀπέκτεινεν.
Entering quickly, he found the letter, and using this as a pretext, he immediately put Epigenes to death.
§5.50.14οὗ συμβάντος ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἐπείσθη δικαίως ἀπολωλέναι τὸν Ἐπιγένην, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν ὑπώπτευον μὲν τὸ γεγονός, ἦγον δὲ τὴν ἡσυχίαν διὰ τὸν φόβον.
When this happened, the king was persuaded that Epigenes had perished justly, while those about the court, though they suspected what had occurred, kept quiet because of their fear.

Notes

  1. 5.50.1πολὺς πρὸς ταῖς παρασκευαῖς — Referring to Hermeias (οὗτος αὐτός), the subject of the previous sentence, with the copula (ἦν) omitted. A predicative use of the adjective πολύς meaning 'greatly engaged in or devoted to'.
  2. 5.50.4περὶ παντὸς ἐποιεῖτο — Imperfect tense of the idiom περὶ παντὸς ποιοῦμαι (to value above all things, to be extremely anxious for). Here combined with the participle σπουδάζων, taking the following infinitive συστρατεύειν as the object of his desire.
  3. 5.50.6εἰς ἱμάτιον — Literally 'into clothing', a figurative and iodiomatic expression meaning 'to return to civilian clothes' (analogous to the Latin toga), hence 'to retire from public office or military service into private life'.
  4. 5.50.11ὡς παρὰ Μόλωνος ἀπεσταλμένην — The conjunction ὡς is used with the perfect participle ἀπεσταλμένην (agreeing with ἐπιστολήν, accompanied by the prepositional phrase παρὰ Μόλωνος) to represent a false assumption or pretense contrived by Hermeias, meaning 'as if sent from Molo', rather than an objective fact.
  5. 5.50.13ᾗ χρησάμενος ἀφορμῇ — A structure where the relative pronoun ᾗ incorporates the noun ἀφορμῇ (which would otherwise be the antecedent) into the relative clause (incorporation or attraction of the antecedent), meaning 'using which as a pretext'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.50.1-5.50.14. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.50.1-5.50.14

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