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Polybius · The Histories §5.55.1-5.55.10

Antiochus' Expedition against Artabazanes

Passage 419 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Antiochus III, emboldened by his success, plans a campaign against neighboring barbarian dynasts, while Hermeias supports it in hopes of seizing power. The royal army invades the territory of Artabazanes, who submits and concludes a favorable treaty.

§5.55.1ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπαρθεὶς τῷ γεγονότι προτερήματι, καὶ βουλόμενος ἀναταθῆναι καὶ καταπλήξασθαι τοὺς ὑπερκειμένους ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ σατραπείαις καὶ συνοροῦντας δυνάστας τῶν βαρβάρων, ἵνα μήτε συγχορηγεῖν μήτε συμπολεμεῖν τολμῶσι τοῖς ἀποστάταις αὐτοῦ γινομένοις, ἐπεβάλετο στρατεύειν ἐπʼ αὐτούς, καὶ πρῶτον ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀρταβαζάνην, §5.55.2ὃς ἐδόκει βαρύτατος εἶναι καὶ πρακτικώτατος τῶν δυναστῶν, δεσπόζειν δὲ καὶ τῶν Σατραπείων καλουμένων καὶ τῶν τούτοις συντερμονούντων ἐθνῶν.
The king, elated by the success that had occurred, and wishing to make a show of force and terrify the barbarian dynasts who lay beyond his own satrapies and bordered them, so that they might not dare either to supply or to fight alongside those who rebelled against him, undertook to campaign against them, and first of all against Artabazanes, who was thought to be the most powerful and active of the dynasts, and to rule both over the so-called Satrapeioi and the nations bordering on them.
§5.55.3Ἑρμείας δὲ κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους ἐδεδίει μὲν τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἄνω τόπους στρατείαν διὰ τὸν κίνδυνον, ὠρέγετο δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρόθεσιν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον στρατείας· §5.55.4οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ προσπεσόντος υἱὸν γεγονέναι τῷ βασιλεῖ, νομίσας καὶ παθεῖν ἄν τι τὸν Ἀντίοχον ἐν τοῖς ἄνω τόποις ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων καὶ παραδοῦναι καιροὺς αὑτῷ πρὸς ἐπαναίρεσιν, συγκατέθετο τῇ στρατείᾳ, §5.55.5πεπεισμένος, ἐὰν ἐπανέληται τὸν Ἀντίοχον, ἐπιτροπεύων τοῦ παιδίου κύριος ἔσεσθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτός.
Hermeias at this time feared the campaign into the upper regions because of the danger, but desired, in accordance with his original purpose, the campaign against Ptolemy; nevertheless, when news arrived that a son had been born to the king, thinking that Antiochus might meet with disaster in the upper regions at the hands of the barbarians and afford him opportunities for his elimination, he assented to the campaign, being persuaded that, if he made away with Antiochus, he himself, acting as guardian of the child, would be master of the empire.
§5.55.6κριθέντων δὲ τούτων ὑπερβαλόντες τὸν Ζάγρον ἐνέβαλον εἰς τὴν Ἀρταβαζάνου χώραν, §5.55.7ἣ παράκειται μὲν τῇ Μηδίᾳ, διειργούσης αὐτὴν τῆς ἀνὰ μέσον κειμένης ὀρεινῆς, ὑπέρκειται δʼ αὐτῆς τινὰ μέρη τοῦ Πόντου κατὰ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τὸν Φᾶσιν τόπους, συνάπτει δὲ πρὸς τὴν Ὑρκανίαν θάλατταν, §5.55.8ἔχει δὲ πλῆθος ἀνδρῶν ἀλκίμων καὶ μᾶλλον ἱππέων, αὐτάρκης δὲ καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἐστι ταῖς πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευαῖς.
These matters having been decided, they crossed the Zagros and invaded the territory of Artabazanes, which lies adjacent to Media, though the intervening mountainous region separates it, while some parts of it overlook the Pontus in the districts above the Phasis, and it borders on the Hyrcanian Sea, and has a multitude of brave men, and especially of cavalry, and is self-sufficient also in the other preparations for war.
§5.55.9ταύτην δὲ συμβαίνει τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ Περσῶν ἔτι διατηρεῖσθαι, παροραθείσης αὐτῆς ἐν τοῖς κατʼ Ἀλέξανδρον καιροῖς.
This principality happens to have been preserved ever since the time of the Persians, having been overlooked during the times of Alexander.
§5.55.10ὁ δʼ Ἀρταβαζάνης, καταπλαγεὶς τὴν ἔφοδον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ μάλιστα διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, τελέως γὰρ ἤδη γηραιὸς ἦν, εἴξας τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐποιήσατο συνθήκας εὐδοκουμένας Ἀντιόχῳ.
And Artabazanes, terrified by the approach of the king, and especially on account of his age, for he was already quite old, yielding to the present circumstances, made a treaty agreeable to Antiochus.

Notes

  1. §5.55.1ἀναταθῆναι — Aorist passive infinitive of the verb ἀνατείνω (literally 'to lift up', hence 'to threaten/menace'). It is used here in a middle/intransitive sense of 'making a show of force' or 'threatening', parallel with καταπλήξασθαι.
  2. §5.55.4προσπεσόντος — A genitive absolute construction without an explicit noun subject, where the following accusative and infinitive clause (υἱὸν γεγονέναι τῷ βασιλεῖ) serves as the logical subject ('when it was reported that a son had been born to the king').
  3. §5.55.4παθεῖν ἄν — The infinitive with the particle ἄν depending on the participle νομίσας ('thinking'). It represents a potential optative (πάθοι ἄν, 'might suffer [some disaster]') in indirect discourse.
  4. §5.55.5κύριος ἔσεσθαι ... αὐτός — Since the subject of the future infinitive ἔσεσθαι is identical to that of the governing participle πεπεισμένος (Hermeias), it is put in the nominative case (αὐτός) instead of the accusative (nominative with infinitive).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.55.1-5.55.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.55.1-5.55.10

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