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Polybius · The Histories §5.91.1-5.91.8

Return of Lycurgus and Military Reforms of Aratus

Passage 455 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

At the beginning of summer, Lycurgus of Sparta returns and plans an invasion of Messenia, while Aratus, taking over the Achaean generalship, faces a ruined military force and secures a decree for specific mobilizations and naval deployments to rebuild their defense.

§5.91.1ἄρτι δὲ τῆς θερινῆς ὥρας ἐνισταμένης, καὶ στρατηγοῦντος Ἀγήτα μὲν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν, Ἀράτου δὲ παρειληφότος τὴν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν στρατηγίαν — ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτων ἐποιησάμεθα τοῦ συμμαχικοῦ πολέμου τὴν ἐκτροπήν — Λυκοῦργος μὲν ὁ Σπαρτιάτης ἐπανῆκε πάλιν ἐξ Αἰτωλίας·
Just as the summer season was beginning, and while Agetas was general of the Aetolians and Aratus had taken over the generalship of the Achaeans—for it was at this point that we made our digression from the Social War—Lycurgus the Spartan returned again from Aetolia.
§5.91.2οἱ γὰρ ἔφοροι, ψευδῆ τὴν διαβολὴν εὑρόντες, διʼ ἣν ἔφευγε, μετεπέμποντο καὶ μετεκάλουν αὖθις τὸν Λυκοῦργον.
For the ephors, having found the slander on account of which he was in exile to be false, sent for Lycurgus and recalled him once more.
§5.91.3οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐτάττετο πρὸς Πυρρίαν τὸν Αἰτωλόν, ὃς ἐτύγχανε τότε παρὰ τοῖς Ἠλείοις στρατηγὸς ὤν, περὶ τῆς εἰς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν εἰσβολῆς.
He, therefore, was arranging plans with Pyrrhias the Aetolian, who happened to be general among the Eleans at that time, concerning the invasion of Messenia.
§5.91.4Ἄρατος δὲ παρειλήφει τό τε ξενικὸν τὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν κατεφθαρμένον τάς τε πόλεις ὀλιγώρως διακειμένας πρὸς τὰς εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος εἰσφορὰς διὰ τὸ τὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ στρατηγὸν Ἐπήρατον, ὡς ἐπάνω προεῖπα, κακῶς καὶ ῥᾳθύμως κεχρῆσθαι τοῖς κοινοῖς πράγμασιν.
But Aratus had taken over the mercenary force of the Achaeans in a ruined state and the cities neglectful towards the contributions for this department, because Eperatus, the general before him, as I said above, had managed public affairs badly and carelessly.
§5.91.5οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ παρακαλέσας τοὺς Ἀχαιούς, καὶ λαβὼν δόγμα περὶ τούτων, ἐνεργὸς ἐγίνετο περὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευήν.
Nevertheless, having exhorted the Achaeans and obtained a decree concerning these matters, he became active in the preparations for the war.
§5.91.6ἦν δὲ τὰ δόξαντα τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ταῦτα· πεζοὺς μὲν τρέφειν μισθοφόρους ὀκτακισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντακοσίους, τῶν δʼ Ἀχαϊκῶν ἐπιλέκτους, πεζοὺς μὲν τρισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ τριακοσίους· §5.91.7εἶναι δὲ τούτων Μεγαλοπολίτας μὲν χαλκάσπιδας, πεζοὺς μὲν πεντακοσίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντήκοντα, καὶ τοὺς ἴσους Ἀργείων.
And the resolutions of the Achaeans were these: to maintain eight thousand mercenary infantry and five hundred cavalry, and of the Achaean select troops, three thousand infantry and three hundred cavalry; and that of these, there should be five hundred Megalopolitan bronze-shield infantry and fifty cavalry, and an equal number of Argives.
§5.91.8ἔδοξε δὲ καὶ ναῦς πλεῖν τρεῖς μὲν περὶ τὴν Ἀκτὴν καὶ τὸν Ἀργολικὸν κόλπον, τρεῖς δὲ κατὰ Πάτρας καὶ Δύμην καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ θάλατταν.
It was also resolved that three ships should sail around Acte and the Argolic Gulf, and three others off Patrae and Dyme and the sea in that region.

Notes

  1. §5.91.1ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτων ἐποιησάμεθα τοῦ συμμαχικοῦ πολέμου τὴν ἐκτροπήν — The demonstrative pronoun `τούτων` (neuter plural genitive) refers to the events or temporal situation at which the narrative of the Social War was interrupted. The noun `ἐκτροπή` means "digression" or "turning aside," referring to the author's departure from the main narrative of the Social War to describe other Mediterranean events (such as the earthquake at Rhodes).
  2. §5.91.3ἐτάττετο πρὸς Πυρρίαν — Although the verb `τάττομαι` (passive/middle) followed by `πρός` with the accusative can mean "to draw up in battle array against someone" in some contexts, here, since Sparta and Aetolia are allies, it is used in the sense of "to concert plans with," "to coordinate with," or "to arrange matters with."
  3. §5.91.4παρειλήφει τό τε ξενικὸν ... κατεφθαρμένον τάς τε πόλεις ... διακειμένας — The pluperfect verb `παρειλήφει` ("had taken over" / "had found") governs two accusative noun phrases (`τό ... ξενικὸν` and `τάς ... πόλεις`) as its objects, accompanied by the perfect participle `κατεφθαρμένον` ("ruined") and the present participle `διακειμένας` ("disposed"), respectively, to express the state of affairs Aratus encountered upon taking office.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §5.91.1-5.91.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.91.1-5.91.8

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