§7.12.1ὅτι Φιλίππου τοῦ βασιλέως Μακεδόνων τὴν τῶν Μεσσηνίων ἀκρόπολιν κατασχεῖν βουλομένου, καὶ φήσαντος βούλεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς προεστῶτας τῆς πόλεως θεάσασθαι τὴν ἀκρόπολιν καὶ θῦσαι τῷ Διί, ἀναβάντος μετὰ τῆς θεραπείας καὶ θύοντος, μετὰ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν ἐθισμὸν ἐκ τῶν τυθέντων ἱερείων προσενεχθέντων αὐτῷ τῶν σπλάγχνων, δεξάμενος εἰς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ βραχὺ διακλίνας, ἤρετο προτείνων τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἄρατον "τί δοκεῖ τὰ ἱερὰ σημαίνειν, πότερον ἐκχωρεῖν τῆς ἄκρας ἢ κρατεῖν αὐτῆς.
When Philip, the king of the Macedonians, wished to take possession of the acropolis of the Messenians, and said to the leaders of the city that he wished to view the acropolis and sacrifice to Zeus, and after he had gone up with his retinue and was sacrificing, when thereafter, according to custom, the entrails from the sacrificed victims were brought to him, he took them into his hands, and turning slightly aside, extended them to those around Aratus, asking: "What do the victims seem to signify?
§7.12.2"ὁ μὲν οὖν Δημήτριος αὐτόθεν ἐκ τοῦ προβεβηκότος "εἰ μὲν μάντεως φρένας ἔχεισ" ἔφη "ἐκχωρεῖν τὴν ταχίστην· εἰ δὲ βασιλέως πραγματικοῦ, τηρεῖν αὐτήν, ἵνα μὴ νῦν ἀφεὶς ζητῇς ἕτερον ἐπιτηδειότερον καιρόν·
Whether to withdraw from the citadel or to hold it?" Then Demetrius, directly from the circumstances on the spot, said: "If indeed you have the mind of a seer, depart as quickly as possible; but if that of a practical king, hold it, lest by letting it go now you should have to seek another more convenient opportunity.
§7.12.3οὕτως γὰρ ἑκατέρων τῶν κεράτων κρατῶν μόνως ἂν ὑποχείριον ἔχοις τὸν βοῦν", αἰνιττόμενος τὰ μὲν κέρατα τὸν Ἰθωμάταν καὶ τὸν Ἀκροκόρινθον, τὴν δὲ Πελοπόννησον τὸν βοῦν.
For only by thus holding both horns would you keep the ox under your control," hinting that the horns meant Ithome and Acrocorinth, and the ox the Peloponnese.
§7.12.4ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐπιστρέψας πρὸς τὸν Ἄρατον "σὺ δὲ ταὐτὰ συμβουλεύεις; "ἔφη. τοῦ δʼ ἐπισχόντος, αὐτὸ λέγειν ἠξίου τὸ φαινόμενον.
But Philip, turning to Aratus, said: "And do you advise the same?" And when Aratus hesitated, Philip urged him to say exactly what appeared to him.
§7.12.5ὁ δὲ διαπορήσας "εἰ μὲν χωρίσ" ἔφη "τοῦ παρασπονδῆσαι Μεσσηνίους δύνῃ κρατεῖν τοῦ τόπου τούτου, συμβουλεύω κρατεῖν·
And Aratus, after some hesitation, said: "If indeed, without breaking faith with the Messenians, you are able to hold this place, I advise you to hold it.
§7.12.6εἰ δὲ τοῦτον καταλαβὼν φρουρᾷ, πάσας ἀπολλύναι μέλλεις τὰς ἀκροπόλεις καὶ τὴν φρουράν, ᾗ παρέλαβες παρʼ Ἀντιγόνου φρουρουμένους τοὺς συμμάχουσ" §7.12.7, λέγων τὴν πίστιν, "σκόπει μὴ καὶ νῦν κρεῖττον ᾖ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐξαγαγόντα τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ καταλιπεῖν, καὶ ταύτῃ φρουρεῖν τοὺς Μεσσηνίους, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς συμμάχους. " §7.12.8ὁ Φίλιππος κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἰδίαν ὁρμὴν ἕτοιμος ἦν παρασπονδεῖν, ὡς ἐκ τῶν ὕστερον πραχθέντων ἐγένετο καταφανής,
But if, by occupying this place with a garrison, you are destined to lose all the acropolises and that guard by which you received the allies guarded from Antigonus..." meaning "good faith," "consider whether even now it is not better to withdraw your men and leave your good faith there, and by this guard the Messenians, and likewise the rest of the allies." Philip, according to his own impulse, was ready to break faith, as became manifest from his subsequent actions.
§7.12.9ἐπιτετιμημένος δὲ μικρῷ μὲν πρότερον ὑπὸ τοῦ νεωτέρου πικρῶς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀπωλείᾳ, τότε δὲ μετὰ παρρησίας ἅμα καὶ μετʼ ἀξιώσεως λέγοντος τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου καὶ δεομένου μὴ παρακοῦσαι τῶν λεγομένων, ἐνετράπη.
But having been bitterly rebuked a little earlier by the younger Aratus for the destruction of those men, and now when the elder spoke with frankness and at the same time with dignity, and begged him not to disregard what was said, he was moved to shame.
§7.12.10καὶ λαβόμενος αὐτοῦ τῆς δεξιᾶς "ἄγωμεν τοίνυν" ἔφη "πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδόν. "[ξοδ.
And taking him by the right hand, he said: "Let us go back, then, by the same road." [Cod.
υρβ. φολ. 98 εχξ.
Urb. fol. 98, Exc.
αντ. π. 194. εχξ.
Ant. p. 194, Exc.
ϝατ. π. 372 μ. 26, 2 η. ]
Vat. p. 372 m. 26, 2 h.]