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Polybius · The Histories §9.32.1-9.32.12

Speech of Lyciscus Opening the Acarnanian Defense

Passage 633 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Lyciscus, the Acarnanian ambassador, begins his speech before the Lacedaemonians, refuting Chlaeneas's previous argument by pointing out that the situation in Greece has changed.

§9.32.1γον.
ch.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Λυκίσκος ὁ τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων πρεσβευτὴς εἰσελθὼν τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπέσχε, θεωρῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐν αὑτοῖς διαλαλοῦντας ὑπὲρ τῶν προειρημένων,
After this, Lyciscus, the ambassador of the Acarnanians, having entered, at first held back, seeing that the majority were talking among themselves about what had been said.
§9.32.2ἐπεὶ δέ ποτε καθησύχασαν, οὕτως πως ἤρξατο τοῦ λέγειν" §9.32.31Ἡμεῖς, ἄνδρες Λακεδαιμόνιοι, παρεγενόμεθα μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων ἀπεσταλμένοι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, μετέχοντες δὲ σχεδὸν ἀεί ποτε Μακεδόσι τῶν αὐτῶν ἐλπίδων καὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν ταύτην κοινὴν ὑπολαμβάνομεν ἡμῖν ὑπάρχειν καὶ Μακεδόσιν.
But when at length they became quiet, he began his speech in some such words as these: "We, Lacedaemonians, have come here having been sent by the league of the Acarnanians; and since we share almost always the same prospects with the Macedonians, we consider this embassy also to be common to us and to the Macedonians.
§9.32.4ὥσπερ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς κινδύνους διὰ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς Μακεδόνων δυνάμεως ἐμπεριέχεσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσφάλειαν ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀρεταῖς, οὕτως καὶ κατὰ τοὺς πρεσβευτικοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐμπεριέχεται τὸ τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων συμφέρον ἐν τοῖς Μακεδόνων δικαίοις.
And just as in times of danger, owing to the supremacy and magnitude of the Macedonian power, it happens that our safety is wrapped up in their valour, so also in diplomatic contests the interest of the Acarnanians is wrapped up in the just rights of the Macedonians.
§9.32.5διόπερ οὐ δεῖ θαυμάζειν ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν τὸν πλείω λόγον ὑπὲρ Φιλίππου ποιώμεθα καὶ Μακεδόνων.
Therefore, you ought not to wonder if we make the greater part of our speech on behalf of Philip and the Macedonians.
§9.32.6Χλαινέας τοιγαροῦν, καταστρέφων τὴν δημηγορίαν, ἀπότομόν τινα συγκεφαλαίωσιν ἐποιήσατο τῶν ὑπαρχόντων πρὸς ὑμᾶς δικαίων.
Chlaeneas, then, in winding up his harangue, made a summary of the rights existing in your regard that was somewhat abrupt.
§9.32.7ἔφη γάρ, εἰ μὲν ἐπιγέγονέ τι μετὰ τὸ θέσθαι τὴν συμμαχίαν ὑμᾶς τὴν πρὸς τούτους ἤτοι βλαβερὸν καὶ δυσχερὲς ὑπʼ Αἰτωλῶν ἢ καὶ νὴ Δία φιλάνθρωπον ὑπὸ Μακεδόνων, εἰκότως ἂν καὶ τὸ νῦν διαβούλιον ἐξ ἀκεραίου σκέψεως τυγχάνειν· §9.32.8εἰ δὲ μηδενὸς ἐπιγεγονότος τοιούτου τὰ κατʼ Ἀντίγονον προφερόμενοι τὰ πρότερον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν δεδοκιμασμένα πεπείσμεθα νῦν ἡμεῖς ἀνασκευάσειν ὅρκους καὶ συνθήκας, εὐηθεστάτους πάντων ἡμᾶς ὑπάρχειν.
For he said that, if anything had occurred since you made your alliance with them, either harmful and offensive on the part of the Aetolians, or indeed, by Zeus, beneficial on the part of the Macedonians, the present deliberation might reasonably be a matter for fresh consideration; but if, no such thing having occurred, we are persuaded that, by bringing forward the affairs of Antigonus, we shall now annul oaths and treaties which were previously approved by you, we are the most foolish of all men.
§9.32.9ἐγὼ δʼ, εἰ μὲν μηδὲν ἐπιγέγονε κατὰ τὸν τούτου λόγον, μένει δὲ τὰ πράγματα τοιαῦτα τοῖς Ἕλλησιν οἷα πρότερον ἦν, ὅτε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς ἐποιεῖσθε τὴν συμμαχίαν, ὁμολογῶ πάντων εὐηθέστατος ὑπάρχειν καὶ ματαίους μέλλειν διατίθεσθαι λόγους· §9.32.10εἰ δὲ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔσχηκε διάθεσιν, ὡς ἐγὼ σαφῶς δείξω προϊόντος τοῦ λόγου, καὶ λίαν ἐμὲ μὲν οἴομαι φανήσεσθαί τι λέγειν ὑμῖν τῶν συμφερόντων, Χλαινέαν δʼ ἀγνοεῖν.
But for my part, if indeed nothing has occurred, as he says, and the affairs of the Greeks remain in the same state as they were previously when you concluded your alliance with the Aetolians themselves, I confess that I am the most foolish of all and am going to deliver a useless speech; but if they have assumed the opposite condition, as I shall clearly show in the course of my speech, I think that I shall appear to be speaking very much to your interest, and Chlaeneas to be in ignorance.
§9.32.11παραγινόμεθα μὲν οὖν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τούτου πεπεισμένοι δεῖν ἡμᾶς ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς λόγους, ὑπὲρ τοῦ δεῖξαι διότι καὶ πρέπον ὑμῖν ἐστι καὶ συμφέρον, εἰ μὲν δυνατόν, ἀκούσαντας τῆς ἐπιφερομένης τοῖς Ἕλλησι περιστάσεως καλόν τι βουλεύσασθαι καὶ πρέπον ἑαυτοῖς, μετασχόντας ἡμῖν τῶν ἐλπίδων· §9.32.12εἰ δὲ
We have come here, then, persuaded that we ought to speak on this very point, to show you that it is both fitting and advantageous for you, if possible, after hearing of the crisis that is coming upon the Greeks, to make a noble decision and one worthy of yourselves, by sharing our hopes; or if

Notes

  1. 9.32.4ὥσπερ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς κινδύνους διὰ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς Μακεδόνων δυνάμεως ἐμπεριέχεσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσφάλειαν ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀρεταῖς — A comparative structure with ὥσπερ... οὕτως... ('just as... so...'). In the first clause (with ὥσπερ), the impersonal verb συμβαίνει ('it happens that') takes the infinitive ἐμπεριέχεσθαι ('is enclosed/wrapped up') with its subject accusative τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσφάλειαν ('our safety'). In the second clause (with οὕτως), the finite verb ἐμπεριέχεται is used with the subject τὸ τῶν Ἀκαρνάνων συμφέρον ('the interest of the Acarnanians').
  2. 9.32.7ἔφη γάρ, εἰ μὲν ἐπιγέγονέ τι... εἰκότως ἂν καὶ τὸ νῦν διαβούλιον ἐξ ἀκεραίου σκέψεως τυγχάνειν — Indirect speech dependent on the introductory ἔφη ('for he said'). While the protasis of the condition retains the indicative perfect (ἐπιγέγονε), the apodosis consists of ἄν with the infinitive τυγχάνειν ('would obtain'), which corresponds to ἄν with the optative (or past indicative) in direct speech (e.g., τυγχάνοι ἄν), expressing potentiality or counterfactual hypothesis.
  3. 9.32.8πεπείσμεθα νῦν ἡμεῖς ἀνασκευάσειν — In this context, Lyciscus is quoting Chlaeneas's criticism directed against the Acarnanians (or the Macedonian side). The nominative pronoun ἡμεῖς ('we') is not the subject of the infinitive ἀνασκευάσειν ('to annul'), but is the subject of the perfect passive participle πεπείσμεθα ('having been persuaded' / 'believing'), emphasized in the nominative because it refers back to the speaker's group (the Acarnanians) as the subject of the main governing verb in the quoted thought.
  4. 9.32.11ἀκούσαντας τῆς ἐπιφερομένης τοῖς Ἕλλησι περιστάσεως καλόν τι βουλεύσασθαι καὶ πρέπον ἑαυτοῖς — The aorist participle ἀκούσαντας ('having heard') is in the accusative masculine plural to agree with the unexpressed subject accusative (implicitly ὑμᾶς, referring to the Lacedaemonians) of the infinitive βουλεύσασθαι ('to decide'), which is governed by the impersonal expression πρέπον ἐστι καὶ συμφέρον ('it is fitting and advantageous').

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §9.32.1-9.32.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.32.1-9.32.12

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