Humanitext Reader

Appian · Macedonian Affairs §IX#2

Proclamation of Greek Freedom and Philip's Resentment

Passage 4 of 9 · Greek

Summary

Flamininus proclaims the freedom of Greece at the Isthmian Games, bringing the Second Macedonian War to an end. Later, Philip V allies with Rome against Antiochus III, but growing resentful of his subsequent mistreatment by the Romans, he secretly begins to prepare for another war.

§IX#2"καὶ τάδε μὲν διετίθετο σὺν ἐκείνοις, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐς τὸν τῶν Ἰσθμίων ἀγῶνα ἐπελθών, πληθύοντος τοῦ σταδίου, σιωπήν τε ἐσήμηνεν ὑπὸ σάλπιγγι, καὶ τὸν κήρυκα ἀνειπεῖν ἐκέλευσεν· ὁ δῆμος ὁ Ῥωμαίων καὶ ἡ σύγκλητος καὶ Φλαμινῖνος ὁ στρατηγός, Μακεδόνας καὶ βασιλέα Φίλιππον ἐκπολεμήσαντες, ἀφιᾶσι τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἀφρούρητον ἀφορολόγητον ἰδίοις ἤθεσι καὶ νόμοις χρῆσθαι.
And he settled these things with them, and he himself having come to the Isthmian games, while the stadium was crowded, signaled for silence by a trumpet and ordered the herald to proclaim: "The Roman people, the Senate, and Flamininus the general, having warred against the Macedonians and King Philip, release Greece free from garrisons and taxes, to use their own customs and laws." Upon this, a great shout and joy arose, making a most pleasant tumult, as one after another called back the herald to proclaim it again also to them.
πολλῆς δʼ ἐπὶ τούτῳ βοῆς καὶ χαρᾶς γενομένης θόρυβος ἥδιστος ἦν, ἑτέρων μεθʼ ἑτέρους τὸν κήρυκα καὶ παρὰ σφᾶς ἀνειπεῖν μετακαλούντων. στεφάνους τε καὶ ταινίας ἐπέβαλλον τῷ στρατηγῷ, καὶ ἀνδριάντας ἐψηφίζοντο κατὰ πόλεις.
And they threw crowns and ribbons at the general, and voted statues of him city by city.
πρέσβεις τε μετὰ χρυσῶν στεφάνων ἔπεμπον ἐς τὸ Καπιτώλιον, οἳ χάριν ὡμολόγουν, καὶ ἐς τοὺς Ῥωμαίων συμμάχους ἀνεγράφοντο.
They also sent embassies with golden crowns to the Capitol, expressing their gratitude, and were registered among the allies of the Romans.
καὶ δεύτερος ὅδε πόλεμος Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Φιλίππῳ ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα.
And this second war between the Romans and Philip ended in this way.
οὐ πολὺ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ συνεμάχησε Ῥωμαίοις ὁ Φίλιππος ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι κατʼ Ἀντιόχου βασιλέως, περῶντάς τε ἐπὶ Ἀντίοχον ἐς τὴν Ἀσίαν διὰ Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας ὁδὸν οὐκ εὐμαρῆ παρέπεμπεν οἰκείοις τέλεσι καὶ τροφαῖς, ὁδοποιῶν καὶ ποταμοὺς δυσπόρους ζευγνὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐπικειμένους Θρᾷκας διακόπτων, ἕως ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἤγαγεν.
Not long afterward, Philip also fought as an ally of the Romans in Greece against King Antiochus; and as they were crossing against Antiochus into Asia through Thrace and Macedonia, he escorted them along a path that was not easy at his own expense and with provisions, making roads, bridging difficult rivers, and cutting through the attacking Thracians, until he led them to the Hellespont.
ἐφʼ οἷς ἡ μὲν βουλὴ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῷ Δημήτριον παρὰ σφίσιν ὁμηρεύοντα ἀπέλυσε, καὶ τῶν χρημάτων ἀφῆκεν ὧν ἔτι ὤφειλεν·
For these services, the Senate released his son Demetrius who was a hostage with them, and remitted the money which he still owed.
οἱ δὲ Θρᾷκες οἵδε Ῥωμαίους ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπʼ Ἀντιόχῳ νίκης, ἐπανιόντας, οὐκέτι Φιλίππου παρόντος, τήν τε λείαν ἀφείλοντο καὶ πολλοὺς διέφθειραν, ᾧ καὶ μάλιστα ἐπεδείχθη ὅσον αὐτοὺς ἀνιόντας ὤνησεν ὁ Φίλιππος.
But these Thracians, when the Romans were returning from their victory over Antiochus, as Philip was no longer present, plundered their booty and killed many of them, by which it was most clearly shown how much Philip had benefited them on their outward journey.
Ἐκτελεσθέντος δὲ τοῦ κατʼ Ἀντιόχου πολέμου πολλοὶ κατηγόρουν τοῦ Φιλίππου, τὰ μὲν ἀδικεῖν αὐτόν, τὰ δὲ οὐ ποιεῖν ὧν ὥρισε Φλαμινῖνος, ὅτε διετίθετο τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
When the war against Antiochus was completed, many accused Philip, on the grounds that he was acting unjustly in some matters and in others not doing what Flamininus had determined when he settled Greece.
καὶ Δημήτριος ἐς ἀντιλογίαν ἐπρέσβευεν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, κεχαρισμένος μὲν ἔκπαλαι Ῥωμαίοις ἀπὸ τῆς ὁμηρείας, Φλαμινίνου δὲ αὐτὸν τῇ βουλῇ γνωρίζοντος ἰσχυρῶς.
And Demetrius went as an embassy on his behalf to speak in opposition, having long been pleasing to the Romans from his hostage days, with Flamininus strongly introducing him to the Senate.
νεώτερον δʼ ὄντα καὶ θορυβούμενον ἐκέλευσαν τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑπομνήματα ἀναγνῶναι, ἐν οἷς ἦν ἐφʼ ἑκάστου, τὰ μὲν ἤδη γεγονέναι, τὰ δὲ γενήσεσθαι, καίπερ ἀδίκως ὡρισμένα· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο προσέκειτο πολλοῖς.
Seeing that he was quite young and flurried, they ordered him to read his father’s memoranda, in which was recorded concerning each item that some things had already been done, and others would be done, even if they had been unjustly determined; for indeed, this note had been added to many items.
ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τὴν ὑπόγυον αὐτοῦ ἐς Ἀντίοχον προθυμίαν αἰδουμένη, συγγιγνώσκειν τε ἔφη, καὶ προσεπεῖπε διὰ Δημήτριον.
And the Senate, respecting his recent zeal against Antiochus, said they forgave him, and spoke kindly to him for Demetrius’s sake.
ὁ δʼ ὁμολογουμένως αὐτοῖς ἐς τὸν Ἀντιόχου πόλεμον χρησιμώτατός τε γεγονώς, καὶ βλαβερώτατος ἂν φανεὶς εἰ Ἀντιόχῳ παρακαλοῦντι συνέπραξε, πολλὰ ἐλπίσας ἐπὶ τῷδε, καὶ ὁρῶν αὑτὸν ἀπιστούμενον καὶ κατηγορούμενον καὶ συγγνώμης ἀντὶ χαρίτων ἀξιούμενον, καὶ τῆσδε διὰ Δημήτριον, ἤχθετο καὶ ἠγανάκτει, καὶ ἐπέκρυπτεν ἄμφω.
But Philip—who had admittedly been most useful to them in the war against Antiochus, and would have appeared most harmful if he had cooperated with Antiochus when invited, having hoped for much on this account, and seeing himself distrusted, accused, and deemed worthy of "forgiveness" instead of gratitude, and this too for Demetrius's sake—was vexed and indignant, but concealed both feelings.
ὡς δὲ καὶ ἐν δίκῃ τινὶ Ῥωμαῖοι πολλὰ τῶν Φιλίππου πρὸς Εὐμένη μετέφερον, ἀσθενοποιοῦντες ἀεὶ τὸν Φίλιππον, ἐς πόλεμον ἤδη λανθάνων ἡτοιμάζετο. "
And when in a certain trial the Romans transferred many of Philip’s possessions to Eumenes, constantly weakening Philip, he already began to make preparations for war in secret.

Notes

  1. ¦4¦ἀφιᾶσι τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἀφρούρητον ἀφορολόγητον ἰδίοις ἤθεσι καὶ νόμοις χρῆσθαι — The verb `ἀφιᾶσι` ("they release") takes `τὴν Ἑλλάδα` ("Greece") as its direct object, with `ἀφρούρητον` ("free from garrisons") and `ἀφορολόγητον` ("free from taxes") functioning as predicative adjectives. The following present infinitive `χρῆσθαι` ("to use") expresses purpose or result, with its implied subject being `τὴν Ἑλλάδα` (or its inhabitants).
  2. ¦5¦ὁδοποιῶν καὶ ποταμοὺς δυσπόρους ζευγνὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐπικειμένους Θρᾷκας διακόπτων — These three present participles are all circumstantial participles agreeing with the subject of the main clause, Philip (`ὁ Φίλιππος`), explaining the specific means and methods (making roads, bridging rivers, and cutting through enemies) by which he escorted the Roman army.
  3. ¦6¦ὁ δʼ ὁμολογουμένως αὐτοῖς ἐς τὸν Ἀντιόχου πόλεμον χρησιμώτατός τε γεγονώς... καὶ τῆσδε διὰ Δημήτριον, ἤχθετο καὶ ἠγανάκτει — Structure of a very long participial clause expressing concession/cause. Against the subject `ὁ δʼ` (Philip), the perfect participle `γεγονώς`, the aorist participle with particle `ἄν` representing the apodosis of a past counterfactual condition `ἂν φανείς` (corresponding to the protasis `εἰ... συνέπραξε` "if he had cooperated"), the aorist participle `ἐλπίσας`, and the present participle `ὁρῶν` are aligned in succession, all of which modify the main verbs `ἤχθετο καὶ ἠγανάκτει` ("was vexed and indignant"). Additionally, `τῆσδε` refers to the preceding `συγγνώμης` ("forgiveness").

Cite this passage

Appian, Macedonian Affairs §IX#2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0551.tlg011.humanitext-grc2:IX%232

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