Polybius, Histories
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Book 14 - Chapter 11

1
<head lang="la">III. Res Aegypti</head>[<w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w>] <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="tessareskaideka%2Fth%7C">τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ</w> [<w lemma="fhsi%5Cn">φησὶν</w>] <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fous">Ἀγαθοκλέους</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aoi%29na%2Fnqhs">Οἰνάνθης</w> <w lemma="ui%28ou%3D">υἱοῦ</w>, <w lemma="e%28tai%2Frou">ἑταίρου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Afilopa%2Ftoros">Φιλοπάτορος</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fws">βασιλέως</w>, [<w lemma="ko%2Flaka">κόλακα</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w>] <w lemma="%2Afi%2Flwna">Φίλωνα</w>. —
2
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="tessareskaideka%2Fth%7C">τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28storiw%3Dn">ἱστοριῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akleinou%3Ds">Κλεινοῦς</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="oi%29noxoou%2Fshs">οἰνοχοούσης</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3D%7C">αὑτῷ</w> [<w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fw%7C">Πτολεμαίῳ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Afilade%2Flfw%7C">Φιλαδέλφῳ</w>] <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Fnas">εἰκόνας</w> <w lemma="polla%5Cs">πολλὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29nakei%3Dsqai">ἀνακεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="monoxi%2Ftwnas">μονοχίτωνας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="r%28uto%5Cn">ῥυτὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29xou%2Fsas">ἐχούσας</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="xersi%2Fn">χερσίν</w>.
3
<w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fllistai">κάλλισται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kiw%3Dn">οἰκιῶν</w>, <w lemma="fhsi%2Fn">φησίν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="%2Amurti%2Fou">Μυρτίου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Amnhsi%2Fdos">Μνησίδος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apoqeinh%3Ds">Ποθεινῆς</w> <w lemma="prosagoreu%2Fontai">προσαγορεύονται</w>;
4
<w lemma="kai%2Ftoi">καίτοι</w> <w lemma="%2Amnhsi%5Cs">Μνησὶς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="au%29lhtri%5Cs">αὐλητρὶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apoqeinh%2F">Ποθεινή</w>. <w lemma="%2Amu%2Frtion">Μύρτιον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fa">μία</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29podedeigme%2Fnwn">ἀποδεδειγμένων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="koinw%3Dn">κοινῶν</w> <w lemma="deikthria%2Fdwn">δεικτηριάδων</w>.
5
<w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Afilopa%2Ftoros">Φιλοπάτορος</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fws">βασιλέως</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fou">Πτολεμαίου</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqo%2Fkleia">Ἀγαθόκλεια</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="e%28tai%2Fra">ἑταίρα</w> <w lemma="e%29kra%2Ftei">ἐκράτει</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="a%29natre%2Fyasa">ἀνατρέψασα</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fan">βασιλείαν</w>; —
<head>III. Affairs of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a> since b.c. 213</head>Polybius in his fourteenth book says that Philo was the flatterer of Agathocles, the son of Oenanthe and the companion of Ptolemy Philopator. . . .
Polybius in his fourteenth book tells us that there were many portraits in Alexandrian temples of Cleino, the cupbearer of Ptolemy Philadelphus, representing her clothed only in a chiton and holding a rhyton.
"And are not some of the finest houses," he says, called Myrtion's, Mnesis's, and Potheine's?
But what were Mnesis and Potheine but flute-players and Myrtio one of the professional and vulgar mimae?
And was not Ptolemy Philopator the slave of the courtesan Agathocleia, who overturned the whole kingdom?". . . .

Walbank Commentary

Overview
14.10.0 - 14.12.0
<p rend="Plain Text">on Philopator's death and Epiphanes' accession see K. Abel, Hermes, 1967, 72–90, who argues that xv. 26. 1–36. 11 (from F) and xv. 25. 3–37 (from Q) belong to book xiv. In support of this he points to what he claims is the first reference to Philo in xv. 33. 2, whereas according to Athenaeus (cf. xiv. 11. 1) P. mentioned him in book xiv. This transposition involves assuming a violent dislocation in F and also in the Constantinian fragments (loc. cit. 88), so that it would have to have occurred in an archetype of both streams of transmission. Moreover Philo is mentioned before xv. 33. 2 in the same extract at xv. 30. 5; if this does not hinder P. describing him at xv. 33. 2, there seems no good reason why his appearance in book xiv should have deterred P. from the same procedure. Abel is led to his bold hypothesis partly because he would date Philopator's death unnecessarily early, in Nov. 205 (since he takes Phaophi 17 to be the actual date of his death and so of Epiphanes' later assumed accession). On p. 436 l. 7, for 'Philopators", read 'Philopator's'; l. 17, for 'events of his proclamation' read 'events of Epiphanes' proclamation'; p. 437 l. 29, for 'date printed' read 'dates printed'; l. 31, for 'Reign' read 'Reigns'.</p>
Specifics
14.11.1 - 14.11.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἀγαθοκλέους</w>:</emph> cf. v. 63. 1 n.; below, xv. 25 ff.; Iustin. xxx. 2. 2. He is probably the priest of Alexander of 216/15, <w lang="el-GR">Ἀγαθοκλῆς Ἀγαθοκλέους</w> (Wilcken, Arch. Pap. vii. 74; Beloch, iv. 1. 689 n. 1), and according to the scholia on Aristoph. Thesm. 1062 he had been the <w lang="el-GR">ἐρώμενος</w> of Ptolemy IV, which suggests that he was younger than the latter (cf. also xv. 25. 32). Beloch (op. cit.) would change Ptolemy IV to Ptolemy III, but unnecessarily, for he has no evidence for his view that Agathocles had been politically active in Euergetes' last years. <milestone unit="page" n="437">[437]</milestone> See Wilcken, RE, 'Agathokles (19)', cols. 757–8; Holleaux, tudes, iii. 49 n. 4 = REA, 1912, 372 n. 3. Whether the Agathocles, whose son was Ptolemaic <w lang="el-GR">ἐπιστάτης</w> of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Libya&groupId=686&placeId=427">Libya</a> c. 283–279/8 (cf. vii. 2. 4 n.), was an ancestor of this Agathocles is not clear. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Οἰνάνθης</w>:</emph> cf. Plut. Cleom. 33. 2. Oenanthe, Agathocles' mother, was a Samian who came to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> under Ptolemy III (Plut. Mor. 753 D), whose mistress she probably became. See Bouch-Leclerq, Lagides, i. 331 ff.; Raubitschek, RE, 'Oenanthe (6)', col. 2189. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Φίλωνα</w>:</emph> cf. xv. 33. 2, for his share in the events leading to the murder of Agathocles and all his family. </p>
14.11.2 - 14.11.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Κλεινοῦς</w>:</emph> according to Athenaeus (x. 425 E–F), Ptolemy of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Megalopolis&groupId=745&placeId=1360">Megalopolis</a> mentioned her in the third book of his History of Philopator (FGH, 161 F 3); P. probably draws on Ptolemy for the gossipy details mentioned here. See further, Vol. I, p. 30 n. 13, v. 35–39 n., and xv. 34. 1–36. 11 (probably aimed at this writer). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">μονοχίτωνας</w>:</emph> cf. Arist. Ath. Pol. 25. 4 of Ephialtes as suppliant; the statues had no himation. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ῥυτόν</w>:</emph> a drinking-cup coming to a point. </p>
14.11.4 - 14.11.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἀποδεδειγμένον καὶ κοινῶν δεικτηριάδων</w>:</emph> 'a vulgar, professional mime'. </p>
14.11.5 - 14.11.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἀγαθόκλεια</w>:</emph> sister of Agathocles (§ 1); cf. Strabo, xvii. 795; Iustin. xxx. 1. 7 ff.; Plut. Cleom. 33. 2. For her responsibility for the murder of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Arsinoe&groupId=370&placeId=700">Arsinoe</a>, Philopator's queen and sister, cf. xv. 25. 2 n. </p>
Addenda & corrigenda
14.11.0 - 14.12.0
<p rend="Plain Text"> on Philopator's death and Epiphanes' accession see K. Abel, Hermes, 1967, 72–90, who argues that xv. 26. 1–36. 11 (from F) and xv. 25. 3–37 (from Q) belong to book xiv. In support of this he points to what he claims is the first reference to Philo in xv. 33. 2, whereas according to Athenaeus (cf. xiv. 11. 1) P. mentioned him in book xiv. This transposition involves assuming a violent dislocation in F and also in the Constantinian fragments (loc. cit. 88), so that it would have to have occurred in an archetype of both streams of transmission. Moreover Philo is mentioned before xv. 33. 2 in the same extract at xv. 30. 5; if this does not hinder P. describing him at xv. 33. 2, there seems no good reason why his appearance in book xiv should have deterred P. from the same procedure. Abel is led to his bold <milestone unit="page" n="784">[784]</milestone> hypothesis partly because he would date Philopator's death unnecessarily early, in Nov. 205 (since he takes Phaophi 17 to be the actual date of his death and so of Epiphanes' later assumed accession). On p. 436 l. 7, for 'Philopators", read 'Philopator's'; l. 17, for 'events of his proclamation' read 'events of Epiphanes' proclamation'; p. 437 l. 29, for 'date printed' read 'dates printed'; l. 31, for 'Reign' read 'Reigns'. </p>

Commentary