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Book 16 - Chapter 21

1
<head lang="la">III. Res Aegypti</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Atlhpo%2Flemos">Τληπόλεμος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fas">βασιλείας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29gupti%2Fwn">Αἰγυπτίων</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmata">πράγματα</w> <w lemma="metaxeirizo%2Fmenos">μεταχειριζόμενος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28liki%2Fan">ἡλικίαν</w> <w lemma="ne%2Fos">νέος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%5Cs">συνεχὲς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="stratiwtikw%3D%7C">στρατιωτικῷ</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fw%7C">βίῳ</w> <w lemma="diegego%2Fnei">διεγεγόνει</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="fantasi%2Fas">φαντασίας</w>,
2
<w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="mete%2Fwros">μετέωρος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="filo%2Fdocos">φιλόδοξος</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="a%29gaqa%5C">ἀγαθὰ</w> <w lemma="prosefe%2Freto">προσεφέρετο</w>, <w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaka%2F">κακά</w>.
3
<w lemma="strathgei%3Dn">στρατηγεῖν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28pai%2Fqrois">ὑπαίθροις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xeiri%2Fzein">χειρίζειν</w> <w lemma="polemika%5Cs">πολεμικὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="dunato%5Cs">δυνατὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="a%29ndrw%2Fdhs">ἀνδρώδης</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="stratiwtika%5Cs">στρατιωτικὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28mili%2Fas">ὁμιλίας</w> <w lemma="eu%29fuw%3Ds">εὐφυῶς</w> <w lemma="die%2Fkeito:">διέκειτο·</w>
4
<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="poiki%2Flwn">ποικίλων</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="xeirismo%2Fn">χειρισμόν</w>, <w lemma="deo%2Fmenon">δεόμενον</w> <w lemma="e%29pista%2Fsews">ἐπιστάσεως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nh%2Fyews">νήψεως</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="fulakh%5Cn">φυλακὴν</w> <w lemma="xrhma%2Ftwn">χρημάτων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="lusitele%5Cs">λυσιτελὲς</w> <w lemma="oi%29konomi%2Fan">οἰκονομίαν</w>, <w lemma="a%29fue%2Fstatos">ἀφυέστατος</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w>.
5
<w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsfhlen">ἔσφηλεν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fan">βασιλείαν</w> <w lemma="h%29la%2Fttwse">ἠλάττωσε</w>.
6
<w lemma="paralabw%5Cn">παραλαβὼν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="xrhma%2Ftwn">χρημάτων</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fan">ἐξουσίαν</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dston">πλεῖστον</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fras">ἡμέρας</w> <w lemma="kate%2Ftribe">κατέτριβε</w> <w lemma="sfairomaxw%3Dn">σφαιρομαχῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="meira%2Fkia">μειράκια</w> <w lemma="diamillw%2Fmenos">διαμιλλώμενος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fplois">ὅπλοις</w>,
7
<w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="gino%2Fmenos">γινόμενος</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="po%2Ftous">πότους</w> <w lemma="sunh%3Dge">συνῆγε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fou">βίου</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="su%5Cn">σὺν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="diatribh%2Fn">διατριβήν</w>.
8
<w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="pote">ποτε</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fras">ἡμέρας</w> <w lemma="a%29peme%2Frize">ἀπεμέριζε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29nteu%2Fceis">ἐντεύξεις</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="diedi%2Fdou">διεδίδου</w>, <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="faino%2Fmenon">φαινόμενον</w> <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w>, <w lemma="dierri%2Fptei">διερρίπτει</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="basilika%5C">βασιλικὰ</w> <w lemma="xrh%2Fmata">χρήματα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ella%2Fdos">Ἑλλάδος</w> <w lemma="paragegono%2Fsi">παραγεγονόσι</w> <w lemma="presbeutai%3Ds">πρεσβευταῖς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Adio%2Fnuson">Διόνυσον</w> <w lemma="texni%2Ftais">τεχνίταις</w>, <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="au%29lh%5Cn">αὐλὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28gemo%2Fsi">ἡγεμόσι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="stratiw%2Ftais">στρατιώταις</w>.
9
<w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29naneu%2Fein">ἀνανεύειν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="h%29%2F%7Cdei">ᾔδει</w>, <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="o%28milh%2Fsanti">ὁμιλήσαντι</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="e%28toi%2Fmou">ἑτοίμου</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="fane%5Cn">φανὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29di%2Fdou">ἐδίδου</w>.
10
<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="hu%29ca%2Fneto">ηὐξάνετο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kako%2Fn">κακόν</w>, <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnon">λαμβάνον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fdosin">ἐπίδοσιν</w>.
11
<w lemma="pa%3Ds">πᾶς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="paqw%5Cn">παθὼν</w> <w lemma="eu%29%3D">εὖ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="prosdoki%2Fan">προσδοκίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Ftos">γεγονότος</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllontos">μέλλοντος</w> <w lemma="u%28pereba%2Flleto">ὑπερεβάλλετο</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgwn">λόγων</w> <w lemma="eu%29xaristi%2Fais:">εὐχαριστίαις·</w>
12
<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="punqano%2Fmenos">πυνθανόμενος</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="gino%2Fmenon">γινόμενον</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpainon">ἔπαινον</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="po%2Ftois">πότοις</w> <w lemma="e%29pixu%2Fseis">ἐπιχύσεις</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29pigrafa%5Cs">ἐπιγραφὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29kroama%2Ftwn">ἀκροαμάτων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="au%28to%5Cn">αὑτὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%7Cdo%2Fmena">ᾀδόμενα</w> <w lemma="pai%2Fgnia">παίγνια</w> <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhn">ὅλην</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flin">πόλιν</w>, <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29xaunou%3Dto">ἐχαυνοῦτο</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="e%29cetufou%3Dto">ἐξετυφοῦτο</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proxeiro%2Fteros">προχειρότερος</w> <w lemma="e%29gi%2Fneto">ἐγίνετο</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w>
<head>III. Affairs of Egypt</head><head>Character of Tlepolemus</head>Tlepolemus, who was at the head of the government of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>, was still young and had constantly lived the life of a soldier addicted to display.
He was also by nature too buoyant and fond of fame, and generally speaking many of the qualities he brought to bear on the management of affairs were good but many also were bad.
As regards campaigning and the conduct of war he was capable, and he was also naturally courageous and happy in his intercourse with soldiers;
but as for dealing with complicated questions of policy — a thing which requires application and sobriety — and as for the charge of money and in general all that concerned financial profit no one was more poorly endowed;
so that speedily he not only came to grief but diminished the power of the kingdom.
For when he assumed the financial control, he spent the most part of the day in sparring and fencing bouts with the young men, and when he had finished this exercise, at once invited them to drink with him, spending the greater part of his life in this manner and with these associates.
During that portion of the day that he set apart for audiences he used to distribute, or rather, if one must speak the truth, scatter the royal funds among the envoys who had come from Greece and the actors of the theatre of Dionysus and chiefly among the generals and soldiers present at court.
For he was quite incapable of refusing and gave at once to anyone who made himself pleasant to him any sum he thought fit.
So the evil went on growing and propagating itself.
For every one who had received an unexpected favour was for the sake both of the past and of the future profuse in his expressions of thanks.
Tlepolemus, when he heard these universal eulogies of himself and the toasts drunk to him at table, when he read the inscriptions in his honour and heard of the playful verses sung about him to popular audiences all through the town, became at length very vainglorious, and every day his self-conceit increased and he grew more lavish of gifts to foreigners and soldiers.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
16.20.0 - 16.22.0
<p rend="Plain Text">The character and conduct of Tlepolemus</p> <p rend="Plain Text">This extract is from the res Aegypti of 202/1; see p. 24.</p>
Specifics
16.21.1 - 16.21.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὁ Τληπόλεμος</w>:</emph> on him see xv. 25. 25 n. He had evidently now come to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pelusium&groupId=863&placeId=1555">Pelusium</a>, following Agathocles' downfall (xv. 29. 6), and taken control of the government; on his popularity cf. xv. 25. 29. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς . . . διεγεγόνει μετὰ φαντασίας</w>:</emph> 'he had constantly lived a life of ostentation'; 'a life in which he enjoyed high prestige' is also possible (cf. xxii. 9. 12, xxiv. 7. 2, 11. 5, fg. 233), but the former is more likely (cf. xv. 25. 22). </p>
16.21.4 - 16.21.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐπιστάσεως καὶ νήψεως</w>:</emph> 'application and sobriety' (Paton). </p>
16.21.5 - 16.21.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">οὐ μόνον ἔσφηλεν κτλ</w>.:</emph> Paton translates, 'he not only came to <milestone unit="page" n="525">[525]</milestone> grief, but diminished the power of the kingdom', and Shuckburgh 'he caused his own fall'. Despite 22. 11 (and xxviii. 19. 6: perhaps a different Tlepolemus?) this must be the sense, for he is no longer in power in xviii. 53. Schweighaeuser, who rightly observes that <w lang="el-GR">ἔσφηλε</w> is active would take <w lang="el-GR">βασιλείαν</w> with both verbs; but to say 'he not only brought the kingdom to grief, but also weakened its resources' is almost bathos. Despite the agreement of Suidas, the text seems at fault: read perhaps <w lang="el-GR">ἑαυτὸν ἔσφηλεν</w> (with Reiske) or <w lang="el-GR">ἔσφηλε πάσς τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιβολάς</w> (uel aliud simile) with Hultsch. Bttner-Wobst approves Schweighaeuser, but both sense and word-order are against his view; in the Lex. Polyb. s.v. <w lang="el-GR">σφάλλω</w> Schweighaeuser adds 'si uera scriptura'. </p>
16.21.6 - 16.21.6
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἐξουσίαν</w>:</emph> 'financial control'. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σφαιρομαχῶν</w>:</emph> 'boxing'; cf. Plato, Laws, viii. 830 B–831 A. Not 'games of ball' (so Bevan, Ptolemaic Dynasty, 256). </p>
16.21.8 - 16.21.8
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐντεύξεις</w>:</emph> 'interviews, audiences'. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τοῖς περὶ? τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνίταις</w>:</emph> cf. iv. 20. 9 n. These are professional actors and musicians organized in guilds, who performed at the various Greek festivals. Paton translates: 'the actors of the theatre of Dionysus': this misses the point, for the title refers not to any specific theatre, but to the guild organization. For an Egyptian example from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Ptolemais&groupId=918&placeId=271">Ptolemais</a> from the reign of Ptolemy III see OGIS 50 and 51. </p>
16.21.9 - 16.21.9
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἀνανεύειν</w>:</emph> 'to say no', by throwing the head upward and backward (still the Greek gesture equivalent to the English shaking of the head). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πᾶν. . . τὸ φανέν</w>:</emph> 'anything to hand'. </p>
16.21.12 - 16.21.12
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὰς. . .ἐπιχύσεις</w>:</emph> 'drinking-toasts'; Schweighaeuser's emendation for the MS. <w lang="el-GR">ἐπιλίσεις</w>. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὰς ἐπιγραφάς</w>:</emph> 'graffiti' praising him. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">διὰ τῶν ἀκροαμάτων</w>:</emph> 'by musicians'; cf. iv. 20. 10 n. Paton, 'to popular audiences', is quite wrong. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὰς ξενικὰς καὶ στρατιωτικὰς χάριτας</w>:</emph> 'gifts to foreigners and soldiers'. </p>

Commentary