Polybius, Histories
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Author: M. L. West
Year: 1973
Title: Two Unnoticed Fragments of Polybius
Source type: Journal Article
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Book 31 - Chapter 17

1
<head lang="la">III. Res Africae</head><w lemma="%2Ameta%5C">Μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Dois">Πτολεμαῖοις</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="new%2Fteros">νεώτερος</w> <w lemma="paragegonw%5Cs">παραγεγονὼς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ella%2Fda">Ἑλλάδα</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="presbeutw%3Dn">πρεσβευτῶν</w> <w lemma="sunh%2Fqroize">συνήθροιζε</w> <w lemma="cenolo%2Fgion">ξενολόγιον</w> <w lemma="e%29mbriqe%2Fs">ἐμβριθές</w>. <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="prosela%2Fbeto">προσελάβετο</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedo%2Fna">Μακεδόνα</w> <w lemma="%2Adama%2Fsippon">Δαμάσιππον</w>,
2
<w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="katasfa%2Fcas">κατασφάξας</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Afa%2Fkw%7C">Φάκῳ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fdrous">συνέδρους</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffugen">ἔφυγεν</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="gunaiko%5Cs">γυναικὸς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fknwn">τέκνων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedoni%2Fas">Μακεδονίας</w>.
3
<w lemma="a%29fiko%2Fmenos">ἀφικόμενος</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fwn">Ῥοδίων</w> <w lemma="%2Aperai%2Fan">Περαίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="cenisqei%5Cs">ξενισθεὶς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="dh%2Fmou">δήμου</w> <w lemma="proeti%2Fqeto">προετίθετο</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dn">πλεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aku%2Fpron">Κύπρον</w>.
4
<w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Atorkoua%3Dton">Τορκουᾶτον</w> <w lemma="qewrou%3Dntes">θεωροῦντες</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="sunestame%2Fnon">συνεσταμένον</w> <w lemma="cenikh%5Cn">ξενικὴν</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dra">χεῖρα</w> <w lemma="barei%3Dan">βαρεῖαν</w> <w lemma="u%28pemi%2Fmnhskon">ὑπεμίμνησκον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29ntolw%3Dn">ἐντολῶν</w>, <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmou">πολέμου</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fqodon:">κάθοδον·</w>
5
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpeisan">ἔπεισαν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="%2Asi%2Fdhs">Σίδης</w> <w lemma="proagago%2Fnta">προαγαγόντα</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="cenolo%2Fgion">ξενολόγιον</w> <w lemma="dialu%2Fsasqai">διαλύσασθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Aku%2Fpron">Κύπρον</w> <w lemma="e%29pibolh%3Ds">ἐπιβολῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29posth%3Dnai">ἀποστῆναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="summi%2Fsgein">συμμίσγειν</w> <w lemma="au%28toi%3Ds">αὑτοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akurhnai%2Fwn">Κυρηναίων</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Frous">ὅρους</w>.
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<w lemma="au%29toi%5C">αὐτοὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pleu%2Fsantes">πλεύσαντες</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffasan">ἔφασαν</w> <w lemma="parasth%2Fsesqai">παραστήσεσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fa">βασιλέα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="parakalou%2Fmena">παρακαλούμενα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunanth%2Fsein">συναντήσειν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Frous">ὅρους</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontes">ἔχοντες</w> <w lemma="ka%29kei%3Dnon">κἀκεῖνον</w> <w lemma="meq%27">μεθ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w>.
7
<w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgois">λόγοις</w> <w lemma="peisqei%5Cs">πεισθεὶς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="new%2Fteros">νεώτερος</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Dos">Πτολεμαῖος</w>, <w lemma="a%29pognou%5Cs">ἀπογνοὺς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aku%2Fpron">Κύπρον</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="cenolo%2Fgion">ξενολόγιον</w> <w lemma="die%2Flusen">διέλυσεν</w>,
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<w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Akrh%2Fthn">Κρήτην</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fpleusen">ἀπέπλευσεν</w>, <w lemma="to%2Fn">τόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="%2Adama%2Fsippon">Δαμάσιππον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxwn">ἔχων</w> <w lemma="meq%27">μεθ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28autou%3D">ἑαυτοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="presbeutw%3Dn">πρεσβευτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fna">ἕνα</w> <w lemma="%2Agna%2Fion">Γνάιον</w> <w lemma="%2Amero%2Flan:">Μερόλαν·</w> <w lemma="cenologh%2Fsas">ξενολογήσας</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Akrh%2Fths">Κρήτης</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="xili%2Fous">χιλίους</w> <w lemma="stratiw%2Ftas">στρατιώτας</w> <w lemma="a%29nh%2Fxqh">ἀνήχθη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fras">διάρας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fhn">Λιβύην</w> <w lemma="kate%2Fsxen">κατέσχεν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%3Dapin">Ἆπιν</w>.
<head>VI. Affairs of Africa</head><head>The Rival Ptolemies</head>After this the younger Ptolemy arriving in Greece with the legates, collected a powerful force of mercenaries,
among whom was the Macedonian Damasippus, who, after murdering the members of the council at Phacus fled from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> with his wife and family.
Arriving in the Rhodian Peraea, the king was hospitably received there by the state, and proposed to sail for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a>.
Torquatus and his colleagues, seeing that he had got together this formidable force of mercenaries, reminded him of their instructions, which were that his return to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> must be effected without war,
and finally persuaded him after proceeding as far as <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Side&groupId=976&placeId=1729">Side</a> to dismiss the troops, and abandoning his attempt on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> to meet them on the borders of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyrene&groupId=521&placeId=985">Cyrene</a>.
They themselves, they said, would sail to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>, and after inducing the king to submit to the senate\'s request, would come to meet him on the frontier accompanied by his brother.
The younger Ptolemy, persuaded by these arguments, gave up his Cyprian project, disbanded his mercenary force,
and took ship first of all for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Crete&groupId=505&placeId=949">Crete</a> accompanied by Damasippus and one of the legates, Gnaeus Merula. After collecting in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Crete&groupId=505&placeId=949">Crete</a> a force of about a thousand soldiers he set sail and crossing to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> landed at Apis.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
31.17.1 - 31.19.4
<p rend="Plain Text">Roman envoys fail to reconcile Ptolemy VIand Ptolemy VIII (162)</p> <p rend="Plain Text"> These two excerpts from de legat. gent. clearly come from res Aegypti of Ol. 154, 2 = 163/2, and describe the situation in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a> after Ptolemy VIII returned from his embassy to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> (10. 1–10). Hence they refer to summer 162. <milestone unit="page" n="484">[484]</milestone> </p>
Specifics
31.17.1 - 31.17.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">παραγεγονὼς εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα μετὰ τῶν πρεσβευτῶν</w>:</emph> the envoys accompanying Ptolemy VIII were T. Torquatus and Cn. Merula (10. 9 n.). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">συνήθροιζε ξενολόγιον ἐμβριθές</w>:</emph> the reason for breaking his journey in Greece; he may have visited Taenarum, the great mercenary mart (Griffith, 259 f.). </p>
31.17.2 - 31.17.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold">D<w lang="el-GR">αμάσιππον</w>:</emph> otherwise unknown; cf. Bttner-Wobst, RE, Suppl.B. i, 'Damasippos (3a)', cols. 334–5. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κατασφάξας ἐν τῷ Φάκῳ τοὺς συνέδρομς</w>:</emph> describing the site of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pella&groupId=1089&placeId=1913">Pella</a>, Livy, xliv. 46. 6 (following P.) writes '〈arx〉 Phacus in ipsa palude, qua proxima urbi est, uelut insula eminet, aggeri operis ingentis imposita, qui et murum sustineat et umore circumfusae paludis nihil laedatur'; and this hill has been identified, standing out amid the former marsh, now rich agricultural land, to the south of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pella&groupId=1089&placeId=1913">Pella</a> and the Salonica–<a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Edessa&groupId=554&placeId=1038">Edessa</a> road: see P. M. Petsas, Balkan Studies, 1960, 115–16, 122–4. Excavation has revealed settlement from prehistoric times; but it is an outer defence of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pella&groupId=1089&placeId=1913">Pella</a> and quite separate from its citadel. The present passage suggests that the Council of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> III (xxx. 13. 1–11 n.) met here at Phacus, which had served as a treasury at any rate for the later kings (cf. Livy, xliv. 6. 2; Diod. xxx. 11. 1, where Perseus in panic sends his <w lang="el-GR">θησαυροφύλαζ</w> Nicon, with orders <w lang="el-GR">τὴν ἐν τῷ Φάκῳ γάζαν καὶ τὰ χρήματακαταποντίσαι</w>; see xxviii. 11 note following § 3). For bibliography on recent work see Petsas, <w lang="el-GR">Μακεδουικά</w> 7, 1967, 306–8; 8, 1969, 170–5. The <w lang="el-GR">σύνεδροι</w> are probably members of the council of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> III (above); cf. Livy, xlv. 32. 2 'senatores quos synhedros uocant'. Whether the murder was a political gesture against the new regime (perhaps from a monarchist position), and whether it links with the trouble mentioned in 2. 12, one can only speculate; but one man cannot have killed several synedroi alone, and a plot seems implied. The incident was perhaps related in a lost section of P., where the number of dead may have been mentioned; thus <w lang="el-GR">τοὺς συνέδρους</w> need not and probably does not mean 'all the synedroi'. </p>
31.17.3 - 31.17.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">εἰς τὴν τῶν Ῥοδίων Περαίαν</w>:</emph> see xviii. 2. 3, 6. 3, 8. 9, xxx. 24. 1 n., for Rhodian retention of the incorporated portions of the Peraea. </p>
31.17.4 - 31.17.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">χωρίς πολέμομ</w>:</emph> cf. 10. 10. </p>
31.17.5 - 31.17.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἕως Σίδης</w>:</emph> on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Side&groupId=976&placeId=1729">Side</a> see v. 73. 4 n.; for recent excavations by Arif Mfit Mansel see J. M. Cook, Arch. Rep. 1959–60, 55–56; G. E. Bean, Turkey's Southern Shore (London, 1968), 78–100. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐπί τοὺς τῶν Κυρηναίων ὅρομς</w>:</emph> between <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyrene&groupId=521&placeId=985">Cyrene</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>; cf. § 6. </p>
31.17.8 - 31.17.8
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ξενολογήσας . . . περὶ χιλίομς στρατιώτας</w>:</emph> probably Damasippus conducted this operation, and in areas not part of the Cretan confederacy, which was allied to Ptolemy VI (cf. Holleaux, tudes, iii. 85 n. 1). Merula's role is strange, for this is a reversal of the policy pressed by Torquatus (§ 7). <milestone unit="page" n="485">[485]</milestone> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐπὶ τὸν Ἆπιν</w>:</emph> cf. 18. 3. Two towns called Apis are known, one (Strabo, xvii. 1. 14, C. 799; Pliny, Nat. hist. v. 39) 100 stades west of Paraetonium, and regarded by Scylax, 107, as the western frontier of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>, the other (Herod. ii. 18) near Marea in the north-west of the Delta, and perhaps to be identified with the Egyptian Amu, at or near Km el-Hisn. The former, modern Bun Aguba, is probably referred to here; cf. Pietschmann, RE, 'Apis (2) and (4)', col. 2807. </p>

Commentary