Polybius, Histories
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Book 33 - Chapter 5

1
<head lang="la">III. Res Cypri</head>?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="protei%2Fnein">προτείνειν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="pentako%2Fsia">πεντακόσια</w> <w lemma="ta%2Flanta">τάλαντα</w> <w lemma="paraxwrh%2Fsanti">παραχωρήσαντι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Aku%2Fprou">Κύπρου</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%29%2Flla">τἄλλα</w> <w lemma="sunakolouqh%2Fsonta">συνακολουθήσοντα</w> <w lemma="lusitelh%3D">λυσιτελῆ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fmia">τίμια</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="sunepideiknu%2Fein">συνεπιδεικνύειν</w>, <w lemma="prosenegkame%2Fnw%7C">προσενεγκαμένῳ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fan">χρείαν</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fthn">ταύτην</w>.
2a
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Atw%3D%7C">Τῷ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fw%7C">Πτολεμαίῳ</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="prosaggeli%2Fas">προσαγγελίας</w> <w lemma="parei%3Dnai">παρεῖναι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29arxi%2Fan">Ἀρχίαν</w>. —
2
<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2A%29arxi%2Fas">Ἀρχίας</w> <w lemma="boulo%2Fmenos">βουλόμενος</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aku%2Fpron">Κύπρον</w> <w lemma="prodou%3Dnai">προδοῦναι</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Adhmhtri%2Fw%7C">Δημητρίῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fwraqei%5Cs">φωραθεὶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="kri%2Fsin">κρίσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29xqei%5Cs">ἀχθεὶς</w> <w lemma="kalw%7Cdi%2Fw%7C">καλῳδίῳ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="au%29lai%2Fas">αὐλαίας</w> <w lemma="parapepetasme%2Fnwn">παραπεπετασμένων</w> <w lemma="e%28auto%5Cn">ἑαυτὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29pekre%2Fmasen">ἀπεκρέμασεν</w>.
3
<w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnti">ὄντι</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29piqumi%2Fas">ἐπιθυμίας</w> <w lemma="kenoi%5C">κενοὶ</w> <w lemma="kena%5C">κενὰ</w> <w lemma="logi%2Fzontai">λογίζονται</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="paroimi%2Fan">παροιμίαν</w>.
4
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnos">ἐκεῖνος</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcas">δόξας</w> <w lemma="pentako%2Fsia">πεντακόσια</w> <w lemma="ta%2Flanta">τάλαντα</w> <w lemma="proslh%2Fyesqai">προσλήψεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="prou+pa%2Frxonta">προϋπάρχοντα</w> <w lemma="xrh%2Fmata">χρήματα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pneu%3Dma">πνεῦμα</w> <w lemma="prosape%2Fbalen">προσαπέβαλεν</w>.
<head>II. Affairs of Cyprus</head>Demetrius offered Archias<note place="end" resp="tr" id="note1">The governor of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> under Ptolemy.</note>five hundred talents if he gave up <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a>, and pointed out to him the other advantages and honours that would accrue to him if he rendered him this service.
When news reached Ptolemy that Archias had arrived. . . .
Archias purposed to betray <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> to Demetrius, but when detected and prosecuted he hanged himself by a rope taken from the curtain of the entrance door.
So true is it that owing to covetousness "vain heads make vain plans," as the proverb says.
For thinking to gain five hundred talents he lost both all the money he had and his life into the bargain.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
33.5.1 - 33.5.4
<p rend="Plain Text">Intrigue between Demetrius I and Archias, the Ptolemaic governor of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a></p> <p rend="Plain Text">If 4. 1–4 should stand under Ol. 156, 2 = 155/4, the present chapter, from which §§ 2–4 follow 4. 1–4 in the exc. de uirt. et uit., must belong either to that or to one of the two following years; it probably belongs (together with 6. 1–9: see ad loc.) to res Asiae of 155/4 (see pp. 41–42, where the uncertainty of its position relative to 12. 1–13. 10 is made clear). H. Volkmann, ZN, 1924, 53f. (cf. RE, 'Ptolemaios (24)', col. 1714) would date Archias' treason to 151/0 because of a special gold issue that year, which he argues was coined for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a>; but this would go beyond Ol. 156, and that is irreconcilable with the order of the fragments of P. See, against Volkmann, Manni, Riv. fil. 1950, 241 n. 1. The dating proposed by Otto, 6. Ptolemer, 112 n. 6, (158/7) is equally impossible. §§ 1 and 2a from Suidas clearly belong to the context of §§ 2–4.</p>
Specifics
33.5.1 - 33.5.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold">* * * <w lang="el-GR">προτείνειν αὐτῷ πεντακόσια τάλαντα</w>:</emph> the subject is Demetrius I of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syria&groupId=995&placeId=502">Syria</a> (cf. § 2, which likewise identifies <w lang="el-GR">αὐτῷ</w> as Archias). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν χρείαν ταύτην</w>:</emph> the surrender of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> to Demetrius (§ 2). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold">2a. <w lang="el-GR">παρεῖναι τὸν Ἀρχίαν</w>:</emph> it is uncertain whether Archias had been <milestone unit="page" n="546">[546]</milestone> persuaded to come over to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> or Ptolemy VI had visited <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> on learning of his proposed treachery. </p>
33.5.2 - 33.5.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἀρχίας</w>:</emph> evidently governor of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a>. Mitford, Mnem. 1938, 115, plausibly restores his title on an inscription as <w lang="el-GR">[ὁ συγγενὴς καὶ στρατηγὸς καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς νήσου]</w> (cf. Bengtson, Strat. iii. 233); republished in BSA, 1961, 20 no. 52 l. 1. He is perhaps the man who accompanied Ptolemy VI to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, when expelled by Ptolemy VIII in 164 (cf. xxxi. 2. 14 n.; Diod. xxxi. 18. 1). See Wilcken, RE, 'Archias (18)', col. 463; Peremans–van 't Dack, no. 15037; Bagnall, 257–8. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τῷ Δημητρίῳ</w>:</emph> Demetrius I of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syria&groupId=995&placeId=502">Syria</a>; cf. xxxi. 2. 1 n., 11. 1–15. 12 (his restoration). He was no doubt encouraged by Antiochus IV's temporary seizure of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> (xxix. 27. 1–13), and by the general uncertainty created by the conflict between the Ptolemies for possession of the island (xxxi. 10. 3–10, 17. 1–7, 18. 1, 20. 5); cf. Niese, iii. 211. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καλῳδίῳ τῶν ἐκ τῆς αὐλαίας παραπετασμένων</w>:</emph> 'with a rope taken from the curtain-hangings'; Paton translates 'from the curtain of the entrance-door', but though Suidas quotes several variants of the passage <w lang="el-GR">αὐλαία</w> 'curtain' seems attested (cf. fg. 22), and Paton seems to have confused the word with <w lang="el-GR">αὔλειος</w>. </p>
33.5.3 - 33.5.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κενοὶ κενὰ λογίζονται</w>:</emph> cf. xxxviii. 16. 11; von Scala, 286, quotes Corpus paroem. graec. i. 270; ii. 119, 475 for the proverb. Wunderer, i. 24 (quoting no close parallels) speculates on its origin; and he suggests (ibid. 5 n. 2) unconvincingly, that because the phrase <w lang="el-GR">κατὰ τὴν προοιμίαν</w> follows the proverb, it is therefore a later insertion. </p>
33.5.4 - 33.5.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὰ . . . χρήματα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα</w>:</emph> cf. xxxii. 11. 1 n. </p>

Commentary