Polybius, Histories
Layout
Translation

Bibliography

(0)
No bibliography content available

Archaeology

Places

Book 34 - Chapter 14

1
<head lang="la">X. De Alexandria, Aegypti Urbe</head><w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="gou%3Dn">γοῦν</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="gegonw%5Cs">γεγονὼς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flei">πόλει</w> <w lemma="bdelu%2Fttetai">βδελύττεται</w>
2
<w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="kata%2Fstasin">κατάστασιν</w> <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fa">τρία</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnh">γένη</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flin">πόλιν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%3Dn">οἰκεῖν</w>, <w lemma="to%2F">τό</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29gu%2Fption">Αἰγύπτιον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29pixw%2Frion">ἐπιχώριον</w> <w lemma="fu%3Dlon">φῦλον</w>, <w lemma="o%29cu%5C">ὀξὺ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="politiko%2Fn">πολιτικόν</w>,
3
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="misqoforiko%2Fn">μισθοφορικόν</w>, <w lemma="baru%5C">βαρὺ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgwgon:">ἀνάγωγον·</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqous">ἔθους</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="palaiou%3D">παλαιοῦ</w> <w lemma="ce%2Fnous">ξένους</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ftrefon">ἔτρεφον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fpla">ὅπλα</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontas">ἔχοντας</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Frxein">ἄρχειν</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frxesqai">ἄρχεσθαι</w> <w lemma="dedidagme%2Fnous">δεδιδαγμένους</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fwn">βασιλέων</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fneian">οὐδένειαν</w>.
4
<w lemma="tri%2Fton">τρίτον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnos">γένος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29alecandre%2Fwn">Ἀλεξανδρέων</w>, <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5C">αὐτὸ</w> <w lemma="eu%29krinw%3Ds">εὐκρινῶς</w> <w lemma="politiko%5Cn">πολιτικὸν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%5Cs">αὐτὰς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w>, <w lemma="krei%3Dtton">κρεῖττον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnwn">ἐκείνων</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws:">ὅμως·</w>
5
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="miga%2Fdes">μιγάδες</w>, <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhnes">Ἕλληνες</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="a%29ne%2Fkaqen">ἀνέκαθεν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dsan">ἦσαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29me%2Fmnhnto">ἐμέμνηντο</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="koinou%3D">κοινοῦ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fnwn">Ἑλλήνων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqous">ἔθους</w>. <w lemma="h%29fanisme%2Fnou">ἠφανισμένου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqous">πλήθους</w>,
6
<w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29erge%2Ftou">Εὐεργέτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Afu%2Fskwnos">Φύσκωνος</w>, <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dken">ἧκεν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> —
7
<w lemma="katastasiazo%2Fmenos">καταστασιαζόμενος</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Afu%2Fskwn">Φύσκων</w> <w lemma="pleona%2Fkis">πλεονάκις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="stratiw%2Ftais">στρατιώταις</w> <w lemma="e%29fi%2Fei">ἐφίει</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqh">πλήθη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="die%2Ffqeire">διέφθειρε</w> —
8
, <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="dh%2F">δή</w>, <w lemma="fhsi%2Fn">φησίν</w>, <w lemma="o%29%2Fntwn">ὄντων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flei">πόλει</w>, <w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnti">ὄντι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="poihtou%3D">ποιητοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29%2Fgupto%2Fnd%27">Αἴγυπτόνδ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29e%2Fnai">ἰέναι</w> <w lemma="dolixh%5Cn">δολιχὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28do%5Cn">ὁδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29rgale%2Fhn">ἀργαλέην</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w>.
<head>X. On Alexandria</head>Polybius at least, who visited the city, was disgusted with its condition at the time.
He says it is inhabited by three classes of people, first the native Egyptians, an acute and civilized race;
secondly by the mercenaries, a numerous, rough, and uncultivated set, it being an ancient practice there to maintain a foreign armed force which owing to the weakness of the kings had learnt rather to rule than to obey;
thirdly there were the Alexandrians themselves, a people not genuinely civilized for the same reason, but still superior to the mercenaries,
for though they are mongrels they came from a Greek stock and had not forgotten Greek customs.
But when this population had been nearly annihilated, chiefly by Euergetes Physcon, in whose reign Polybius came to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> — for this king being frequently troubled by seditions exposed the populace to the onslaught of the soldiers and destroyed them — the city fell into such a state that afterwards Homer\'s line was really true—<quote><l>To <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a> is a long and dangerous road.</l></quote>

Walbank Commentary

Overview
34.14.0 - 34.14.0
<p rend="Plain Text">= Strabo, xvii. 1. 12, C 797. On the inhabitants of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a></p> <p rend="Plain Text">P. may have included his description of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> in his account of the revolt of Petosarapis in the early 160's; see p. 568. His own visit, under Ptolemy VIII (Physcon), was probably later than 146; see Vol. I, p. 5 n. 10 and below, § 6 n., 15. 2 n.</p>
Specifics
34.14.1 - 34.14.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">γεγονὼς ἐν τῇ πόλει</w>:</emph> cf. § 6 n. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὸ . . . ἐπιχώ?ριον φῦλον</w>:</emph> 'the native element'; not 'from the chora'; cf. Fraser, Alex. ii. 145 n. 184 (against Braunert). </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὀξὺ καὶ πολιτικόν</w>:</emph> the last word has been queried. Kramer emended to <w lang="el-GR">ἀπολιτικόν</w> (cf. Jones (Loeb), 'not inclined to civil life'; A. Bernand, Alexandrie la Grande (Paris, 1966), 75 'fort difficile gouverner'). Mller read <w lang="el-GR">ὀχλητικόν</w>; and Tyrwhitt's 〈<w lang="el-GR">οὐ</w>〉 <w lang="el-GR">πολιτικόν</w> is accepted by Groskurd and Fraser, Alex. ii. 145 n. 184, who compares § 4, of the Alexandrians, <w lang="el-GR">οὐδ᾽αὐτὸ εὐκρινῶς πολιτικόν</w>. A case can be made for keeping <w lang="el-GR">πολιτικόν</w>. As Schweighaeuser remarks, <w lang="el-GR">ὀξὺ καὶ πολιτικόν</w> seems to be contrasted with <w lang="el-GR">βαρὺ καὶ . . . ἀνάγωγον</w> of the mercenaries; and Strabo, xvii. 1. 3, C. 787 says of the Egyptians in the country parts that <w lang="el-GR">πολιτικῶς καὶ ἡμέρως ἐξ ἀρχῆς ζῶσι</w>. However, the contrast with the mercenaries is incomplete, for there are three elements, <w lang="el-GR">βαρὺ καὶ πολὺ καὶ ἀνάγωγον</w> in the description of the latter; and <w lang="el-GR">ὀξύ</w> is probably 'volatile, headstrong' (as opposed to <w lang="el-GR">βαρύ</w>, 'overbearing': cf. xxix. 27. 4), and so would hardly pair with <w lang="el-GR">πολιτικόν</w>. Read therefore (with Tyrwhitt) <w lang="el-GR">οὐ πολιτικόν</w> and translate 'volatile and resistant to civil control'. </p>
34.14.3 - 34.14.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">βαρὺ καὶ πολὺ καὶ ἀνάγωγον</w>:</emph> 'an overbearing, numerous, and uncultivated set'. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ξένους ἔτρεφον κτλ</w>.:</emph> on mercenaries at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> see v. 36. 3 n., xv. 25. 16 ff., 26–28; Griffith, 126–31. </p>
34.14.4 - 34.14.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κρεῖττον δ᾽ ἐκείνων ὅμως</w>:</emph> <w lang="el-GR">ἐκείνων</w> may be the mercenaries, or both the first two elements. If 〈<w lang="el-GR">οὐ</w>〉 <w lang="el-GR">πολιτικό?ν</w> is the reading in § 2, the second alternative is the more likely, since it will be taken up by <w lang="el-GR">οὐδ᾽ . . . εὐκρινῶς πολιτικόν</w> here. But <w lang="el-GR">διὰ τὰς αὐτὰς αἰτίας</w> links the Alexandrians with the mercenaries. </p>
34.14.5 - 34.14.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">μιγάδες</w>:</emph> cf. i. 67. 7 for <w lang="el-GR">μιξέλληνες</w>. </p>
34.14.6 - 34.14.6
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἠφανισμένου . . . ὑπὸ . . . τοῦ Φύσκωνος</w>:</emph> cf. Diod. xxxiii. 6, <milestone unit="page" n="629">[629]</milestone> <w lang="el-GR">πολλοὺς μὲν γὰρ ψευδέσιν αἰτίαις περιβάλλων ὡς ἐπιβουλεύοντας αὐτῷ ὠμῶς καὶ παρανόμως ἀνῄρει, ἄλλους δὲ ποικίλαις προφάσεσι συκοφαντῶν ὡς ἀδικοῦντας ἐφυγάδενε, καὶ τὰς τούτων οὐσίας ἀφῃρεῖτο</w>; Iustin. xxxviii. 8. 3–4. This onslaught against the Greek element in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> was probably Ptolemy VIII's retaliation for his exile between 163 and </p> <p rend="Plain Text">summer 145, when he was restored; for attacks on the gymnasia cf. Val. Max. ix. 2 ext. 5, and for the benefits which came to other parts of the Greek world through the stimulus from refugees from his persecution see Menecles of Barca, FGH, 270 F 9, who was perhaps one himself. Another was Aristarchus, who died in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cyprus&groupId=119&placeId=356">Cyprus</a> in 144 (Athen. iv. 184 c; Suidas, <w lang="el-GR">Ἀρίσταρχος)</w>. P., through Strabo, here suggests a prolonged attackwhether <w lang="el-GR">πλεονάκις</w>(§ 7) goes with <w lang="el-GR">καταστασιαζόμενος</w> or <w lang="el-GR">ἐφίει</w>; but the effect of the persecution may have been sensationally exaggerated. See Fraser, Alex. i. 86–87 (emphasizing the decline in intellectual life and growth of mob rule); ii. 215 n. 232.</p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καθ᾽ ὃν ἧκεν . . . ὁ Πολύβιος</w>:</emph> he may have accompanied Scipio Aemilianus in 140 (Diod. xxxiii. 28b; Winkler, Aegypten, 64 ff.; Fraser, Alex. ii. 145 n. 187; Volkmann, RE, 'Ptolemaios (27)', col. 1728; Lehmann, Entretiens sur Polybe, 196 n. 1. See Vol. I, p. 5 n. 11.; below, fg. 76 n.); but this is uncertain. </p>
34.14.7 - 34.14.7
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καταστασιαζόμενος</w>:</emph> one opponent was Galaestes, a son of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Amynander&groupId=324&placeId=631">Amynander</a> of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athamania&groupId=377&placeId=710">Athamania</a> and former commander of the forces in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>, who was accused of treachery by Ptolemy VIII and fled to Greece (Diod. xxxiii. 20). He attempted a rising against the king, probably in 140/39 (cf. Otto and Bengtson, Niedergang, 36 ff.; Volkmann, RE, 'Ptolemaios (27)', col. 1728), but this failed when the general Hierax prevented the troops from mass desertion to him by belatedly paying them their wages (Diod. xxxiii. 22). </p>
34.14.8 - 34.14.8
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Αἴγυπτόνδ᾽? ἰέναι κτλ</w>.:</emph> Homer, Od. iv. 483. </p>

Commentary