Polybius, Histories
Layout
Translation

Bibliography

(0)
No bibliography content available

Archaeology

Places

Book 8 - Chapter 14b

1
<w lemma="%2Adassarh%3Dtai">Δασσαρῆται</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqnos">ἔθνος</w> <w lemma="%2A%29illuri%2Fas:">Ἰλλυρίας·</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="o%29gdo%2Fw%7C">ὀγδόῳ</w>. [<foreign lang="la">Steph. Byz. p. 220, 21 Mein.</foreign>] <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fuskana">Ὕσκανα</w> <w lemma="po%2Flis">πόλις</w> <w lemma="%2A%29illuri%2Fdos">Ἰλλυρίδος</w> <w lemma="ou%29dete%2Frws:">οὐδετέρως·</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <num>η#</num>. [<foreign lang="la">ibid. p. 653, 14 Mein.</foreign>]
No Loeb translation

Walbank Commentary

Overview
8.12.0 - 8.14.0
<p rend="Plain Text">Philip's capture of Lissus</p> <p rend="Plain Text">Since Philip's catastrophe in the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Aous&groupId=338&placeId=656">Aous</a> in 214 (cf. vii. 14 d n.) a Roman squadron had been stationed off <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Illyria&groupId=647&placeId=1186">Illyria</a> under M. Laevinus, who wintered at Oricus in 214/13 (Livy, xxiv. 40. 17) and whose province was henceforth Graecia Macedoniaque (Livy, xxiv. 44. 5); cf. Walbank, Philip, 77. This kept Philip away from the coast, but in 213 and 212 he made headway in the interior, gaining <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Atintania&groupId=381&placeId=719">Atintania</a>, the Dassaretae, and the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Parthini&groupId=846&placeId=1527">Parthini</a>, together with the town of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Dimale&groupId=539&placeId=1014">Dimale</a> (cf. iii. 18. 3–5, vii. 9. 13, viii. 14 b 1–2; Livy, xxvii. 30. 13, xxix. 12. 3, 13); he also reduced the Ardiaei (or those of them living just north of Dyrrachium; cf. ii. 11. 10, 12. 2; Livy, xxvii. 30. 13), and regained access to the Adriatic at Lissus. These campaigns served to split off the Roman allies in the south from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Scerdilaidas&groupId=953&placeId=1692">Scerdilaidas</a> (cf. Badian, Studies, 20), and to secure territories which the treaty with Hannibal gave Philip hope of retaining after the war (vii. 9. 13); and they gave Philip a port where a Punic squadron could put in (May, JRS, 1946, 51), though hardly with a view to ferrying him over to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> (cf. Walbank, Philip, 81–82). Moreover, if Lissus was part of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Scerdilaidas&groupId=953&placeId=1692">Scerdilaidas</a>' <w lang="el-GR">δυναστεία</w> (so Badian, Studies, 31 n. 79) this would afford a further motive for Philip's attack. The date of the capture is probably 213; but on present evidence 212 cannot be excluded as a possibility (see above, p. 6). On the attack see Walbank, Philip, 80–81.</p>
8.14.0 - 8.14.0
<p rend="Plain Text">Fragments concerning <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Illyria&groupId=647&placeId=1186">Illyria</a></p> <p rend="Plain Text">The Dassaretae lived west of the great lakes towards Berat (cf. v. 108. 2 n.; Philippson, RE, 'Dassaretis', cols. 2221–2). Hyscana (cf. xxviii. 8. 11, emended) is often mentioned in the war against Perseus as Uscana; cf. Livy, xliii. 10. 1. It was the capital of the Penestae, and lay three days' march from Stuberra (Livy, xliii. 18. 4–5); but the site of Stuberra is uncertain. A reference to it on an inscription found at Tsepikovo on the River Erigon between Bitolj and Prilep (cf. Vuli, Mlanges Glotz, 875; Bull. Acad. Royale Serbe, Sect. Lettres, 1935, 224 ff.) suggests that it stood at this site to the north of Lyncestis. Uscana has been located at Dibra on the Black Drin, but this is too far from Tsepikovoperhaps 120 km.for a three days' march. Niese (iii. 141 n. 4) suggests a site 'on the upper Erigon near Sop or further north near Kievo'.</p>
8.14.0 - 8.21.0
<p rend="Plain Text">The capture of Achaeus</p> <p rend="Plain Text">The events here described from part of the res Asiae of Ol. 141, 3 = 214/13, and probably took place in 213; see above, pp. 3 and 5. For the capture of Sardes, which left Achaeus besieged in the citadel, see vii. 15–18. The 'mercenary source' postulated in v. 40. 4–57. 8 n. could be behind these chapters; see also vii. 15–18 n.</p>
Specifics
8.14.1 - 8.14.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐξεχέοντο</w>:</emph> cf. the tactics of the besieged in Sardes (vii. 17. 9). </p>
8.14.5 - 8.14.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ταῖς σπείραις</w>:</emph> on the Macedonian <w lang="el-GR">σπεῖρα</w> see v. 4. 9 n. </p>
8.14.6 - 8.14.6
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">κατ᾿ ὀλίγους</w>:</emph> 'in small groups'. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὠφελείας καὶ τροπης</w>:</emph> the rout would precede the chance of plunder; hysteron proteron to avoid hiatus (cf. ii. 2. 2 n., x. 23. 2, 27. 11, xi. 19 a 1, xiv. 10. 9). </p>
8.14.10 - 8.14.10
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἅπαντας τοὺς πέριξ ὑποχειρίους ἐποιήσατο</w>:</emph> on his conquests see 13–14 n. Probably the districts north of Lissus and Lissus itself belonged to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Scerdilaidas&groupId=953&placeId=1692">Scerdilaidas</a>, who was from the Ardiaei (ii. 11. 7 n.). But we do not know whether Philip got hold of Scodra. Against Zippel's view (70) that he reached areas north of the Naro (Neretva) see Holleaux, 199 n. 4; it seems unlikely. How long Philip held Lissus is unknown, but he probably withdrew before the Peace of Phoenice. </p>

Commentary