Polybius, Histories
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Book 24 - Chapter 2

1
<head lang="la">II. Res Graeciae</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Apelopo%2Fnnhson">Πελοπόννησον</w> <w lemma="paragenome%2Fnwn">παραγενομένων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rw%2Fmhs">Ῥώμης</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Alakedai%2Fmonos">Λακεδαίμονος</w> <w lemma="fuga%2Fdwn">φυγάδων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="komizo%2Fntwn">κομιζόντων</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="sugklh%2Ftou">συγκλήτου</w> <w lemma="gra%2Fmmata">γράμματα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaioi%3Ds">Ἀχαιοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="pronohqh%3Dnai">προνοηθῆναι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Fdou">καθόδου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="swthri%2Fas">σωτηρίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%2Fan">οἰκείαν</w>,
2
<w lemma="e%29%2Fdoce">ἔδοξε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaioi%3Ds">Ἀχαιοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28perqe%2Fsqai">ὑπερθέσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="diabou%2Flion">διαβούλιον</w>, <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Flqwsi">ἔλθωσι</w> <w lemma="presbeutai%2F">πρεσβευταί</w>.
3
<w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="fuga%2Fsin">φυγάσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29pokriqe%2Fntes">ἀποκριθέντες</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fqento">συνέθεντο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="%2Amesshni%2Fous">Μεσσηνίους</w> <w lemma="sth%2Flhn">στήλην</w>, <w lemma="sugxwrh%2Fsantes">συγχωρήσαντες</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllois">ἄλλοις</w> <w lemma="filanqrw%2Fpois">φιλανθρώποις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="triw%3Dn">τριῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29tw%3Dn">ἐτῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29te%2Fleian">ἀτέλειαν</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fras">χώρας</w> <w lemma="katafqora%5Cn">καταφθορὰν</w> <w lemma="mhde%5Cn">μηδὲν</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dtton">ἧττον</w> <w lemma="bla%2Fyai">βλάψαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaiou%5Cs">Ἀχαιοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="%2Amesshni%2Fous">Μεσσηνίους</w>.
4
<w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Abi%2Fppon">Βίππον</w> <w lemma="paragenome%2Fnwn">παραγενομένων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rw%2Fmhs">Ῥώμης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diasafou%2Fntwn">διασαφούντων</w> <w lemma="grafh%3Dnai">γραφῆναι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="gra%2Fmmata">γράμματα</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="fuga%2Fdwn">φυγάδων</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="sugklh%2Ftou">συγκλήτου</w> <w lemma="spoudh%2Fn">σπουδήν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="fuga%2Fdwn">φυγάδων</w> <w lemma="filotimi%2Fan">φιλοτιμίαν</w>,
5
<w lemma="e%29%2Fdoce">ἔδοξε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaioi%3Ds">Ἀχαιοῖς</w> <w lemma="me%2Fnein">μένειν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28pokeime%2Fnwn">ὑποκειμένων</w>. —
<head>Treaty Between the Achaeans and the Messenians</head>When the ambassadors of the Spartan exiles arrived in<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note3">Terms granted to the Messenians</note>the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Peloponnese&groupId=861&placeId=1552">Peloponnese</a> from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> with a letter from the Senate to the Achaeans, desiring that measures should be taken for their recall and restoration to their country, the Achaeans resolved to postpone the consideration of the question until their own ambassadors should return. After making this answer, they caused the agreement between themselves and the Messenians to be engraved on a tablet: granting them, among other favours, a three years' remission of taxes, in order that the damage done to their territory should fall upon the Achaeans equally with the Messenians.<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note4">The request of the Spartan exiles refused.</note>But when Bippus and his colleagues arrived from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, and reported that the letter in regard to the exiles was not due to any strong feeling on the part of the Senate, but to the importunity of the exiles themselves, the Achaeans voted to make no change.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
24.2.1 - 24.3.1
<p rend="Plain Text">Affairs in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Achaea&groupId=272&placeId=533">Achaea</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Crete&groupId=505&placeId=949">Crete</a> (181)</p> <p rend="Plain Text">On the placing of these two chapters in res Graeciae of this year see p. 17; their location is not entirely certain.</p>
Specifics
24.2.2 - 24.2.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς</w>:</emph> clearly at a meeting; and since Messenian affairs were also discussed, it was a synodos (a syncletos being confined to the topic it was summoned to discuss; cf. Livy, xxxi. 25. 9; Aymard, ACA, 207 n. 2; Larsen, 179). </p>
24.2.3 - 24.2.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">συνέθεντο τὴν . . . στήλην</w>:</emph> 'they drew up the inscription recording the Messenian agreement for engraving on the stone'; cf. xxiii. 18. 2, on the Spartan agreement. This would also no doubt be set up at the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Homarion&groupId=635&placeId=1166">Homarion</a>. On the return of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Messenia&groupId=760&placeId=1380">Messenia</a> to the federation (182) see xxiii. 16. 12–17. 1. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τριῶν ἐτῶν ἀτέλειαν</w>:</emph> 'three years' exemption from (federal) taxes'. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὥστε. . . μηδὲν ἧττον βλάψαι τοὺς Ἀχαιούς</w>:</emph> cf. xxiii. 15. 1–3 n. </p>
24.2.4 - 24.2.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">διὰ τὴν τῶν φυγάδων φιλοτιμίαν</w>:</emph> 'owing to the importunity of the exiles'; perhaps an exaggeration or a misrepresentation (so Errington, 199–200). But Bippus may have gained indirect information on the Senate's attitude. </p>
24.2.5 - 24.2.5
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἔδοξε τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς</w>:</emph> it has been assumed (cf. Aymard, AC A, 342 n. 3; Larsen, 179) that this was a fresh meeting, separately convened to hear Bippus' report; but such a meeting would be a syncletos, and hearing reports from envoys was not one of the reasons for which a syncletos might properly be summoned (cf. xxii. 10. 12 n., 12. 6). In fact P. does not say that the synodos had adjourned (for <w lang="el-GR">ὑπερθέσθαι τὸ διαβούλιον</w> (§ 2) may mean simply 'to postpone the discussion' until a later point in the meeting). If Bippus was known to be close on the heels of Cletis and Diactorius, the exiles' representatives, it would be a natural decision to wait a day or two until he could be present. <milestone unit="page" n="255">[255]</milestone> </p>

Commentary