ἐκ τῆς Μακεδονικῆς

Lines

I – II III – III IV – IV V – VII VIII – VIII IX – IX IX – IX IX – IX IX – X XI – XI XI – XI XI – XI XI – XI XI – XI XI – XI XII – XV XVI – XVII XVIII – XVIII XVIII – XVIII XIX – XIX

İngilizce Yunanca

I THE Romans paid no attention to Philip, the Macedonian, when he began war against them. They were so busy about other things that they did not even think of him, for Italy was still scourged by Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, and they were at war in Africa, Carthage, and Y.R. 539 Spain, and were restoring order in Sicily. Philip himself, B.C.215 moved by a desire of enlarging his dominions, although he had suffered nothing whatever at the hands of the Romans, sent an embassy, the chief of which was Xenophanes, to Hannibal in Italy, proposing to aid him in Italy if he would promise to assist him in the subjugation of Greece. Hannibal agreed to this arrangement and took an oath to support it, and sent an embassy in return to receive the oath of Philip. A Roman trireme intercepted the ambassadors of both on their return and carried them to Rome. Thereupon Philip in his anger attacked Corcyra, which was in alliance with Rome.

II The Sibylline books induced the Romans to make war against Philip by these lines: The Macedonians boast their descent from Argive kings. Philip will be the arbiter of weal or woe to you. The elder of that name shall give rulers to cities and peoples, but the younger shall lose every honor, and shall die the subject of a western race.Αὐχοῦντες Βασιλεῦσι Μακηδόνες Ἀργεάδῃσιν, ὑμῖν κοιρανέων ἀγαθὸν καὶ πῆμα Φίλιππος. Ἤτοι ὁ μὲν πρότερος πόλεσιν λαοῖσί τ’ ἄνακτας θήσει, ὁ δ’ ὁπλότερος τιμὴν ἀπὸ πᾶσαν ὀλέσσει, δμηθεὶς δ’ ἑσπερίοισιν ὑπ’ ἀνδράσιν ἐνθάδ’ ὀλεῖται.