- Source
- Diodorus Siculus. Diodori Bibliotheca Historica. Vols. 4-5 (partial). Bekker, Immanuel; Dindorf, Ludwig; Fischer, Curt Theodor; editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903-1906.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:20.1.1-20.1.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The author criticizes the insertion of excessively long and inappropriate speeches into historical narratives, arguing that history must possess an organic unity akin to a living body.
τοῖς εἰς τὰς ἱστορίας ὑπερμήκεις δημηγορίας παρεμβάλλουσιν ἢ πυκναῖς χρωμένοις1 ῥητορείαις δικαίως ἄν τις ἐπιτιμήσειεν· οὐ μόνον γὰρ τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς διηγήσεως διὰ τὴν ἀκαιρίαν τῶν ἐπεισαγομένων λόγων διασπῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν φιλοτίμως ἐχόντων πρὸς τὴν τῶν πράξεων ἐπίγνωσιν μεσολαβοῦσι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν.
One might justly censure those who insert excessively long speeches into histories or employ frequent rhetorical declamations; for they not only break the continuity of the narrative by the inappropriateness of the speeches they introduce, but also interrupt the desire of those who are eagerly devoted to the knowledge of the deeds.
καίτοι γε τοὺς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι βουλομένους λόγου δύναμιν ἔξεστι2 κατʼ ἰδίαν δημηγορίας καὶ πρεσβευτικοὺς λόγους, ἔτι δὲ ἐγκώμια καὶ ψόγους καὶ τἄλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα συντάττεσθαι· τῇ γὰρ οἰκονομίᾳ τῶν λόγων χρησάμενοι καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις χωρὶς ἑκατέρας ἐξεργασάμενοι κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἐν ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς πραγματείαις εὐδοκιμοῖεν.
And yet, it is permitted for those who wish to display the power of eloquence to compose speeches of the assembly and embassy, and furthermore panegyrics, vituperations, and other such things separately; for by employing a proper management of discourse and working out each subject apart, they would reasonably win renown in both undertakings.
νῦν δʼ ἔνιοι πλεονάσαντες ἐν τοῖς ῥητορικοῖς λόγοις προσθήκην ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ὅλην ἱστορίαν τῆς δημηγορίας.3 λυπεῖ δʼ οὐ μόνον τὸ κακῶς γραφέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιτετεῦχθαι τόπων καὶ καιρῶν τῆς οἰκείας τάξεως διημαρτηκός.4
But as it is, some, having gone to excess in rhetorical speeches, have made the whole history a mere appendix to the speech. It is painful not only when something is badly written, but even when that which seems in other respects to be successful is mistaken in the proper order of places and times.
διὸ καὶ τῶν ἀναγινωσκόντων τὰς τοιαύτας πραγματείας οἱ μὲν ὑπερβαίνουσι τὰς ῥητορείας, κἂν ὅλως ἐπιτετεῦχθαι δόξωσιν, οἱ δὲ διὰ τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὴν ἀκαιρίαν τοῦ συγγραφέως ἐκλυθέντες τὰς ψυχὰς5 τὸ παράπαν ἀφίστανται τῆς ἀναγνώσεως, οὐκ ἀλόγως τοῦτο πάσχοντες·
For this reason, of those who read such works, some skip over the rhetorical speeches, even if they seem to be entirely successful, while others, exhausted in their minds by the length and inappropriateness of the author, abandon the reading altogether, undergoing this not without reason.
τὸ γὰρ τῆς ἱστορίας γένος ἁπλοῦν ἐστι καὶ συμφυὲς αὑτῷ καὶ τὸ σύνολον ἐμψύχῳ σώματι παραπλήσιον, οὗ τὸ μὲν ἐσπαραγμένον ἐστέρηται τῆς ψυχικῆς χάριτος, τὸ δὲ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν σύνθεσιν ἔχον εὐκαίρως τετήρηται καὶ τῷ συμφυεῖ τῆς ὅλης περιγραφῆς ἐπιτερπῆ καὶ σαφῆ παρίστησι6 τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν.
For the genre of history is simple and organically united with itself, and as a whole resembles a living body, of which the mangled part is deprived of its vital grace, whereas that which keeps its necessary composition is preserved in a proper state, and by the organic unity of the entire outline renders the reading delightful and clear.
- 20.1.1τοῖς ... παρεμβάλλουσιν ἢ ... χρωμένοις
This is the dative object governed by the potential optative verb ἐπιτιμήσειεν ("might censure").
- 20.1.2ἔξεστι
An impersonal verb meaning "it is permitted/possible," which here governs an accusative with infinitive construction where τοὺς ... βουλομένους is the subject accusative and συντάττεσθαι is the infinitive.
- 20.1.3προσθήκην ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ὅλην ἱστορίαν τῆς δημηγορίας
A construction equivalent to a double accusative, where τὴν ὅλην ἱστορίαν ("the whole history") is the direct object and προσθήκην ("appendix/supplement") is the predicate accusative. The genitive τῆς δημηγορίας modifies προσθήκην, indicating "an appendix to the speech."
- 20.1.3τόπων καὶ καιρῶν τῆς οἰκείας τάξεως ... διημαρτηκός
The neuter nominative perfect active participle διημαρτηκός ("having missed/failed") modifies the preceding τὸ δοκοῦν ("that which seems"). It governs the genitive of separation/deprivation (τόπων καὶ καιρῶν τῆς οἰκείας τάξεως, "the proper order of places and times") required by the verb διαμαρτάνω.
- 20.1.4ἐκλυθέντες τὰς ψυχὰς
The passive participle ἐκλυθέντες ("weakened/exhausted") is combined with τὰς ψυχὰς ("in their minds/souls"), which functions as an accusative of respect, meaning "spiritually exhausted."
- 20.1.5οὗ τὸ μὲν ἐσπαραγμένον ... τὸ δὲ ... ἔχον ... παρίστησι
The relative pronoun in the genitive οὗ (referring back to ἐμψύχῳ σώματι, "a living body") is placed at the beginning of the clause, introducing a contrastive μὲν ... δέ ... structure. τὸ μὲν ἐσπαραγμένον ("the mangled part") is contrasted with τὸ δὲ ... ἔχον ("that which keeps..."), and the latter serves as the subject of the main verb παρίστησι.