- Source
- Polybius. Vols. 1-4. Büttner-Wobst, Theodor, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.
- 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:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.5.1-1.5.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The author discusses establishing the starting point of the book with the first crossing of the Romans out of Italy to Sicily, and explains the criteria and importance of setting such a beginning.
Ὑποθησόμεθα δὲ ταύτης ἀρχὴν1 τῆς βύβλου τὴν πρώτην διάβασιν ἐξ Ἰταλίας Ῥωμαίων. αὕτη δʼ ἔστιν συνεχὴς μὲν τοῖς ἀφʼ ὧν2 Τίμαιος ἀπέλιπεν, πίπτει δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐνάτην καὶ εἰκοστὴν πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατὸν ὀλυμπιάδα.
We shall set as the beginning of this book the first crossing of the Romans out of Italy. This is continuous with the events from where Timaeus left off, and it falls in the one hundred and twenty-ninth Olympiad.
διὸ καὶ ῥητέον ἂν εἴη3 πῶς καὶ πότε συστησάμενοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν καὶ τίσιν ἀφορμαῖς μετὰ ταῦτα χρησάμενοι διαβαίνειν ὥρμησαν εἰς Σικελίαν· ταύτῃ γὰρ τῇ γῇ πρῶτον ἐπέβησαν τῶν ἐκτὸς τόπων τῆς Ἰταλίας.
Therefore, it must be told how and when they settled their affairs in Italy, and with what resources after this they set out to cross over into Sicily; for this was the first land outside Italy they set foot on.
καὶ ῥητέον αὐτὴν τὴν τῆς διαβάσεως αἰτίαν ψιλῶς, ἵνα μὴ τῆς αἰτίας αἰτίαν ἐπιζητούσης4 ἀνυπόστατος ἡ τῆς ὅλης ὑποθέσεως ἀρχὴ γένηται καὶ θεωρία.
And we must state the cause itself of the crossing simply, lest, with cause seeking cause, the starting point and study of our entire undertaking should become without foundation.
ληπτέον δὲ καὶ τοῖς καιροῖς ὁμολογουμένην καὶ γνωριζομένην ἀρχὴν παρʼ ἅπασι καὶ τοῖς πράγμασι δυναμένην αὐτὴν ἐξ αὑτῆς θεωρεῖσθαι, κἂν δέῃ τοῖς χρόνοις βραχὺ προσαναδραμόντας5 κεφαλαιώδη τῶν μεταξὺ πράξεων ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
And we must take a starting point that is agreed upon and recognized by all in terms of its dates, and capable of being examined by itself in terms of its events, even if we must run back a little in time to make a summary recollection of the transactions in the interval.
τῆς γὰρ ἀρχῆς ἀγνοουμένης ἢ καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἀμφισβητουμένης οὐδὲ τῶν ἑξῆς οὐδὲν οἷόν τε παραδοχῆς ἀξιωθῆναι καὶ πίστεως· ὅταν δʼ ἡ περὶ ταύτης ὁμολογουμένη παρασκευασθῇ δόξα, τότʼ ἤδη καὶ πᾶς ὁ συνεχὴς λόγος ἀποδοχῆς τυγχάνει παρὰ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν.
For if the starting point is unknown, or indeed, by Zeus, disputed, none of the subsequent parts can be deemed worthy of acceptance and belief; but when an agreed opinion concerning this is established, then at once the entire continuous narrative also wins acceptance among the audience.
- 1.5.1ἀρχὴν
ἀρχήν functions as a predicate accusative to the direct object of the sentence, τὴν πρώτην διάβασιν, meaning 'we shall establish [the crossing] as the beginning'.
- 1.5.1τοῖς ἀφʼ ὧν
A relative clause with the omission of the antecedent. τοῖς is a demonstrative pronoun (dative, meaning 'with the things'), and ἀφ' ὧν is a contraction or attraction of ἀπὸ ἐκείνων ἃ... ('from the point where [Timaeus left off]').
- 1.5.2ῥητέον ἂν εἴη
The verbal adjective ῥητέον (in an impersonal construction) combined with ἂν εἴη (present optative with ἄν) expresses a potential or polite assertion ('it would be necessary to state').
- 1.5.3τῆς αἰτίας αἰτίαν ἐπιζητούσης
A genitive absolute construction expressing cause or condition: 'with cause seeking (another) cause,' which warns against an infinite regress of explanations.
- 1.5.4προσαναδραμόντας
An aorist active participle in the masculine accusative plural, agreeing with the implied subject of the infinitive ποιήσασθαι (the omitted accusative subject ἡμᾶς representing the author/readers).