- 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-grc2:11.10.1-11.10.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
Philopoemen won great credibility through a simple life consistent with his words, and after training the Peloponnesian forces for less than eight months, he assembled them at Mantinea for their common liberty.
οὕτως εἷς λόγος εὐκαίρως ῥηθεὶς ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀξιοπίστου πολλάκις οὐ μόνον ἀποτρέπει τῶν χειρίστων, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρορμᾷ πρὸς τὰ κάλλιστα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.
Thus a single word opportunely spoken by a trustworthy man often not only turns men away from the worst things, but also urges them towards the noblest.
ὅταν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἴδιον βίον ἀκόλουθον εἰσφέρηται τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὁ παρακαλῶν, ἀνάγκη λαμβάνειν τὴν πρώτην πίστιν τὴν παραίνεσιν. ὃ δὴ περὶ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἄνδρα μάλιστʼ ἄν τις ἴδοι γινόμενον.1
And when the exhorter presents his own life as consistent with his words, it is necessary that his exhortation should gain the highest credibility. This indeed is what one might see happening most of all in the case of that man.
κατά τε γὰρ τὴν ἐσθῆτα καὶ τὴν σίτησιν ἀφελὴς καὶ λιτὸς ἦν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τὰς τοῦ σώματος θεραπείας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐντεύξεις, εὐπερίκοπτος καὶ ἀνεπίφθονος·
For in both dress and food he was simple and plain, and likewise in his bodily care, and also in his social intercourse, easily accessible and free from envy;
περί γε μὴν τοῦ παρʼ ὅλον τὸν βίον ἀληθεύειν μεγίστην ἐποιήσατο σπουδήν. τοιγάρτοι βραχέα καὶ τὰ τυχόντʼ ἀποφαινόμενος μεγάλην ἐγκατέλειπε πίστιν τοῖς ἀκούουσι·
and moreover, he made the greatest effort to speak the truth throughout his whole life. Therefore, even when expressing brief and ordinary remarks, he left a great impression of credibility in his hearers;
παράδειγμα γὰρ ἐν πᾶσι τὸν ἴδιον βίον εἰσφερόμενος οὐ πολλῶν ἐποίει προσδεῖσθαι λόγων τοὺς ἀκούοντας.
for by presenting his own life as an example in all things, he made his hearers have no need of many words.
διὸ καὶ πολλάκις λόγους μακροὺς καὶ δοκοῦντας ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων δεόντως εἰρῆσθαι διʼ ὀλίγων ῥημάτων τῇ πίστει καὶ ταῖς ἐννοίαις τῶν πραγμάτων ὁλοσχερῶς ἐξέβαλε.
Wherefore also he often entirely overthrew, with a few words, long speeches which seemed to have been properly delivered by his political opponents, through his credibility and the truth of the facts.
πλὴν τότε συντελεσθέντος τοῦ διαβουλίου πάντες ἐπανῆγον ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις, τά τε ῥηθέντα καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα διαφερόντως ἀποδεδεγμένοι, καὶ νομίζοντες οὐδʼ ἂν παθεῖν οὐδὲν δεινὸν ἐκείνου προεστῶτος.2
However, when the council was then concluded, they all returned to their cities, having singularly approved both the speeches and the man, and thinking that they would suffer no harm as long as he was at their head.
ὁ δὲ Φιλοποίμην εὐθέως ἐπεπορεύετο τὰς πόλεις, ἐνεργῶς καὶ μετὰ σπουδῆς ποιούμενος τὴν ἔφοδον.
But Philopoemen immediately went round the cities, making his visitation actively and with zeal.
κἄπειτα συναγαγὼν τοὺς ὄχλους ἅμα μὲν ἐγύμναζεν ἅμα δὲ συνέταττε καὶ τέλος οὐδʼ ὅλους ὀκτὼ μῆνας χρησάμενος τῇ τοιαύτῃ παρασκευῇ καὶ μελέτῃ συνῆγε τὰς δυνάμεις εἰς Μαντίνειαν, διαγωνιούμενος πρὸς τὸν τύραννον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων Πελοποννησίων ἐλευθερίας.
And then, having assembled the multitudes, he both trained them and drew them up in order at the same time, and finally, having employed such preparation and practice for not even a full eight months, he assembled his forces at Mantinea, to fight to the end against the tyrant for the liberty of all the Peloponnesians.
- 11.10.2ὃ δὴ περὶ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἄνδρα μάλιστʼ ἄν τις ἴδοι γινόμενον
The relative pronoun ὃ has the entire preceding clause as its antecedent ("when the exhorter's life matches his words, his exhortation gains the highest credibility"). The phrase ἄν τις ἴδοι is a potential optative, meaning "anyone might see."
- 11.10.7οὐδʼ ἂν παθεῖν οὐδὲν δεινὸν ἐκείνου προεστῶτος
The infinitive with particle ἂν παθεῖν depends on the participle νομίζοντες in indirect discourse, representing the potential optative ἂν πάθοιμεν in direct discourse. The genitive absolute ἐκείνου προεστῶτος functions conditionally ("if he were at their head").