- 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-grc2:11.13.1-11.13.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
A fierce battle begins between the cavalry and mercenary forces of the Achaeans and Machanidas, remaining equal at first, but the tyrant's mercenaries eventually prevail. Polybius explains this difference in performance by analyzing the contrasting motivations of democratic citizen soldiers and the mercenaries of tyrants.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον αὐτῶν τούτων ἀνδρώδης ἦν ἡ σύμπτωσις· κατὰ βραχὺ δὲ προσγινομένων τοῖς πιεζομένοις τῶν εὐζώνων, ἐν πάνυ βραχεῖ χρόνῳ συνέβη τὸ παρʼ ἑκατέρων ξενικὸν ἀναμὶξ γενέσθαι, πάντῃ δὲ τούτων συμπλοκῆς ἁθρόως καὶ κατʼ ἄνδρα γινομένης ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον πάρισος ἦν ὁ κίνδυνος οὕτως ὥστε τὰς λοιπὰς δυνάμεις, καραδοκούσας καθʼ ὁποτέρων ὁ κονιορτὸς τραπήσεται, μὴ δύνασθαι συμβαλεῖν διὰ τὸ μένειν ἀμφοτέρους ἐπὶ πολὺ διακατέχοντας1 ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τόπον.
At first, then, the clash of these very men was manly; but as the light-armed troops gradually came to the support of those who were hard pressed, in a very short time it came about that the mercenaries of both sides were mixed together. Since their entanglement took place everywhere, both in bodies and hand-to-hand, the danger remained equal for a long time, so that the remaining forces, watching to see which way the dust would be driven, were unable to join the battle, because both sides remained for a long time holding their original position in the fight.
χρόνου δὲ γινομένου κατίσχυον καὶ τῷ πλήθει καὶ ταῖς εὐχειρίαις διὰ τὴν ἕξιν οἱ παρὰ τοῦ τυράννου μισθοφόροι.
But as time went on, the mercenaries of the tyrant began to prevail, both in numbers and in skill because of their training.
τοῦτο δʼ εἰκότως καὶ τὸ παράπαν εἴωθε γίνεσθαι.
And this is natural and generally accustomed to happen.
ὅσῳ γὰρ συμβαίνει τοὺς ἐν ταῖς δημοκρατίαις ὄχλους προθυμοτέρους ὑπάρχειν ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς ἀγῶσι τῶν τοῖς τυράννοις πολιτικῶν ὑποταττομένων, τοσούτῳ2 τὰ παρὰ τοῖς μονάρχοις ξενικὰ τῶν ἐν ταῖς δημοκρατίαις μισθοφορούντων εἰκὸς ὑπεράγειν καὶ διαφέρειν.
For in proportion as the multitudes in democracies show greater enthusiasm in warlike contests than citizens subjected to tyrants, so much is it natural for the foreign mercenaries of monarchs to excel and surpass those who serve for pay in democracies.
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἐκείνων οἷς μὲν ὑπὲρ ἐλευθερίας ἐστίν, οἷς δʼ ὑπὲρ δουλείας ὁ κίνδυνος, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν μισθοφόρων οἷς μὲν ὑπὲρ ὁμολογουμένης ἐπανορθώσεως, οἷς δʼ ὑπὲρ προδήλου βλάβης3 γίνεται φιλοτιμία.
For just as in the case of the former, the danger for some is for freedom, and for others for slavery, so in the case of the mercenaries, the rivalry is for some for an acknowledged improvement of their condition, and for others for obvious harm.
δημοκρατία μὲν γάρ, ἐπανελομένη τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύσαντας, οὐκέτι μισθοφόροις τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτῆς ἐλευθερίαν· τυραννὶς δʼ ὅσῳ μειζόνων ἐφίεται, τοσούτῳ πλειόνων προσδεῖται μισθοφόρων.
For a democracy, having destroyed those who plotted against it, no longer guards its own freedom with mercenaries; but a tyranny, the greater the objects it aims at, needs so many the more mercenaries.
πλείονας γὰρ ἀδικοῦσα πλείονας ἔχει καὶ τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας. ἡ δὲ τῶν μονάρχων ἀσφάλεια τὸ παράπαν ἐν τῇ τῶν ξένων εὐνοίᾳ κεῖται καὶ δυνάμει.
For by doing wrong to more people, it also has more who plot against it; and the security of monarchs rests entirely on the goodwill and power of foreigners.
- 11.13.2διὰ τὸ μένειν ἀμφοτέρους ἐπὶ πολὺ διακατέχοντας
In the accusative and infinitive construction, ἀμφοτέρους is the subject accusative of the infinitive μένειν governed by the preposition διά, and the participle διακατέχοντας agrees with it in gender, number, and case (accusative plural masculine).
- 11.13.5ὅσῳ γὰρ ... τοσούτῳ ...
A correlative comparative construction using ὅσῳ ... τοσούτῳ ('in proportion as ... so much ...'). In the first clause, τῶν ὑποταττομένων (genitive) functions as a genitive of comparison dependent on the comparative προθυμοτέρους, and in the second clause, τῶν μισθοφορούντων likewise acts as a genitive of comparison with the verbs of superiority ὑπεράγειν καὶ διαφέρειν.
- 11.13.6οἷς μὲν ὑπὲρ ὁμολογουμένης ἐπανορθώσεως, οἷς δʼ ὑπὲρ προδήλου βλάβης
The datives οἷς μὲν and οἷς δʼ are relative pronouns (functioning as datives of interest/advantage under the influence of ἐπί), referring respectively to the mercenaries of the monarchs and those of the democracies. The former's rivalry/zeal is for an 'acknowledged improvement' of their standing (ἐπανόρθωσις), whereas the latter's involves 'obvious harm' (βλάβη, i.e., dismissal or risk without real gain).