- 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-grc2:11.28.1-11.28.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
Scipio presents three motives for rebelling against one's country and leaders to the mutineers. He argues that their revolt lacks any justifiable cause and is as unnatural as parricide, demanding to know the true reason for their dissatisfaction.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ1 οὕτω πως ἤρξατο τῶν λόγων. ἔφη γὰρ θαυμάζειν τίνι δυσαρεστήσαντες ἢ ποίαις ἐλπίσιν ἐπαρθέντες ἐπεβάλοντο ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀπόστασιν.
Nevertheless, he began his speech in some such way as this. For he said he wondered at what they were dissatisfied or by what hopes they were encouraged that they had undertaken to make this revolt.
τρεῖς γὰρ αἰτίας εἶναι, διʼ ἃς τολμῶσι στασιάζειν ἄνθρωποι πρὸς πατρίδα καὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους, ὅταν τοῖς προεστῶσι μέμφωνταί τι καὶ δυσχεραίνωσιν, ἢ τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις πράγμασι δυσαρεστῶσιν, ἢ καὶ νὴ Δία μειζόνων ὀρεχθῶσι καὶ καλλιόνων ἐλπίδων.
For there were three reasons on account of which men dare to rebel against their country and their leaders: when they find some fault with and are displeased with their rulers, or are dissatisfied with their present circumstances, or indeed, by Zeus, when they long for greater and fairer hopes.
"ἐρωτῶ δὲ τί τούτων ὑμῖν ὑπῆρξεν; ἐμοὶ δῆλον ὅτι δυσηρεστήσασθε, διότι τὰς σιταρχίας ὑμῖν οὐκ ἀπεδίδουν·
”And I ask, which of these applied to you? It is clear to me that you were dissatisfied because I did not pay you your allowance.
ἀλλὰ τοῦτʼ ἐμὸν μὲν οὐκ ἦν ἔγκλημα· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀρχὴν οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἐνέλειπε τῶν ὀψωνίων·
But this was not an accusation against me; for under my command nothing of your pay was lacking to you.
εἰ δʼ ἄρʼ ἦν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης, διότι τὰ πάλαι προσοφειλόμενα νῦν οὐ διωρθοῦτο2 —
But if indeed the cause was from Rome, because what had long been due was not now being made good —
πότερον οὖν ἐχρῆν ἀποστάτας γενομένους τῆς πατρίδος καὶ πολεμίους τῆς θρεψάσης οὕτως ἐγκαλεῖν ἢ παρόντας λέγειν μὲν περὶ τούτων πρὸς ἐμέ, παρακαλεῖν δὲ τοὺς φίλους συνεπιλαβέσθαι καὶ βοηθεῖν ὑμῖν;
was it then proper, by becoming rebels against your country and enemies of her who nurtured you, thus to bring charges, or rather, remaining present, to speak about these things to me, and to entreat your friends to join in helping you?
δοκῶ γάρ, ἦν τοῦτο βέλτιον. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ μισθοῦ παρά τισι στρατευομένοις ἔστιν ὅτε συγγνώμην δοτέον ἀφισταμένοις τῶν μισθοδοτῶν, τοῖς δʼ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν πολεμοῦσι καὶ γυναικῶν ἰδίων καὶ τέκνων οὐδαμῶς συγχωρητέον·
For I think this would have been better. For while to those who serve for pay under some masters, pardon must sometimes be granted when they revolt from their employers; but to those who fight on behalf of themselves and their own wives and children, it is by no means to be permitted.
ἔστι γὰρ παραπλήσιον ὡς ἂν εἴ τις ὑπὸ γονέως ἰδίου φάσκων εἰς ἀργυρίου λόγον ἀδικεῖσθαι παρείη3 μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων, ἀποκτενῶν τοῦτον παρʼ οὗ τὸ ζῆν αὐτὸς ἔλαβε.
For it is just as if someone, claiming to be wronged by his own parent in respect to money, should come with arms to kill him from whom he himself received life.
νὴ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τὰς μὲν κακοπαθείας ὑμῖν καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους πλείους ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπέταττον, τὰ δὲ λυσιτελῆ καὶ τὰς ὠφελείας ἑτέροις μᾶλλον ἐμέριζον·
By Zeus, but did I impose upon you hardships and dangers greater than on the others, while distributing profits and benefits to others rather than you?
ἀλλʼ οὔτε τολμᾶτε τοῦτο λέγειν οὔτε τολμήσαντες δύναισθʼ ἂν ἀποδεῖξαι.
But neither do you dare to say this, nor if you dared, would you be able to prove it.
τί οὖν ἐστιν, ἐφʼ ᾧ δυσαρεστούμενοι κατὰ τὸ παρὸν ἡμῖν τὰς ἀποστάσεις ἐποιήσασθε; τοῦτʼ ἤδη βούλομαι πυθέσθαι· δοκῶ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν οὔτʼ ἐρεῖν οὔτʼ ἐπινοήσειν ὑμῶν
What is it then, at which being dissatisfied with us at present, you made your revolts? This indeed I now wish to learn; for I think you will neither say nor even devise any excuse...”
- 11.28.1οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ
An idiomatic phrase meaning "nevertheless" or "but yet," used here to transition abruptly after describing the soldiers' astonishment at the general's healthy appearance.
- 11.28.5εἰ δʼ ἄρʼ ἦν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης, διότι τὰ πάλαι προσοφειλόμενα νῦν οὐ διωρθοῦτο —
A conditional clause (eἰ... ἦν... διότι...) is introduced, but its apodosis is suppressed and cut off by a dash, with the logic transitioning directly to the rhetorical question in §11.28.6. This is an instance of aposiopesis or anacoluthon, reflecting the emotional intensity of the speech.
- 11.28.8ὡς ἂν εἴ τις ... παρείη
The phrase ὡς ἂν εἰ (or ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ) takes the optative (here, the present optative παρείη) to express a hypothetical comparison ("just as if someone were to..."). It is followed by the future participle ἀποκτενῶν, which expresses purpose ("intending to kill").