- 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-grc2:12.25e.1-12.25e.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Polybius divides historical writing into three parts (documentary research, geographical observation, and political practice) and criticizes Timaeus, who relies solely on books, comparing him to someone who thinks he is a painter merely by looking at paintings.
τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον1 καὶ τῆς πραγματικῆς ἱστορίας ὑπαρχούσης τριμεροῦς, τῶν δὲ μερῶν αὐτῆς ἑνὸς μὲν ὄντος τοῦ περὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασι πολυπραγμοσύνην καὶ τὴν παράθεσιν τῆς ἐκ τούτων ὕλης, ἑτέρου δὲ τοῦ περὶ τὴν θέαν τῶν πόλεων καὶ τῶν τόπων περί τε ποταμῶν καὶ λιμένων καὶ καθόλου τῶν κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν ἰδιωμάτων καὶ διαστημάτων, τρίτου δὲ τοῦ περὶ τὰς πράξεις τὰς πολιτικάς, παραπλησίως ἐφίενται μὲν ταύτης πολλοὶ διὰ τὴν προγεγενημένην περὶ αὐτῆς δόξαν, προσφέρονται δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι τῶν γραφόντων ἁπλῶς δίκαιον οὐδὲν πλὴν εὐχέρειαν καὶ τόλμαν καὶ ῥᾳδιουργίαν, παραπλήσιον τοῖς φαρμακοπώλαις δοξοκοποῦντες καὶ πρὸς χάριν λέγοντες ἀεὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς ἕνεκα τοῦ πορίζειν τὸν βίον διὰ τούτων· περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἄξιον πλείω ποιεῖσθαι λόγον.
In the same way, practical history being also threefold, and one of its parts being that which is concerned with diligent research in records and the comparison of the material derived from them, another with the observation of cities and places, and of rivers and harbors, and in general the peculiarities and distances on land and sea, and a third with political and military actions, similarly many people long for it because of the reputation previously associated with it, but most of those who write bring to the undertaking absolutely nothing that is proper, except for facility, audacity, and recklessness, seeking reputation in a manner similar to drug-sellers, and always speaking to please, according to the occasions, for the sake of earning their living through these means; concerning whom it is not worthwhile to make any further speech.
ἔνιοι δὲ τῶν δοκούντων εὐλόγως προσάγειν πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν, καθάπερ οἱ λογικοὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν ἐνδιατρίψαντες ταῖς βυβλιοθήκαις καὶ καθόλου τὴν ἐκ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων περιποιησάμενοι πολυπειρίαν πείθουσιν αὑτοὺς ὡς ὄντες ἱκανοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολήν, καὶ τοῖς ἐκτὸς ἀρκούντως δοκοῦσι προσφέρεσθαι, μέρος,2 ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, πρὸς τὴν πραγματικὴν ἱστορίαν·
But some of those who seem with good reason to approach history, just like the theoretical physicians, having spent their time in libraries and in general acquired wide experience from records, persuade themselves that they are competent for the undertaking, and seem to the outside world to apply themselves sufficiently, but in my opinion, they contribute only a part to practical history.
τὸ γὰρ ἐποπτεῦσαι τὰ πρότερον ὑπομνήματα πρὸς μὲν τὸ γνῶναι τὰς τῶν ἀρχαίων διαλήψεις καὶ τὰς ἐννοίας ἃς πρὶν εἶχον ὑπὲρ διαθέσεων, τόπων, ἐθνῶν, πολιτειῶν, πράξεων, ἔτι δὲ πρὸς τὸ συνεῖναι τὰς ἑκάστων περιστάσεις καὶ τύχας, αἷς κέχρηνται κατὰ τοὺς ἀνωτέρω χρόνους, εὔχρηστόν ἐστι·
For to examine previous records is highly useful for knowing the judgments and conceptions which the ancients formerly held concerning situations, places, nations, constitutions, and actions, and furthermore for understanding the circumstances and fortunes which each of them encountered in earlier times.
συνεφίστησι γὰρ τὰ προγεγονότα πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἡμᾶς οἰκείως, ἐάν τις ὑπὲρ ἑκάστων ἀληθινῶς ἱστορῇ τὰ παρεληλυθότα·
For past events direct our attention appropriately to the future, if one inquires into the past truly concerning each matter.
τό γε μὴν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ταύτης τῆς δυνάμεως ὁρμηθέντα3 πεπεῖσθαι γράφειν τὰς ἐπιγινομένας πράξεις καλῶς, ὃ πέπεισται Τίμαιος, τελέως εὔηθες καὶ παραπλήσιον ὡς ἂν εἴ τις τὰ τῶν ἀρχαίων ζωγράφων ἔργα θεασάμενος ἱκανὸς οἴοιτο ζωγράφος εἶναι καὶ προστάτης τῆς τέχνης.
But to be persuaded that one will write subsequent events well, starting from this very capacity—which is what Timaeus is persuaded of—is completely foolish, and is similar to as if someone, having gazed upon the works of ancient painters, should think himself to be a sufficient painter and a master of the art.
- 12.25e.1τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον
Adverbial accusative ("in the same way"). It is used to introduce the correspondence between the threefold division of medicine in the previous chapter (§12.25d.2–3) and that of historical writing.
- 12.25e.4μέρος
Meaning "only a part," functioning here as a restrictive predicate (or accusative) in contrast to the whole. It indicates that historians who rely solely on books satisfy only "a part" of the three components of historical writing.
- 12.25e.7ὁρμηθέντα
An accusative participle functioning as the subject of the articular infinitive τό ... πεπεῖσθαι ("to be persuaded"), referring to a general person ("one starting from...").