- 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-grc2:12.7.1-12.7.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Polybius discusses Timaeus's bias in historical writing compared to Aristotle's probability, arguing that a distinction must be made between errors made out of ignorance and deliberate falsehoods.
ὅτι1 πολλὰ ἱστορεῖ ψευδῆ ὁ Τίμαιος, καὶ δοκεῖ τὸ παράπαν οὐκ ἄπειρος ὢν2 οὐδενὸς τῶν τοιούτων, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς φιλονεικίας ἐπισκοτούμενος, ὅταν ἅπαξ ἢ ψέγειν ἢ τοὐναντίον ἐγκωμιάζειν τινὰ πρόθηται, πάντων ἐπιλανθάνεται καὶ πολύ τι τοῦ καθήκοντος παρεκβαίνει.
That Timaeus records many falsehoods, and though he seems to be by no means inexperienced in any of such matters, yet being blinded by animosity, whenever he once proposes to censure or, on the contrary, to praise someone, he forgets everything and deviates far from his duty.
πλὴν ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ Ἀριστοτέλους εἰρήσθω3 πῶς καὶ τίσι προσέχων τοιαύτην ἐποιήσατο τὴν περὶ τῶν Λοκρῶν ἐξήγησιν·
However, let this much be said by us on behalf of Aristotle, showing how and with attention to what facts he made such an exposition concerning the Locrians;
τὰ δὲ λέγεσθαι μέλλοντα περὶ Τιμαίου καὶ τῆς ὅλης συντάξεως αὐτοῦ καὶ καθόλου περὶ τοῦ καθήκοντος τοῖς πραγματευομένοις ἱστορίαν τοιάνδε τινὰ λήψεται τὴν ἀπάντησιν.
but what is about to be said concerning Timaeus and his whole work, and in general concerning the duty of those who write history, will receive some such answer.
ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἀμφότεροι κατὰ τὸν εἰκότα λόγον πεποίηνται τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν, καὶ διότι πλείους εἰσὶ πιθανότητες ἐν τῇ κατʼ Ἀριστοτέλην ἱστορίᾳ, δοκῶ, πᾶς ἄν τις ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ὁμολογήσειεν· ἀληθὲς μέντοι γε καὶ καθάπαξ διαστεῖλαι περί τινος οὐδὲν ἔστιν ἐν τούτοις.
That both of them, then, have made their arguments based on probable reasoning, and that there are more probabilities in the account of Aristotle, I think everyone would agree from what has been said; yet there is nothing in these matters that is absolutely true and capable of being decided once and for all.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἔστω τὸν Τίμαιον εἰκότα λέγειν μᾶλλον. διὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν δεήσει πᾶν ῥῆμα καὶ πᾶσαν φωνὴν ἀκούειν καὶ μόνον οὐ θανάτου κρίσιν ὑπέχειν τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἱστορίαις ἧττον εἰκότα λέγοντας;4 οὐ δήπου.
Nevertheless, let Timaeus be assumed to speak with greater probability. Is it then necessary, for this reason, that those who speak with less probability in histories should hear every harsh word and voice, and undergo little short of a sentence of death? Surely not.
τοῖς μὲν γὰρ κατʼ ἄγνοιαν ψευδογραφοῦσιν5 ἔφαμεν δεῖν διόρθωσιν εὐμενικὴν καὶ συγγνώμην ἐξακολουθεῖν, τοῖς δὲ κατὰ προαίρεσιν ἀπαραίτητον κατηγορίαν.
For to those who write falsehoods through ignorance, we said that kindly correction and forgiveness should be extended, but to those who do so by deliberate choice, inexorable accusation.
- 12.7.1ὅτι
This sentence-initial ὅτι either introduces a noun clause summarizing the previous discussion, or functions as a causal conjunction ("for", "because"). It introduces a general statement about Timaeus's unfair criticisms.
- 12.7.1δοκεῖ τὸ παράπαν οὐκ ἄπειρος ὢν
The nominative participle ὢν agrees with the subject (Timaeus) and here functions concessively ("although he seems to be by no means..."). It acts as a predicative participle with the verb δοκεῖ ("he seems").
- 12.7.2εἰρήσθω
The third-person singular perfect passive imperative of λέγω. It is a formulaic expression used to mark the conclusion of a topic: "let this much have been said" or "let this suffice."
- 12.7.5δεήσει πᾶν ῥῆμα καὶ πᾶσαν φωνὴν ἀκούειν καὶ μόνον οὐ θανάτου κρίσιν ὑπέχειν τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἱστορίαις ἧττον εἰκότα λέγοντας
An accusative-with-infinitive construction functioning as the subject of the impersonal verb δεήσει ("it will be necessary"). The accusative subject of the infinitives ἀκούειν and ὑπέχειν is τοὺς ... λέγοντας ("those who speak with less probability"), while πᾶν ῥῆμα καὶ πᾶσαν φωνὴν ("every word and every voice") is the accusative object of ἀκούειν.
- 12.7.6τοῖς μὲν γὰρ κατʼ ἄγνοιαν ψευδογραφοῦσιν
The dative τοῖς ... ψευδογραφοῦσιν is governed by the infinitive ἐξακολουθεῖν ("to follow upon", "to attend"), which is dependent on δεῖν ("it is necessary"). The subsequent phrase τοῖς δὲ κατὰ προαίρεσιν stands in the same dative construction with the ellipsis of the verbal elements.