- 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-grc2:12.9.1-12.9.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Timaeus claims to have actually visited the Locrians in Greece and Italy to study their historical documents and laws, arguing that they prove their colony was established by free men rather than runaway slaves, unlike Aristotle who relied on mere probable reasoning.
σκεψώμεθα δὴ καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Τιμαίου προαίρεσιν, καὶ τὰς ἀποφάσεις συγκρίνωμεν ἐκ παραθέσεως, ἃς πεποίηται περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀποικίας, ἵνα γνῶμεν πότερος ἄξιος ἔσται τῆς τοιαύτης κατηγορίας. φησὶ τοιγαροῦν κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν βύβλον, οὐκέτι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν εἰκότα λόγον χρώμενος τοῖς ἐλέγχοις, ἀλλʼ ἀληθινῶς αὐτὸς ἐπιβαλὼν εἰς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα Λοκρούς, ἐξετάζειν1 τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀποικίας.
Let us indeed examine also the purpose of Timaeus himself, and compare by juxtaposition the statements which he has made concerning the same colony, in order that we may know which of the two will be worthy of such an accusation. He says, therefore, in the same book, no longer employing the same probable reasoning for his refutations, but having himself actually gone to the Locrians in Greece, that he investigated the matters concerning the colony;
τοὺς δὲ2 πρῶτον μὲν ἐπιδεικνύειν αὐτῷ συνθήκας ἐγγράπτους, ἔτι καὶ νῦν διαμενούσας, πρὸς τοὺς ἐξαπεσταλμένους, αἷς ὑπογεγράφθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν3 τοιαύτην "ὡς γονεῦσι πρὸς τέκνα.
and that they, in the first place, showed him written covenants, still remaining even now, made with those who had been sent out, in which the beginning was inscribed to this effect: “as parents to children”;
" πρὸς δὲ τούτοις εἶναι δόγματα, καθʼ ἃ πολιτείαν ὑπάρχειν ἑκατέροις παρʼ ἑκατέροις. καθόλου διακούοντας τὴν Ἀριστοτέλους ἐξήγησιν περὶ τῆς ἀποικίας θαυμάζειν τὴν ἰταμότητα τοῦ συγγραφέως.
and in addition to these, that there were decrees according to which citizenship existed for each in the country of the other; and that, on the whole, hearing of Aristotle’s exposition about the colony, they wondered at the audacity of the writer.
μεταβὰς δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ Λοκροὺς εὑρίσκειν ἀκολούθους καὶ τοὺς νόμους φησὶ τοὺς παρʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοὺς ἐθισμοὺς οὐ τῇ τῶν οἰκετῶν ῥᾳδιουργίᾳ, τῇ δὲ τῶν ἐλευθέρων ἀποικίᾳ·
And passing over again to the Locrians in Italy, he says that he found their laws and customs to be in accordance, not with the reckless conduct of slaves, but with the colonization of free men;
πάντως γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ἀνδραποδισταῖς ἐπιτίμια τετάχθαι παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ὁμοίως τοῖς μοιχοῖς, τοῖς δραπέταις· ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν ὑπάρχειν,4 εἰ συνῄδεισαν αὑτοῖς ἐκ τοιούτων πεφυκόσι.
for assuredly penalties had been established among them for kidnappers, just as for adulterers and runaways; none of which would exist if they had been conscious that they were descended from such people.
- 12.9.2ἐξετάζειν
Infinitive in indirect discourse dependent on the verb φησί in the previous section (§12.9.1). The infinitives ἐπιδεικνύειν in §12.9.3, and εἶναι and θαυμάζειν in §12.9.4 are likewise governed by φησί.
- 12.9.3τοὺς δὲ
Accusative serving as the subject of the infinitive ἐπιδεικνύειν, referring to 'the Locrians in Greece'.
- 12.9.3τὴν ἀρχὴν
Adverbial accusative meaning 'at the beginning' or 'originally'. Alternatively, it can be construed as the subject of the perfect passive infinitive ὑπογεγράφθαι ('the beginning [was written]...').
- 12.9.6ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν ὑπάρχειν
Apodosis of a contrary-to-fact condition in indirect discourse. The direct form ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν ὑπῆρχεν (past indicative with ἄν) becomes the infinitive with ἄν (ἂν ὑπάρχειν) due to the governing verb φησί. The protasis is the following εἰ συνῄδεισαν (past indicative).