- 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-grc2:15.24.1-15.24.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
This passage describes how Philip deceived and enslaved the friendly city of Thasos, criticizing the folly of a ruler who aims at world dominion but exposes his own untrustworthiness through immediate, minor perfidies.
ὅτι Φίλιππος κατὰ τὸν ἀνάπλουν ἕτερον ἐφʼ ἑτέρῳ παρασπόνδημα μεταχειριζόμενος προσέσχε περὶ μέσον ἡμέρας πρὸς τὴν τῶν Θασίων πόλιν, καὶ ταύτην φιλίαν οὖσαν ἐξηνδραποδίσατο. —
Philip, on his voyage, practicing one treaty-breaking after another, put in about midday at the city of the Thasians, and enslaved it, although it was a friendly one. —
Θάσιοι εἶπον πρὸς Μητρόδωρον τὸν Φιλίππου στρατηγὸν παραδοῦναι τὴν πόλιν εἰ διατηρήσοι1 αὐτοὺς ἀφρουρήτους, ἀφορολογήτους, ἀνεπισταθμεύτους, νόμοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἰδίοις. — συγχωρεῖν2 τὸν βασιλέα Θασίους ἀφρουρήτους, ἀφορολογήτους, ἀνεπισταθμεύτους, νόμοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἰδίοις. ἐπισημηναμένων δὲ μετὰ κραυγῆς πάντων τὰ ῥηθέντα παρήγαγον τὸν Φίλιππον εἰς τὴν πόλιν. —
The Thasians told Metrodorus, the general of Philip, that they would surrender the city if he would keep them free from garrisons, free from tribute, free from quartering, and (allow them) to use their own laws. — (Metrodorus replied that) the king agreed that the Thasians should be free from garrisons, free from tribute, free from quartering, and to use their own laws. When everyone had approved the terms with shouts, they conducted Philip into the city. —
ἴσως μὲν γὰρ πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς κατὰ τὰς πρώτας ἀρχὰς πᾶσι προτείνουσι τὸ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ὄνομα καὶ φίλους προσαγορεύουσι καὶ συμμάχους τοὺς κοινωνήσαντας σφίσι τῶν αὐτῶν ἐλπίδων, καθικόμενοι δὲ τῶν πράξεων παρὰ πόδας οὐ συμμαχικῶς, ἀλλὰ δεσποτικῶς χρῶνται τοῖς πιστεύσασι·
For perhaps all kings in their first beginnings hold out the name of freedom to everyone, and address as friends and allies those who have shared the same hopes with them; but when they have achieved their goals, they immediately treat those who trusted them not like allies, but like masters.
διὸ καὶ τοῦ μὲν καλοῦ διαψεύδονται, τοῦ δὲ παραυτὰ συμφέροντος ὡς ἐπίπαν οὐκ ἀποτυγχάνουσι·
For which reason also they are disappointed of the reputation of beauty, but they generally do not fail to obtain their immediate advantage.
τὸ δʼ ἐπιβαλλόμενον τοῖς μεγίστοις καὶ περιλαμβάνοντα ταῖς ἐλπίσι τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ πάσας ἀκμὴν ἀκεραίους ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπιβολὰς εὐθέως ἐν τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις καὶ πρώτοις τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων ἐπικηρύττειν3 ἅπασι τὴν ἀθεσίαν αὑτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀβεβαιότητα πῶς οὐκ ἂν δόξειεν ἀλόγιστον εἶναι καὶ μανικόν;
But for one who is aiming at the greatest prizes, embracing the whole world in his hopes, and having all his enterprises as yet unimpaired, immediately to proclaim to all his own perfidy and untrustworthiness in the case of the smallest and the very first of those who fell into his power, how could this not seem irrational and insane?
- 15.24.2εἰ διατηρήσοι
A future optative (oblique optative) representing the future indicative εἰ διατηρήσει of direct speech, shifted due to the historical main verb εἶπον. Together with the parallel infinitive χρῆσθαι, it forms the conditional clause presented by the Thasians.
- 15.24.2συγχωρεῖν
An independent infinitive (accusative with infinitive) functioning in context as indirect speech of Metrodorus's reply, meaning '(Metrodorus said that) the king agreed...'. It serves as the acceptance of the terms requested by the Thasians.
- 15.24.6τὸ δʼ ἐπιβαλλόμενον ... ἐπικηρύττειν
The article τὸ substantivizes the infinitive ἐπικηρύττειν. The present participles ἐπιβαλλόμενον, περιλαμβάνοντα, and ἔχοντα agree in the accusative singular masculine with the implied subject (Philip) of this infinitive. This long subject clause serves as the logical subject of the main question πῶς οὐκ ἂν δόξειεν.