- 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-grc2:18.37.1-18.37.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Titus responds to Alexander the Aetolian, arguing against the total destruction of Macedon by citing Roman clemency and the strategic need for Macedonia to serve as a buffer against northern barbarians. He asserts that peace should be granted if Philip accepts the prior terms, and sharply silences Phaeneas's objections.
ὁ δὲ Τίτος ἀναδεξάμενος1 ἀστοχεῖν αὐτὸν ἔφησεν οὐ μόνον τῆς Ῥωμαίων προαιρέσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ προθέσεως καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ τῶν Ἑλλήνων συμφέροντος.
But Titus, taking up the word, declared that he was missing the mark not only regarding the purpose of the Romans, but also regarding his own plan, and most of all regarding the interest of the Greeks.
οὔτε γὰρ Ῥωμαίους οὐδενὶ τὸ πρῶτον πολεμήσαντας εὐθέως ἀναστάτους ποιεῖν τούτους·
For the Romans never immediately exterminated those with whom they had first gone to war;
πίστιν δʼ ἔχειν τὸ λεγόμενον ἔκ [τε] τῶν κατʼ Ἀννίβαν καὶ Καρχηδονίους, ὑφʼ ὧν τὰ δεινότατα παθόντας Ῥωμαίους, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένους κυρίους ὃ βουληθεῖεν πρᾶξαι κατʼ αὐτῶν ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲν ἀνήκεστον βουλεύσασθαι περὶ Καρχηδονίων·
and the truth of this statement was confirmed by the case of Hannibal and the Carthaginians, at whose hands the Romans had suffered the most terrible disasters, yet when they later became absolute masters to do whatever they wished against them, they resolved on nothing remediless concerning the Carthaginians.
καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ αὐτὸς οὐδέποτε ταύτην ἐσχηκέναι τὴν αἵρεσιν, ὅτι δεῖ πολεμεῖν πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον ἀδιαλύτως· ἀλλʼ εἴπερ ἐβουλήθη ποιεῖν τὰ παρακαλούμενα πρὸ τῆς μάχης, ἑτοίμως ἂν διαλελύσθαι2 πρὸς αὐτόν.
Moreover, he himself had never held the view that they must wage war against Philip without any settlement; rather, if Philip had wished to perform what was requested of him before the battle, he would have readily come to terms with him.
διὸ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἔφη πῶς μετέχοντες τότε τῶν περὶ τῆς διαλύσεως συλλόγων ἅπαντες νῦν ἀκαταλλάκτως ἔχουσιν.
Therefore, he said he wondered how it was that, while all of them had then taken part in the conferences concerning the settlement, they were now so implacable.
"ἢ δῆλον ὅτι νενικήκαμεν; ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γʼ ἐστὶ πάντων ἀγνωμονέστατον·
”Or is it obvious because we have conquered? But this indeed is the most unreasonable of all;
πολεμοῦντας γὰρ δεῖ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας βαρεῖς εἶναι καὶ θυμικούς, ἡττωμένους δὲ γενναίους καὶ μεγαλόφρονας, νικῶντάς γε μὴν μετρίους καὶ πραεῖς καὶ φιλανθρώπους. ὑμεῖς δὲ τἀναντία παρακαλεῖτε νῦν.
for when waging war, brave men ought to be formidable and passionate, when defeated, noble and high-minded, and when victorious, moderate, gentle, and humane. But you are now urging the very opposite.
ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τοῖς Ἕλλησι ταπεινωθῆναι μὲν ἐπὶ πολὺ συμφέρει τὴν Μακεδόνων ἀρχήν, ἀρθῆναί γε μὴν οὐδαμῶσ3"
Furthermore, it is highly advantageous for the Greeks that the power of the Macedonians should be greatly humbled, but by no means that it should be destroyed”
. τάχα γὰρ αὐτοὺς πεῖραν λήψεσθαι τῆς Θρᾳκῶν καὶ Γαλατῶν παρανομίας· τοῦτο γὰρ ἤδη καὶ πλεονάκις γεγονέναι.
. For they would soon experience the lawlessness of the Thracians and Galatians; for this indeed had already happened many times.
καθόλου δʼ αὐτὸς μὲν ἔφη καὶ τοὺς παρόντας Ῥωμαίων κρίνειν,4 ἐὰν Φίλιππος ὑπομένῃ πάντα ποιεῖν τὰ πρότερον ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων ἐπιταττόμενα, διδόναι τὴν εἰρήνην αὐτῷ, προσλαβόντας καὶ τὴν τῆς συγκλήτου γνώμην· Αἰτωλοὺς δὲ κυρίους εἶναι βουλευομένους ὑπὲρ σφῶν αὐτῶν.
In general, he stated that he himself and the Romans present judged that, if Philip submitted to perform all that had previously been enjoined by the allies, peace should be granted to him, after also obtaining the approval of the Senate; but the Aetolians were free to deliberate for themselves.
τοῦ δὲ Φαινέου μετὰ ταῦτα βουλομένου5 λέγειν ὅτι μάταια πάντα τὰ πρὸ τοῦ γέγονε· τὸν γὰρ Φίλιππον, ἐὰν διολίσθῃ τὸν παρόντα καιρόν, ἤδη πάλιν ἀρχὴν ἄλλην ποιήσεσθαι πραγμάτων·
When after this Phaeneas wished to say that all that had gone before would be in vain, for if Philip slipped through the present crisis, he would immediately make another beginning of trouble;
ὁ Τίτος αὐτόθεν ἐξ ἕδρας καὶ θυμικῶς "παῦσαι" φησὶ "Φαινέα, ληρῶν· ἐγὼ γὰρ οὕτως χειριῶ τὰς διαλύσεις ὥστε μηδὲ βουληθέντα τὸν Φίλιππον ἀδικεῖν δύνασθαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας."
Titus, from where he sat and in an angry tone, said, “Cease your nonsense, Phaeneas; for I will so manage the settlement that Philip will not be able to wrong the Greeks, even if he wishes to.”
- 18.37.1ἀναδεξάμενος
The participle ἀναδεξάμενος (from ἀναδέχομαι) here means "taking up the word" or "receiving the arguments," indicating that Titus immediately took up the floor to respond to the previous speaker.
- 18.37.4ἑτοίμως ἂν διαλελύσθαι
This represents an unreal conditional in past time (expressible in direct speech by an indicative past tense with ἄν, specifically ἂν διελέλυτο) shifted into indirect discourse under ἔφη, resulting in the perfect infinitive with ἄν.
- 18.37.8ἀρθῆναί γε μὴν οὐδαμῶσ
Understood by ellipsis of the preceding verbal construction συμφέρει (or συμφέρει to the Greeks). The phrase means "but by no means is it advantageous (for the Greeks) that it should be destroyed."
- 18.37.10κρίνειν
An infinitive dependent on the main verb of speaking (ἔφη). The verb κρίνειν ("to judge") sets up the judgment of Titus and the Romans, the content of which is expressed by the subsequent infinitive διδόναι ("to grant").
- 18.37.11τοῦ δὲ Φαινέου ... βουλομένου
A genitive absolute construction, where the participle βουλομένου takes the following ὅτι-clause as its object. It functions temporally or circumstantially, introducing the intervention of Phaeneas.