- 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-grc2:2.38.1-2.38.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Explains why the name and constitution of the Achaeans prevailed over all Peloponnesians despite their lack of territorial or numerical superiority, attributing it to their excellent democratic principles based on equality and humanity.
πρῶτον δέ, πῶς ἐπεκράτησε καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ τὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ὄνομα κατὰ πάντων Πελοποννησίων, οὐκ ἄχρηστον μαθεῖν.1
First, it is not without use to learn how and in what manner the name of the Achaeans prevailed over all the Peloponnesians.
οὔτε γὰρ χώρας καὶ πόλεων πλήθει διαφέρουσιν οἱ πάτριον ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔχοντες τὴν προσηγορίαν ταύτην οὔτε πλούτοις οὔτε ταῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀρεταῖς.
For those who possessed this appellation as ancestral from the beginning do not excel either in the extent of their territory and the number of their cities, or in wealth, or in the virtues of their men.
τό τε γὰρ τῶν Ἀρκάδων ἔθνος, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ τῶν Λακώνων πλήθει μὲν ἀνδρῶν καὶ χώρας οὐδὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ὑπερέχει·2 καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τῶν τῆς ἀνδραγαθίας πρωτείων οὐδενὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἷοί τʼ εἰσὶν οὐδέποτε παραχωρεῖν οἱ προειρημένοι.
For the nation of the Arcadians, and likewise that of the Lacedaemonians, surpasses them in numbers of men and territory by no small measure; and indeed, the aforementioned are never capable of yielding the first place in manly valor to any of the Greeks.
πῶς οὖν καὶ διὰ τί νῦν εὐδοκοῦσιν οὗτοί τε καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν Πελοποννησίων, ἅμα τὴν πολιτείαν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν μετειληφότες;
How then and for what reason do these people and the rest of the multitude of the Peloponnesians now acquiesce, having at the same time adopted the constitution and the name of the Achaeans?
δῆλον ὡς τύχην μὲν λέγειν οὐδαμῶς ἂν εἴη πρέπον· φαῦλον γάρ· αἰτίαν δὲ μᾶλλον ζητεῖν. χωρὶς γὰρ ταύτης οὔτε τῶν κατὰ λόγον οὔτε τῶν παρὰ λόγον εἶναι δοκούντων3 οὐδὲν οἷόν τε συντελεσθῆναι. ἔστι δʼ οὖν, ὡς ἐμὴ δόξα, τοιαύτη τις.
It is clear that it would be by no means fitting to speak of Fortune, for that is a cheap explanation; but we should rather seek the cause. For without this, nothing of what seems to happen either in accordance with reason or contrary to reason can be accomplished. At any rate, in my opinion, the cause is somewhat as follows.
ἰσηγορίας καὶ παρρησίας καὶ καθόλου δημοκρατίας ἀληθινῆς σύστημα καὶ προαίρεσιν εἰλικρινεστέραν οὐκ ἂν εὕροι τις τῆς παρὰ τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ὑπαρχούσης.
One could not find a system and a more sincere principle of equal freedom of speech, of frankness, and in general of true democracy, than that which exists among the Achaeans.
αὕτη τινὰς μὲν ἐθελοντὴν αἱρετιστὰς εὗρε Πελοποννησίων, πολλοὺς δὲ πειθοῖ καὶ λόγῳ προσηγάγετο· τινὰς δὲ βιασαμένη σὺν καιρῷ παραχρῆμα πάλιν εὐδοκεῖν ἐποίησεν αὑτῇ τοὺς ἀναγκασθέντας.4
This principle found some of the Peloponnesians as voluntary adherents, and won over many by persuasion and argument; and though it used force on some when the opportunity arose, it immediately made those who had been compelled well-pleased with it once more.
οὐδενὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν ὑπολειπομένη πλεονέκτημα τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἴσα δὲ πάντα ποιοῦσα τοῖς ἀεὶ προσλαμβανομένοις ταχέως καθικνεῖτο τῆς προκειμένης ἐπιβολῆς, δύο συνεργοῖς χρωμένη τοῖς ἰσχυροτάτοις, ἰσότητι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ.
For by leaving no advantage to those who belonged from the beginning, and by making all things equal for those who were constantly being added, it quickly achieved its proposed object, employing two most powerful allies, equality and humanity.
διὸ ταύτην ἀρχηγὸν καὶ παραίτιον ἡγητέον τοῦ συμφρονήσαντας Πελοποννησίους τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτοῖς εὐδαιμονίαν καταστήσασθαι.5
Therefore, we must regard this constitution as the prime author and joint-cause of the Peloponnesians’ having united in mind and established the prosperity they now enjoy.
τὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς προαιρέσεως καὶ τὸ τῆς πολιτείας ἰδίωμα τὸ νῦν εἰρημένον καὶ πρότερον ὑπῆρχε παρὰ τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς.
Now, this characteristic of their policy and the peculiarity of their constitution which I have just mentioned existed also in former times among the Achaeans.
δῆλον δὲ τοῦτο καὶ διʼ ἑτέρων μὲν πλειόνων, πρὸς δὲ τὸ παρὸν ἀρκέσει πίστεως χάριν ἓν ἢ καὶ δεύτερον ληφθὲν μαρτύριον.
This is clear from many other proofs, but for the present purpose, one or two testimonies taken will suffice for the sake of confirmation.
- 2.38.1οὐκ ἄχρηστον μαθεῖν
The infinitive μαθεῖν (to learn) functions as the subject or complement of the impersonal adjective phrase οὐκ ἄχρηστον (it is not useless). The clause introduced by πῶς (how) is an indirect question serving as the object of μαθεῖν.
- 2.38.3οὐδὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ὑπερέχει
Literally 'surpasses not even by a little,' meaning 'surpasses by a great deal.' The negative οὐδέ qualifies the prepositional phrase παρὰ μικρόν (by a small margin), emphasizing that the numerical and territorial superiority of the Arcadians and Lacedaemonians is not slight but substantial.
- 2.38.5οὔτε τῶν κατὰ λόγον οὔτε τῶν παρὰ λόγον εἶναι δοκούντων
The genitive neuter plural participle τῶν... εἶναι δοκούντων (of those things which seem to be...) is a partitive genitive depending on the subject pronoun οὐδέν (nothing). It is qualified by the parallel prepositional phrases κατὰ λόγον (reasonable) and παρὰ λόγον (unreasonable).
- 2.38.7εὐδοκεῖν ἐποίησεν αὑτῇ τοὺς ἀναγκασθέντας
The verb of causing ἐποίησεν takes an accusative and infinitive construction, with τοὺς ἀναγκασθέντας (those who had been compelled) as the subject accusative and εὐδοκεῖν (to be well-pleased) as the infinitive. The dative pronoun αὑτῇ (with herself) depends on εὐδοκεῖν.
- 2.38.9τοῦ ... καταστήσασθαι
The articular infinitive in the genitive case, τοῦ καταστήσασθαι (of establishing), modifies the nouns ἀρχηγὸν καὶ παραίτιον (author and joint-cause). The subject accusative of the infinitive is Πελοποννησίους (the Peloponnesians), which is modified by the circumstantial aorist participle συμφρονήσαντας (having united in mind).