Leaders of the Achaean League and Narrative Plan — Polybius, The Histories Book 2 (2.40.1–2.40.6), Greek & English

§2.40.1

τῆς Μακεδόνων.¹ ἐπεὶ δέ ποτε σὺν καιρῷ προστάτας ἀξιόχρεως εὗρεν, ταχέως τὴν αὑτῆς δύναμιν ἐποίησε φανεράν, ἐπιτελεσαμένη τὸ κάλλιστον ἔργον, τὴν Πελοποννησίων ὁμόνοιαν.

by that of the Macedonians. But when at length in course of time it found worthy leaders, it speedily made its power manifest by accomplishing that most beautiful work, the harmony of the Peloponnesians.

§2.40.2

ἧς² ἀρχηγὸν μὲν καὶ καθηγεμόνα τῆς ὅλης ἐπιβολῆς Ἄρατον νομιστέον τὸν Σικυώνιον, ἀγωνιστὴν δὲ καὶ τελεσιουργὸν τῆς πράξεως Φιλοποίμενα τὸν Μεγαλοπολίτην, βεβαιωτὴν δὲ τοῦ μόνιμον αὐτὴν ἐπὶ ποσὸν γενέσθαι³ Λυκόρταν καὶ τοὺς ταὐτὰ τούτῳ προελομένους ἄνδρας.

Of this harmony we must consider Aratus of Sicyon as the initiator and leader of the whole enterprise, Philopoemen of Megalopolis as the champion and accomplisher of the action, and Lycortas, with those who chose the same policy as he did, as the securer of its remaining permanent for a certain time.

§2.40.3

τίνα δʼ ἦν ἑκάστοις τὰ πραχθέντα καὶ πῶς καὶ κατὰ ποίους καιροὺς πειρασόμεθα δηλοῦν, ἀεὶ κατὰ τὸ πρέπον τῇ γραφῇ ποιούμενοι τὴν ἐπίστασιν.

What were the achievements of each of them, and how and at what times they were performed, we shall endeavor to show, always focusing our attention as is appropriate to our history.

§2.40.4

τῶν μέντοι γʼ Ἀράτῳ διῳκημένων καὶ νῦν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἐπικεφαλαιούμενοι μνησθησόμεθα διὰ τὸ καὶ λίαν ἀληθινοὺς καὶ σαφεῖς ἐκεῖνον περὶ τῶν ἰδίων συντεταχέναι πράξεων ὑπομνηματισμούς, τῶν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀκριβεστέραν καὶ μετὰ διαστολῆς ποιησόμεθα τὴν ἐξήγησιν. ὑπολαμβάνω δὲ ῥᾴστην ἐμοί τʼ ἂν γενέσθαι τὴν διήγησιν καὶ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν εὐπαρακολούθητον τὴν μάθησιν, εἰ ποιησαίμεθα τὴν ἐπίστασιν ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν, ἐν οἷς κατὰ πόλιν διαλυθέντος τοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνους ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ Μακεδονίας βασιλέων ἀρχὴ πάλιν ἐγένετο καὶ σύννευσις τῶν πόλεων πρὸς ἀλλήλας.

Concerning the administration of Aratus, however, both now and hereafter we shall speak only in summary, because he himself has composed very truthful and clear memoirs of his own actions. But as for the achievements of the others, we shall make our exposition more detailed and with distinction. And I suppose that the narrative will be easiest for me and the instruction most easy to follow for the readers, if we make our beginning from those times in which, after the Achaean league had been dissolved city by city by the kings of Macedonia, there was a new beginning and a drawing together of the cities towards one another.

§2.40.6

ἀφʼ ἧς αὐξανόμενον κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς τὸ ἔθνος εἰς ταύτην ἦλθε τὴν συντέλειαν, ἐν ᾗ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἦν, ὑπὲρ ἧς κατὰ μέρος ἀρτίως εἶπον.

Starting from this beginning, the league, growing continuously, reached that state of completion in which it existed in our own time, concerning which I have just spoken in detail.

Syntax notes3 items

2.40.1τῆς Μακεδόνων
This phrase continues the sentence from the end of the previous chapter (§2.39.12) after ποτὲ δὲ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ ('and at another time rather by...'). The genitive τῆς Μακεδόνων depends on the preposition ὑπὸ from the previous section, with the noun δυναστείας or ἀρχῆς understood from the context ('by the dynasty/dominion of the Macedonians').
2.40.2ἧς
Relative pronoun in the genitive feminine singular, agreeing with its antecedent ὁμόνοιαν ('harmony') in the preceding section. The entire clause is governed by the verbal adjective νομιστέον ('one must consider'), which takes an accusative and infinitive construction: Ἄρατον is the subject accusative, and ἀρχηγὸν μὲν καὶ καθηγεμόνα function as the predicate accusatives.
2.40.2τοῦ μόνιμον αὐτὴν ἐπὶ ποσὸν γενέσθαι
The articular infinitive τοῦ ... γενέσθαι in the genitive acts as an objective genitive modifying the noun βεβαιωτήν ('securer/guarantor'). αὐτήν (referring to the 'harmony') is the subject accusative of the infinitive γενέσθαι, μόνιμον is its predicate adjective, and ἐπὶ ποσόν is an adverbial phrase meaning 'for a certain time' or 'to some extent.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.40.1-2.40.6