Folly of the Epirotes and Gallic Treachery — Polybius, The Histories Book 2 (2.7.1–2.7.12), Greek & English

§2.7.1

μάτων. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπους ὄντας¹ παραλόγως περιπεσεῖν τινι τῶν δεινῶν οὐ τῶν παθόντων, τῆς τύχης δὲ καὶ τῶν πραξάντων ἐστὶν ἔγκλημα, τὸ δʼ ἀκρίτως καὶ προφανῶς περιβαλεῖν αὑτοὺς ταῖς μεγίσταις συμφοραῖς ὁμολογούμενόν ἐστι τῶν πασχόντων ἁμάρτημα.

-fairs. For to fall unexpectedly into some misfortune, since we are human, is not the fault of those who suffer it, but of fortune and of those who bring it about; but to involve oneself in the greatest misfortunes without judgment and with open eyes is by common consent the error of those who suffer them.

§2.7.3

διὸ καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐκ τύχης πταίουσιν ἔλεος ἕπεται μετὰ συγγνώμης καὶ ἐπικουρία, τοῖς δὲ διὰ τὴν αὑτῶν ἀβουλίαν ὄνειδος καὶ ἐπιτίμησις συνεξακολουθεῖ παρὰ τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσιν.

Therefore, while pity, accompanied by forgiveness and assistance, follows those who trip by fortune, reproach and censure attend, on the part of the wise, those who do so through their own folly.

§2.7.4

ἃ δὴ καὶ τότε παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἰκότως ἂν τοῖς Ἠπειρώταις ἀπηντήθη.²

Which indeed might at that time have been deservedly meted out to the Epiriots by the Greeks.

§2.7.5

πρῶτον γὰρ τίς οὐκ ἂν τὴν κοινὴν περὶ Γαλατῶν φήμην ὑπιδόμενος εὐλαβηθείη³ τούτοις ἐγχειρίσαι πόλιν εὐδαίμονα καὶ πολλὰς ἀφορμὰς ἔχουσαν εἰς παρασπόνδησιν;

For in the first place, who, suspecting the common reputation of the Gauls, would not have been cautious about handing over to them a prosperous city, and one which offered many opportunities for treachery?

§2.7.6

δεύτερον τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐφυλάξατο τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ συστήματος ἐκείνου προαίρεσιν; οἵ γε τὴν μὲν ἀρχὴν ἐξέπεσον ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας, συνδραμόντων ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν διὰ τὸ παρασπονδῆσαι τοὺς αὑτῶν οἰκείους καὶ συγγενεῖς·

In the second place, who would not have guarded against the disposition of that very band? They, indeed, in the beginning were expelled from their own country because their own kinsmen and relatives united against them on account of their treachery;

§2.7.7

ὑποδεξαμένων γε μὴν αὐτοὺς Καρχηδονίων διὰ τὸ κατεπείγεσθαι πολέμῳ, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον γενομένης τινὸς ἀντιρρήσεως τοῖς στρατιώταις πρὸς τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ὑπὲρ ὀψωνίων ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐπεβάλοντο διαρπάζειν τὴν τῶν Ἀκραγαντίνων πόλιν, φυλακῆς χάριν εἰσαχθέντες εἰς αὐτήν, ὄντες τότε πλείους τῶν τρισχιλίων·

and when the Carthaginians, hard pressed by war, received them, at first, when some dispute arose between the soldiers and the generals over their pay, they straightway attempted to plunder the city of the Agrigentines, into which they had been introduced for the sake of its defense, being at that time more than three thousand;

§2.7.8

μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα παρεισαγαγόντων αὐτοὺς πάλιν εἰς Ἔρυκα τῆς αὐτῆς χρείας ἕνεκεν, πολιορκούντων τὴν πόλιν Ῥωμαίων, ἐπεχείρησαν μὲν καὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς συμπολιορκουμένους προδοῦναι·

and after this, when they had been introduced again into Eryx for the same service, while the Romans were besieging the city, they attempted to betray both the city and those besieged with them;

§2.7.9

τῆς δὲ πράξεως ταύτης ἀποτυχόντες ηὐτομόλησαν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους· παρʼ οἷς πιστευθέντες πάλιν ἐσύλησαν τὸ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης τῆς Ἐρυκίνης ἱερόν.

and failing in this attempt, they deserted to the enemy; among whom, having been trusted, they again plundered the temple of Erycinian Aphrodite.

§2.7.10

διὸ σαφῶς ἐπεγνωκότες Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτῶν ἅμα τῷ διαλύσασθαι τὸν πρὸς Καρχηδονίους πόλεμον οὐδὲν ἐποιήσαντο προυργιαίτερον τοῦ παροπλίσαντας αὐτοὺς ἐμβαλεῖν⁴ εἰς πλοῖα καὶ τῆς Ἰταλίας πάσης ἐξορίστους καταστῆσαι.

Therefore, the Romans, having clearly recognized their impiety, as soon as they concluded the war with the Carthaginians, considered nothing more urgent than to disarm them, put them on board ships, and banish them from the whole of Italy.

§2.7.11

οὓς Ἠπειρῶται τῆς δημοκρατίας καὶ τῶν νόμων φύλακας ποιησάμενοι καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονεστάτην πόλιν ἐγχειρίσαντες, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἰκότως φανείησαν αὐτοὶ τῶν συμπτωμάτων αὑτοῖς αἴτιοι γεγονότες;

Whom the Epiriots having made guardians of their democracy and laws, and having handed over to them their most prosperous city, how could they not deservedly appear to have been themselves the authors of their own misfortunes?

§2.7.12

περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς Ἠπειρωτῶν ἀγνοίας καὶ περὶ τοῦ μηδέποτε δεῖν τοὺς εὖ φρονοῦντας ἰσχυροτέραν εἰσάγεσθαι φυλακὴν ἄλλως τε καὶ βαρβάρων, ἐπὶ

Concerning, then, the ignorance of the Epiriots, and the fact that those who are wise ought never to introduce a garrison stronger than themselves, especially of barbarians, --

Syntax notes4 items

2.7.1ἀνθρώπους ὄντας
The present participle ὄντας agrees with ἀνθρώπους, which is the subject accusative of the infinitive περιπεσεῖν. It functions to express a condition or premise: 'since they are human' or 'being human'.
2.7.4ἂν ... ἀπηντήθη
The combination of the indicative aorist passive ἀπηντήθη (from ἀπαντάω) and the particle ἄν expresses past potentiality or an unrealized past possibility ('would have been meted out').
2.7.5εὐλαβηθείη
The aorist passive optative εὐλαβηθείη (from the deponent εὐλαβέομαι) is used with ἄν in a potential optative construction introduced by τίς οὐκ... ('who would not...'). As a verb of caution, it takes the complementary infinitive ἐγχειρίσαι ('to hand over').
2.7.10οὐδὲν ἐποιήσαντο προυργιαίτερον τοῦ ... ἐμβαλεῖν
An idiomatic phrase meaning 'they considered nothing more urgent than to...'. The comparative adjective προυργιαίτερον ('more urgent') governs the genitive of comparison, here represented by the articular infinitive τοῦ ... ἐμβαλεῖν.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.7.1-2.7.12