- 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-grc2:20.4.1-20.4.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
This passage describes the long-term political and moral decline of the Boeotians, their reckless defeat in the war against the Aetolians, and their subsequent complete degeneration.
ὅτι Βοιωτοὶ ἐκ πολλῶν ἤδη χρόνων καχεκτοῦντες ἦσαν καὶ μεγάλην εἶχον διαφορὰν πρὸς τὴν γεγενημένην εὐεξίαν καὶ δόξαν αὐτῶν τῆς πολιτείας.
The Boeotians had already for many years been in a state of decay and showed a great contrast to the past prosperity and glory of their state.
οὗτοι γὰρ μεγάλην περιποιησάμενοι καὶ δόξαν καὶ δύναμιν ἐν τοῖς Λευκτρικοῖς καιροῖς, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς χρόνοις ἀφῄρουν ἀμφοτέρων1 αἰεὶ τῶν προειρημένων, ἔχοντες στρατηγὸν Ἀβαιόκριτον.
For having acquired great glory and power in the period of Leuctra, they subsequently, I know not how, continuously and steadily detracted from both of the aforesaid, having Abaeocritus as general.
ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν οὐ μόνον ἀφῄρουν, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς εἰς τἀναντία τραπέντες καὶ τὴν πρὸ τοῦ δόξαν ἐφʼ ὅσον οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν ἠμαύρωσαν.
And from these times onward, they not only detracted from them, but turning completely to the opposite, they tarnished their former glory as far as they were able.
Ἀχαιῶν γὰρ αὐτοὺς πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς ἐκπολεμωσάντων, μετασχόντες τούτοις τῆς αὐτῆς αἱρέσεως καὶ ποιησάμενοι συμμαχίαν, μετὰ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐπολέμουν πρὸς Αἰτωλούς.
For when the Achaeans had embroiled them in a war against the Aetolians, sharing with them the same policy and having concluded an alliance, they thereafter continually waged war against the Aetolians.
ἐμβαλόντων δὲ μετὰ δυνάμεως εἰς τὴν Βοιωτίαν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἐκστρατεύσαντες πανδημεί, καὶ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἡθροισμένων καὶ μελλόντων παραβοηθεῖν2 οὐκ ἐκδεξάμενοι τὴν τούτων παρουσίαν συνέβαλον τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς, ἡττηθέντες δὲ κατὰ τὸν κίνδυνον οὕτως ἀνέπεσον ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὥστʼ ἀπʼ ἐκείνης τῆς χρείας ἁπλῶς οὐδενὸς ἔτι τῶν καλῶν ἀμφισβητεῖν ἐτόλμησαν3 οὐδʼ ἐκοινώνησαν οὔτε πράξεως οὔτʼ ἀγῶνος οὐδενὸς ἔτι τοῖς Ἕλλησι μετὰ κοινοῦ δόγματος, ἀλλʼ ὁρμήσαντες πρὸς εὐωχίαν καὶ μέθας οὐ μόνον τοῖς σώμασιν ἐξελύθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς.
When the Aetolians invaded Boeotia with a force, the Boeotians marched out with their whole population; and although the Achaeans had assembled and were about to come to their assistance, they did not wait for their arrival, but engaged the Aetolians. Having been defeated in the battle, they were so utterly dispirited that from that action onward they simply did not dare to lay claim to any honorable things, nor did they ever again participate in any enterprise or struggle with the Greeks under a common decree. On the contrary, having given themselves up to feasting and drunkenness, they became enervated not only in their bodies but also in their souls.
- 20.4.2ἀφῄρουν ἀμφοτέρων
The verb ἀφαιρέω (to take away, detract from) governs the genitive case of the thing diminished, here referring back to the previously mentioned 'glory and power' (δόξαν καὶ δύναμιν).
- 20.4.5τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἡθροισμένων καὶ μελλόντων παραβοηθεῖν
A genitive absolute with a concessive force ('although the Achaeans...'), followed by the nominative participle οὐκ ἐκδεξάμενοι which modifies the main subject (the Boeotians).
- 20.4.6ὥστʼ ... ἐτόλμησαν
The conjunction ὥστε introduces an actual, historical result as indicated by the use of the indicative past tenses (ἐτόλμησαν and ἐκοινώνησαν), rather than a potential or natural tendency which would be expressed by the infinitive.