- 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-grc2:21.19.1-21.19.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
King Eumenes declares to the senate that while he leaves his own affairs to their decision, he is deeply concerned about the intentions of the Rhodians. He warns that their call for the freedom of the Asiatic Greeks is a pretense designed to multiply their own power at the expense of his kingdom and Roman alliances.
ἠναγκάσθη περὶ τῶν προκειμένων. ἔφασκεν οὖν ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ἂν εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν καθʼ αὑτόν, ἀλλὰ μεῖναι1 τελέως διδοὺς ἐκείνοις τὴν ἐξουσίαν· ἕνα δὲ τόπον2 ἀγωνιᾶν τὸν κατὰ τοὺς Ῥοδίους·
He was forced to speak on the matters before them. He said, therefore, that he would say nothing else regarding his own affairs, but would remain entirely leaving the decision to them; but that he was anxious about one point, namely that regarding the Rhodians.
διὸ καὶ προῆχθαι νῦν εἰς τὸ λέγειν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεστώτων.
For this reason, he had now been led to speak on the present situation.
ἐκείνους γὰρ παρεῖναι μὲν οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑπὲρ τῆς σφετέρας πατρίδος συμφερόντως σπουδάζοντας ἤπερ αὑτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρχῆς φιλοτιμεῖσθαι3 κατὰ τὸ παρόν·
For indeed, that they were present, striving no less zealously for the benefit of their own country than they themselves were at present competing for their own dominion;
τοὺς δὲ λόγους αὐτῶν τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔμφασιν ἔχειν τῇ προθέσει τῇ κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. τοῦτο δʼ εἶναι ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν.
but their words had the opposite appearance to their true intention. And this is easy to understand.
ἐρεῖν μὲν γὰρ αὐτούς, ἐπειδὰν εἰσπορευθῶσιν, διότι πάρεισιν οὔτε παρʼ ὑμῶν αἰτούμενοι τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲν οὔθʼ ἡμᾶς βλάπτειν θέλοντες κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον, πρεσβεύονται δὲ περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῶν τὴν Ἀσίαν κατοικούντων Ἑλλήνων. "
For they will say, when they enter, that they are present neither to ask for anything at all from you, nor wishing to harm us in any way, but that they come as envoys for the freedom of the Greeks inhabiting Asia.
τοῦτο δʼ οὐχ οὕτως αὐτοῖς εἶναι κεχαρισμένον φήσουσιν ὡς ὑμῖν καθῆκον καὶ τοῖς γεγονόσιν ἔργοις ἀκόλουθον.
And they will say that this is not so much pleasing to themselves as it is fitting for you and consistent with your past deeds.
ἡ μὲν οὖν διὰ τῶν λόγων φαντασία τοιαύτη τις αὐτῶν ἔσται· τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔχοντα τούτοις εὑρεθήσεται διάθεσιν.
Now, the appearance of their words will be of such a kind, but the truth of the matter will be found to have the opposite condition to this.
τῶν γὰρ πόλεων ἐλευθερωθεισῶν, ὡς αὐτοὶ παρακαλοῦσιν, τὴν μὲν τούτων συμβήσεται δύναμιν αὐξηθῆναι πολλαπλασίως, τὴν δʼ ἡμετέραν τρόπον τινὰ καταλυθῆναι.
For if the cities are freed, as they themselves urge, it will happen that their power will be increased many times over, while ours will be in a manner destroyed.
τὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ὄνομα καὶ τῆς αὐτονομίας ἡμῖν μὲν ἄρδην ἀποσπάσει πάντας οὐ μόνον τοὺς νῦν ἐλευθερωθησομένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πρότερον ἡμῖν ὑποταττομένους, ἐπειδὰν ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ ταύτης ὄντες φανεροὶ γένησθε τῆς προαιρέσεως, τούτοις δὲ προσθήσει πάντας.
For the name of freedom and autonomy will tear away entirely from us not only those who are now to be freed, but also those who were formerly subject to us, as soon as you are seen to be of this purpose, and will add them all to these men.
τὰ γὰρ πράγματα φύσιν ἔχει τοιαύτην· δόξαντες γὰρ ἠλευθερῶσθαι διὰ τούτους ὀνόματι μὲν ἔσονται σύμμαχοι τούτων, τῇ δʼ ἀληθείᾳ πᾶν ποιήσουσι τὸ κελευόμενον ἑτοίμως, τῇ μεγίστῃ χάριτι γεγονότες ὑπόχρεοι.
For affairs have such a nature; for seeming to have been freed through them, they will be their allies in name, but in truth they will readily do everything commanded, having become indebted for the greatest favor.
διόπερ, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἀξιοῦμεν ὑμᾶς τοῦτον τὸν τόπον ὑπιδέσθαι, μὴ λάθητε τοὺς μὲν παρὰ τὸ δέον αὔξοντες, τοὺς δʼ ἐλαττοῦντες4 τῶν φίλων ἀλόγως, ἅμα δὲ τούτοις τοὺς μὲν πολεμίους γεγονότας εὐεργετοῦντες, τοὺς δʼ ἀληθινοὺς φίλους παρορῶντες καὶ
Therefore, gentlemen, we request you to be on your guard against this point, lest you, without realizing it, unduly increase some of your friends while unreasonably diminishing others, and at the same time, benefiting those who have been enemies, while overlooking true friends and
- 21.19.1ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ἂν εἰπεῖν ... ἀλλὰ μεῖναι
The particle ἂν goes with the infinitive εἰπεῖν, representing an optative of potentiality or intention in indirect speech (ἂν εἴποιμι). Its influence also extends to the coordinate infinitive μεῖναι, indicating his strong intention to remain leaving the decision to the senate.
- 21.19.1ἕνα δὲ τόπον
The noun τόπος (place, space) is used metaphorically here to mean a 'point', 'topic', or 'area of concern'. It is accompanied by the appositional phrase τὸν κατὰ τοὺς Ῥοδίους, showing that his anxiety is concentrated specifically on the issue regarding the Rhodians.
- 21.19.3ἐκείνους γὰρ παρεῖναι μὲν οὐδὲν ἧττον ... ἤπερ αὑτοὺς ... φιλοτιμεῖσθαι
A complex comparative structure in indirect speech depending on ἔφασκεν. The infinitive παρεῖναι has ἐκείνους (the Rhodians) as its subject, which is modified by the participle σπουδάζοντας. The comparative οὐδὲν ἧττον (no less) introduces ἤπερ (than) to compare this action with αὑτοὺς (themselves) and the infinitive φιλοτιμεῖσθαι.
- 21.19.11μὴ λάθητε ... αὔξοντες ... ἐλαττοῦντες
The construction of λανθάνω with a participle (αὔξοντες, ἐλαττοῦντες) means 'to do something without being noticed' or 'unwittingly'. Here, with the negative conjunction μή and the subjunctive, it serves as a strong warning or plea to the senate: 'lest you, without realizing it, increase... and diminish...'