- 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-grc2:29.5.1-29.5.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Polybius expresses his dilemma between the danger of recording the kings' secret negotiations in detail and the laziness of omitting them entirely, justifying his decision to write a summary based on the signs and probabilities he witnessed.
ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔγωγε διηπόρηκα τί δεῖ ποιεῖν· τό τε γὰρ γράφειν κατὰ μέρος ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ἀκριβολογούμενον1 ἃ διʼ ἀπορρήτων πρὸς αὑτοὺς οἱ βασιλεῖς ἔπραττον εὐεπίληπτον ἐφαίνετο καὶ τελέως ἐπισφαλές, τό τε παρασιωπῆσαι πάλιν ὁλοσχερῶς τὸ δοκοῦν πραγματικώτατον ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τούτῳ γεγονέναι,2 καὶ διʼ οὗ πολλὰ τῶν ὕστερον ἀπορουμένων γνωρίμους ἔσχε τὰς αἰτίας, τελέως τινὸς ἀργίας ἐδόκει μοι σημεῖον εἶναι καὶ τῆς πάσης ἀτολμίας·
Regarding these matters, I have been in great doubt as to what I ought to do. For to write in detail and with meticulous accuracy about such matters as the kings transacted with each other in secret seemed to be open to censure and completely hazardous, while, on the other hand, to pass over in complete silence what is considered to have been the most important factor in this war, and that through which many things that were later wondered at had their causes made clear, seemed to me to be a sign of absolute laziness and of complete lack of enterprise.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ κατηνέχθην ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν κεφαλαιωδῶς τὸ δοκοῦν, καὶ διʼ ὧν εἰκότων καὶ σημείων3 ἐπὶ ταύτης ἐγενόμην τῆς γνώμης, ὑπάρχων κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς καὶ μᾶλλον ἑτέρων ἐκπληττόμενος ἕκαστα τῶν γενομένων.
Nevertheless, I was led to write a summary of what appears to be the truth, and to state by what probabilities and signs I was led to this opinion, since I was living at those very times and was more astonished than others at each of the events as they occurred.
- 29.5.1ἀκριβολογούμενον
This participle is in the neuter singular accusative/nominative form, modifying the articular infinitive τό ... γράφειν. It expresses the manner of the action, meaning 'writing while investigating with meticulous accuracy.'
- 29.5.2τὸ δοκοῦν πραγματικώτατον ... γεγονέναι
This phrase serves as the direct object of the infinitive παρασιωπῆσαι (to pass over in silence). δοκοῦν is a participle functioning substantively, accompanied by the accusative with infinitive construction πραγματικώτατον ... γεγονέναι (to have been the most important factor).
- 29.5.3διʼ ὧν εἰκότων καὶ σημείων
This is an inverse construction (assimilation) where the antecedents εἰκότων καὶ σημείων are attracted into the relative clause of ὧν. It depends on the main clause's ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν (to write), interpreting like an indirect question: 'by what probabilities and signs.'