- 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-grc2:3.1.1-3.1.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
At the beginning of the main narrative starting with the Social and Hannibalic Wars, the author explains his overall plan of Rome's conquest of the inhabited world and the utility of its preliminary exposition, emphasizing the significance of the fifty-three year period covered.
ὅτι μὲν ἀρχὰς ὑποτιθέμεθα τῆς αὑτῶν πραγματείας τόν τε συμμαχικὸν καὶ τὸν Ἀννιβιακόν, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὸν περὶ Κοίλης Συρίας πόλεμον, ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μὲν τῆς ὅλης συντάξεως, τρίτῃ δὲ ταύτης ἀνώτερον βύβλῳ1 δεδηλώκαμεν·
That we set as the starting-points of our history the Social War and the Hannibalic War, and in addition to these, the war for Coele-Syria, we have already made clear in the first book of our entire work, and in the third book prior to this one.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰς αἰτίας, διʼ ἃς ἀναδραμόντες τοῖς χρόνοις πρὸ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν συνεταξάμεθα τὰς πρὸ ταύτης βύβλους, ἐν αὐτῇ ʼκείνῃ διεσαφήσαμεν.
Likewise, we have also clarified in that very book the reasons why we retraced our steps in time prior to these periods and composed the books preceding this one.
νῦν δὲ πειρασόμεθα τοὺς προειρημένους πολέμους καὶ τὰς αἰτίας, ἐξ ὧν ἐγένοντο καὶ διʼ ἃς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ηὐξήθησαν, μετʼ ἀποδείξεως ἐξαγγέλλειν, βραχέα προειπόντες ὑπὲρ τῆς αὑτῶν πραγματείας.
Now we shall endeavor to narrate, with proof, the aforementioned wars and the causes from which they arose and through which they increased to such an extent, after a few brief introductory remarks concerning our history.
ὄντος γὰρ ἑνὸς ἔργου καὶ θεάματος ἑνὸς τοῦ σύμπαντος,2 ὑπὲρ οὗ γράφειν ἐπικεχειρήκαμεν, τοῦ πῶς καὶ πότε καὶ διὰ τί πάντα τὰ γνωριζόμενα μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων δυναστείαν ἐγένετο, τούτου δʼ ἔχοντος3 καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν γνωριζομένην καὶ τὸν χρόνον ὡρισμένον καὶ τὴν συντέλειαν ὁμολογουμένην, χρήσιμον ἡγούμεθʼ εἶναι καὶ τὸ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἐν αὐτῷ μερῶν, ὅσα μεταξὺ κεῖται τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τοῦ τέλους, κεφαλαιωδῶς ἐπιμνησθῆναι καὶ προεκθέσθαι.
For since the entire work and single spectacle which we have undertaken to write is this: how, when, and for what cause all the known parts of the inhabited world fell under the dominion of the Romans; and since this has a known beginning, a defined duration, and an acknowledged completion, we believe it to be useful to mention summarily and set forth beforehand also the greatest parts within it, which lie between the beginning and the end.
μάλιστα γὰρ οὕτως ὑπολαμβάνομεν τοῖς φιλομαθοῦσι παρασκευάσειν ἱκανὴν ἔννοιαν τῆς ὅλης ἐπιβολῆς.
For we suppose that in this way we shall best provide those who love learning with an adequate conception of our whole plan.
πολλὰ μὲν γὰρ προλαμβανούσης τῆς ψυχῆς4 ἐκ τῶν ὅλων πρὸς τὴν κατὰ μέρος τῶν πραγμάτων γνῶσιν, πολλὰ δʼ ἐκ τῶν κατὰ μέρος πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἐπιστήμην, ἀρίστην ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐξ ἀμφοῖν ἐπίστασιν καὶ θέαν ἀκόλουθον τοῖς εἰρημένοις ποιησόμεθα τὴν προέκθεσιν τῆς αὑτῶν πραγματείας.
For while the mind anticipates much from the whole towards the knowledge of the parts, and much from the parts towards the knowledge of the whole, since we consider the understanding and view derived from both to be the best, we shall make the preliminary exposition of our history in accordance with what has been said.
τὴν μὲν οὖν καθόλου τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἔμφασιν καὶ τὴν περιγραφὴν ἤδη δεδηλώκαμεν.
Now, the general indication and outline of our subject we have already declared.
τῶν δὲ κατὰ μέρος ἐν αὐτῇ γεγονότων ἀρχὰς μὲν εἶναι συμβαίνει5 τοὺς προειρημένους πολέμους, καταστροφὴν δὲ καὶ συντέλειαν τὴν κατάλυσιν τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλείας, χρόνον δὲ τὸν μεταξὺ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τοῦ τέλους ἔτη πεντήκοντα τρία, περιέχεσθαι δʼ ἐν τούτῳ τηλικαύτας καὶ τοιαύτας πράξεις, ὅσας οὐδεὶς τῶν προγεγονότων καιρῶν ἐν ἴσῳ περιέλαβε διαστήματι.
As for the individual events that occurred in it, it happens that the starting-points are the aforementioned wars, the end and completion is the overthrow of the Macedonian kingdom, and the time between the beginning and the end is fifty-three years; and that this period contains deeds of such magnitude and character as no equal interval in past times has ever embraced.
περὶ ὧν ἀπὸ τῆς ἑκατοστῆς καὶ τετταρακοστῆς ὀλυμπιάδος ἀρξάμενοι τοιάνδε
Concerning which, starting from the hundred and fortieth Olympiad, we shall make the following...
- 3.1.1τρίτῃ δὲ ταύτης ἀνώτερον βύβλῳ
The phrase "τρίτῃ δὲ ταύτης ἀνώτερον βύβλῳ" presents a numerical difficulty, as the book immediately preceding Book 3 is Book 2 in the surviving manuscripts. This expression might relate to an earlier planned division of the introductory books. Grammatically, βύβλῳ is a dative noun modified by τρίτῃ and governed by the preposition ἐν.
- 3.1.4ὄντος γὰρ ἑνὸς ἔργου καὶ θεάματος ἑνὸς τοῦ σύμπαντος
A genitive absolute construction where τοῦ σύμπαντος ("the whole") is the subject, and ἑνὸς ἔργου καὶ θεάματος ἑνὸς ("one work and one spectacle") is the predicate. This genitive is further expanded by the appositional clause τοῦ πῶς καὶ πότε... clarifying the content of the entire project.
- 3.1.5τούτου δʼ ἔχοντος
A genitive absolute construction where the demonstrative pronoun τούτου refers back to the entire project (τοῦ σύμπαντος) mentioned in the previous section. The participle ἔχοντος governs three accusative objects: τὴν ἀρχὴν, τὸν χρόνον, and τὴν συντέλειαν.
- 3.1.7πολλὰ μὲν γὰρ προλαμβανούσης τῆς ψυχῆς
The phrase προλαμβανούσης τῆς ψυχῆς forms a genitive absolute. In the subsequent parallel clause πολλὰ δʼ ἐκ τῶν κατὰ μέρος..., the same genitive verb and subject are omitted and must be understood from the first clause.
- 3.1.9ἀρχὰς μὲν εἶναι συμβαίνει
The impersonal verb συμβαίνει governs the infinitive εἶναι (and subsequently περιέχεσθαι in the next section) in an accusative with infinitive construction. The accusatives ἀρχὰς, καταστροφὴν, and χρόνον act as the subject accusatives of the infinitive εἶναι.