- 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-grc2:3.12.1-3.12.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Upon hearing Hannibal's oath, Antiochus dismisses his suspicions. The author highlights the reality of Hamilcar's hostility and advises political leaders to carefully discern the true motivations—whether tactical or genuine—of states entering into treaties.
πᾶν γάρ τι πρᾶξαι1 κατʼ αὐτῶν ὃ δυνατὸς εἴη. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀντίοχος ἀκούσας καὶ δόξας αὐτοπαθῶς ἅμα δʼ ἀληθινῶς εἰρῆσθαι, πάσης τῆς προϋπαρχούσης ὑποψίας ἀπέστη.
for he would do everything in his power against them. Antiochus, therefore, having heard this and believing that he had spoken from his heart and at the same time truly, abandoned all his pre-existing suspicion.
τῆς μέντοι γε δυσμενείας τῆς Ἀμίλκου καὶ τῆς ὅλης προθέσεως ὁμολογούμενον θετέον εἶναι τοῦτο μαρτύριον, ὡς καὶ διʼ αὐτῶν φανερὸν ἐγένετο τῶν πραγμάτων.
This, however, must be set down as an undisputed proof of Hamilcar’s hostility and general purpose, as indeed became clear from the facts themselves.
τοιούτους γὰρ ἐχθροὺς παρεσκεύασε Ῥωμαίοις Ἀσδρούβαν τε τὸν τῆς θυγατρὸς ἄνδρα καὶ τὸν αὑτοῦ κατὰ φύσιν υἱὸν Ἀννίβαν ὥστε μὴ καταλιπεῖν ὑπερβολὴν δυσμενείας.
For he prepared such enemies for the Romans in Hasdrubal, his daughter’s husband, and Hannibal, his own natural son, as to leave no room for any greater excess of hostility.
Ἀσδρούβας μὲν οὖν προαποθανὼν οὐ πᾶσιν ἔκδηλον ἐποίησε τὴν αὑτοῦ πρόθεσιν· Ἀννίβᾳ δὲ παρέδωκαν οἱ καιροὶ καὶ λίαν ἐναποδείξασθαι τὴν πατρῴαν ἔχθραν εἰς Ῥωμαίους.
Hasdrubal, indeed, dying beforehand, did not make his purpose clear to all; but as for Hannibal, opportunity allowed him only too well to demonstrate his father’s hatred toward the Romans.
διὸ καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ πραγμάτων ταττομένους χρὴ τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενὸς μᾶλλον φροντίζειν ὡς τοῦ μὴ λανθάνειν2 τὰς προαιρέσεις τῶν διαλυομένων τὰς ἔχθρας ἢ συντιθεμένων τὰς φιλίας, πότε τοῖς καιροῖς εἴκοντες καὶ πότε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡττώμενοι3 ποιοῦνται τὰς συνθήκας, ἵνα τοὺς μὲν ἐφέδρους νομίζοντες εἶναι τῶν καιρῶν ἀεὶ φυλάττωνται, τοῖς δὲ πιστεύοντες ὡς ὑπηκόοις ἢ φίλοις ἀληθινοῖς πᾶν τὸ παραπῖπτον ἐξ ἑτοίμου παραγγέλλωσιν. αἰτίας μὲν οὖν τοῦ κατʼ Ἀννίβαν πολέμου τὰς προειρημένας ἡγητέον, ἀρχὰς δὲ τὰς μελλούσας λέ
Therefore, those who are placed in charge of public affairs ought to care for nothing more than not to be ignorant of the purposes of those who dissolve enmities or conclude friendships—whether they make treaties yielding to circumstances, or being defeated in their hearts. in order that, regarding some as waiting for a favorable opportunity, they may always be on their guard against them, while trusting others as true subjects or friends, they may readily commit to them whatever arises. On the one hand, the causes therefore, of the war under Hannibal must be regarded as the above-mentioned, and its beginnings as those which I am about to relat...
- 3.12.1πᾶν γάρ τι πρᾶξαι
A continuation of the indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive) dependent on ἔφη in chapter 11.5. The optative εἴη in the relative clause is an oblique optative due to sequence of tenses after a past principal verb.
- 3.12.5οὐδενὸς μᾶλλον φροντίζειν ὡς τοῦ μὴ λανθάνειν
Instead of the standard comparative construction μᾶλλον ἤ ('more than'), Polybius uses μᾶλλον ὡς followed by the genitive of comparison with the articular infinitive τοῦ μὴ λανθάνειν to express the object of comparison.
- 3.12.5ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡττώμενοι
The dative ταῖς ψυχαῖς is a dative of respect ('in their souls' or 'in their minds'). In contrast with τοῖς καιροῖς εἴκοντες ('yielding to circumstances'), it describes those who yield internally or out of genuine conviction.