- 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-grc2:3.57.1-3.57.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Before describing the major battles, the author explains his methodological choice not to interrupt the narrative with geographical digressions (such as the Straits of Gibraltar or British tin), arguing that such topics deserve dedicated treatment.
ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὴν διήγησιν καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἀμφοτέρων καὶ τὸν πόλεμον εἰς Ἰταλίαν ἠγάγομεν, πρὸ τοῦ τῶν ἀγώνων ἄρξασθαι βραχέα βουλόμεθα περὶ τῶν ἁρμοζόντων τῇ πραγματείᾳ διελθεῖν.
But since we have brought both our narrative, the commanders on both sides, and the war itself into Italy, we wish, before the beginning of the battles, to speak briefly of matters fitting to this work.
ἴσως γὰρ δή τινες ἐπιζητήσουσι πῶς πεποιημένοι1 τὸν πλεῖστον λόγον ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ Λιβύην καὶ κατʼ Ἰβηρίαν τόπων οὔτε περὶ τοῦ καθʼ Ἡρακλέους στήλας στόματος οὐδὲν ἐπὶ πλεῖον εἰρήκαμεν οὔτε περὶ τῆς ἔξω θαλάττης καὶ τῶν ἐν ταύτῃ συμβαινόντων ἰδιωμάτων, οὐδὲ μὴν περὶ τῶν Βρεττανικῶν νήσων καὶ τῆς τοῦ καττιτέρου κατασκευῆς, ἔτι δὲ τῶν ἀργυρείων καὶ χρυσείων τῶν κατʼ αὐτὴν Ἰβηρίαν, ὑπὲρ ὧν οἱ συγγραφεῖς ἀμφισβητοῦντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους τὸν πλεῖστον διατίθενται λόγον.
For perhaps indeed some will ask how it is that, while we have made the longest discourse concerning the places in Libya and Iberia, we have said nothing further either about the mouth by the Pillars of Heracles, or about the outer sea and the peculiar phenomena occurring in it, nor yet about the British Isles and the working of tin, and furthermore the silver and gold mines in Iberia itself, concerning which writers, disputing with one another, set forth the longest accounts.
ἡμεῖς δʼ οὐχὶ νομίζοντες ἀλλότριον εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τῆς ἱστορίας, διὰ τοῦτο παρελείπομεν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν οὐ βουλόμενοι παρʼ ἕκαστα διασπᾶν τὴν διήγησιν οὐδʼ ἀποπλανᾶν ἀπὸ τῆς πραγματικῆς ὑποθέσεως τοὺς φιληκοοῦντας, δεύτερον δὲ κρίνοντες οὐ διερριμμένην οὐδʼ ἐν παρέργῳ ποιήσασθαι2 τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν μνήμην, ἀλλὰ κατʼ ἰδίαν καὶ τόπον καὶ καιρὸν ἀπονείμαντες τῷ μέρει τούτῳ, καθʼ ὅσον οἷοί τʼ ἐσμέν, τὴν ἀλήθειαν περὶ αὐτῶν ἐξηγήσασθαι.
But we have omitted this part of history, not because we thought it foreign to our work, but first because we did not wish to interrupt the narrative at every turn or to lead those who love learning away from the practical subject, and secondly, because we decided not to make our mention of them scattered or by the way, but assigning to this part its own proper place and time, to explain the truth about them as far as we are able.
διόπερ οὐ χρὴ θαυμάζειν οὐδʼ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς, ἐὰν ἐπί τινας τόπους ἐρχόμενοι τοιούτους παραλείπωμεν τοῦτο τὸ μέρος διὰ τὰς προειρημένας αἰτίας.
Therefore, one must not wonder, in what follows either, if on coming to such places we omit this part for the reasons mentioned above.
εἰ δέ τινες πάντως ἐπιζητοῦσι κατὰ τόπον καὶ κατὰ μέρος τῶν τοιούτων ἀκούειν, ἴσως ἀγνοοῦσι παραπλήσιόν τι πάσχοντες3 τοῖς λίχνοις τῶν δειπνητῶν.
But if any wish by all means to hear of such matters in each place and in detail, they are perhaps unaware that they are in a condition very like that of greedy diners.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι πάντων ἀπογευόμενοι τῶν παρακειμένων οὔτε κατὰ τὸ παρὸν οὐδενὸς ἀληθινῶς ἀπολαύουσι τῶν βρωμάτων οὔτʼ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ὠφέλιμον ἐξ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀνάδοσιν καὶ τροφὴν κομίζονται, πᾶν δὲ τοὐναντίον·
For those people, tasting of everything that is set before them, neither enjoy any of the dishes truly at present, nor do they derive from them any useful digestion and nourishment for the future, but quite the contrary;
οἵ τε περὶ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τὸ παραπλήσιον ποιοῦντες οὔτε τῆς παραυτίκα διαγωγῆς ἀληθινῶς οὔτε τῆς εἰς τὸ μέλλον ὠφελείας στοχάζονται δεόντως.
and those who act in a similar way regarding reading target neither immediate entertainment nor future benefit as they should.
- 3.57.2πεποιημένοι
A nominative perfect participle agreeing with the implied subject 'we' (ἡμεῖς) of the main clause. Although placed inside the indirect question introduced by πῶς, it functions concessionally ('although we have made...').
- 3.57.5ποιήσασθαι
An infinitive dependent on the participle κρίνοντες ('judging'), standing in parallel with ἀλλὰ... ἐξηγήσασθαι ('but to explain'). The implied subject of the infinitive is ἡμᾶς ('us'), and its object is τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν μνήμην, with διερριμμένην and ἐν παρέργῳ functioning as predicative modifiers.
- 3.57.7ἀγνοοῦσι ... πάσχοντες
The construction of ἀγνοέω with a participle, meaning 'to do something without knowing it' or 'to be unaware that one is doing something.' Here, it indicates that the readers are unaware that they are experiencing a state similar to that of greedy diners.