- 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-grc2:31.24.1-31.24.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Polybius is surprised by Scipio's words but praises his great ambition and promises to support him. Deeply moved, Scipio vows to make Polybius his lifelong companion and guide.
ὁ δὲ Πολύβιος ξενισθεὶς τῇ τοῦ μειρακίου καταρχῇ τῶν λόγων· οὐ γὰρ εἶχε πλέον ἐτῶν ὀκτωκαίδεκα τότε· "
But Polybius was surprised at the youth’s beginning of his speech; for he was not more than eighteen years old at the time. And he said:
μὴ πρὸς θεῶν, Σκιπίων," ἔφη, "μηδὲ λέγε ταῦτα μηδʼ ἐν νῷ λάμβανε ταῦτα τὸ παράπαν.
”In the name of the gods, Scipio, do not say such things, nor let them enter your mind at all.
οὐδὲ γὰρ καταγινώσκων οὔτε παραπέμπων ἐγώ σε ποιῶ τοῦτο, πολλοῦ γε δεῖν,1 ἀλλὰ τῷ πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τὸν ἀδελφὸν2 ἔν τε ταῖς ὁμιλίαις ἄρχομαί τʼ ἀπʼ ἐκείνου καὶ λήγω πάλιν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἔν τε ταῖς ἀποφάσεσι καὶ συμβουλίαις πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀπερείδομαι, δοκῶν καὶ σὲ τῆς αὐτῆς μετέχειν γνώμης ἐκείνῳ.
For I do not do this because I condemn you or pass you by, far from it, but because your brother is older, I begin with him in our conversations and end with him again, and in opinions and counsels I rely on him, thinking that you also share the same opinion with him.
σοῦ γε μὴν ἄγαμαι νῦν ἀκούων,3 ὅτι δοκεῖ σοι λυπηρὸν τὸ πραΰτερον εἶναι τοῦ καθήκοντος τοῖς ἐκ ταύτης τῆς οἰκίας ὁρμωμένοις· δῆλος γὰρ εἶ διὰ τούτων μέγα φρονῶν.4
Indeed, I admire you now as I hear you say that it seems painful to you to be quieter than is fitting for those who spring from this house; for you make it clear by these words that you have a great spirit.
ἐγὼ δὲ κἂν αὐτὸς ἡδέως σοι συνεπιδοίην ἐμαυτὸν καὶ συνεργὸς γενοίμην εἰς τὸ καὶ λέγειν τι καὶ πράττειν ἄξιον τῶν προγόνων.
And I myself would gladly devote myself to you and become a helper to you in speaking and doing something worthy of your ancestors.
περὶ μὲν γὰρ τὰ μαθήματα, περὶ ἃ νῦν ὁρῶ σπουδάζοντας ὑμᾶς καὶ φιλοτιμουμένους, οὐκ ἀπορήσετε τῶν συνεργησόντων ὑμῖν ἑτοίμως, καὶ σοὶ κἀκείνῳ·
For as for the studies in which I now see you both busy and eager, you will have no lack of those who will readily assist you, both you and him;
πολὺ γὰρ δή τι φῦλον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐπιρρέον ὁρῶ κατὰ τὸ παρὸν τῶν τοιούτων ἀνθρώπων.
for indeed I see a very great multitude of such men streaming in from Greece at present.
εἰς δὲ τὰ λυποῦντά σε νῦν καὶ μάλιστα, καθὼς φής, δοκῶ μηδένα συναγωνιστὴν καὶ συνεργὸν ἄλλον εὑρεῖν ἂν5 ἡμῶν ἐπιτηδειότερον.
But as to the things that trouble you now, and most of all, as you say, I think you could find no other comrade and helper more suitable than us.”
" ἔτι δὲ ταῦτα λέγοντος τοῦ Πολυβίου, λαβόμενος ἀμφοτέραις χερσὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς αὐτοῦ καὶ πιέσας ἐμπαθῶς "εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ ταύτην," φησίν, "ἴδοιμι6 τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ σὺ πάντα τἄλλα δεύτερα θέμενος ἐμοὶ προσέξεις τὸν νοῦν καὶ μετʼ ἐμοῦ συμβιώσεις·
While Polybius was still saying these things, Scipio took Polybius’s right hand with both of his and pressing it passionately, said: “Oh, if only I might see that day when you, setting all other things second, will direct your mind to me and live with me!
δόξω γὰρ αὐτόθεν εὐθέως ἐμαυτῷ καὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἄξιος εἶναι καὶ τῶν προγόνων.
For immediately from that moment I shall seem to myself to be worthy of both my house and my ancestors.”
" ὁ δὲ Πολύβιος τὰ μὲν ἔχαιρε, θεωρῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν καὶ τὴν ἀποδοχὴν τοῦ μειρακίου, τὰ δὲ διηπορεῖτο, λαμβάνων ἐν νῷ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν ἀνδρῶν.
But Polybius, while on one hand he rejoiced, seeing the eagerness and reception of the youth, on the other hand was deeply perplexed, taking into mind the greatness of the house and the high position of its men.
πλὴν ἀπό γε ταύτης τῆς ἀνθομολογήσεως οὐκέτι τὸ μειράκιον ἐχωρίσθη τοῦ Πολυβίου, πάντα δʼ ἦν αὐτῷ δεύτερα τῆς ἐκείνου συμπεριφορᾶς.
Nevertheless, from this mutual confession onward, the youth was never again separated from Polybius, and all other things were second to him in comparison with Polybius’s companionship.
- 31.24.3πολλοῦ γε δεῖν
An idiomatic absolute infinitive construction with δεῖν, meaning "far from it" or "by no means", used to express strong negation in negative contexts.
- 31.24.3τῷ πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τὸν ἀδελφὸν
The articular infinitive τῷ ... εἶναι functions as a dative of cause ("by reason of being..."). The accusative τὸν ἀδελφὸν acts as the subject of the infinitive, and πρεσβύτερον is its predicate complement.
- 31.24.4σοῦ γε μὴν ἄγαμαι νῦν ἀκούων
The verb ἄγαμαι (admire, wonder at) takes the person admired in the genitive (σοῦ) and the reason for admiration in the participle (ἀκούων). It translates as "I admire you, hearing you say...".
- 31.24.4δῆλος γὰρ εἶ ... μέγα φρονῶν
A personal construction consisting of δῆλός εἰμι with the participle μέγα φρονῶν. It is equivalent to an impersonal construction (such as δῆλόν ἐστιν with accusative and infinitive), meaning "for you make it clear that you have great spirit".
- 31.24.8εὑρεῖν ἂν
An infinitive clause dependent on the main verb δοκῶ (I think). The presence of ἂν represents a potential optative (εὕροιμι ἄν) in indirect discourse, meaning "I think we would find no...".
- 31.24.9εἰ γὰρ ... ἴδοιμι
The particle combination εἰ γάρ followed by the aorist optative ἴδοιμι expresses an attainable wish directed toward the future ("if only I might see...").