- 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-grc2:31.25.1-31.25.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
While Polybius and Scipio built a strong bond of trust, a decadent lifestyle was spreading in Rome at the time. However, Scipio pursued the opposite path of self-control and established a renowned reputation for temperance within about five years.
ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν λοιπὸν ἤδη κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων πεῖραν αὑτῶν διδόντες ἀλλήλοις εἰς πατρικὴν καὶ συγγενικὴν ἦλθον αἵρεσιν1 καὶ φιλοστοργίαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
From this time forward, continually giving proof of themselves to one another in actual deeds, they came to have a fatherly and kindred affection and love for one another.
πρώτη δέ τις ἐνέπεσεν ὁρμὴ καὶ ζῆλος τῶν καλῶν τὸ τὴν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ δόξαν ἀναλαβεῖν2 καὶ παραδραμεῖν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τοὺς κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡλικίαν ὑπάρχοντας.
And the first impulse and zeal for noble things that fell upon him was to win a reputation for temperance, and in this respect to surpass those of his own age.
ὢν δὲ μέγας οὗτος καὶ δυσέφικτος ὁ στέφανος εὐθήρατος ἦν κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ὁρμὴν τῶν πλείστων.
Though this crown was great and hard to attain, it was easy to win at that time in Rome, because of the downward trend of most people toward the worse.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς ἐρωμένους τῶν νέων, οἱ δʼ εἰς ἑταίρας ἐξεκέχυντο, πολλοὶ δʼ εἰς ἀκροάματα καὶ πότους καὶ τὴν ἐν τούτοις πολυτέλειαν, ταχέως ἡρπακότες ἐν τῷ Περσικῷ πολέμῳ τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος εὐχέρειαν.
For some of the youth had abandoned themselves to male favorites, others to courtesans, and many to musical performances, drinking parties, and the extravagance in them, having quickly caught during the war with Perseus the Greek laxity in this regard.
καὶ τηλικαύτη τις ἐνεπεπτώκει περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἔργων ἀκρασία τοῖς νέοις ὥστε πολλοὺς μὲν ἐρώμενον ἠγορακέναι ταλάντου, πολλοὺς δὲ ταρίχου Ποντικοῦ κεράμιον τριακοσίων δραχμῶν.
And so great a lack of self-control regarding such deeds had fallen upon the youth, that many bought a favorite for a talent, and many a jar of Pontic salted fish for three hundred drachmae.
ἐφʼ οἷς καὶ Μάρκος ἀγανακτῶν εἶπέ ποτε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ὅτι μάλιστʼ ἂν κατίδοιεν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προκοπὴν τῆς πολιτείας ἐκ τούτων, ὅταν πωλούμενοι πλεῖον εὑρίσκωσιν3 οἱ μὲν εὐπρεπεῖς παῖδες τῶν ἀγρῶν, τὰ δὲ κεράμια τοῦ ταρίχου τῶν ζευγηλατῶν.
At this Marcus also was indignant and once said to the people that they could best see the decline of the state for the worse from this, when handsome boys, when sold, fetched more than fields, and jars of salted fish more than plowmen.
συνέβη δὲ τὴν παροῦσαν αἵρεσιν οἷον ἐκλάμψαι κατὰ τοὺς νῦν λεγομένους καιροὺς πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τὸ καταλυθείσης τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλείας δοκεῖν4 ἀδήριτον αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν τὴν περὶ τῶν ὅλων ἐξουσίαν, ἔπειτα διὰ τὸ πολλὴν ἐπίφασιν γενέσθαι τῆς εὐδαιμονίας περί τε τοὺς κατʼ ἰδίαν βίους καὶ περὶ τὰ κοινά, τῶν ἐκ Μακεδονίας μετακομισθέντων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην χορηγίων.
It happened that this tendency burst out, as it were, at the times now mentioned, first because, since the kingdom in Macedonia had been destroyed, the universal power seemed to belong to them without dispute, and secondly because a great display of prosperity arose both in private lives and in public affairs, thanks to the resources transferred from Macedonia to Rome.
πλὴν ὅ γε Σκιπίων ὁρμήσας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἀγωγὴν τοῦ βίου καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ἀντιταξάμενος καὶ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ὁμολογούμενον καὶ σύμφωνον ἑαυτὸν κατασκευάσας κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐν ἴσως πέντε τοῖς πρώτοις ἔτεσι πάνδημον ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἐπʼ εὐταξίᾳ καὶ σωφροσύνῃ δόξαν.
But Scipio, having set out upon the opposite course of life and opposed all passions, and having made himself in every way consistent and harmonious in his life, in about the first five years established a universal reputation for good order and temperance.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὸ περὶ τὰ χρήματα μεγαλοψυχίᾳ καὶ καθαρότητι διενεγκεῖν τῶν ἄλλων.
After this, he proceeded continuously to excel others in generosity and integrity regarding money.
πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος καλὴν μὲν ὑποδοχὴν εἶχε τὴν μετὰ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν πατρὸς συμβίωσιν, καλὰς δʼ ἐκ φύσεως ὁρμὰς αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸ δέον· πολλὰ δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ταὐτόματον συνήργησε πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ταύτην.
In this direction, he had an excellent foundation in his life with his natural father, and he himself had from nature noble impulses toward duty; and chance also assisted him in many ways in this enterprise.
- 31.25.1αἵρεσιν
Although its primary meaning is 'choice' or 'inclination,' accompanied here by the adjectives 'fatherly' and 'kindred,' it means choosing a deep 'bond' or 'intimate relationship' and maintaining that attitude.
- 31.25.2τὸ τὴν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ δόξαν ἀναλαβεῖν
The articular infinitive phrase starting with τὸ and containing ἀναλαβεῖν (and παραδραμεῖν) functions as an appositive, explaining the concrete content of the subject of the main clause, ὁρμὴ καὶ ζῆλος.
- 31.25.5aπλεῖον εὑρίσκωσιν
The verb εὑρίσκω in the active voice (with the thing sold as subject) is a commercial idiom meaning 'to fetch a price.' The object of comparison for the comparative πλεῖον is expressed by the genitives τῶν ἀγρῶν (fields) and τῶν ζευγηλατῶν (plowmen).
- 31.25.6διὰ τὸ καταλυθείσης τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλείας δοκεῖν
Inside the articular infinitive construction governed by the preposition διὰ (τὸ ... δοκεῖν), a genitive absolute phrase καταλυθείσης τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλείας is inserted, forming a complex nested structure. The subject of the accusative-and-infinitive construction led by the main verb συνέβη is τὴν παροῦσαν αἵρεσιν.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1