- 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-grc2:31.27.1-31.27.16
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Scipio decides to repay the outstanding dowry to his adoptive father's sisters in full immediately, without waiting for the legal grace period, astonishing his relatives with his extraordinary generosity.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ταῖς Σκιπίωνος μὲν τοῦ μεγάλου θυγατράσιν, ἀδελφαῖς δὲ τοῦ κατὰ θέσιν πατρός, λαβόντος,1 αὐτὸν ἔδει τὴν ἡμίσειαν ἀποδοῦναι τῆς φερνῆς.
After this, when he had received the estate, he had to pay half of the dowry to the daughters of Scipio the Great, who were the sisters of his adoptive father.
ὁ γὰρ πατὴρ συνέθετο μὲν ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν θυγατέρων πεντήκοντα τάλαντα δώσειν, τούτων δὲ τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ παραχρῆμα τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἔδωκεν ἡ μήτηρ, τὸ δʼ ἥμισυ κατέλειπεν ἀποθνήσκουσα προσοφειλόμενον, ὅθεν ἔδει τὸν Σκιπίωνα διαλύειν τοῦτο τὸ χρέος ταῖς τοῦ πατρὸς ἀδελφαῖς.
For their father had agreed to give fifty talents to each of his daughters, and of this their mother had paid half to their husbands immediately, but left the other half still owing at her death, whence Scipio had to discharge this debt to his father’s sisters.
κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ῥωμαίων νόμους δέον2 ἐν τρισὶν ἔτεσιν ἀποδοῦναι τὰ προσοφειλόμενα χρήματα τῆς φερνῆς ταῖς γυναιξί, προδοθέντων πρώτων τῶν ἐπίπλων εἰς δέκα μῆνας κατὰ τὸ παρʼ ἐκείνοις ἔθος, εὐθέως ὁ Σκιπίων συνέταξε τῷ τραπεζίτῃ τῶν εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ταλάντων ἑκατέρᾳ ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν ἐν τοῖς δέκα μησί.
Now, according to Roman laws, while it was required to pay the outstanding money of the dowry to the women within three years, the movables being first delivered within ten months according to their custom, Scipio immediately ordered the banker to make the payment of twenty-five talents to each of them within the ten months.
τοῦ δὲ Τεβερίου καὶ τοῦ Νασικᾶ Σκιπίωνος, οὗτοι γὰρ ἦσαν ἄνδρες τῶν προειρημένων γυναικῶν, ἅμα τῷ διελθεῖν τοὺς δέκα μῆνας προσπορευομένων πρὸς τὸν τραπεζίτην καὶ πυνθανομένων, εἴ τι συνετέτακτο Σκιπίων αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν χρημάτων, κἀκείνου κελεύοντος αὐτοὺς κομίζεσθαι καὶ ποιοῦντος τὴν διαγραφὴν ἑκατέρῳ τῶν εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ταλάντων, ἀγνοεῖν αὐτὸν ἔφασαν·
But when Tiberius and Nasica Scipio—for these were the husbands of the aforementioned women—as soon as the ten months had elapsed, went to the banker and asked if Scipio had given him any orders about the money, and when the banker told them to receive it and made out the draft for twenty-five talents to each, they said that he was mistaken;
δεῖν γὰρ αὑτοὺς οὐ πᾶν κατὰ τὸ παρόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τρίτον μέρος κομίζεσθαι κατὰ τοὺς νόμους.
for they ought, they said, according to the laws, to receive not the whole at present, but only a third part.
τοῦ δὲ φάσκοντος οὕτως αὐτῷ συντεταχέναι τὸν Σκιπίωνα, διαπιστήσαντες προῆγον ἐπὶ τὸν νεανίσκον, διειληφότες ἐκεῖνον ἀγνοεῖν. καὶ τοῦτʼ ἔπασχον οὐκ ἀλόγως·
But when the banker asserted that Scipio had so instructed him, they, being incredulous, proceeded to the young man, supposing that he was acting in ignorance. And indeed, they were not without reason for feeling this;
οὐ γὰρ οἷον πεντήκοντα τάλαντα δοίη τις ἂν ἐν Ῥώμῃ πρὸ τριῶν ἐτῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ3 τάλαντον ἓν πρὸ τῆς τεταγμένης ἡμέρας·
for in Rome, so far from anyone paying fifty talents three years before the time, no one would pay even a single talent before the appointed day;
τοιαύτη τίς ἐστι καὶ τηλικαύτη παρὰ πάντας ἅμα μὲν ἀκρίβεια. περὶ τὸ διάφορον, ἅμα δὲ λυσιτέλεια περὶ τὸν χρόνον.
such and so great is, among everyone, at once their exactness about money, and their profit-seeking with regard to time.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ προσπορευθέντων αὐτῶν καὶ πυνθανομένων πῶς τῷ τραπεζίτῃ συντέταχε, τοῦ δʼ εἰπόντος ἀποδοῦναι πᾶν τὸ χρῆμα ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς, ἀγνοεῖν αὐτὸν ἔφασαν, ἅμα τὸ κηδεμονικὸν ἐμφανίζοντες·
Nevertheless, when they came to him and asked how he had instructed the banker, and when he said that he had ordered him to pay the whole sum to his sisters, they said that he was acting in ignorance, at the same time showing their family affection;
ἐξεῖναι γὰρ αὐτὸν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους χρῆσθαι τοῖς διαφόροις ἱκανὸν ἔτι χρόνον.
for they said that by the laws he was allowed to use the money for a considerable time yet.
ὁ δὲ Σκιπίων ἔφησεν ἀγνοεῖν τούτων οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους τὴν ἐκ τῶν νόμων ἀκρίβειαν τηρεῖν, τοῖς δὲ συγγενέσι καὶ φίλοις ἁπλῶς χρῆσθαι καὶ γενναίως κατὰ δύναμιν.
But Scipio said that he was ignorant of none of these things, but while he maintained the exactness of the laws toward strangers, toward relatives and friends he behaved simply and generously as far as his power allowed.
διὸ παραλαμβάνειν αὐτοὺς ἐκέλευε πᾶν τὸ χρῆμα παρὰ τοῦ τραπεζίτου.
Therefore, he bade them receive the whole sum from the banker.
οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον4 ταῦτʼ ἀκούσαντες ἐπανῆγον σιωπῶντες, καταπεπληγμένοι μὲν τὴν τοῦ Σκιπίωνος μεγαλοψυχίαν, κατεγνωκότες δὲ τῆς αὑτῶν μικρολογίας, καίπερ ὄντες οὐδενὸς δεύτεροι Ῥωμαίων.
Tiberius and his companion, on hearing this, went away in silence, amazed at the generosity of Scipio, and self-condemned for their own meanness, although they were second to no Romans in standing.
- 31.27.1λαβόντος
Genitive absolute participle. Although the subject pronoun αὐτοῦ is omitted, its semantic subject is identical with αὐτόν, the subject of the infinitive in the main clause. While the genitive absolute is normally used when the subject is different from any element in the main clause, here it is used irregularly to describe the circumstance of his "having received" the inheritance.
- 31.27.5δέον
Accusative absolute (accusative of the impersonal participle) of the impersonal verb δεῖ (it is necessary). It indicates a concessive or background circumstance, meaning "although it was required" or "whereas it was necessary."
- 31.27.10οὐ γὰρ οἷον... ἀλλʼ οὐδέ...
An idiomatic construction meaning "so far from... not even..." or "not only not... but not even...". Paired with the potential optative with ἄν (ἂν δοίη), it strongly emphasizes an impossible or highly improbable concession.
- 31.27.16οἱ περὶ τὸν Τεβέριον
An idiomatic expression literally meaning "those around Tiberius," referring to "Tiberius and his companion(s)." In this context, it designates the two husbands, Tiberius Gracchus and Scipio Nasica (along with their attendants).