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The Histories

§31.31.1-31.31.3

Criticism of Rhodes for Accepting Aid from Eumenes

The author criticizes the Rhodians for accepting a large grain donation from Eumenes for education funds, arguing that it compromised their state's dignity.

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§31.31.1

ὅτι1 Ῥόδιοι τἄλλα σῴζοντες τὴν τοῦ πολιτεύματος προστασίαν βραχὺ παρώλισθον ἐν τούτοις τοῖς καιροῖς, ὡς ἐμὴ δόξα· ἐπεδέξαντο γὰρ σίτου μυριάδας ὀκτὼ καὶ εἴκοσι παρʼ Εὐμένους χάριν τοῦ τὸ λογευθὲν ἐκ τούτων δανείζεσθαι,2 τὸν δὲ τόκον εἰς τοὺς μισθοὺς ὑπάρχειν τοῖς παιδευταῖς καὶ διδασκάλοις τῶν υἱῶν.

​That the Rhodians, while preserving the dignity of their state in other respects, made a slight slip in these times, in my opinion; for they accepted two hundred and eighty thousand of corn from Eumenes, in order to lend out the money collected from these, and that the interest should go towards the salaries for the instructors and teachers of their sons.

§31.31.2

τοῦτο δέ, στενοχωρίας μὲν ὑπαρχούσης καθάπαξ ἐπὶ τῶν κατʼ ἰδίαν βίων, ἴσως ἂν ἐπιδέξαιτό τις παρὰ τῶν φίλων ἕνεκα τοῦ μὴ περιιδεῖν ἀπαίδευτα γενόμενα τὰ τέκνα διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν· εὐκαιρῶν δὲ τῷ βίῳ3 πᾶν ἄν τις ὑπομείναι μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν διδόμενον τοῖς διδασκάλοις μισθὸν ἐρανίζεσθαι παρὰ τῶν φίλων·

​Now this, if there were a complete distress in private life, one might perhaps accept from friends, in order not to allow one’s children to grow up uneducated due to poverty; but if one is well-off in life, one would endure anything rather than borrow from friends the salary to be given to teachers.

§31.31.3

ὅσῳ δὲ μεῖζον δεῖ πολιτείαν ἰδιώτου φρονεῖν,4 τοσῷδε καὶ τὸ πρέπον ἐπὶ τῶν πολιτικῶν μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν ἰδίων τηρητέον, Ῥοδίοις δὲ καὶ τελέως5 διά τε τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τὴν ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς καὶ τὴν ἐπίφασιν τῆς σεμνότητος.

​And by how much more a state ought to be high-minded than a private individual, by so much more must what is fitting be observed in public affairs rather than in private ones, and for the Rhodians completely so, both because of their public prosperity and their appearance of dignity.

Syntax notes5 items
  1. 31.31.1ὅτι

    The text begins with the conjunction ὅτι because this passage survives as an excerpt (epitome). The main verb of saying or recording is omitted.

  2. 31.31.1χάριν τοῦ τὸ λογευθὲν ἐκ τούτων δανείζεσθαι

    The prepositional adverb χάριν governs the genitive of the articular infinitive τοῦ ... δανείζεσθαι, expressing purpose. τὸ λογευθὲν (what was collected) refers to the money raised by selling the grain (τούτων).

  3. 31.31.2εὐκαιρῶν δὲ τῷ βίῳ

    The participle εὐκαιρῶν with the dative τῷ βίῳ expresses a condition ("if one is well-off in life"), standing in contrast to the absolute genitive στενοχωρίας ... ὑπαρχούσης (if there is distress) in the preceding clause.

  4. 31.31.3ὅσῳ δὲ μεῖζον δεῖ πολιτείαν ἰδιώτου φρονεῖν

    A correlative construction ὅσῳ ... τοσῷδε ("by how much... by so much"). πολιτείαν is the subject accusative of the infinitive φρονεῖν, and ἰδιώτου is a genitive of comparison. φρονεῖν here means "to be high-minded" or "to have high standards."

  5. 31.31.3Ῥοδίοις δὲ καὶ τελέως

    The verbal adjective τηρητέον (must be observed) is implied from the preceding clause, taking Ῥοδίοις as a dative of agent/interest: "and for the Rhodians completely so [it must be observed]."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)
  • 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:31.31.1-31.31.3