- 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
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- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:32.11.1-32.11.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
The author explains why he anticipated the Asian affairs to describe Ariarathes' restoration, and states his intention to return to the usual order to summarize a peculiar event in Oropus. He also records Orophernes' downfall and his subsequent turn to luxury.
ὅτι οὐκ ὀλίγοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ πλεῖον ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα προσέθηκαν τοῖς χρήμασιν,1 οἷς Ὀροφέρνης ὁ τῆς Καππαδοκίας βασιλεὺς κατάληπτος γενόμενος ἀπώλετο καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσεν.
Not a few men, through their desire for more, add even their very breath to their money; captured by which Orophernes, the king of Cappadocia, was ruined and fell from his kingdom.
ἡμεῖς δὲ συγκεφαλαιωσάμενοι τὴν τούτου κάθοδον ἐπανάξομεν τὴν διήγησιν ἐπὶ τὴν εἰθισμένην τάξιν, ᾗ χρώμεθα παρʼ ὅλην τὴν πραγματείαν·
We, however, having summarized his return, will bring back our narrative to the customary order which we employ throughout the whole work.
καὶ γὰρ νῦν ὑπερβάντες τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα προελάβομεν τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τὰ κατὰ τὴν Καππαδοκίαν2 διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν εὔλογον ἔχειν διαίρεσιν τὸν ἐκ τῆς Ἰταλίας ἀπόπλουν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα κάθοδον [τοῦ] Ἀριαράθου.
For indeed now, having passed over the events in Greece, we anticipated the affairs of Cappadocia among those of Asia, because the voyage of Ariarathes from Italy and his restoration to power admitted of no reasonable division.
διόπερ ἐπάνειμι δηλώσων τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα γενόμενα περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιρούς.
Therefore, I shall return to make clear the events that occurred in Greece about the same times.
ἐν οἷς ἴδιον καὶ παράλογον πρᾶγμα συνέβη γενέσθαι περὶ τὴν τῶν Ὠρωπίων πόλιν·
Among which a peculiar and unexpected event happened to occur concerning the city of the Oropians.
ὑπὲρ οὗ τὰ μὲν ἀναδραμόντες, τὰ δὲ προλαβόντες τοῖς χρόνοις συγκεφαλαιωσόμεθα τὴν ὅλην πρᾶξιν, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ μέρος αὐτῆς οὔσης οὐδʼ ὅλως ἐπιφανοῦς3 ἐν διῃρημένοις χρόνοις ἀπαγγέλλοντες εὐτελῆ καὶ ἀσαφῆ ποιῶμεν τὴν διήγησιν.
Concerning which, partly by going back and partly by anticipating in time, we shall summarize the whole transaction, lest, by reporting in divided times an event which in its parts is not at all illustrious, we should make the narrative trivial and obscure.
ὅταν γὰρ μόλις τὸ ὅλον ἄξιον ἐπιστάσεως φαίνηται τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἦ πού γε τοῖς κατὰ μέρος ἐκ διαστήματος λεγομένοις τὸν νοῦν προσέξει τις τῶν φιλομαθούντων; —
For when the whole is scarcely seen by the hearers as worthy of attention, how indeed will any of those eager to learn pay attention to the parts related at intervals?
ὅτι κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον ἐν ταῖς ἐπιτυχίαις ὡς ἐπίπαν ἄνθρωποι συμφρονοῦσι, κατὰ δὲ τὰς ἀποτυχίας ἀσχάλλοντες τοῖς πράγμασιν ἑλκώδεις καὶ δύσκολοι γίνονται πρὸς τοὺς φίλους·
For the most part, in successes, men generally agree; but in failures, being vexed at the affairs, they become irritable and difficult toward their friends.
ὃ καὶ περὶ τὸν Ὀροφέρνην συνέβη γενέσθαι, τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῷ ἀντιπιπτόντων καὶ τῷ Θεοτίμῳ καὶ μεμφομένων ἀλλήλοις. — Ὀροφέρνην.
Which also happened in the case of Orophernes, as circumstances turned against him and Theotimus, and they blamed each other.
ὀλίγον χρόνον Καππαδοκίας βασιλεύσαντα καὶ παριδόντα τὰς πατρίους ἀγωγάς φησιν ἐν τῇ τριακοστῇ δευτέρᾳ εἰσαγαγεῖν4 τὴν Ἰακὴν καὶ τεχνιτικὴν ἀσωτίαν. —
Having ruled Cappadocia for a short time and neglected his ancestral habits, he says in the thirty-second book, introduced Ionian and artistic luxury.
- 32.11.1καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα προσέθηκαν τοῖς χρήμασιν
The phrase literally means 'they added even their breath/spirit to their money.' It metaphorically expresses that out of their extreme greed for more wealth, they dedicated or sacrificed their very lives and souls to money.
- 32.11.3προελάβομεν τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τὰ κατὰ τὴν Καππαδοκίαν
The verb προλαμβάνω ('to take in advance') here governs the genitive of the whole (τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν, 'events in Asia') and the accusative of the part taken (τὰ κατὰ τὴν Καππαδοκίαν, 'events in Cappadocia').
- 32.11.6αὐτῆς οὔσης οὐδʼ ὅλως ἐπιφανοῦς
A genitive absolute construction with αὐτῆς (referring to the transaction, πρᾶξις, feminine) as the logical subject, explaining why the author prefers to summarize it: because the event, in its parts, is not at all famous or remarkable.
- 32.11.10φησιν ἐν τῇ τριακοστῇ δευτέρᾳ εἰσαγαγεῖν
The subject of the main verb φησίν ('he says') is the excerptor or quoting author referring to Polybius. The infinitive εἰσαγαγεῖν ('to have introduced') takes the omitted accusative subject Orophernes, who is described by the preceding participles.
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