- 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-grc2:38.21.1-38.21.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Facing the destruction of Carthage, Scipio expresses his fear for the future of Rome to Polybius, quoting Homer. The author praises Scipio's sagacity and greatness for remembering the instability of fortune even in the midst of triumph.
κα?ι? χ ς επεισαγαγο δε σδ αυ της επειμιαν τι παρ καὶ δι νι τὸ δικ?αιον ευ ρων φησιν ὁ πολυβιος εγων οτι και τιν〈ο〉 ραν επι α?ν τούτου καλλιον ουτ και τοῦτʼ εἴρηται παρὰ τῷ ποιητῇ· καὶ ἐπιστρέψας ἐξ αὐτῆς1 καὶ λαβόμενός μου τῆς δεξιᾶς "ὦ Πολύβιε," ἔφη "καλὸν μέν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἐγὼ δέδια καὶ προορῶμαι μή ποτέ τις ἄλλος τοῦτο τὸ παράγγελμα δώσει2 περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας πατρίδος·"
[...] and Polybius says that I said there is nothing finer than this, and this too is spoken by the poet. And turning immediately and taking me by the right hand, he said, ‘O Polybius, it is indeed a fine thing, but I know not how I fear and foresee lest some day another shall give this same warning concerning our own country.’
ταύτης3 δὲ δύναμιν πραγματικωτέραν καὶ νουνεχεστέραν οὐ ῥᾴδιον εἰπεῖν·
And it is not easy to express a mind more practical and sagacious than this.
τὸ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις κατορθώμασι καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν συμφοραῖς ἔννοιαν λαμβάνειν τῶν οἰκείων πραγμάτων καὶ τῆς ἐναντίας περιστάσεως καὶ καθόλου πρόχειρον ἔχειν ἐν ταῖς ἐπιτυχίαις τὴν τῆς τύχης ἐπισφάλειαν ἀνδρός ἐστι μεγάλου4 καὶ τελείου καὶ συλλήβδην ἀξίου μνήμης. —
For to take thought of one’s own affairs and of the opposite turn of events in the midst of the greatest successes and the misfortunes of one’s enemies, and in general to keep the instability of fortune ready to hand during successes, belongs to a great and perfect man, and, in a word, to one worthy of remembrance.
- 38.21.1ἐξ αὐτῆς
The phrase ἐξ αὐτῆς (elliptical for ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ὥρας) is a temporal adverbial expression meaning 'immediately' or 'straightway'.
- 38.21.1μή ποτέ τις ἄλλος τοῦτο τὸ παράγγελμα δώσει
In the μή-clause introduced by verbs of fearing and foreseeing (δέδια καὶ προορῶμαι), the future indicative δώσει is used instead of the usual subjunctive. This construction emphasizes a strong apprehension or a realistic expectation of a future certainty rather than a mere hypothetical fear.
- 38.21.2ταύτης
A genitive of comparison referring back to Scipio's preceding utterance or attitude, meaning 'a mind more practical and sagacious than this'.
- 38.21.3τὸ γὰρ ... ἀνδρός ἐστι μεγάλου
The articular infinitives 'τὸ ... λαμβάνειν ... καὶ ... ἔχειν' function as the subject of the sentence, while the genitive 'ἀνδρός ἐστι μεγάλου...' acts as a predicate showing a genitive of characteristic, meaning 'it is characteristic of a great man'.