Defense of Narrative Variety Based on Human Nature — Polybius, The Histories Book 38 (38.5.1–38.5.9), Greek & English

§38.5.1

οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοῶ διότι τινὲς ἐπιλήψονται τῆς πραγματείας, φάσκοντες ἀτελῆ καὶ διερριμμένην ἡμᾶς πεποιῆσθαι τὴν ἐξήγησιν¹ τῶν πραγμάτων, εἴγʼ ἐπιβαλλόμενοι λόγου χάριν διεξιέναι τὴν Καρχηδόνος πολιορκίαν, κἄπειτα μεταξὺ ταύτην ἀπολιπόντες καὶ μεσολαβήσαντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς μεταβαίνομεν ἐπὶ τὰς Ἑλληνικὰς κἀντεῦθεν ἐπὶ τὰς Μακεδονικὰς ἢ Συριακὰς ἤ τινας ἑτέρας πράξεις·

For I am not ignorant that some will find fault with my work, alleging that we have made our exposition of events incomplete and disconnected, if, for instance, having undertaken to describe the siege of Carthage, we then leave it in the middle and, interrupting ourselves, pass on to Greek affairs, and thence to Macedonian or Syrian or some other actions.

§38.5.3

ζητεῖν δὲ τοὺς φιλομαθοῦντας² τὸ συνεχὲς καὶ τὸ τέλος ἱμείρειν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς προθέσεως· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ψυχαγωγίαν καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν οὕτω μᾶλλον συνεκτρέχειν τοῖς προσέχουσιν.

And they assert that those who are eager to learn seek continuity and long to hear the end of the proposed plan, for in this way amusement and benefit run together all the more for those who pay attention.

§38.5.4

ἐμοὶ δʼ οὐχ οὕτως δοκεῖ, τὸ δʼ ἐναντίον. μάρτυρα δὲ τούτων ἐπικαλεσαίμην ἂν αὐτὴν τὴν φύσιν, ἥτις κατʼ οὐδʼ ὁποίαν τῶν αἰσθήσεων εὐδοκεῖ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιμένειν κατὰ τὸ συνεχές, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ μεταβολῆς ἐστιν οἰκεία, τοῖς δʼ αὐτοῖς ἐγκυρεῖν ἐκ διαστήματος βούλεται καὶ διαφορᾶς.

But to me it does not seem so, but rather the opposite. As a witness of this, I would call upon nature itself, which in the case of none of our senses is pleased to remain continuously in the same conditions, but is always fond of change, and wishes to meet the same things only after an interval and with variety.

§38.5.5

εἴη δʼ ἂν τὸ λεγόμενον ἐναργὲς πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἀκοῆς, ἥτις οὔτε κατὰ τὰς μελῳδίας οὔτε κατὰ τὰς λεκτικὰς ὑποκρίσεις εὐδοκεῖ συνεχῶς ταῖς αὐταῖς ἐπιμένειν στάσεσιν, ὁ δὲ μεταβολικὸς τρόπος καὶ καθόλου πᾶν τὸ διερριμμένον καὶ μεγίστας ἔχον ἀλλαγὰς καὶ πυκνοτάτας αὐτὴν κινεῖ.

What is said would be clear first of all from the sense of hearing, which is not pleased to remain continuously in the same notes, either in melodies or in dramatic recitations, but a variable style, and in general anything that is disconnected and has the greatest and most frequent changes, moves it.

§38.5.7

παραπλησίως καὶ τὴν γεῦσιν εὕροι τις ἂν οὐδὲ τοῖς πολυτελεστάτοις βρώμασιν ἐπιμένειν δυναμένην,³ ἀλλὰ σικχαίνουσαν καὶ χαίρουσαν ταῖς μεταβολαῖς καὶ προσηνεστέρως ἀποδεχομένην πολλάκις καὶ τὰ λιτὰ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων ἢ τὰ πολυτελῆ διὰ τὸν ξενισμόν. τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ περὶ τὴν ὅρασιν ἴδοι τις ἂν γινόμενον·

In like manner, one would find that the sense of taste also is unable to remain even with the most luxurious foods, but grows squeamish and rejoices in changes, often accepting more agreeably simple dishes rather than luxurious ones, because of their novelty. And one would see the same thing happening also regarding the sense of sight;

§38.5.8

ἥκιστα γὰρ δύναται πρὸς ἓν μένειν ἀτενίζουσα, κινεῖ δʼ αὐτὴν ἡ ποικιλία καὶ μεταβολὴ τῶν ὁρωμένων.

for it is least of all able to remain gazing at one thing, but the variety and change of the things seen moves it.

§38.5.9

μάλιστα δὲ περὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦτό τις ἂν ἴδοι συμβαῖνον· αἱ γὰρ μεταλήψεις τῶν⁴ ἀτενισμῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπιστάσεων οἷον ἀναπαύσεις εἰσὶ τοῖς φιλοπόνοις τῶν

And most of all, one would see this happening regarding the soul; for the alternations of intense gaze and attention are as it were recreations to the industrious of...

Syntax notes4 items

38.5.1ἀτελῆ καὶ διερριμμένην ἡμᾶς πεποιῆσθαι τὴν ἐξήγησιν
The accusative ἡμᾶς serves as the subject of the perfect infinitive πεποιῆσθαι, while τὴν ἐξήγησιν is its object. The adjectives ἀτελῆ καὶ διερριμμένην function as predicate accusatives modifying the object.
38.5.3ζητεῖν δὲ τοὺς φιλομαθοῦντας
The infinitives ζητεῖν, ἱμείρειν, and συνεκτρέχειν depend on the participle φάσκοντες (alleging) from the preceding section, forming an indirect discourse. The subjects of these infinitives are τοὺς φιλομαθοῦντας and τὴν ψυχαγωγίαν καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν respectively.
38.5.7τὴν γεῦσιν εὕροι τις ἂν οὐδὲ ... δυναμένην
The accusative τὴν γεῦσιν (taste) is the object of the potential optative εὕροι τις ἂν ('one would find'). The participles δυναμένην (as well as σικχαίνουσαν, χαίρουσαν, and ἀποδεχομένην) function as predicative participles qualifying the object, describing the characteristics of taste.
38.5.9τῶν
The genitive article τῶν at the very end of the chunk indicates that the text in the manuscript tradition is interrupted or lacunose here. The translations in all languages reflect this incomplete structure.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:38.5.1-38.5.9