- 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-grc2:39.3.1-39.3.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-12
Relates how Polybius defended the memory of Philopoemen against a Roman accuser, thereby preserving his honors, and how he requested the return of the statues of other Achaean leaders, earning the admiration of the populace.
ὅτι1 διὰ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν τοῦ πλήθους πρὸς Φιλοποίμενα εὔνοιαν οὐ καθεῖλον τὰς εἰκόνας αὐτοῦ ἐν πόλεσί τισιν οὔσας· οὕτως μοι δοκεῖ πᾶν τὸ γινόμενον ἀληθινῶς ἐνεργάζεσθαί τινα δυσεξάλειπτον εὔνοιαν τοῖς εὖ παθοῦσι. — διὸ καὶ δικαίως ἂν εἴποι τις τὸ περιφερόμενον, οὐ θύρᾳ, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, ἀλλʼ ἀμφόδῳ διέψευσται.2 —
That owing to the pre-existing goodwill of the populace toward Philopoemen, they did not destroy his statues that were in certain cities; thus it seems to me that everything that truly happens instills a certain indelible goodwill in those who have received benefits. Wherefore also one might justly say the common proverb, ”He missed, as the saying goes, not by a door, but by a street.”
οὐσῶν δὲ πολλῶν μὲν εἰκόνων αὐτοῦ μεγάλων δὲ τιμῶν, ἃς αἱ πόλεις ἐψηφίσαντο, Ῥωμαῖος ἀνὴρ ἐν τοῖς περὶ Κόρινθον ἀτυχήμασι τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐπεχείρησεν ἀνελεῖν ἁπάσας καὶ διώκειν αὐτόν,3 ἐνδεικνύμενος ὥσπερ ἔτι ζῶντα Ῥωμαίοις πολέμιον καὶ κακόνουν γενέσθαι. λόγων δὲ λεχθέντων καὶ Πολυβίου πρὸς τὸν συκοφάντην ἀντειπόντος, οὔθʼ ὁ Μόμμιος οὔτε οἱ πρέσβεις ὑπέμειναν ἀνδρὸς ἐνδόξου τιμὰς ἀφανίσαι. —
Although there were many statues of him and great honors which the cities had decreed, a certain Roman, during the misfortunes of Greece around Corinth, attempted to remove them all and to prosecute him, trying to show that he had been an enemy and ill-disposed to the Romans, as if he were still alive. But when arguments were spoken and Polybius replied to the accuser, neither Mummius nor the commissioners consented to efface the honors of an illustrious man.
ἐπεβάλετο διδάσκειν διὰ πλειόνων ἀκολούθως τοῖς ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἡμῖν εἰρημένοις περὶ τἀνδρός.
He undertook to explain at greater length, in accordance with what we said in the beginning about the man.
ταῦτα δʼ ἦν ὅτι διαφέροιτο μὲν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους πολλάκις ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπιταττομένων, διαφέροιτο δʼ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐφʼ ὅσον διδάσκειν καὶ πείθειν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν εἰκῇ.
And these arguments were that, while he indeed frequently differed with the Romans regarding their commands, he differed only so far as to instruct and persuade them concerning the points in dispute, and did not even do this at random.
πεῖραν δὲ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτὸν ἀληθινὴν ἔφη καὶ τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον ἐκ πυρὸς παρεσχῆσθαι χάριν4 κατὰ τοὺς Φιλιππικοὺς καὶ κατὰ τοὺς Ἀντιοχικοὺς καιρούς·
And he said that he had provided a true proof of his purpose—and, as the saying goes, a favor tested by fire—during the times of the Macedonian and Antiochian wars;
πλείστην γὰρ ἔχοντα ῥοπὴν τότε τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ διὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ δύναμιν καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἀληθινώτατα διατετηρηκέναι τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους φιλίαν, μετασχόντα τοῦ δόγματος τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς, ἐν ᾧ τετραμήνῳ πρότερον τῆς Ῥωμαίων διαβάσεως Ἀντιόχῳ καὶ τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας πόλεμον ἐξήνεγκαν, τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων σχεδὸν ἁπάντων ἀπηλλοτριωμένων τῆς Ῥωμαίων φιλίας.
for though he then possessed the greatest influence among the Greeks, both through his own power and that of the Achaeans, he had most genuinely maintained his friendship toward the Romans, having shared with the Achaeans in the decree by which, four months before the crossing of the Romans, they declared war from their territory against Antiochus and the Aetolians, when almost all the other Greeks had alienated themselves from the friendship of the Romans.
ὧν οἱ δέκα διακούσαντες καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἀποδεξάμενοι τοῦ λέγοντος συνεχώρησαν καταμόνους αὐτῷ τὰς τιμὰς ὑπάρχειν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι.
The ten commissioners, having heard these things and having accepted the speaker’s purpose, agreed that his honors should remain undisturbed for him in all the cities.
λαβόμενος δὲ τῆς ἀφορμῆς ταύτης Πολύβιος τὰς εἰκόνας ᾐτήσατο τὸν στρατηγόν, καίπερ ἤδη μετακεκομισμένας εἰς Ἀκαρνανίαν ἐκ Πελοποννήσου, λέγω δὲ τὴν Ἀχαιοῦ5 καὶ τὴν Ἀράτου καὶ Φιλοποίμενος.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Polybius asked the general for the statues, although they had already been transported from the Peloponnese to Acarnania—I mean those of Achaeus, Aratus, and Philopoemen.
ἐν οἷς ἀγασθὲν τὸ πλῆθος αὐτοῦ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἔστησεν αὐτοῦ λιθίνην εἰκόνα. —
Wherefore the populace, admiring his character, set up a stone statue of him.
- 39.3.1ὅτι
This ὅτι is a conjunction introducing a summary, indicating that this text derives from an epitome or excerpt of Polybius' work. It functions to state a historical fact ('that...') without a main governing verb.
- 39.3.2οὐ θύρᾳ, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, ἀλλʼ ἀμφόδῳ διέψευσται
A proverbial expression. Literally, 'he was deceived/mistaken, as they say, not by a door, but by a street.' It means that someone has made a huge mistake or is completely off the mark, rather than being slightly off, mocking the accuser's groundless claims.
- 39.3.3διώκειν αὐτόν
The verb διώκω is used here in its legal sense of 'to prosecute, accuse,' rather than 'to pursue.' It refers to the attempt to bring legal action against Philopoemen even after his death.
- 39.3.6ἐκ πυρὸς ... χάριν
The proverbial expression ἐκ πυρὸς ('out of the fire') refers to something proven genuine by passing through extreme difficulty or danger. Here, it signifies that his goodwill/favor (χάριν) toward Rome was proved authentic during critical wartime.
- 39.3.10τὴν Ἀχαιοῦ
Referring to the statue of the personal name Achaeus (Ἀχαιός). It likely refers either to the mythical ancestor of the Achaeans or to a specific historical leader who contributed to the Achaean League.