- 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-grc2:4.38.1-4.38.13
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
As the background of the Rhodian war against Byzantium, the author explains the geographical situation of Byzantium, especially its significance as a maritime stronghold commanding the mouth of the Pontus and its economic contribution to the Greeks, and states his intention to describe its geography in detail.
τοιαύτας αἰτίας.1 Βυζάντιοι κατὰ μὲν θάλατταν εὐκαιρότατον οἰκοῦσι τόπον καὶ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν καὶ πρὸς εὐδαιμονίαν πάντη τῶν ἐν τῇ καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένῃ, κατὰ δὲ γῆν πρὸς ἀμφότερα πάντων ἀφυέστατον.
...due to such causes. The Byzantines, by sea, occupy a site which is of all places in our inhabited world the most favorable both for security and prosperity; but by land, it is of all places the most unfavorable in both respects.
κατὰ μὲν γὰρ θάλατταν οὕτως ἐπίκεινται τῷ στόματι τοῦ Πόντου κυρίως ὥστε μήτʼ εἰσπλεῦσαι μήτʼ ἐκπλεῦσαι μηδένα δυνατὸν εἶναι τῶν ἐμπόρων χωρὶς τῆς ἐκείνων βουλήσεως.
For by sea they so completely command the mouth of the Pontus that no merchant can sail in or out without their consent.
ἔχοντος δὲ τοῦ Πόντου πολλὰ τῶν πρὸς τὸν βίον εὐχρήστων τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις, πάντων εἰσὶ τούτων κύριοι Βυζάντιοι.
Since the Pontus possesses many things useful for life to the rest of mankind, the Byzantines are masters of all these.
πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὰς ἀναγκαίας τοῦ βίου χρείας τά τε θρέμματα καὶ τὸ τῶν εἰς τὰς δουλείας ἀγομένων σωμάτων πλῆθος οἱ κατὰ τὸν Πόντον ἡμῖν τόποι παρασκευάζουσι δαψιλέστατον καὶ χρησιμώτατον ὁμολογουμένως· πρὸς δὲ περιουσίαν μέλι, κηρόν, τάριχος ἀφθόνως ἡμῖν χορηγοῦσι.
For as regards the necessary demands of life, the countries around the Pontus provide us with cattle and an abundance of slaves of the best quality and in the greatest number by common consent; while for luxury they supply us bountifully with honey, wax, and salt fish.
δέχονται γε μὴν τῶν ἐν τοῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν τόποις περιττευόντων ἔλαιον καὶ πᾶν οἴνου γένος· σίτῳ δʼ ἀμείβονται, ποτὲ μὲν εὐκαίρως διδόντες, ποτὲ δὲ λαμβάνοντες.
On the other hand, they receive from the surplus of our regions olive oil and every kind of wine; and as for grain, they exchange it, sometimes supply it when convenient, and sometimes receive it.
πάντων δὴ τούτων ἢ κωλύεσθαι δέον ἦν ὁλοσχερῶς τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἢ τελέως ἀλυσιτελῆ γίνεσθαι σφίσι τὴν ἀλλαγὴν αὐτῶν, Βυζαντίων ἤτοι βουλομένων ἐθελοκακεῖν καὶ συνδυάζειν ποτὲ μὲν Γαλάταις, τοτὲ δὲ πλείονα Θρᾳξὶν ἢ τὸ παράπαν μὴ κατοικούντων2 τοὺς τόπους·
Now, the Greeks would either have to be entirely excluded from all these things, or their exchange would have to become completely unprofitable to them, if the Byzantines chose to act maliciously and ally themselves now with the Galatians and now with the Thracians, or if they did not inhabit these regions at all.
διά τε γὰρ τὴν στενότητα τοῦ πόρου καὶ τὸ παρακείμενον πλῆθος τῶν βαρβάρων ἄπλους ἂν ἡμῖν ἦν ὁμολογουμένως ὁ Πόντος.
For owing to the narrowness of the passage and the multitude of the neighboring barbarians, the Pontus would by common consent be impassable for us.
μέγιστα μὲν οὖν ἴσως αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις περιγίνεται λυσιτελῆ πρὸς τοὺς βίους διὰ τὰς τῶν τόπων ἰδιότητας·
Perhaps, then, the greatest benefits accrue to the Byzantines themselves for their livelihood owing to the peculiar nature of the site;
ἅπαν γὰρ τὸ μὲν περιττεῦον παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐξαγωγῆς, τὸ δὲ λεῖπον εἰσαγωγῆς ἑτοίμου τυγχάνει3 καὶ λυσιτελοῦς ἄνευ πάσης κακοπαθείας καὶ κινδύνου·
for all their surplus finds a ready export, and what they lack finds a ready and profitable import without any hardship or danger.
πολλά γε μὴν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις εὔχρηστα διʼ ἐκείνους, ὡς εἰρήκαμεν, ἀπαντᾷ. διὸ καὶ κοινοί τινες ὡς εὐεργέται πάντων ὑπάρχοντες εἰκότως ἂν οὐ μόνον χάριτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπικουρίας κοινῆς τυγχάνοιεν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων κατὰ τὰς ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων περιστάσεις.
Yet many things also occur that are useful to others through them, as we have said. Therefore, since they exist as common benefactors of all, they might reasonably receive from the Greeks not only gratitude but also common assistance in times of danger from the barbarians.
ἐπεὶ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς πλείστοις ἀγνοεῖσθαι συνέβαινε τὴν ἰδιότητα καὶ τὴν εὐφυΐαν τοῦ τόπου, διὰ τὸ μικρὸν ἔξω κεῖσθαι τῶν ἐπισκοπουμένων μερῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης, βουλόμεθα δὲ πάντες εἰδέναι τὰ τοιαῦτα, καὶ μάλιστα μὲν αὐτόπται γίνεσθαι τῶν ἐχόντων παρηλλαγμένον τι καὶ διαφέρον τόπων, εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο δυνατόν, ἐννοίας γε καὶ τύπους ἔχειν ἐν αὑτοῖς ὡς ἔγγιστα τῆς ἀληθείας, ῥητέον ἂν εἴη τί τὸ συμβαῖνόν ἐστι καὶ τί τὸ ποιοῦν τὴν τηλικαύτην καὶ τοιαύτην εὐπορίαν τῆς προειρημένης πόλεως.
But since the peculiar nature and advantages of the site happen to be unknown to most people, because it lies a little outside the parts of the inhabited world that are usually visited, and since we all wish to know about such things, and preferably to be eyewitnesses of places that have something peculiar and distinctive, but if that is impossible, at least to have in our minds ideas and outlines as close as possible to the truth, it must be stated what the situation is and what it is that produces such great and singular prosperity for the aforementioned city.
- 4.38.1τοιαύτας αἰτίας.
This phrase connects directly with the prepositional phrase διά τινας at the end of the previous chapter (§4.37.8), meaning "(declared war) owing to such causes."
- 4.38.6Βυζαντίων ἤτοι βουλομένων ... ἢ ... μὴ κατοικούντων
A genitive absolute construction acting as a conditional clause ("if...") for the main clause's unreal past apodosis (δέον ἦν, ἂν ἦν).
- 4.38.9ἐξαγωγῆς, ... τυγχάνει
The verb τυγχάνει governs the genitives ἐξαγωγῆς and εἰσαγωγῆς, meaning "obtains/achieves (export/import)." The adjectives ἑτοίμου ... καὶ λυσιτελοῦς modify these genitives.