- 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-grc2:5.90.1-5.90.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The author lists the neighboring rulers and cities that aided Rhodes and discusses the reasons for its rapid prosperity. He also criticizes the stinginess of contemporary kings compared to those of the past, as well as the tendency of cities to easily grant high honors for trivial gifts.
παραπλήσια δὲ τούτοις Προυσίας καὶ Μιθριδάτης, ἔτι δʼ οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὄντες δυνάσται τότε, λέγω δὲ Λυσανίαν, Ὀλύμπιχον, Λιμναῖον.1
And in like manner to these, Prusias and Mithridates, and furthermore those who were rulers in Asia at that time, I mean Lysanias, Olympichus, and Limnaeus [promised similar things].
τάς γε μὴν πόλεις τὰς συνεπιλαμβανομένας αὐτοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν οὐδʼ ἂν ἐξαριθμήσαιτο ῥᾳδίως οὐδείς·
Indeed, as for the cities that helped them according to their ability, no one could easily enumerate them.
ὥσθʼ ὅταν μέν τις εἰς τὸν χρόνον ἐμβλέψῃ καὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, ἀφʼ οὗ συμβαίνει τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν συνῳκίσθαι, καὶ λίαν θαυμάζειν2 ὡς βραχεῖ χρόνῳ μεγάλην ἐπίδοσιν εἴληφε περί τε τοὺς κατʼ ἰδίαν βίους καὶ τὰ κοινὰ τῆς πόλεως·
So that whenever one looks at the period of time and its beginning, since the time their city happened to be founded together, one marvels exceedingly at how in a short time it has achieved great progress both in private lives and in the public affairs of the city;
ὅταν δʼ εἰς τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τοῦ τόπου καὶ τὴν ἔξωθεν ἐπιφορὰν καὶ συμπλήρωσιν τῆς εὐδαιμονίας, μηκέτι θαυμάζειν, μικροῦ δʼ ἐλλείπειν δοκεῖν τοῦ καθήκοντος.3
but whenever one looks at the advantages of the site and the external contributions and completion of their prosperity, one no longer marvels, but thinks it falls only a little short of what is fitting.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰρήσθω μοι χάριν πρῶτον μὲν τῆς Ῥοδίων περὶ τὰ κοινὰ προστασίας — ἐπαίνου γάρ εἰσιν ἄξιοι καὶ ζήλου — δεύτερον δὲ τῆς τῶν νῦν βασιλέων μικροδοσίας καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ πόλεων μικροληψίας, ἵνα μηθʼ οἱ βασιλεῖς τέτταρα καὶ πέντε προϊέμενοι τάλαντα δοκῶσί τι ποιεῖν μέγα καὶ ζητῶσι τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπάρχειν αὐτοῖς εὔνοιαν καὶ τιμὴν παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἣν οἱ πρὸ τοῦ βασιλεῖς εἶχον, αἵ τε πόλεις λαμβάνουσαι πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὸ μέγεθος τῶν πρότερον δωρεῶν μὴ λανθάνωσιν ἐπὶ μικροῖς καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσι νῦν τὰς μεγίστας καὶ καλλίστας προϊέμεναι4 τιμάς, ἀλλὰ πειρῶνται τὸ κατʼ ἀξίαν ἑκάστοις τηρεῖν, ᾧ πλεῖστον διαφέρουσιν Ἕλληνες τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων.
Now, let these things be said by me, first for the sake of the leadership of the Rhodians in public affairs—for they are worthy of praise and emulation—and secondly, because of the stinginess of the present kings and the pettiness of nations and cities in receiving, so that neither the kings, by contributing four or five talents, may think they are doing something great and expect to receive the same goodwill and honor from the Greeks that former kings enjoyed, nor the cities, keeping before their eyes the magnitude of former gifts, may unconsciously lavish the greatest and finest honors nowadays for small and ordinary things, but may try to preserve what is fitting for each according to merit, wherein the Greeks differ most from other men.
- 5.90.1λέγω δὲ Λυσανίαν, Ὀλύμπιχον, Λιμναῖον
While the preceding "οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὄντες δυνάσται" is in the nominative case (serving as the subject of the omitted verb "ἐπηγγείλαντο"), the specific names are put in the accusative case (Λυσανίαν, Ὀλύμπιχον, Λιμναῖον) because they serve as the direct objects of the parenthetical phrase "λέγω δέ" (I mean).
- 5.90.3ὥσθʼ ... καὶ λίαν θαυμάζειν
In the result clause introduced by the conjunction "ὥστε", the infinitives "θαυμάζειν" (and the subsequent "μηκέτι θαυμάζειν" and "δοκεῖν") are used. The indefinite pronoun "τις" from the conditional clause "ὅταν μέν τις..." functions as the semantic subject of these infinitives.
- 5.90.4μικροῦ δʼ ἐλλείπειν δοκεῖν τοῦ καθήκοντος
The phrase "μικροῦ ἐλλείπειν" with the genitive "μικροῦ" is an idiomatic expression meaning "to fall only a little short of" or "almost." The genitive "τοῦ καθήκοντος" (what is fitting) is a genitive of separation or comparison governed by the verb "ἐλλείπειν" (to fall short of).
- 5.90.7μὴ λανθάνωσιν ... προϊέμεναι
This is a standard construction combining the verb "λανθάνω" with a participle ("προϊέμεναι"), meaning "to do something unconsciously or without being noticed." Here, under the negative purpose clause introduced by "ἵνα... μή", the subjunctive "λανθάνωσιν" is used to mean "lest [the cities] unconsciously throw away their highest honors."