- 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-grc2:6.13.1-6.13.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The author describes the extensive powers of the senate in finance, domestic administration, and foreign affairs, explaining why the constitution appears completely aristocratic to those visiting Rome in the absence of the consul.
καὶ μὴν ἡ σύγκλητος πρῶτον μὲν ἔχει τὴν τοῦ ταμιείου κυρίαν. καὶ γὰρ τῆς εἰσόδου πάσης αὕτη κρατεῖ καὶ τῆς ἐξόδου παραπλησίως.
Moreover, the senate, first of all, has control over the treasury. For it controls all revenue and likewise expenditure.
οὔτε γὰρ εἰς τὰς κατὰ μέρος χρείας οὐδεμίαν ποιεῖν ἔξοδον οἱ ταμίαι δύνανται χωρὶς τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου δογμάτων πλὴν τὴν εἰς τοὺς ὑπάτους·1
For the quaestors are not able to make any expenditure for individual needs without the decrees of the senate, except that for the consuls.
τῆς τε παρὰ πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων ὁλοσχερεστάτης καὶ μεγίστης δαπάνης, ἣν οἱ τιμηταὶ ποιοῦσιν εἰς τὰς ἐπισκευὰς καὶ κατασκευὰς τῶν δημοσίων κατὰ πενταετηρίδα, ταύτης ἡ σύγκλητός ἐστι κυρία,2 καὶ διὰ ταύτης γίνεται τὸ συγχώρημα τοῖς τιμηταῖς.
And of the expenditure which is by far the most comprehensive and greatest of all, which the censors make for the repair and construction of public works every five years, the senate has control over this, and through it the authorization is given to the censors.
ὁμοίως ὅσα τῶν ἀδικημάτων τῶν κατʼ Ἰταλίαν προσδεῖται δημοσίας ἐπισκέψεως, λέγω δʼ οἷον προδοσίας, συνωμοσίας, φαρμακείας, δολοφονίας, τῇ συγκλήτῳ μέλει περὶ τούτων. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, εἴ τις ἰδιώτης ἢ πόλις τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν διαλύσεως ἢ καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἐπιτιμήσεως ἢ βοηθείας ἢ φυλακῆς προσδεῖται, τούτων πάντων ἐπιμελές ἐστι τῇ συγκλήτῳ.
Likewise, regarding all the crimes committed in Italy that require public investigation, I mean such as treason, conspiracy, poisoning, and assassination, these are the concern of the senate. In addition to these, if any private individual or city in Italy requires settlement, or indeed, by Zeus, censure, assistance, or protection, all these are under the care of the senate.
καὶ μὴν εἰ τῶν ἐκτὸς Ἰταλίας πρός τινας ἐξαποστέλλειν δέοι πρεσβείαν τινʼ ἢ διαλύσουσάν τινας ἢ παρακαλέσουσαν ἢ καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἐπιτάξουσαν ἢ παραληψομένην ἢ πόλεμον ἐπαγγέλλουσαν.3 αὕτη ποιεῖται τὴν πρόνοιαν.
Moreover, if it should be necessary to dispatch any embassy to some people outside of Italy, either to reconcile them, or to exhort them, or indeed, by Zeus, to command them, or to take them over, or to declare war, it is the senate that makes provision for this.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν παραγενομένων εἰς Ῥώμην πρεσβειῶν ὡς δέον ἐστὶν ἑκάστοις χρῆσθαι καὶ ὡς δέον ἀποκριθῆναι, πάντα ταῦτα χειρίζεται διὰ τῆς συγκλήτου. πρὸς δὲ τὸν δῆμον καθάπαξ οὐδέν ἐστι τῶν προειρημένων.
Likewise, regarding the embassies that arrive in Rome, how it is necessary to treat each of them and how it is necessary to reply, all these things are managed through the senate. On the other hand, the people have absolutely nothing to do with the aforementioned matters.
ἐξ ὧν πάλιν ὁπότε τις ἐπιδημήσαι μὴ παρόντος ὑπάτου, τελείως ἀριστοκρατικὴ φαίνεθʼ ἡ πολιτεία.
From these things, again, whenever anyone visits Rome when the consul is not present, the constitution appears completely aristocratic.
ὃ δὴ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν βασιλέων, πεπεισμένοι τυγχάνουσι, διὰ τὸ τὰ σφῶν πράγματα σχεδὸν πάντα τὴν σύγκλητον κυροῦν.
Which indeed many of the Greeks, and likewise of the kings, happen to be convinced of, because the senate ratifies almost all of their affairs.
- 6.13.2πλὴν τὴν εἰς τοὺς ὑπάτους
The article τὴν following πλὴν refers to the preceding noun ἔξοδον (expenditure), retaining its accusative case to express an exception. This indicates the exception where expenditures made for the consuls do not require a decree of the senate.
- 6.13.3τῆς τε παρὰ πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων ὁλοσχερεστάτης καὶ μεγίστης δαπάνης... ταύτης ἡ σύγκλητός ἐστι κυρία
The lengthy genitive noun phrase τῆς... δαπάνης is placed at the beginning of the sentence and is resumed by the subsequent demonstrative pronoun ταύτης. The entire genitive phrase is governed by the adjective κυρία (having control over).
- 6.13.6ἢ διαλύσουσάν τινας ἢ παρακαλέσουσαν ἢ καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἐπιτάξουσαν ἢ παραληψομένην ἢ πόλεμον ἐπαγγέλλουσαν
A series of future participles (feminine accusative singular) modifying the noun πρεσβείαν (embassy) express purpose ('an embassy to reconcile...'). The future participle is used here to denote purpose.