Checks on the Consuls by the Senate and People — Polybius, The Histories Book 6 (6.15.1–6.15.11), Greek & English

§6.15.1

τίνα μὲν οὖν τρόπον διῄρηται τὰ τῆς πολιτείας εἰς ἕκαστον εἶδος εἴρηται· τίνα δὲ τρόπον ἀντιπράττειν βουληθέντα¹ καὶ συνεργεῖν ἀλλήλοις πάλιν ἕκαστα τῶν μερῶν δύναται νῦν ῥηθήσεται.

In what manner, then, the parts of the constitution are divided into each class has been said; but in what manner each of the parts is able in turn to counteract each other, if they wish, and to cooperate with one another, shall now be told.

§6.15.2

ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὕπατος, ἐπειδὰν τυχὼν τῆς προειρημένης ἐξουσίας ὁρμήσῃ μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, δοκεῖ μὲν αὐτοκράτωρ εἶναι πρὸς τὴν τῶν προκειμένων συντέλειαν, προσδεῖται δὲ τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου, καὶ χωρὶς τούτων ἐπὶ τέλος ἄγειν τὰς πράξεις οὐχ ἱκανός ἐστι.

For the consul, whenever, having obtained the aforementioned authority, he sets out with his army, seems indeed to be absolute for the completion of the tasks before him, but he stands in need of the people and the senate, and without these he is not capable of bringing his actions to completion.

§6.15.4

δῆλον γὰρ ὡς δεῖ μὲν ἐπιπέμπεσθαι τοῖς στρατοπέδοις ἀεὶ τὰς χορηγίας· ἄνευ δὲ τοῦ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλήματος οὔτε σῖτος οὔθʼ ἱματισμὸς οὔτʼ ὀψώνια δύναται χορηγεῖσθαι τοῖς στρατοπέδοις, ὥστʼ ἀπράκτους γίνεσθαι τὰς ἐπιβολὰς τῶν ἡγουμένων, ἐθελοκακεῖν καὶ κωλυσιεργεῖν προθεμένης τῆς συγκλήτου.²

For it is clear that supplies must always be sent to the camps; but without the will of the senate, neither corn nor clothing nor pay can be supplied to the camps, with the result that the enterprises of the commanders become fruitless, if the senate chooses to act half-heartedly and to obstruct.

§6.15.6

καὶ μὴν τό γʼ ἐπιτελεῖς ἢ μὴ γίνεσθαι τὰς ἐπινοίας³ καὶ προθέσεις τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐν τῇ συγκλήτῳ κεῖται· τοῦ γὰρ ἐπαποστεῖλαι στρατηγὸν ἕτερον, ἐπειδὰν ἐνιαύσιος διέλθῃ χρόνος, ἢ τὸν ὑπάρχοντα ποιεῖν ἐπίμονον, ἔχει τὴν κυρίαν αὕτη.

Moreover, whether the designs and purposes of the generals are carried out or not lies with the senate; for it has control over sending another general as successor when the year’s time has elapsed, or making the existing one continue in office.

§6.15.7

καὶ μὴν τὰς ἐπιτυχίας τῶν ἡγουμένων ἐκτραγῳδῆσαι καὶ συναυξῆσαι καὶ πάλιν ἀμαυρῶσαι καὶ ταπεινῶσαι τὸ συνέδριον ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν·

Moreover, the senate has the power to exaggerate and magnify the successes of the commanders, and again to obscure and devalue them;

§6.15.8

τοὺς γὰρ προσαγορευομένους παρʼ αὐτοῖς θριάμβους, διʼ ὧν ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν ἄγεται τοῖς πολίταις ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἡ τῶν κατειργασμένων πραγμάτων ἐνάργεια, τούτους⁴ οὐ δύνανται χειρίζειν, ὡς πρέπει, ποτὲ δὲ τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲ συντελεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ τὸ συνέδριον συγκατάθηται καὶ δῷ τὴν εἰς ταῦτα δαπάνην.

for those which are called triumphs among them, through which the vivid reality of the achievements is brought before the eyes of the citizens by the generals, they cannot manage as is fitting, and sometimes cannot even celebrate at all, unless the senate consents and grants the expense for these.

§6.15.9

τοῦ γε μὴν δήμου στοχάζεσθαι καὶ λίαν αὐτοῖς ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι, κἂν ὅλως ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας τύχωσι πολὺν τόπον ἀφεστῶτες· ὁ γὰρ τὰς διαλύσεις καὶ συνθήκας ἀκύρους καὶ κυρίας ποιῶν, ὡς ἐπάνω προεῖπον, οὗτός ἐστιν.

Furthermore, it is extremely necessary for them to court the favor of the people, even if they happen to be very far away from home; for it is this body that makes peace and treaties invalid or valid, as I said above.

§6.15.10

τὸ δὲ μέγιστον ἀποτιθεμένους⁵ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐν τούτῳ δεῖ τὰς εὐθύνας ὑπέχειν τῶν πεπραγμένων.

And, what is most important, when laying down their office, they must submit to the scrutiny of their actions before this body.

§6.15.11

ὥστε κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι τοῖς στρατηγοῖς ὀλιγωρεῖν μήτε τῆς συγκλήτου μήτε τῆς τοῦ πλήθους εὐνοίας.

So that it is in no way safe for the generals to neglect the goodwill either of the senate or of the multitude.

Syntax notes5 items

6.15.1βουληθέντα
Aorist passive participle, neuter plural accusative (or nominative), agreeing in gender, number, and case with the subject noun phrase ἕκαστα τῶν μερῶν. Although passive in form, it is used with active (deponent) force meaning 'having wished', serving a circumstantial/conditional function.
6.15.5ἐθελοκακεῖν καὶ κωλυσιεργεῖν προθεμένης τῆς συγκλήτου
Genitive absolute construction. The participle προθεμένης is the aorist middle participle, genitive feminine singular of προτίθημι, agreeing with its logical subject τῆς συγκλήτου (genitive). In the middle voice, it means 'to purpose, intend, resolve'. The two infinitives ἐθελοκακεῖν and κωλυσιεργεῖν serve as the objects of this participle.
6.15.6τό γʼ ἐπιτελεῖς ἢ μὴ γίνεσθαι τὰς ἐπινοίας
Articular infinitive construction acting as the subject. The infinitive γίνεσθαι is introduced by the article τό, with the accusative noun phrase τὰς ἐπινοίας καὶ προθέσεις τῶν στρατηγῶν serving as its subject. The adjective ἐπιτελεῖς (accusative plural, sharing form with nominative) functions as the predicate of γίνεσθαι ('to become accomplished').
6.15.8τοὺς γὰρ προσαγορευομένους ... θριάμβους ... τούτους
A syntactic structure featuring a long preposed accusative noun phrase τοὺς ... θριάμβους, which contains a relative clause (δι' ὧν...), and is subsequently resumed after the relative clause by the demonstrative pronoun τούτους (resumptive pronoun). This layout serves to clarify the grammatical relationships in a complex sentence.
6.15.10ἀποτιθεμένους
Accusative with infinitive construction governed by the impersonal verb δεῖ ('it is necessary'). The participle ἀποτιθεμένους is present middle participle, accusative masculine plural, agreeing in gender, number, and case with the omitted accusative subject pronoun αὐτούς (referring to the generals/commanders) of the infinitive.

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-grc2:6.15.1-6.15.11