- 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-grc2:6.17.1-6.17.9
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Explains the economic and judicial dependence of the people on the senate, noting that the senate controls public contracts and the appointment of judges, and mentions the absolute authority of the consuls in the field.
ὁμοίως γε μὴν πάλιν ὁ δῆμος ὑπόχρεώς ἐστι τῇ συγκλήτῳ, καὶ στοχάζεσθαι ταύτης ὀφείλει καὶ κοινῇ καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν.
In like manner, on the other hand, the people is dependent on the senate, and is bound to court its favor both in public and in private.
πολλῶν γὰρ ἔργων ὄντων1 τῶν ἐκδιδομένων ὑπὸ τῶν τιμητῶν διὰ πάσης Ἰταλίας εἰς τὰς ἐπισκευὰς καὶ κατασκευὰς τῶν δημοσίων, ἅ τις οὐκ ἂν ἐξαριθμήσαιτο ῥᾳδίως, πολλῶν δὲ ποταμῶν, λιμένων, κηπίων, μετάλλων, χώρας, συλλήβδην ὅσα πέπτωκεν ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων δυναστείαν, πάντα χειρίζεσθαι συμβαίνει τὰ προειρημένα διὰ τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ σχεδὸν ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν πάντας ἐνδεδέσθαι ταῖς ὠναῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐργασίαις ταῖς ἐκ τούτων·
For there being many public works given out on contract by the censors throughout all Italy for the repair and construction of public buildings, which one could not easily enumerate, and many rivers, harbors, gardens, mines, lands—in a word, everything that has fallen under the Roman dominion— it happens that all the aforementioned things are managed by the multitude, and almost everyone, so to speak, is bound up in the purchases and contracts arising from these.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀγοράζουσι παρὰ τῶν τιμητῶν αὐτοὶ τὰς ἐκδόσεις, οἱ δὲ κοινωνοῦσι τούτοις, οἱ δʼ ἐγγυῶνται τοὺς ἠγορακότας, οἱ δὲ τὰς οὐσίας διδόασι περὶ τούτων εἰς τὸ δημόσιον.
For some purchase the contracts from the censors themselves, others associate themselves with these as partners, others guarantee the purchasers, and others pledge their own property to the treasury for these purposes.
ἔχει δὲ περὶ πάντων τῶν προειρημένων τὴν κυρίαν τὸ συνέδριον· καὶ γὰρ χρόνον δύναται δοῦναι καὶ συμπτώματος γενομένου κουφίσαι καὶ τὸ παράπαν ἀδυνάτου τινὸς συμβάντος ἀπολῦσαι τῆς ἐργωνίας.
But the senate has the supreme authority over all the aforementioned matters; for it can grant an extension of time, and in case of a mishap alleviate the burden, and if an utterly impossible situation arises, release them from their contract altogether.
καὶ πολλὰ δή τινʼ ἐστίν, ἐν οἷς καὶ βλάπτει μεγάλα καὶ πάλιν ὠφελεῖ τοὺς τὰ δημόσια χειρίζοντας ἡ σύγκλητος· ἡ γὰρ ἀναφορὰ τῶν προειρημένων γίνεται πρὸς ταύτην.
And indeed there are very many situations in which the senate can either greatly injure or, on the other hand, benefit those who manage public property; for the reference of the aforementioned matters is made to it.
τὸ δὲ μέγιστον,2 ἐκ ταύτης ἀποδίδονται κριταὶ τῶν πλείστων καὶ τῶν δημοσίων καὶ τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν συναλλαγμάτων, ὅσα μέγεθος ἔχει τῶν ἐγκλημάτων.
And what is most important, from it are appointed judges for most of the trials, both public and private, in which the charges are of great magnitude.
διὸ πάντες εἰς τὴν ταύτης πίστιν ἐνδεδεμένοι, καὶ δεδιότες τὸ τῆς χρείας ἄδηλον, εὐλαβῶς ἔχουσι πρὸς τὰς ἐνστάσεις καὶ τὰς ἀντιπράξεις τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου βουλημάτων.
Therefore, since everyone is bound to its good faith, and fears the uncertainty of future need, they are cautious about opposing or resisting the wishes of the senate.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν ὑπάτων ἐπιβολὰς δυσχερῶς ἀντιπράττουσι διὰ τὸ κατʼ ἰδίαν καὶ κοινῇ πάντας ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις3 ὑπὸ τὴν ἐκείνων πίπτειν ἐξουσίαν.
And likewise they are also reluctant to oppose the undertakings of the consuls, because when in the field they all, both individually and collectively, fall under their authority.
- 6.17.2πολλῶν γὰρ ἔργων ὄντων
Analyzes the long sentence structure from §6.17.2 to §6.17.3. §6.17.2 consists of a series of genitive absolute noun phrases (πολλῶν ἔργων ὄντων ... πολλῶν δὲ ποταμῶν...), which are summarized as the subject of the accusative infinitive clause πάντα τὰ προειρημένα in §6.17.3, depending on the impersonal verb συμβαίνει.
- 6.17.7τὸ δὲ μέγιστον
An accusative neuter phrase placed at the beginning of the clause, functioning as an adverbial accusative (a type of apposition) modifying the whole sentence, meaning 'and what is most important'.
- 6.17.9ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις
The substantivized neuter plural of the adjective ὕπαιθρος (under the open sky, outdoor). In a military context, it is an idiomatic expression meaning 'in the field', 'in camp', or 'on active service'.