The Significance of the Constitution in a State's Success — Polybius, The Histories Book 6 (6.2.1–6.2.11), Greek & English

§6.2.1

οὐκ ἀγνοῶ μὲν οὖν διότι τινὲς διαπορήσουσι πῶς ἀφέμενοι τοῦ συνάπτειν καὶ προστιθέναι τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς διηγήσεως, εἰς τοῦτον ἀπεθέμεθα τὸν καιρὸν τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς προειρημένης πολιτείας ἀπολογισμόν·

I am not indeed ignorant that some will wonder how, having desisted from joining and adding the continuation of the narrative, we put off to this occasion the account concerning the aforementioned constitution.

§6.2.2

ἐμοὶ δʼ ὅτι μὲν ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἕν τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων καὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τῆς ὅλης προθέσεως, ἐν πολλοῖς οἶμαι δῆλον αὐτὸ πεποιηκέναι, μάλιστα δʼ ἐν τῇ καταβολῇ καὶ προεκθέσει τῆς ἱστορίας, ἐν ᾗ τοῦτο κάλλιστον ἔφαμεν, ἅμα δʼ ὠφελιμώτατον εἶναι τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπιβολῆς¹ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι τῇ πραγματείᾳ τὸ γνῶναι καὶ μαθεῖν πῶς καὶ τίνι γένει πολιτείας ἐπικρατηθέντα σχεδὸν πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν οὐδʼ ὅλοις πεντήκοντα καὶ τρισὶν ἔτεσιν ὑπὸ μίαν ἀρχὴν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἔπεσεν, ὃ πρότερον οὐχ εὑρίσκεται γεγονός.

But to me, that this part also of the whole design was from the beginning one of the necessary things, I think I have made clear in many places, and especially in the preparation and preliminary exposition of the history, in which we said that this is the finest and at the same time most useful part of our project for those who read the work, namely, to know and learn how and under what kind of constitution, having been conquered, almost all the parts of the inhabited world fell under the single rule of the Romans in not even fifty-three whole years, which is not found to have happened before.

§6.2.4

κεκριμένου δὲ τούτου καιρὸν οὐχ ἑώρων ἐπιτηδειότερον εἰς ἐπίστασιν καὶ δοκιμασίαν τῶν λέγεσθαι μελλόντων ὑπὲρ τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ νῦν ἐνεστῶτος.²

This being decided, I did not see a more suitable occasion for the attention to and examination of what is going to be said concerning the constitution than the present one.

§6.2.5

καθάπερ γὰρ³ οἱ κατʼ ἰδίαν ὑπὲρ τῶν φαύλων ἢ τῶν σπουδαίων ἀνδρῶν ποιούμενοι τὰς διαλήψεις, ἐπειδὰν ἀληθῶς πρόθωνται δοκιμάζειν, οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ἀπεριστάτου ῥᾳστώνης κατὰ τὸν βίον ποιοῦνται τὰς ἐπισκέψεις, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἀτυχίαις περιπετειῶν καὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐπιτυχίαις κατορθωμάτων, μόνον νομίζοντες εἶναι ταύτην ἀνδρὸς τελείου βάσανον τὸ τὰς ὁλοσχερεῖς μεταβολὰς τῆς τύχης μεγαλοψύχως δύνασθαι καὶ γενναίως ὑποφέρειν, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον χρὴ θεωρεῖν καὶ πολιτείαν.

For just as those who privately make judgments about worthless or excellent men, when they truly propose to examine them, do not make their investigations from the uneventful ease of their life, but from the reversals in misfortunes and the successes in fortunes, thinking that this alone is the test of a perfect man, namely, to be able to bear the total reverses of fortune magnanimously and nobly, in the same way one must view the constitution also.

§6.2.7

διόπερ οὐχ ὁρῶν ποίαν ἄν τις ὀξυτέραν ἢ μείζονα λάβοι μεταβολὴν τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς τῆς γε Ῥωμαίοις συμβάσης, εἰς τοῦτον ἀπεθέμην τὸν καιρὸν τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν προειρημένων ἀπολογισμόν· γνοίη δʼ ἄν τις τὸ μέγεθος τῆς μεταβολῆς ἐκ τούτων. ζήτει ἐν τῷ περὶ στρατηγίας.

Therefore, seeing no sharper or greater reverse among those of our times than that which indeed befell the Romans, I put off to this occasion the account concerning the aforementioned things; and one might know the magnitude of the change from these things. (Seek in the book on strategy.)

§6.2.8

ὅτι τὸ ψυχαγωγοῦν ἅμα καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐπιφέρον τοῖς φιλομαθοῦσι τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ἡ τῶν αἰτιῶν θεωρία καὶ τοῦ βελτίονος ἐν ἑκάστοις αἵρεσις.

That what entertains and at the same time brings benefit to those who are eager to learn is the contemplation of causes and the choice of what is better in each case.

§6.2.9

μεγίστην δʼ αἰτίαν ἡγητέον ἐν ἅπαντι πράγματι καὶ πρὸς ἐπιτυχίαν καὶ τοὐναντίον τὴν τῆς πολιτείας σύστασιν·

And we must consider the constitution of the state to be the greatest cause in every matter, both for success and for its opposite.

§6.2.10

ἐκ γὰρ ταύτης ᾗπερ ἐκ πηγῆς οὐ μόνον ἀναφέρεσθαι συμβαίνει πάσας τὰς ἐπινοίας καὶ τὰς ἐπιβολὰς τῶν ἔργων, ἀλλὰ καὶ συντέλειαν λαμβάνειν.

For from this, as if from a spring, it happens that not only all plans and undertakings of deeds are derived, but also receive their completion.

§6.2.11

τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον ἐν τῷ ψεύδει μόνον οὐδʼ ἀπολογίαν ἐπιδέχεται τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν.

For the impossibility in falsehood does not even admit of defense for those who make mistakes.

Syntax notes3 items

6.2.3τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπιβολῆς
Partitive genitive modifying the superlatives κάλλιστον and ὠφελιμώτατον, indicating "of" or "among" the author's whole project (ἐπιβολή).
6.2.4τοῦ νῦν ἐνεστῶτος
Genitive of comparison governed by the comparative ἐπιτηδειότερον, with the noun καιροῦ (time/occasion) understood, meaning "than the present [time]".
6.2.5καθάπερ γὰρ
Introduces a long comparative clause spanning §6.2.5 to the first half of §6.2.6, which correlates with τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον (in the same way) in §6.2.6. The structural skeleton is "Just as... in the same way one must view the constitution."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (3, latest 2026-10-09)

2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 3

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.2.1-6.2.11