- 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-grc2:6.50.1-6.50.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The author explains that while Lycurgus's legislation is self-sufficient for defense, Rome's constitution is superior for expansion, contrasting Lacedaemon's failure to maintain hegemony with Rome's successful conquest of the world due to its superior resources and organization.
τίνος οὖν χάριν εἰς ταῦτα παρεξέβην; ἵνα γένηται1 διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων συμφανὲς ὅτι πρὸς μὲν τὸ τὰ σφέτερα βεβαίως διαφυλάττειν καὶ πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τηρεῖν αὐτάρκης ἐστὶν ἡ Λυκούργου νομοθεσία, καὶ τοῖς γε τοῦτο τὸ τέλος ἀποδεχομένοις2 τῆς πολιτείας συγχωρητέον ὡς οὔτʼ ἔστιν οὔτε γέγονεν οὐδὲν αἱρετώτερον τοῦ Λακωνικοῦ καταστήματος καὶ συντάγματος.
For what purpose, then, did I digress into these matters? It was in order that it might become manifest through the facts themselves that, for the purpose of securely guarding one’s own possessions and maintaining liberty, the legislation of Lycurgus is self-sufficient; and to those who accept this end of a constitution, it must be conceded that there neither is nor ever has been any system or organization more desirable than the Laconian.
εἰ δέ τις μειζόνων ἐφίεται, κἀκείνου3 κάλλιον καὶ σεμνότερον εἶναι νομίζει τὸ πολλῶν μὲν ἡγεῖσθαι, πολλῶν δʼ ἐπικρατεῖν καὶ δεσπόζειν, πάντας δʼ εἰς αὐτὸν ἀποβλέπειν καὶ νεύειν πρὸς αὐτόν, τῇδέ πῃ συγχωρητέον τὸ μὲν Λακωνικὸν ἐνδεὲς εἶναι πολίτευμα, τὸ δὲ Ῥωμαίων διαφέρειν καὶ δυναμικωτέραν ἔχειν τὴν σύστασιν.
But if anyone aspires to greater things, and thinks it finer and more noble than the former to lead many, to rule and lord it over many, and that all should look up to him and bow to him, we must in some way concede here that the Laconian constitution is defective, whereas that of the Romans is superior and has a more powerful organization.
δῆλον δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν γέγονε τῶν πραγμάτων. Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν γὰρ ὁρμήσαντες ἐπὶ τὸ κατακτᾶσθαι τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡγεμονίαν, ταχέως ἐκινδύνευσαν καὶ περὶ τῆς σφετέρας ἐλευθερίας·
And this has become clear from the facts themselves. For the Lacedaemonians, having rushed to acquire the hegemony over the Greeks, quickly ran a risk even concerning their own liberty;
Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τῆς Ἰταλιωτῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιλαβόμενοι δυναστείας, ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πᾶσαν ὑφʼ ἑαυτοὺς ἐποιήσαντο τὴν οἰκουμένην, οὐ μικρὰ πρὸς τὸ καθικέσθαι τῆς πράξεως ταύτης συμβαλλομένης4 αὐτοῖς τῆς εὐπορίας καὶ τῆς ἑτοιμότητος τῆς κατὰ τὰς χορηγίας.
while the Romans, having seized the dominion over the Italians themselves, in a short time brought the whole inhabited world under their power, their abundance and readiness in respect of resources contributing not a little to their attaining this achievement.
- 6.50.1ἵνα γένηται
The ἵνα clause is used to answer the preceding question, with the main verb of speaking or writing omitted, acting directly as a clause of purpose.
- 6.50.2τοῖς γε τοῦτο τὸ τέλος ἀποδεχομένοις
A dative participle phrase functioning as the dative of agent for the subsequent impersonal verbal adjective συγχωρητέον ("must be conceded").
- 6.50.3κἀκείνου
A crasis of καὶ ἐκείνου. It functions as a genitive of comparison with the comparatives κάλλιον and σεμνότερον, referring to the previously mentioned end of the state.
- 6.50.6συμβαλλομένης
A genitive present participle forming a genitive absolute construction with the subjects τῆς εὐπορίας καὶ τῆς ἑτοιμότητος. οὐ μικρὰ functions adverbially to modify the participle.