- 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-grc2:6.53.1-6.53.10
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Polybius describes the Roman custom of delivering a funeral oration for prominent citizens and explains how their highly realistic lifelike masks are preserved and worn by similar-looking men in subsequent funeral processions to inspire the youth.
ὅταν γὰρ μεταλλάξῃ τις παρʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἀνδρῶν, συντελουμένης τῆς ἐκφορᾶς κομίζεται μετὰ τοῦ λοιποῦ κόσμου πρὸς τοὺς καλουμένους ἐμβόλους εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ποτὲ μὲν ἑστὼς ἐναργής,1 σπανίως δὲ κατακεκλιμένος.
For whenever anyone of their illustrious men passes away, when the funeral is celebrated, he is carried with the rest of the ceremonial pomp to the so-called Rostra in the forum, sometimes standing upright and clearly visible, but rarely laid down.
πέριξ δὲ παντὸς τοῦ δήμου στάντος, ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐμβόλους, ἂν μὲν υἱὸς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ καταλείπηται καὶ τύχῃ παρών, οὗτος, εἰ δὲ μή, τῶν ἄλλων εἴ τις ἀπὸ γένους ὑπάρχει, λέγει2 περὶ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς ἐπιτετευγμένας ἐν τῷ ζῆν πράξεις.
And when all the people have stood around, ascending the Rostra, if a son is left of age and happens to be present, he, or if not, if there is anyone else of his family, speaks about the deceased, of his virtues and the deeds accomplished during his life.
διʼ ὧν συμβαίνει τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀναμιμνησκομένους καὶ λαμβάνοντας ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν τὰ γεγονότα, μὴ μόνον τοὺς κεκοινωνηκότας τῶν ἔργων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκτός, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γίνεσθαι συμπαθεῖς3 ὥστε μὴ τῶν κηδευόντων ἴδιον, ἀλλὰ κοινὸν τοῦ δήμου φαίνεσθαι τὸ σύμπτωμα.
By which words it happens that the multitude, remembering and having the events brought before their eyes—not only those who shared in the deeds but also those outside—become sympathetic to such a degree that the loss appears not to be private to the mourners, but common to all the people.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα θάψαντες καὶ ποιήσαντες τὰ νομιζόμενα τιθέασι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ μεταλλάξαντος εἰς τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τόπον τῆς οἰκίας, ξύλινα ναΐδια περιτιθέντες.
And after this, having buried him and performed the customary rites, they place the image of the deceased in the most conspicuous part of the house, setting wooden shrines around it.
ἡ δʼ εἰκών ἐστι πρόσωπον εἰς ὁμοιότητα διαφερόντως ἐξειργασμένον καὶ κατὰ τὴν πλάσιν καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὑπογραφήν.
The image is a mask worked out to an extraordinary likeness both in its molding and in its coloring.
ταύτας δὴ τὰς εἰκόνας ἔν τε ταῖς δημοτελέσι θυσίαις ἀνοίγοντες κοσμοῦσι φιλοτίμως, ἐπάν τε τῶν οἰκείων μεταλλάξῃ τις ἐπιφανής, ἄγουσιν εἰς τὴν ἐκφοράν, περιτιθέντες ὡς ὁμοιοτάτοις εἶναι δοκοῦσι4 κατά τε τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὴν ἄλλην περικοπήν.
These images, indeed, they open and decorate zealously at the public sacrifices, and whenever any illustrious member of the family passes away, they bring them into the funeral procession, putting them on men who seem to be most similar in stature and general appearance.
οὗτοι δὲ προσαναλαμβάνουσιν ἐσθῆτας, ἐὰν μὲν ὕπατος ἢ στρατηγὸς ᾖ γεγονώς, περιπορφύρους, ἐὰν δὲ τιμητής, πορφυρᾶς, ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τεθριαμβευκὼς ἤ τι τοιοῦτον κατειργασμένος, διαχρύσους.
And these men moreover put on robes: if he had been a consul or a praetor, robes with a purple border; if a censor, purple ones; and if he had also triumphed or achieved something of the kind, robes embroidered with gold.
αὐτοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐφʼ ἁρμάτων οὗτοι πορεύονται, ῥάβδοι δὲ καὶ πελέκεις καὶ τἄλλα τὰ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς εἰωθότα συμπαρακεῖσθαι προηγεῖται κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ τῆς γεγενημένης κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ προαγωγῆς ὅταν δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐμβόλους ἔλθωσι, καθέζονται πάντες ἑξῆς ἐπὶ δίφρων ἐλεφαντίνων. οὗ κάλλιον οὐκ εὐμαρὲς ἰδεῖν θέαμα νέῳ φιλοδόξῳ καὶ φιλαγάθῳ·
These men themselves, then, ride on chariots, and rods and axes and the other things accustomed to accompany the magistracies go before them, according to the dignity of the office each held in the state during his life; and when they come to the Rostra, they all sit in order upon ivory chairs. A more beautiful spectacle than this is not easy for a young man who loves honor and goodness to see;
τὸ γὰρ τὰς τῶν ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ δεδοξασμένων ἀνδρῶν εἰκόνας ἰδεῖν5 ὁμοῦ πάσας οἷον εἰ ζώσας καὶ πεπνυμένας τίνʼ οὐκ ἂν παραστήσαι; τί δʼ ἂν κάλλιον
for to see all together the images of men renowned for their excellence, as if living and breathing, whom would it not inspire? And what more beautiful spectacle could there be?
- 6.53.1ἑστὼς ἐναργής
A nominative participle modifying the implied subject of the passive verb κομίζεται (the deceased illustrious man, or his body). ἐναργής ("clearly visible") functions predicatively.
- 6.53.2ἂν μὲν υἱὸς ... λέγει
A conditional structure determining the subject of the main verb λέγει ("speaks"). Under the first condition (ἂν μὲν...), οὗτος (the son of age) is the subject; if not (εἰ δὲ μή), the subject is τῶν ἄλλων εἴ τις... (anyone else of the family). The verb λέγει serves both cases.
- 6.53.3συμβαίνει τοὺς πολλοὺς ... γίνεσθαι συμπαθεῖς
An introductory clause led by the relative pronoun ὧν (referring to the virtues and deeds praised). The real subject of the impersonal verb συμβαίνει is the accusative and infinitive clause τοὺς πολλοὺς ... γίνεσθαι συμπαθεῖς ("that the multitude becomes sympathetic").
- 6.53.6ὡς ὁμοιοτάτοις εἶναι δοκοῦσι
The direct object of the participle περιτιθέντες ("putting on, placing around") is omitted (referring to the images, τὰς εἰκόνας). The dative ὡς ὁμοιοτάτοις involves relative attraction, standing for τούτοις οἳ δοκοῦσιν εἶναι ὁμοιότατοι ("on those who seem to be most similar").
- 6.53.10τὸ γὰρ τὰς ... εἰκόνας ἰδεῖν
The articular infinitive clause τὸ ... ἰδεῖν ("to see...") serves as the subject (or the inspiring cause) of the sentence. τίνʼ is the accusative τίνα, acting as the direct object of the optative verb παραστήσαι (from παρίστημι, "to move, inspire") with ἄν, forming a rhetorical question.