- 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-grc2:7.10.1-7.10.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The text describes the tension in Messene between the remaining ancient citizens and the new ones who had received the land of the exiled, and extols the career of Gorgus, a celebrated athlete who became a highly capable and sagacious politician.
οὔσης δημοκρατίας παρὰ τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀξιολόγων ἀνδρῶν πεφυγαδευμένων, τῶν δὲ κατακεκληρουχημένων τὰς τούτων οὐσίας ἐπικρατούντων τῆς πολιτείας,1 δυσχερῶς ὑπέφερον τὴν τούτων ἰσηγορίαν οἱ μένοντες τῶν ἀρχαίων πολιτῶν.2
Since there was a democracy among the Messenians, and while the prominent men had been exiled, those who had been allotted their properties were controlling the state, the remaining ancient citizens bore with difficulty their equality of speech.
ὅτι Γόργος ὁ Μεσσήνιος οὐδενὸς ἦν δεύτερος Μεσσηνίων πλούτῳ καὶ γένει, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἄθλησιν κατὰ τὴν ἀκμὴν πάντων ἐνδοξότατος ἐγεγόνει τῶν περὶ τοὺς γυμνικοὺς ἀγῶνας φιλοστεφανούντων.
Gorgus the Messenian was second to none of the Messenians in wealth and birth, and because of his athletic training during his prime, he had become the most illustrious of all those who strove for crowns in the gymnastic contests.
καὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν καὶ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ λοιποῦ βίου προστασίαν, ἔτι δὲ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στεφάνων, οὐδενὸς ἐλείπετο τῶν καθʼ αὑτόν.
For in his personal appearance and in the dignity of the rest of his life, and furthermore in the number of his crowns, he was inferior to none of his contemporaries.
καὶ μὴν ὅτε καταλύσας τὴν ἄθλησιν ἐπὶ τὸ πολιτεύεσθαι καὶ τὸ πράττειν τὰ τῆς πατρίδος ὥρμησε, καὶ περὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος οὐκ ἐλάττω δόξαν ἐξεφέρετο τῆς πρότερον ὑπαρχούσης αὐτῷ, πλεῖστον μὲν ἀπέχειν δοκῶν3 τῆς τοῖς ἀθληταῖς παρεπομένης ἀναγωγίας, πρακτικώτατος δὲ καὶ νουνεχέστατος εἶναι νομιζόμενος περὶ τὴν πολιτείαν.
And indeed, when he retired from athletics and turned to political life and to managing the affairs of his country, in this area too he won a reputation no less than that which he previously possessed, being thought to be very far removed from the lack of refinement that accompanies athletes, and being regarded as most practical and sagacious in state affairs.
- 7.10.1τῶν δὲ κατακεκληρουχημένων τὰς τούτων οὐσίας ἐπικρατούντων τῆς πολιτείας
This passage is a genitive absolute structure, where the substantivized perfect passive participle τῶν κατακεκληρουχημένων (those who had been allotted) functions as the semantic subject of the present participle ἐπικρατούντων (ruling over). The accusative τὰς τούτων οὐσίας (the properties of these men) is the direct object of the passive participle κατακεκληρουχημένων, and the genitive τῆς πολιτείας (the state) is governed by the verb ἐπικρατέω.
- 7.10.1τῶν ἀρχαίων πολιτῶν
The genitive τῶν ἀρχαίων πολιτῶν is a partitive genitive qualifying the present participle οἱ μένοντες (those who remained), meaning 'those of the ancient citizens who remained'.
- 7.10.5ἀπέχειν δοκῶν
The participle δοκῶν (seeming/being thought) expresses the cause or attendant circumstance of the main verb ἐξεφέρετο in the preceding clause. The infinitive ἀπέχειν (to be far removed) is complementary to δοκῶν, and the genitive τῆς... ἀναγωγίας (from the lack of refinement) is a genitive of separation governed by the verb ἀπέχω.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-10-09)
- 2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 2