Importance of Advisors and the Conduct of Young Philip — Polybius, The Histories Book 7 (7.14.1–7.14.6), Greek & English

§7.14.1

Αἰτωλοὺς διαπορεῖν. ὧν ὁμολογουμένων¹ εὐμαρὲς ἤδη συλλογίσασθαι τὴν διαφορὰν τῆς ἑκατέρου προαιρέσεως.

...to doubt concerning the Aetolians. These things being admitted, it is now easy to infer the difference between the purpose of each.

§7.14.2

καθάπερ γὰρ νῦν Φίλιππος πεισθεὶς Ἀράτῳ διεφύλαξε τὴν πρὸς Μεσσηνίους πίστιν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ἄκραν, καὶ μεγάλῳ, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον,² ἕλκει τῷ προγεγονότι περὶ τὰς σφαγὰς μικρὸν ἴαμα προσέθηκεν, οὕτως ἐν τοῖς κατʼ Αἰτωλοὺς Δημητρίῳ κατακολουθήσας ἠσέβει μὲν εἰς τοὺς θεούς, τὰ καθιερωμένα τῶν ἀναθημάτων διαφθείρων, ἡμάρτανε δὲ περὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὑπερβαίνων τοὺς τοῦ πολέμου νόμους, ἠστόχει δὲ τῆς σφετέρας προαιρέσεως, ἀπαραίτητον καὶ πικρὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀποδεικνύων ἐχθρὸν τοῖς διαφερομένοις.

For just as now Philip, persuaded by Aratus, preserved his faith toward the Messenians in the affair of the citadel, and applied a small remedy to the great wound, as the saying is, that had previously been made by the slaughters, so in the affair of the Aetolians, by following Demetrius, he committed impiety toward the gods by destroying the dedicated offerings, sinned against men by transgressing the laws of war, and missed his own purpose by showing himself an implacable and bitter enemy to his opponents.

§7.14.4

ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ περὶ τῶν κατὰ Κρήτην· καὶ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἐκείνων Ἀράτῳ μὲν καθηγεμόνι χρησάμενος περὶ τῶν ὅλων, οὐχ οἷον ἀδικήσας, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ λυπήσας³ οὐδένα τῶν κατὰ τὴν νῆσον, ἅπαντας μὲν εἶχε τοὺς Κρηταιεῖς ὑποχειρίους, ἅπαντας δὲ τοὺς Ἕλληνας εἰς τὴν πρὸς αὑτὸν εὔνοιαν ἐπήγετο διὰ τὴν σεμνότητα τῆς προαιρέσεως.

The same argument applies also to the affairs of Crete. For in that case too, by employing Aratus as his guide in all matters, far from wronging, he did not even vex any of the inhabitants of the island, and so held all the Cretans under his control, and won over all the Greeks to goodwill toward himself because of the dignity of his policy.

§7.14.5

οὕτω πάλιν ἐπακολουθήσας Δημητρίῳ καὶ παραίτιος γενόμενος Μεσσηνίοις τῶν ἄρτι ῥηθέντων ἀτυχημάτων, ἅμα τὴν παρὰ τοῖς συμμάχοις εὔνοιαν καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησιν ἀπέβαλε πίστιν.

So on the other hand, by following Demetrius and becoming the cause of the aforementioned misfortunes to the Messenians, he lost at one and the same time the goodwill of his allies and his credit among the rest of the Greeks.

§7.14.6

τηλικαύτην τοῖς νέοις βασιλεῦσι ῥοπὴν ἔχει καὶ πρὸς ἀτυχίαν καὶ πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἡ τῶν παρεπομένων φίλων ἐκλογὴ καὶ κρίσις, ὑπὲρ ἧς οἱ πλείους οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ῥᾳθυμοῦντες οὐδὲ τὴν ἐλαχίστην ποιοῦνται πρόνοιαν.

Of such great moment to young kings, both for the ruin and for the correction of their government, is the choice and judgment of the friends who attend them; concerning which most of them, I know not how, being negligent, do not make even the least provision.

Syntax notes3 items

7.14.1ὧν ὁμολογουμένων
A genitive absolute construction with the relative pronoun ὧν acting as the subject. It is neuter plural, referring to the preceding facts (the contrast between the advice of Aratus and Demetrius), and expresses a conditional meaning: "if these things are admitted."
7.14.2τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον
An accusative neuter singular used parenthetically as an idiomatic expression meaning "as the saying is" or "as they say" (adverbial accusative or accusative of apposition to the sentence).
7.14.4οὐχ οἷον ἀδικήσας, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ λυπήσας
A correlative construction of οὐχ οἷον ... ἀλλʼ οὐδέ ("not only not... but not even"). The participles ἀδικήσας and λυπήσας function as concessive or circumstantial participles relating to the main verb, meaning "far from wronging (anyone), he did not even vex them."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-09)

2026-10-09 Collated with the printed edition — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.14.1-7.14.6