Refutation of Theopompus' Calumny of Philip's Companions — Polybius, The Histories Book 8 (8.10.1–8.10.12), Greek & English

§8.10.1

ταύτην δὲ τήν τε πικρίαν καὶ τὴν ἀθυρογλωττίαν τοῦ συγγραφέως τίς οὐκ ἂν ἀποδοκιμάσειεν;

Who would not reject this bitterness and loose-tongued speech of the historian?

§8.10.2

οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὅτι μαχόμενα λέγει¹ πρὸς τὴν αὑτοῦ πρόθεσιν ἄξιός ἐστιν ἐπιτιμήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ διότι κατέψευσται τοῦ τε βασιλέως καὶ τῶν φίλων, καὶ μάλιστα διότι τὸ ψεῦδος αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀπρεπῶς διατέθειται.

For he is worthy of censure not only because he says things that conflict with his own purpose, but also because he has lied about both the king and his friends, and especially because he has set forth his falsehood in a shameful and unbecoming manner.

§8.10.3

εἰ γὰρ περὶ Σαρδαναπάλλου τις ἢ τῶν ἐκείνου συμβιωτῶν ἐποιεῖτο τοὺς λόγους, μόλις ἂν ἐθάρρησε² τῇ κακορρημοσύνῃ ταύτῃ χρήσασθαι· οὗ τὴν ἐν τῷ βίῳ προαίρεσιν καὶ τὴν ἀσέλγειαν διὰ τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τοῦ τάφου τεκμαιρόμεθα.

For if anyone were making these remarks about Sardanapalus or his companions, he would scarcely have dared to use such foul language; whose choice of life and licentiousness we estimate by the inscription upon his tomb.

§8.10.4

λέγει γὰρ ἡ [ἐπι]γραφή, ταῦτʼ ἔχω ὅσσʼ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐφύβρισα καὶ μετʼ ἔρωτος τέρπνʼ ἔπαθον.

For the inscription says: “These things I have, which I ate and in which I wantoned, and the pleasures I experienced with love.”

§8.10.5

περὶ δὲ Φιλίππου καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου φίλων εὐλαβηθείη τις ἂν οὐχ οἷον³ εἰς μαλακίαν καὶ ἀνανδρίαν, ἔτι δʼ ἀναισχυντίαν λέγειν, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον μήποτʼ ἐγκωμιάζειν ἐπιβαλλόμενος οὐ δυνηθῇ καταξίως εἰπεῖν τῆς ἀνδρείας καὶ φιλοπονίας καὶ συλλήβδην τῆς ἀρετῆς τῶν προειρημένων ἀνδρῶν·

But concerning Philip and his friends, one would be cautious, not to speak of attributing to them soft living and cowardice, and still more shamelessness, but on the contrary, lest, when undertaking to praise them, one might not be able to speak worthily of the courage, the industry, and in a word, the virtue of the aforementioned men;

§8.10.6

οἵ γε προφανῶς ταῖς σφετέραις φιλοπονίαις καὶ τόλμαις ἐξ ἐλαχίστης μὲν βασιλείας ἐνδοξοτάτην καὶ μεγίστην τὴν Μακεδόνων ἀρχὴν κατεσκεύασαν·

since they clearly, by their own industry and daring, constructed out of a very small kingdom the most glorious and greatest empire of the Macedonians;

§8.10.7

χωρὶς δὲ τῶν ἐπὶ Φιλίππου πράξεων αἱ μετὰ τὸν ἐκείνου θάνατον ἐπιτελεσθεῖσαι μετʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου πᾶσιν ὁμολογουμένην τὴν ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ φήμην παραδεδώκασι περὶ αὐτῶν.

and, apart from the achievements under Philip, those accomplished with Alexander after Philip’s death have transmitted a reputation for virtue concerning them that is acknowledged by all.

§8.10.8

μεγάλην γὰρ ἴσως μερίδα θετέον τῷ προεστῶτι τῶν ὅλων Ἀλεξάνδρῳ, καίπερ ὄντι νέῳ παντελῶς, οὐκ ἐλάττω μέντοι γε τοῖς συνεργοῖς καὶ φίλοις, οἳ πολλαῖς μὲν καὶ παραδόξοις μάχαις ἐνίκησαν τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ παραβόλους ὑπέμειναν πόνους καὶ κινδύνους καὶ ταλαιπωρίας, πλείστης δὲ περιουσίας κυριεύσαντες καὶ πρὸς ἁπάσας τὰς ἐπιθυμίας πλείστης εὐπορήσαντες ἀπολαύσεως, οὔτε κατὰ τὴν σωματικὴν δύναμιν οὐδέποτε διὰ ταῦτʼ ἠλαττώθησαν, οὔτε κατὰ τὰς ψυχικὰς ὁρμὰς οὐδὲν ἄδικον οὐδʼ ἀσελγὲς ἐπετήδευσαν, ἅπαντες δʼ, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, βασιλικοὶ καὶ ταῖς μεγαλοψυχίαις καὶ ταῖς σωφροσύναις καὶ ταῖς τόλμαις ἀπέβησαν, Φιλίππῳ καὶ μετʼ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ συμβιώσαντες. ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν δέοι μνημονεύειν ἐπʼ ὀνόματος.

For while a large share must perhaps be assigned to Alexander as the leader of the whole, though he was entirely young, no less a share, however, must be assigned to his helpers and friends, who in many and extraordinary battles conquered their opponents, and endured many and hazardous labors, dangers, and hardships, and though they became masters of vast wealth and had abundant means for the enjoyment of all their desires, they were never on this account impaired in physical strength, nor did they commit any unjust or licentious act in their mental impulses, but they all became, so to speak, kingly in their greatness of soul, temperance, and daring, having lived with Philip and afterwards with Alexander. Of whom there would be no need to make mention by name.

§8.10.11

μετὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου θάνατον οὕτω περὶ τῶν πλείστων μερῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀμφισβητήσαντες παραδόσιμον ἐποίησαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν δόξαν ἐν πλείστοις ὑπομνήμασιν ὥστε τὴν μὲν Τιμαίου τοῦ συγγραφέως πικρίαν, ᾗ κέχρηται κατʼ Ἀγαθοκλέους τοῦ Σικελίας δυνάστου, καίπερ ἀνυπέρβλητον εἶναι δοκοῦσαν, ὅμως λόγον ἔχειν — ὡς γὰρ κατʼ ἐχθροῦ καὶ πονηροῦ καὶ τυράννου διατίθεται τὴν κατηγορίαν — τὴν δὲ Θεοπόμπου μηδʼ ὑπὸ λόγον πίπτειν.

And after Alexander’s death, having thus disputed over the greatest parts of the inhabited world, they made their own glory transmissible to posterity in very many records, so that while the bitterness of the historian Timaeus, which he used against Agathocles the ruler of Sicily, although it seems to be unsurpassable, nevertheless has some reason—for he delivers his accusation as against an enemy, a scoundrel, and a tyrant—that of Theopompus does not even admit of any reason.

Syntax notes3 items

8.10.2μαχόμενα λέγει
The neuter plural present participle μαχόμενα serves as the direct object of the verb λέγει (substantive use), meaning "he says things that conflict (with his own purpose)."
8.10.3εἰ ... ἐποιεῖτο ... ἂν ἐθάρρησε
A past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence. The protasis with the imperfect (ἐποιεῖτο) combined with the apodosis with the aorist indicative and ἄν (ἂν ἐθάρρησε) expresses a past counterfactual situation ("he would scarcely have dared"). The adverb μόλις modifies the verb in the apodosis to add a strong negative implication ("scarcely").
8.10.5οὐχ οἷον
An idiomatic correlative phrase meaning "far from..." or "not to speak of...". Combined with the following ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ("but on the contrary"), it rules out the extreme premise of the first part (accusing them of cowardice) to transition into the realistic concern of the second part (that one might not praise them adequately). The subsequent clause μήποτʼ ... οὐ δυνηθῇ is a clause of fearing (with negative οὐ) introduced by εὐλαβηθείη τις ἄν.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.10.1-8.10.12