- 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-grc2:8.11.1-8.11.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Polybius criticizes Theopompus' self-contradiction in his historical work and his inappropriate shift of subject from Greek history to the biography of Philip. He suggests that the motive behind this was a preference for profit over the honorable.
προθέμενος1 γὰρ ὡς περὶ βασιλέως εὐφυεστάτου πρὸς ἀρετὴν γεγονότος οὐκ ἔστι τῶν αἰσχρῶν καὶ δεινῶν ὃ παραλέλοιπε.
For having proposed to write as if about a king most naturally gifted for virtue, there is none of the shameful and terrible things that he has omitted.
λοιπὸν2 ἢ περὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ προέκθεσιν τῆς πραγματείας ἀνάγκη ψεύστην καὶ κόλακα φαίνεσθαι τὸν ἱστοριογράφον, ἢ περὶ τὰς κατὰ μέρος ἀποφάσεις ἀνόητον καὶ μειρακιώδη τελείως, εἰ διὰ τῆς ἀλόγου καὶ ἐπικλήτου λοιδορίας ὑπέλαβε πιστότερος μὲν αὐτὸς φανήσεσθαι, παραδοχῆς δὲ μᾶλλον ἀξιωθήσεσθαι τὰς ἐγκωμιαστικὰς ἀποφάσεις αὐτοῦ περὶ Φιλίππου.
Consequently, the historian must inevitably appear either a liar and a flatterer with regard to the beginning and preface of his work, or completely foolish and childish with regard to his detailed statements, if he supposed that by means of unreasonable and far-fetched abuse he would himself appear more trustworthy, and that his encomiastic statements about Philip would be deemed more worthy of acceptance.
καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ περὶ τὰς ὁλοσχερεῖς διαλήψεις οὐδεὶς ἂν εὐδοκήσειε τῷ προειρημένῳ συγγραφεῖ· ὅς γʼ3 ἐπιβαλόμενος γράφειν τὰς Ἑλληνικὰς πράξεις ἀφʼ ὧν Θουκυδίδης ἀπέλιπε, καὶ συνεγγίσας τοῖς Λευκτρικοῖς καιροῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐπιφανεστάτοις τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν ἔργων, τὴν μὲν Ἑλλάδα μεταξὺ καὶ τὰς ταύτης ἐπιβολὰς ἀπέρριψε, μεταλαβὼν δὲ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τὰς Φιλίππου πράξεις προύθετο γράφειν.
And indeed, no one would approve of the aforementioned historian even regarding his general plans; seeing that, having undertaken to write Greek history from where Thucydides left off, and having come close to the times of Leuctra and the most illustrious of Greek achievements, he cast aside Greece and her undertakings midway, and changing his subject, proposed to write the history of Philip.
καίτοι γε πολλῷ σεμνότερον ἦν καὶ δικαιότερον ἐν τῇ περὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὑποθέσει τὰ πεπραγμένα Φιλίππῳ συμπεριλαβεῖν ἤπερ ἐν τῇ Φιλίππου τὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος. οὐδὲ γὰρ προκαταληφθεὶς ὑπὸ βασιλικῆς δυναστείας, καὶ τυχὼν ἐξουσίας, οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐπέσχε σὺν καιρῷ ποιήσασθαι μετάβασιν ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὄνομα καὶ πρόσωπον· ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης ἀρξάμενος καὶ προβὰς ἐπὶ ποσὸν οὐδʼ ὅλως οὐδεὶς ἂν ἠλλάξατο4 μονάρχου πρόσχημα καὶ βίον, ἀκεραίῳ χρώμενος γνώμῃ.
And yet, it was much more dignified and just to include Philip’s achievements in the history of Greece, than those of Greece in that of Philip. For no one, even if preoccupied by a royal dynasty, and having obtained freedom of speech, would have hesitated to make a transition at the proper time to the name and character of Greece; whereas, having begun with her and having advanced to some extent, no one at all, if using an unbiased judgment, would have exchanged her for the prestige and life of a monarch.
καὶ τί δήποτʼ ἦν τὸ τὰς τηλικαύτας ἐναντιώσεις βιασάμενον παριδεῖν Θεόπομπον; εἰ μὴ νὴ Δίʼ ὅτι5 ἐκείνης μὲν τῆς ὑποθέσεως τέλος ἦν τὸ καλόν, τῆς δὲ κατὰ Φίλιππον τὸ συμφέρον.
And what on earth was it that forced Theopompus to overlook such great contradictions? Unless, by Zeus, it was because the end of that former subject was the honorable, while that of the subject concerning Philip was profit.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ πρὸς μὲν ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καθὸ μετέβαλε τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, ἴσως ἂν εἶχέ τι λέγειν, εἴ τις αὐτὸν ἤρετο περὶ τούτων·
Nevertheless, with regard to this error, in that he changed his subject, he might perhaps have had something to say if anyone had questioned him about it;
πρὸς δὲ τὴν κατὰ τῶν φίλων αἰσχρολογίαν οὐκ ἂν οἶμαι δυνηθῆναι λόγον αὐτὸν ἀποδοῦναι, συγχωρῆσαι δὲ διότι πολύ τι παρέπεσε τοῦ καθήκοντος.
but with regard to his foul language against the friends, I do not think he would be able to give any account, but would have to admit that he fell far short of his duty.
- 8.11.1προθέμενος
A participle (nominative, singular, masculine) referring to Theopompus. It carries a concessive nuance ('although having proposed'), emphasizing the discrepancy between his stated intention and the actual content of his writing.
- 8.11.2λοιπὸν
An adverbial connective expressing the logical alternative resulting as a necessary consequence of the preceding argument.
- 8.11.3ὅς γʼ
The relative pronoun ὅς combined with the particle γέ, introducing a relative clause of cause ('seeing that he...'). The antecedent is the preceding noun συγγραφεῖ.
- 8.11.5ἠλλάξατο
The 3rd person singular aorist middle of the verb ἀλλάσσω ('to exchange'). It critically describes the act of abandoning the grand subject of Greek history in order to 'swap' it for the life of a single monarch.
- 8.11.6εἰ μὴ νὴ Δίʼ ὅτι
A strong, ironic idiomatic expression meaning 'unless, by Zeus, it was because...', emphasizing that no other plausible reason exists.
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