Necessity of Universal History and Rome's Global Rule — Polybius, The Histories Book 8 (8.2.1–8.2.11), Greek & English

§8.2.1

διʼ ὧν ὑπολαμβάνω τὸ πολλάκις ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἡμῖν τῆς πραγματείας εἰρημένον νῦν διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων ἀληθινὴν λαμβάνειν πίστιν.¹

Through which facts, I believe that what has often been said by us at the beginning of our work now receives true confirmation through the deeds themselves.

§8.2.2

τοῦτο δʼ ἦν ὡς οὐχ οἷόν τε διὰ τῶν τὰς κατὰ μέρος ἱστορίας γραφόντων συνθεάσασθαι τὴν τῶν ὅλων οἰκονομίαν.

And this was that it is impossible through those who write particular histories to obtain a comprehensive view of the general scheme of the whole.

§8.2.3

πῶς γὰρ ἐνδέχεται ψιλῶς αὐτὰς καθʼ αὑτὰς ἀναγνόντα² τὰς Σικελικὰς ἢ τὰς Ἰβηρικὰς πράξεις, γνῶναι καὶ μαθεῖν ἢ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν γεγονότων ἢ τὸ συνέχον,³ τίνι τρόπῳ καὶ τίνι γένει πολιτείας τὸ παραδοξότατον καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἔργον ἡ τύχη συνετέλεσε;

For how is it possible for one who merely reads by themselves the Sicilian or Iberian affairs to know and learn either the magnitude of the events or the connecting link—in what manner and by what kind of constitution Fortune accomplished the most extraordinary achievement in our time?

§8.2.4

τοῦτο δʼ ἔστι τὸ πάντα τὰ γνωριζόμενα μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑπὸ μίαν ἀρχὴν καὶ δυναστείαν ἀγαγεῖν, ὃ πρότερον οὐχ εὑρίσκεται γεγονός.

And this is to bring all the known parts of the inhabited world under a single rule and dominion, which is not found to have happened before.

§8.2.5

πῶς μὲν γὰρ εἷλον Συρακούσας Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ πῶς Ἰβηρίαν κατέσχον, οὐκ ἀδύνατον καὶ διὰ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἐπὶ ποσὸν γνῶναι συντάξεων·

For how the Romans took Syracuse and how they occupied Iberia, it is not impossible to learn to some extent even through particular treatises;

§8.2.6

πῶς δὲ τῆς ἁπάντων ἡγεμονίας καθίκοντο, καὶ τί πρὸς τὰς ὁλοσχερεῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιβολὰς τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἀντέπραξε, καὶ τί πάλιν καὶ κατὰ τίνας καιροὺς συνήργησε, δυσχερὲς καταλαβεῖν ἄνευ τῆς καθόλου τῶν πράξεων ἱστορίας.

but how they attained the hegemony of the whole, and what of the particular events worked against their general designs, and what, on the other hand, and at what times, contributed to them, is difficult to understand without a general history of these events.

§8.2.7

οὐ μὴν τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ἔργων οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ πολιτεύματος δύναμιν εὐμαρὲς κατανοῆσαι διὰ τὰς αὐτὰς αἰτίας.

Nor indeed is it easy to comprehend the magnitude of the achievements or the power of their constitution for the same reasons.

§8.2.8

τὸ γὰρ ἀντιποιήσασθαι Ῥωμαίους Ἰβηρίας ἢ πάλιν Σικελίας, καὶ στρατεῦσαι πεζικαῖς καὶ ναυτικαῖς δυνάμεσιν, αὐτὸ καθʼ αὑτὸ λεγόμενον οὐκ ἂν εἴη θαυμαστόν.

For that the Romans laid claim to Iberia or again to Sicily, and campaigned with land and sea forces, would not, if stated by itself, be marvelous.

§8.2.9

ἅμα δὲ τούτων συμβαινόντων καὶ πολλαπλασίων ἄλλων κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν ἐπιτελουμένων ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ πολιτείας, καὶ θεωρουμένων ὁμοῦ τούτοις τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν ὑπαρχουσῶν περιστάσεων καὶ πολέμων περὶ⁴ τοὺς ἅπαντα τὰ προειρημένα χειρίζοντας, οὕτως ἂν εἴη μόνως σαφῆ τὰ γεγονότα καὶ θαυμαστὰ καὶ μάλιστʼ ἂν οὕτως τυγχάνοι τῆς ἁρμοζούσης ἐπιστάσεως.

But when these things were happening at the same time, and many times more other things were being accomplished at the same time by the same ruling power and state, and when there are viewed together with these the crises and wars existing in their own land surrounding those who were managing all the aforementioned matters, only in this way would the events be clear and marvelous, and in this way they would especially receive the appropriate attention.

§8.2.11

ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω πρὸς τοὺς ὑπολαμβάνοντας διὰ τῆς τῶν κατὰ μέρος συντάξεως ἐμπειρίαν ποιήσασθαι τῆς καθολικῆς καὶ κοινῆς ἱστορίας.

Let this, then, have been said by us against those who suppose that through the reading of particular treatises they can acquire knowledge of general and common history.

Syntax notes4 items

8.2.1ἀληθινὴν λαμβάνειν πίστιν
Meaning 'to receive true confirmation'. In this accusative-and-infinitive construction, the subject of the infinitive λαμβάνειν is the preceding articular phrase τὸ ... εἰρημένον ('what has been said').
8.2.3ἀναγνόντα
An accusative singular masculine aorist participle. It agrees with an implied indefinite subject (an accusative 'someone', τινά) of the infinitives γνῶναι and μαθεῖν dependent on the impersonal verb ἐνδέχεται.
8.2.3τὸ συνέχον
The neuter singular substantive of the present participle, meaning 'that which holds together' or 'the connecting link'. It refers to the organic connection and fundamental causality of history as a whole, which cannot be seen by merely listing individual events.
8.2.9περί
A preposition governing the accusative τοὺς ... χειρίζοντας, meaning 'around' or 'affecting'. It describes the crises and wars (περιστάσεων καὶ πολέμων) as surrounding or directly affecting the Roman leaders who were managing public affairs.

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 1
2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.2.1-8.2.11