Defense of Political History and Its Monotony — Polybius, The Histories Book 9 (9.1.1–9.1.6), Greek & English

§9.1.1

αἱ μὲν οὖν ἐπιφανέσταται πράξεις τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς προειρημένης ὀλυμπιάδος περιληφθεισῶν¹ καὶ τοῦ τετραετοῦς διαστήματος, ὅ φαμεν δεῖν ὀλυμπιάδα νομίζειν, εἰσὶν αὗται· περὶ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐν δυσὶ βυβλίοις πειρασόμεθα ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξήγησιν.

These, then, are the most famous deeds among those encompassed by the aforementioned Olympiad and the four-year interval which we say we must consider an Olympiad; concerning which we shall try to make our exposition in two books.

§9.1.2

οὐκ ἀγνοῶ δὲ διότι² συμβαίνει τὴν πραγματείαν ἡμῶν ἔχειν αὐστηρόν τι καὶ πρὸς ἓν γένος ἀκροατῶν οἰκειοῦσθαι καὶ κρίνεσθαι διὰ τὸ μονοειδὲς τῆς συντάξεως.

But I am not unaware that it happens that our work has something austere about it and is suited to, and judged by, only one class of hearers on account of the uniform character of its composition.

§9.1.3

οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι συγγραφεῖς σχεδὸν ἅπαντες, εἰ δὲ μή γʼ, οἱ πλείους, πᾶσι τοῖς τῆς ἱστορίας μέρεσι χρώμενοι πολλοὺς ἐφέλκονται πρὸς ἔντευξιν τῶν ὑπομνημάτων.

For almost all other writers, or at least the majority of them, employing all the parts of history, attract many to the reading of their memoirs.

§9.1.4

τὸν μὲν γὰρ φιλήκοον ὁ γενεαλογικὸς τρόπος ἐπισπᾶται, τὸν δὲ πολυπράγμονα καὶ περιττὸν ὁ περὶ τὰς ἀποικίας καὶ κτίσεις καὶ συγγενείας, καθά που καὶ παρʼ Ἐφόρῳ λέγεται, τὸν δὲ πολιτικὸν ὁ περὶ τὰς πράξεις τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ πόλεων καὶ δυναστῶν.

For the inquisitive listener is drawn by the genealogical style, the curious and painstaking student by the account of colonies, foundations of cities, and relationships, as is indeed said somewhere by Ephorus, and the statesman by the narrative of the deeds of nations, cities, and rulers.

§9.1.5

ἐφʼ ὃν ἡμεῖς ψιλῶς κατηντηκότες³ καὶ περὶ τοῦτον πεποιημένοι τὴν ὅλην τάξιν, πρὸς ἓν μέν τι γένος, ὡς προεῖπον, οἰκείως ἡρμόσμεθα, τῷ δὲ πλείονι μέρει τῶν ἀκροατῶν ἀψυχαγώγητον παρεσκευάκαμεν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν.

Having confined ourselves solely to this latter and having made our entire arrangement about it, we have, as I said before, adapted ourselves fittingly to one class, but for the majority of readers we have made the reading unattractive.

§9.1.6

τίνος δὲ χάριν τἄλλα μέρη τῆς ἱστορίας ἀποδοκιμάσαντες αὐτὰ τὰ κατὰ τὰς πράξεις προειλάμεθα γράφειν, ἐν ἑτέροις ἡμῖν εἴρηται διὰ πλειόνων, κεφαλαιωδῶς γε μὴν οὐδὲν ἐπέχει⁴ καὶ νῦν ἐμφάσεως χάριν ὑπομνῆσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας.

Now, for what reason we rejected the other parts of history and chose to write only of actual deeds, has been explained by us elsewhere at greater length; nevertheless, there is no harm in reminding our hearers of it summarily even now, for the sake of emphasis.

Syntax notes4 items

9.1.1τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς προειρημένης ὀλυμπιάδος περιληφθεισῶν
The feminine participle περιληφθεισῶν ("encompassed") refers to the omitted noun πράξεων ("deeds") or functions substantively in the genitive case, depending on the main subject αἱ ἐπιφανέσταται πράξεις. Along with τοῦ τετραετοῦς διαστήματος, it defines the period to which these deeds belong.
9.1.2διότι
The conjunction διότι here does not mean "because" (its common classical sense), but is used in the late Greek (Koine) manner equivalent to ὅτι, introducing the noun clause that functions as the object of οὐκ ἀγνοῶ ("I am not unaware that...").
9.1.5ἐφʼ ὃν ἡμεῖς ψιλῶς κατηντηκότες
The relative pronoun ὅν refers back to the political style mentioned in the previous section (ὁ περὶ τὰς πράξεις... τρόπος). The preposition ἐπί with the accusative coupled with the perfect participle κατηντηκότες (from καταντάω) expresses the arrival at, or confinement to, this specific genre of historical writing.
9.1.6οὐδὲν ἐπέχει
This is an impersonal usage of the verb ἐπέχω with an infinitive (ὑπομνῆσαι), meaning "nothing prevents" or "there is no harm/objection in doing something."

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-grc2:9.1.1-9.1.6