- 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-grc2:9.36.1-9.36.12
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
The speaker recalls the great benefit of Antigonus, who, after defeating Sparta, expelled the tyrant and restored its traditional laws; based on this, he argues that Sparta should ally with the Macedonians rather than the Aetolians.
περὶ δὲ τῶν κατʼ Ἀντίγονον ἕως τούτου βούλομαι ποιήσασθαι τὴν μνήμην, [ἕως] τοῦ μὴ δόξαι1 καταφρονεῖν τῶν γεγονότων μηδʼ ἐν παρέργῳ τίθεσθαι τὴν τηλικαύτην πρᾶξιν.
And concerning the deeds of Antigonus, I wish to make mention up to this point, so as not to seem to look down on what happened, nor to treat such a great deed as a matter of secondary importance.
ἔγωγʼ εὐεργεσίαν μείζω τῆς ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου γεγενημένης εἰς ὑμᾶς οὐδʼ ἱστορεῖσθαι νομίζω· δοκεῖ γὰρ ἔμοιγε μηδʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἐπιδέχεσθαι τὸ γεγονός.
For my part, I think that a benefit greater than that rendered to you by Antigonus is not even recorded in history; for it seems to me that the event does not even admit of exaggeration.
γνοίη δʼ ἄν τις ἐκ τούτων. ἐπολέμησε πρὸς ὑμᾶς Ἀντίγονος, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα παραταξάμενος ἐνίκησε· διὰ τῶν ὅπλων ἐγένετο κύριος τῆς χώρας ἅμα καὶ τῆς πόλεως.
And one may know this from the following facts. Antigonus made war against you, and after this, having drawn up his forces, he defeated you; by force of arms he became master of both your country and your city.
ὤφειλε ποιεῖν τὰ τοῦ πολέμου·2 τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τοῦ πρᾶξαί τι καθʼ ὑμῶν δεινόν, ὡς πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐκβαλὼν τὸν τύραννον καὶ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὸ πάτριον ὑμῖν ἀποκατέστησε3 πολίτευμα.
He was entitled to exercise the rights of war; yet he was so far from doing anything terrible against you that, in addition to other things, having expelled the tyrant, he restored to you your laws and your ancestral constitution.
ἀνθʼ ὧν ὑμεῖς ἐν ταῖς κοιναῖς πανηγύρεσι μάρτυρας ποιησάμενοι τοὺς Ἕλληνας εὐεργέτην ἑαυτῶν καὶ σωτῆρα τὸν Ἀντίγονον ἀνεκηρύξατε.
In return for which, you, having made the Greeks witnesses in your common festivals, proclaimed Antigonus your benefactor and savior.
τί οὖν ἐχρῆν ποιεῖν ὑμᾶς; ἐρῶ γὰρ τὸ φαινόμενον, ἄνδρες. ὑμεῖς δʼ ἀνέξεσθε· ποιήσω γὰρ τοῦτο νῦν οὐκ ἀπροσλόγως ὀνειδίσαι βουλόμενος ὑμῖν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων περιστάσεως ἀναγκαζόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ κοινῇ συμφέροντι.
What, then, was it your duty to do? For I will speak what is obvious, gentlemen, and you must bear with me; for I will do this now not wishing to reproach you without reason, but forced by the circumstances of affairs for the common good.
τί δὴ μέλλω λέγειν; ὅτι καὶ κατὰ τὸν προγεγονότα πόλεμον οὐκ Αἰτωλοῖς, ἀλλὰ Μακεδόσιν ἔδει συμμαχεῖν ὑμᾶς, καὶ νῦν παρακαλουμένους Φιλίππῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τούτοις ἑαυτοὺς προσνέμειν.
What indeed am I about to say? That both during the previous war you ought to have allied yourselves not with the Aetolians but with the Macedonians, and now, when invited, you ought to attach yourselves to Philip rather than to these men.
νὴ Δίʼ, ἀλλὰ παραβήσεσθε τὰς συνθήκας·
”But, by Zeus, you will violate the treaties!”
καὶ πότερα δεινότερον ἂν ποιήσαιτε, τὰ κατʼ ἰδίαν πρὸς Αἰτωλοὺς ὑμῖν συγκείμενα δίκαια παριδόντες ἢ4 τὰ πάντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐναντίον ἐν στήλῃ γεγονότα καὶ καθιερωμένα;
And which of the two would you do that is more terrible, disregarding the private rights agreed upon between you and the Aetolians, or those which were inscribed on a pillar and consecrated in the presence of all the Greeks?
πῶς δὲ τούτους ἀθετεῖν εὐλαβεῖσθε, παρʼ ὧν οὐδεμίαν προειλήφατε χάριν, Φίλιππον δὲ καὶ Μακεδόνας οὐκ ἐντρέπεσθε, διʼ οὓς ἔχετε καὶ τοῦ νῦν βουλεύεσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν;
And how is it that you are cautious of breaking faith with these men, from whom you have received no prior favor, while you have no regard for Philip and the Macedonians, thanks to whom you possess even the power of deliberating now?
ἢ τὸ μὲν τοῖς φίλοις τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν ἀναγκαῖον ἡγεῖσθε;
Or do you think it necessary to do what is just to friends?
καὶ μὴν οὐχ οὕτως ὅσιόν ἐστι τὸ τὰς ἐγγράπτους πίστεις βεβαιοῦν, ὡς ἀνόσιον τὸ τοῖς σώσασι πολεμεῖν· ὃ νῦν Αἰτωλοὶ πάρεισιν ὑμᾶς ἀξιοῦντες.
And yet, it is not so holy to confirm written pledges as it is unholy to wage war against those who saved you; which is exactly what the Aetolians are now here asking you to do.
- 9.36.1τοῦ μὴ δόξαι
The genitive infinitive with the negative μὴ expresses purpose ("so as not to seem"). Regardless of the inclusion or omission of the bracketed [ἕως], this genitive phrase functions to denote intention.
- 9.36.4ὤφειλε ποιεῖν τὰ τοῦ πολέμου
ὤφειλε is the imperfect of ὀφείλω ("to owe", "ought"), expressing here what Antigonus was entitled to do as a victor ("he was entitled to exercise the rights of war"). The subject is Antigonus.
- 9.36.4τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε ... ὡς ... ἀποκατέστησε
The construction τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε ... ὡς ... ("he was so far from... that...") expresses a strong contrast. The ὡς clause takes the indicative aorist (ἀποκατέστησε) to show the actual historical result.
- 9.36.9πότερα ... ἢ ...
An alternative double question formula ("whether... or..."). It contrasts violating private treaties with Aetolians against violating public treaties consecrated before all Greeks, emphasizing the gravity of the latter.