§1.2.1ὡς δʼ ἔστι παράδοξον καὶ μέγα τὸ περὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑπόθεσιν θεώρημα γένοιτʼ ἂν οὕτως μάλιστʼ ἐμφανές, εἰ τὰς ἐλλογιμωτάτας τῶν προγεγενημένων δυναστειῶν, περὶ ἃς οἱ συγγραφεῖς τοὺς πλείστους διατέθεινται λόγους, παραβάλοιμεν καὶ συγκρίναιμεν πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ὑπεροχήν.
How extraordinary and grand is the subject of our work will become most apparent in this way, if we compare and contrast the most famous empires of the past, on which historians have expended the greatest part of their writings, with the supremacy of the Romans.
§1.2.2εἰσὶ δʼ αἱ τῆς παραβολῆς ἄξιαι καὶ συγκρίσεως αὗται.
Those which are worthy of comparison and contrast are these.
Πέρσαι κατά τινας καιροὺς μεγάλην ἀρχὴν κατεκτήσαντο καὶ δυναστείαν· ἀλλʼ ὁσάκις ἐτόλμησαν ὑπερβῆναι τοὺς τῆς Ἀσίας ὅρους, οὐ μόνον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ σφῶν ἐκινδύνευσαν.
The Persians at certain periods acquired a great empire and dominion; but as often as they dared to cross the boundaries of Asia, they endangered not only their dominion but also their own lives.
§1.2.3Λακεδαιμόνιοι πολλοὺς ἀμφισβητήσαντες χρόνους ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡγεμονίας, ἐπειδή ποτʼ ἐκράτησαν, μόλις ἔτη δώδεκα κατεῖχον αὐτὴν ἀδήριτον.
The Lacedaemonians, having disputed for a long time for the hegemony of the Greeks, when they finally attained it, held it without dispute for scarcely twelve years.
§1.2.4Μακεδόνες τῆς μὲν Εὐρώπης ἦρξαν ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἀδρίαν τόπων ἕως ἐπὶ τὸν Ἴστρον ποταμόν, ὃ βραχὺ παντελῶς ἂν φανείη μέρος τῆς προειρημένης χώρας· §1.2.5μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα προσέλαβον τὴν τῆς Ἀσίας ἀρχήν, καταλύσαντες τὴν τῶν Περσῶν δυναστείαν.
The Macedonians ruled Europe from the regions around the Adriatic as far as the river Ister, which would appear to be an altogether insignificant part of the aforementioned territory; and after this they acquired the empire of Asia, having destroyed the dominion of the Persians.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὗτοι πλείστων δόξαντες καὶ τόπων καὶ πραγμάτων γενέσθαι κύριοι, τὸ πολὺ μέρος ἀκμὴν ἀπέλιπον τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀλλότριον.
But nevertheless, although they were thought to have become masters of many places and affairs, they still left the greater part of the inhabited world alien to them.
§1.2.6Σικελίας μὲν γὰρ καὶ Σαρδοῦς καὶ Λιβύης οὐδʼ ἐπεβάλοντο καθάπαξ ἀμφισβητεῖν, τῆς δʼ Εὐρώπης τὰ μαχιμώτατα γένη τῶν προσεσπερίων ἐθνῶν ἰσχνῶς εἰπεῖν οὐδʼ ἐγίνωσκον.
For they did not even attempt to contest for Sicily, Sardinia, and Libya at all; and as for the most warlike races of the western nations of Europe, to speak plainly, they did not even know of them.
§1.2.7Ῥωμαῖοί γε μὴν οὐ τινὰ μέρη, σχεδὸν δὲ πᾶσαν πεποιημένοι τὴν οἰκουμένην ὑπήκοον αὑτοῖς, ἀνυπόστατον μὲν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι πᾶσιν, ἀνυπέρβλητον δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις ὑπεροχὴν κα τέλιπον τῆς αὑτῶν δυναστείας.
The Romans, however, having made not just some parts, but almost the whole inhabited world subject to them, left behind a supremacy of their dominion that is irresistible to all contemporaries and unsurpassable also for those who come after.
§1.2.8περὶ δὲ τοῦ μεντολαδιατ ἐκ τῆς γραφῆς ἐξέσται σαφέστερον κατανοεῖν· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ πόσα καὶ πηλίκα συμβάλλεσθαι πέφυκε τοῖς φιλομαθοῦσιν ὁ τῆς πραγματικῆς ἱστορίας τρόπος.
Regarding this matter (corrupt text), it will be possible to understand more clearly from the narrative; and likewise regarding how many and how great advantages the method of pragmatic history is by nature adapted to contribute to those who are eager to learn.