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Polybius · The Histories §10.5.1-10.5.10

Election of the Scipio Brothers to the Aedileship

Passage 651 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Publius cleverly exploits his dream to get elected as aedile alongside his brother. The author explains that his success was not due to superstitious divine favor, but rather to his shrewd calculation of public sentiment and outstanding natural qualities.

§10.5.1καὶ τῇ μὲν οὐδʼ ἐν νῷ τὸ ῥηθὲν ἦν, ὁ δὲ λαβὼν πρῶτον λαμπρὰν ἐσθῆτα κοιμωμένης ἔτι τῆς μητρὸς παρῆν εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν.
And while she did not have what had been said in her mind at all, he, having first put on a bright garment, arrived at the forum while his mother was still sleeping. And while she did not have what had been said in her mind at all, he, having first put on a bright garment, arrived at the forum while his mother was still sleeping.
§10.5.2τοῦ δὲ πλήθους καὶ διὰ τὸ παράδοξον καὶ διὰ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν εὔνοιαν ἐκπληκτικῶς αὐτὸν ἀποδεξαμένου, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προελθόντος εἰς τὸν ἀποδεδειγμένον τόπον καὶ στάντος παρὰ τὸν ἀδελφόν, §10.5.3οὐ μόνον τῷ Ποπλίῳ περιέθεσαν οἱ πολλοὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τἀδελφῷ διʼ ἐκεῖνον, καὶ παρῆσαν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἀμφότεροι γεγονότες ἀγορανόμοι.
And when the multitude received him with striking enthusiasm, both on account of the unexpectedness and because of their pre-existing goodwill, and after this when he went forward to the designated place and stood by his brother, the people not only conferred the office upon Publius, but also upon his brother because of him, and both returned to their house, having become aediles.
§10.5.4τῇ δὲ μητρὶ τοῦ πράγματος ἄφνω προσπεσόντος, περιχαρὴς οὖσα πρὸς τὰς θύρας ἀπήντα καὶ μετὰ παραστάσεως ἠσπάζετο τοὺς νεανίσκους, §10.5.5ὥστε τὸν Πόπλιον ἐκ τοῦ συμβαίνοντος δοκεῖν πᾶσι τοῖς προακηκοόσι τῶν ἐνυπνίων μὴ μόνον κατὰ τὸν ὕπνον, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ὕπαρ καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν διαλέγεσθαι τοῖς θεοῖς.
When the news of the event suddenly reached the mother, she, being overjoyed, met them at the doors and embraced the young men with deep emotion, so that Publius, from what had happened, seemed to all those who had previously heard of the dreams to be conversing with the gods not only in sleep, but still more when awake and in broad daylight.
§10.5.6ὧν οὐδὲν ἦν ἐνύπνιον, ἀλλʼ ὑπάρχων εὐεργετικὸς καὶ μεγαλόδωρος καὶ προσφιλὴς κατὰ τὴν ἀπάντησιν συνελογίσατο τὴν τοῦ πλήθους πρὸς αὑτὸν εὔνοιαν.
In reality, none of this was a dream, but being beneficial, generous, and affable in his encounters, he had calculated the goodwill of the multitude towards him. In reality, none of this was a dream, but being beneficial, generous, and affable in his encounters, he had calculated the goodwill of the multitude towards him.
§10.5.7λοιπὸν πρός τε τὸν τοῦ δήμου καὶ τὸν τῆς μητρὸς καιρὸν ἁρμοσάμενος εὐστόχως οὐ μόνον καθίκετο τῆς προθέσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετά τινος ἐδόκει θείας ἐπιπνοίας αὐτὸ πράττειν.
Thus, fitting himself successfully to both the opportunity of the people and that of his mother, he not only achieved his purpose, but also seemed to act with some divine inspiration. Thus, fitting himself successfully to both the opportunity of the people and that of his mother, he not only achieved his purpose, but also seemed to act with some divine inspiration.
§10.5.8οἱ γὰρ μὴ δυνάμενοι τοὺς καιροὺς μηδὲ τὰς αἰτίας καὶ διαθέσεις ἑκάστων ἀκριβῶς συνθεωρεῖν, ἢ διὰ φαυλότητα φύσεως ἢ διʼ ἀπειρίαν καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν, εἰς θεοὺς καὶ τύχας ἀναφέρουσι τὰς αἰτίας τῶν διʼ ἀγχίνοιαν ἐκ λογισμοῦ καὶ προνοίας ἐπιτελουμένων.
For those who are unable to discern accurately the opportunities, nor the causes and dispositions of each case, either because of a defect of nature or through inexperience and laziness, attribute to gods and fortunes the causes of what is accomplished through shrewdness by calculation and foresight. For those who are unable to discern accurately the opportunities, nor the causes and dispositions of each case, either because of a defect of nature or through inexperience and laziness, attribute to gods and fortunes the causes of what is accomplished through shrewdness by calculation and foresight.
§10.5.9ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰρήσθω μοι χάριν τῶν ἀκουόντων, ἵνα μὴ συγκαταφερόμενοι ψευδῶς τῇ καθωμιλημένῃ δόξῃ περὶ αὐτοῦ παραπέμπωσι τὰ σεμνότατα καὶ κάλλιστα τἀνδρός, λέγω δὲ τὴν ἐπιδεξιότητα καὶ φιλοπονίαν.
So let this be said by me for the sake of my readers, so that they may not, by falsely complying with the common opinion about him, pass over the most noble and beautiful qualities of the man, I mean his dexterity and industry. So let this be said by me for the sake of my readers, so that they may not, by falsely complying with the common opinion about him, pass over the most noble and beautiful qualities of the man, I mean his dexterity and industry.
§10.5.10ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ἔσται τοῦτο συμφανὲς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πράξεων.
This will become still more manifest in his actual deeds. This will become still more manifest in his actual deeds.

Notes

  1. §10.5.2προελθόντος — The genitive singular participles προελθόντος and στάντος form a genitive absolute construction with Publius as the implied subject. This is an anacoluthon or grammatical traction influenced by the preceding genitive absolute τοῦ δὲ πλήθους... ἀποδεξαμένου, instead of using nominative participles agreeing with the main subject of the next clause.
  2. §10.5.5δοκεῖν — An accusative and infinitive construction introduced by the consecutive particle ὥστε. τὸν Πόπλιον is the subject accusative of δοκεῖν, which in turn takes the infinitive διαλέγεσθαι ("to be conversing") as its complement, sharing the same subject.
  3. §10.5.8τῶν ... ἐπιτελουμένων — The neuter plural genitive participle ἐπιτελουμένων is used substantively and depends on the preceding noun τὰς αἰτίας ("the causes of..."). The long adverbial phrase διʼ ἀγχίνοιαν ἐκ λογισμοῦ καὶ προνοίας ("through shrewdness by calculation and foresight") is nested between the article τῶν and the participle.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §10.5.1-10.5.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.5.1-10.5.10

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