§11.8.1ὅτι τριῶν ὄντων τρόπων, καθʼ οὓς ἐφίενται πάντες στρατηγίας οἱ κατὰ λόγον αὐτῇ προσιόντες, πρώτου. μὲν διὰ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων καὶ τῆς ἐκ τούτων κατασκευῆς, §11.8.2ἑτέρου δὲ τοῦ μεθοδικοῦ καὶ τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἐμπείρων ἀνδρῶν παραδόσεως, τρίτου δὲ τοῦ διὰ τῆς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων ἕξεως καὶ τριβῆς, §11.8.3πάντων ἦσαν τούτων ἀνεννόητοι οἱ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν στρατηγοὶ ἁπλῶς. — §11.8.4τοῖς γὰρ πλείστοις ὑπεγεγόνει τις ζῆλος οὐκ εὐτυχὴς ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ἀλαζονείας καὶ τῆς ἀκαιρίας· §11.8.5ἐσπούδαζον γὰρ τὰς ἀκολουθίας καὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας διαφερόντως, καί τις ἦν περὶ τοὺς πλείστους καλλωπισμός, ὑπερέχων τὴν ἐκ τοῦ βίου χορηγίαν.
That while there are three ways in which all who approach the office of general in a rational manner pursue it, the first being through military memoirs and the theoretical preparation derived from them, the second through systematic instruction and the tradition handed down by experienced men, and the third through the habit and practice acquired in actual affairs themselves, the generals of the Achaeans were absolutely ignorant of all these. — For in most of them there had arisen an unfortunate rivalry, springing from the ostentation and untimeliness of others; for they made an extraordinary display of eagerness for retinues and dress, and there was in most of them a personal adornment exceeding their means of livelihood.
ὅπλων δʼ οὐδὲ τὸν ἐλάχιστον ἐποιοῦντο λόγον.
But of weapons they made not the slightest account.
§11.8.6— §11.8.7οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τὰ μὲν ἔργα τῶν εὐτυχούντων οὐδὲ πειρῶνται μιμεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ πάρεργα ζηλοῦντες μετὰ βλάβης ἐκθεατρίζουσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀκρισίαν. —
— For most men do not even attempt to imitate the real deeds of successful people, but by rivaling their secondary matters to their own detriment, they display their own lack of judgment to the world. —