Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §11.9.1-11.9.9

Philopoemen's Speech Urging Care for Arms over Luxury

Passage 705 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Philopoemen urges his audience to redirect their passion from luxurious clothing to the care of their weapons, inspiring them to condemn ostentatious dressing and focus on military preparedness.

§11.9.1μεγάλα μὲν γὰρ ἔφη τὴν λαμπρότητα συμβάλλεσθαι πρὸς ἔκπληξιν τῶν ὑπεναντίων, πολλὰ δὲ συνεργεῖν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐπισκευῆς ἁρμογὴν τῶν ὅπλων εἰς τὴν χρείαν.
For he said that while splendor contributes greatly to striking terror into the enemy, the fitting of weapons resulting from their care cooperates much towards their practical use.
§11.9.2γίνεσθαι δʼ ἂν μάλιστα τὸ δέον, εἰ τὴν μὲν ἐπιμέλειαν, ἣν νῦν ποιοῦνται περὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν, ταύτην ποιήσαιντο περὶ τῶν ὅπλων, τὴν δὲ πρότερον ὀλιγωρίαν περὶ τῶν ὅπλων παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχουσαν, ταύτην μετενέγκαιεν ἐπὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας· §11.9.3οὕτως γὰρ ἅμα τούς τε κατʼ ἰδίαν βίους ὠφελήσεσθαι καὶ τὰ κοινὰ πράγμαθʼ ὁμολογουμένως αὐτοὺς δυνήσεσθαι σῴζειν.
And that what is necessary would be done in the highest degree, if they should bestow on their weapons that care which they now bestow on their clothing, and transfer to their clothes that former neglect which existed among them in regard to weapons; for in this way, they would both benefit their private lives at the same time and, by common consent, be able to preserve the public interests.
§11.9.4διόπερ ἔφη δεῖν τὸν εἰς ἐξοπλισίαν ἢ στρατείαν ἐκπορευόμενον, ὅτε μὲν τὰς κνημῖδας περιτίθεται, σκοπεῖν ὅπως ἀραρυῖαί τε καὶ στίλβουσαι τῶν ὑποδεσμῶν καὶ κρηπίδων ὑπάρχωσιν αὗται μᾶλλον, §11.9.5ὅταν δὲ τὴν ἀσπίδα καὶ τὸν θώρακα καὶ τὸ κράνος διαλαμβάνῃ, περιβλέπειν ἵνα τῆς χλαμύδος καὶ τοῦ χιτῶνος καθαρειότερα ταῦθʼ ὑπάρχῃ καὶ πολυτελέστερα· §11.9.6παρʼ οἷς γὰρ τὰ πρὸς ἐπιφάνειαν αἱρετώτερά [ἐστι] τῶν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν, παρὰ τούτοις αὐτόθεν εὐθέως προφανὲς εἶναι τὸ συμβησόμενον ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις.
Therefore he said that he who goes out for a review or an expedition, when he puts on his greaves, should see to it that these are better fitted and more polished than his laces and shoes, and when he takes up his shield, breastplate, and helmet, he should look to it that these are cleaner and more magnificent than his cloak and tunic; for among those with whom things for outward show are preferred to those for practical use, what will happen in times of danger is at once and directly obvious.
§11.9.7καθόλου δʼ ἠξίου διαλαμβάνειν ὡς ὁ μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἱματίοις καλλωπισμὸς γυναικός ἐστι, καὶ ταύτης οὐ λίαν σώφρονος, ἡ δʼ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις πολυτέλεια καὶ σεμνότης ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθῶν, προαιρουμένων ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τὰς πατρίδας ἐνδόξως σῴζειν.
And on the whole, he demanded them to consider that while adornment in dress belongs to a woman, and indeed one who is not very virtuous, magnificence and dignity in weapons belong to brave men who resolve to save themselves and their countries with glory.
§11.9.8πάντες δʼ οἱ παρόντες οὕτως ἀπεδέξαντο τὰ ῥηθέντα καὶ τὸν νοῦν τῆς παρακλήσεως ἐθαύμασαν, ὡς καὶ παραχρῆμα μὲν ἐκπορευόμενοι τὸ βουλευτήριον εὐθέως ἐνεδείκνυντο τοὺς κεκαλλωπισμένους καὶ διακλίνειν ἐνίους ἠνάγκαζον τῆς ἀγορᾶς, §11.9.9ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ἐν ταῖς ἐξοπλισίαις καὶ στρατείαις παρετήρουν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις.
And all who were present so welcomed his words and admired the spirit of his exhortation, that even as they immediately went out of the council-chamber, they at once pointed out those who were overdressed, and forced some to withdraw from the marketplace; and still more, in their reviews and expeditions, they kept watch over themselves in the matters aforesaid.

Notes

  1. §11.9.1μεγάλα — μεγάλα and πολλά are adverbial accusatives (internal objects) modifying the infinitives συμβάλλεσθαι and συνεργεῖν respectively, meaning "greatly" or "much."
  2. §11.9.2γίνεσθαι δʼ ἂν — The apodosis of a mixed conditional sentence in indirect discourse. The optative with ἄν of direct discourse (γίνοιτο ἂν τὸ δέον) is converted into the infinitive with ἂν (γίνεσθαι ἂν) under the influence of the governing verb ἔφη, while the protasis with εἰ and the optative (ποιήσαιντο... μετενέγκαιεν) remains unchanged.
  3. §11.9.2ταύτην — A redundant use of the demonstrative pronoun ταύτην to resume and emphasize the preceding noun phrases (τὴν μὲν ἐπιμέλειαν and τὴν δὲ ... ὀλιγωρίαν) as the direct objects of the verbs in the conditional clauses.
  4. §11.9.4τῶν ὑποδεσμῶν καὶ κρηπίδων — Genitive of comparison depending on the adverb μᾶλλον which lends a comparative force to the participles ἀραρυῖαι and στίλβουσαι ("better fitted and more polished than...").
  5. §11.9.8οὕτως ... ὡς — A correlative construction where the adverb οὕτως (so, to such a degree) anticipates the conjunction ὡς introducing a clause of actual result with the indicative past (ἐνεδείκνυντο, ἠνάγκαζον).

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §11.9.1-11.9.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.9.1-11.9.9

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