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Polybius · The Histories §12.6a.1-12.6a.4

Freed Slaves' Psychology and Timaeus's Absurd Argument

Passage 743 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Supporting Aristotle's view, the author exposes the absurdity of Timaeus's argument by pointing out that freed slaves eagerly attempt to claim and renew their former masters' relationships to erase their own humble origins.

§12.6a.1ἐκ τούτων ἄν τις συλλογιζόμενος Ἀριστοτέλει πρόσσχοι μᾶλλον ἢ Τιμαίῳ· καὶ μὴν τὸ συνεχὲς τούτῳ τελέως ἄτοπον·
From these things, if one were to reason, one would agree with Aristotle rather than with Timaeus; and indeed, what follows upon this is completely absurd.
§12.6a.2τὸ γὰρ ὑπολαμβάνειν, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος ὑποδείκνυσιν, ὡς οὐκ εἰκὸς ἦν τοὺς οἰκέτας τῶν Λακεδαιμονίοις συμμαχησάντων τὴν τῶν κυρίων εὔνοιαν ἀναφέρειν πρὸς τοὺς ἐκείνων φίλους εὔηθες·
For to suppose, as he points out, that it was not likely for the servants of those who had fought as allies of the Lacedaemonians to transfer the goodwill of their masters to the latter’s friends, is foolish.
§12.6a.3οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰς εὐνοίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ξενίας καὶ τὰς συγγενείας τῶν δεσποτῶν οἱ δουλεύσαντες, ὅταν εὐτυχήσωσι παραδόξως καὶ χρόνος ἐπιγένηται, πειρῶνται προσποιεῖσθαι καὶ συνανανεοῦσθαι τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἀναγκαίων μᾶλλον, §12.6a.4αὐτῷ τούτῳ σπουδάζοντες τὴν προγεγενημένην περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐλάττωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀδοξίαν ἐξαλείφειν, τῷ βούλεσθαι τῶν δεσποτῶν ἀπόγονοι μᾶλλον ἐπιφαί
For those who have been in servitude, when they unexpectedly prosper and time has elapsed, attempt to claim as their own and to renew not only the goodwill but also the guest-friendships and the relationships of their masters, even more than those who are bound by natural ties; by this very means they eagerly strive to wipe out the former inferiority and obscurity that attached to them, through their wishing to appear rather as descendants of their masters...

Notes

  1. 12.6a.2τὸ γὰρ ὑπολαμβάνειν ... εὔηθες — The main structure of this sentence consists of the articular infinitive phrase `τὸ ὑπολαμβάνειν` as the subject and the predicate adjective `εὔηθες` (foolish) at the end, with the copula `ἐστί` omitted. Within the `ὡς` clause, which expresses the content of `ὑπολαμβάνειν`, the impersonal expression `οὐκ εἰκὸς ἦν` (it was not likely) takes the accusative-and-infinitive construction, where `τοὺς οἰκέτας` is the subject and `ἀναφέρειν` is the infinitive.
  2. 12.6a.3τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἀναγκαίων μᾶλλον — `τῶν ... ἀναγκαίων` is a genitive of comparison governed by the comparative adverb `μᾶλλον` (more). The adjective `ἀναγκαῖοι` is used substantively here to mean 'blood relations' or 'kinsmen.' Thus, the phrase means 'even more than those who are bound by natural ties.'
  3. 12.6a.4ἐπιφαί- — Due to a lacuna in the manuscript, the text breaks off in the middle of the verb `ἐπιφαίνεσθαι` (to appear, to show oneself). The translations reflect this incompleteness by leaving the sentence unfinished.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §12.6a.1-12.6a.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.6a.1-12.6a.4

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