Polybius · The Histories §13.1.1-13.1.3

Aetolian Debt Crisis and Election of Lawgivers

Passage 785 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

It describes how the Aetolians fell heavily into debt due to continuous wars and luxury, leading them to elect Dorimachus and Scopas as lawgivers for constitutional reform.

§13.1.1ὅτι Αἰτωλοὶ διά τε τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν πολέμων καὶ διὰ τὴν πολυτέλειαν τῶν βίων ἔλαθον οὐ μόνον ἄλλους, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς κατάχρεοι γενηθέντες. §13.1.2διόπερ οἰκείως διακείμενοι πρὸς καινοτομίαν τῆς οἰκείας πολιτείας εἵλοντο νομογράφους Δωρίμαχον καὶ Σκόπαν, §13.1.3θεωροῦντες τούτους κατά τε τὰς προαιρέσεις κινητικοὺς ὑπάρχοντας καὶ κατὰ τὰς οὐσίας ἐνδεδεμένους εἰς πολλὰ τῶν βιωτικῶν συναλλαγμάτων.

That the Aetolians, owing both to the continuity of their wars and to the extravagance of their lives, had, without the notice not only of others but also of themselves, become deeply in debt. Therefore, being disposingly inclined toward the innovation of their own constitution, they chose Dorimachus and Scopas as lawgivers, seeing that these men were by disposition ready for change and by their fortunes entangled in many private business transactions.

οἳ καὶ παραλαβόντες τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἔγραψαν νόμους. —

And they, having received this authority, drew up laws. —

Notes

13.1.1ἔλαθον ... γενηθέντες — The construction of the verb λανθάνω with a supplementary participle, meaning 'to do something secretly' or 'without being noticed.' Here, 'οὐ μόνον ἄλλους, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς' (not only others, but also themselves) serves as the accusative object of 'ἔλαθον', indicating that they became deeply in debt without even realizing it themselves.
13.1.3θεωροῦντες τούτους ... ὑπάρχοντας καὶ ... ἐνδεδεμένους — The participle θεωροῦντες (expressing perception or judgment) takes 'τούτους' as its accusative subject, with two participles 'ὑπάρχοντας' and 'ἐνδεδεμένους' functioning as predicative complements. The former denotes their revolutionary character, and the latter their entanglement in secular transactions.
13.1.3οἳ καὶ παραλαβόντες — The relative pronoun 'οἵ' stands at the beginning of the clause, functioning as a relative connection ('and they') to link the new sentence with the preceding context.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §13.1.1-13.1.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.1.1-13.1.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.