§16.28.1ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὸ μὲν ἄρξασθαι καλῶς καὶ συνακμάσαι ταῖς ὁρμαῖς πρὸς τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων αὔξησιν ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἤδη γεγονέναι, §16.28.2τὸ δʼ ἐπὶ τέλος ἀγαγεῖν τὸ προτεθὲν καί που καὶ τῆς τύχης ἀντιπιπτούσης συνεκπληρῶσαι τῷ λογισμῷ τὸ τῆς προθυμίας ἐλλιπὲς ἐπʼ ὀλίγων γίνεσθαι.
But it seems to me that while beginning well and growing in enthusiasm alongside the expansion of affairs has already happened in the case of many, yet bringing what was proposed to completion, and perhaps, even when fortune opposes, filling up by reasoning what is lacking in eagerness, happens only in the case of a few.
§16.28.3διὸ καὶ τότε δικαίως ἄν τις τὴν μὲν Ἀττάλου καὶ Ῥοδίων ὀλιγοπονίαν καταμέμψαιτο, τὸ δὲ Φιλίππου βασιλικὸν καὶ μεγαλόψυχον καὶ τὸ τῆς προθέσεως ἐπίμονον ἀποδέξαιτο, οὐχ ὡς καθόλου τὸν τρόπον ἐπαινῶν, ἀλλʼ ὡς τὴν πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ὁρμὴν ἐπισημαινόμενος.
Therefore, at that time too, one might justly censure the lack of perseverance of Attalus and the Rhodians, while accepting Philip's kingly and magnanimous character and the persistence of his purpose—not as praising his character as a whole, but as noting his enthusiasm for the present moment.
ποιοῦμαι δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην διαστολήν, §16.28.4ἵνα μή τις ἡμᾶς ὑπολάβῃ μαχόμενα λέγειν ἑαυτοῖς, ἄρτι μὲν ἐπαινοῦντας Ἄτταλον καὶ Ῥοδίους, Φίλιππον δὲ καταμεμφομένους, νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον.
I make this distinction lest someone should suppose that we are saying things inconsistent with ourselves, praising Attalus and the Rhodians just now and censuring Philip, but now doing the opposite.
§16.28.5τούτου γὰρ χάριν ἐν ἀρχαῖς τῆς πραγματείας διεστειλάμην, φήσας ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι ποτὲ μὲν εὐλογεῖν, ποτὲ δὲ ψέγειν τοὺς αὐτούς, §16.28.6ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις μὲν αἱ πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον τῶν πραγμάτων ῥοπαὶ καὶ περιστάσεις ἀλλοιοῦσι τὰς προαιρέσεις τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πολλάκις δʼ αἱ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον, §16.28.7ἔστι δʼ ὅτε κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν ἄνθρωποι ποτὲ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ δέον ὁρμῶσι, ποτὲ δʼ ἐπὶ τοὐναντίον.
For for this reason I made a distinction at the beginning of my work, stating that it is necessary at times to praise and at times to blame the same people, since often the inclinations and circumstances of affairs toward the worse alter the purposes of men, and often those toward the better do so, and sometimes men, in accordance with their own nature, at one time rush toward their duty, and at another time toward the opposite.
ὧν ἕν τί μοι δοκεῖ καὶ τότε γεγονέναι περὶ τὸν Φίλιππον· §16.28.8ἀσχάλλων γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγονόσιν ἐλαττώμασι, καὶ τὸ πλεῖον ὀργῇ καὶ θυμῷ χρώμενος, παραστατικῶς καὶ δαιμονίως ἐνήρμοσεν εἰς τοὺς ἐνεστῶτας καιρούς, καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ κατανέστη τῶν Ῥοδίων καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀττάλου, καὶ καθίκετο τῶν ἑξῆς πράξεων.
One of these things seems to me to have happened then in the case of Philip; for, vexed by the defeats that had occurred, and guided for the most part by anger and passion, he adapted himself to the present crisis desperately and with extraordinary energy, and in this manner withstood the Rhodians and King Attalus, and accomplished the subsequent operations.
§16.28.9ταῦτα μὲν οὖν προήχθην εἰπεῖν διὰ τὸ τινὰς μὲν πρὸς τῷ τέρματι, καθάπερ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν σταδιέων, ἐγκαταλιπεῖν τὰς ἑαυτῶν προθέσεις, τινὰς δʼ ἐν τούτῳ μάλιστα νικᾶν τοὺς ἀντιπάλους. —
I was led to say these things, therefore, because some people, like bad runners in the stadium, abandon their purposes close to the finish line, while others especially defeat their rivals at that very moment. —