§2.61.1χωρίς τε τούτων τὰς μὲν Μαντινέων ἡμῖν συμφορὰς μετʼ αὐξήσεως καὶ διαθέσεως ἐξηγήσατο, δῆλον ὅτι καθήκειν ὑπολαμβάνων τοῖς συγγραφεῦσι τὰς παρανόμους τῶν πράξεων ἐπισημαίνεσθαι, §2.61.2τῆς δὲ Μεγαλοπολιτῶν γενναιότητος, ᾗ περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐχρήσαντο καιρούς, οὐδὲ κατὰ ποσὸν ἐποιήσατο μνήμην, §2.61.3ὥσπερ τὸ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐξαριθμεῖσθαι τῶν πραξάντων οἰκειότερον ὑπάρχον τῆς ἱστορίας τοῦ τὰ καλὰ καὶ δίκαια τῶν ἔργων ἐπισημαίνεσθαι, ἢ τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τοῖς ὑπομνήμασιν ἧττόν τι διορθουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν σπουδαίων καὶ ζηλωτῶν ἔργων ἤπερ ὑπὸ τῶν παρανόμων καὶ φευκτῶν πράξεων.
And besides these things, he expounded to us the disasters of the Mantineans with exaggeration and dramatic effect, evidently assuming that it is proper for historians to point out the lawless deeds, but of the nobility of the Megalopolitans, which they displayed around the same times, he made not the slightest mention, as if the enumeration of the errors of the doers were more appropriate to history than the pointing out of the beautiful and just deeds, or as if those who read his memoirs were less corrected by noble and admirable deeds than by lawless and avoidable actions.
§2.61.4ὁ δὲ πῶς μὲν ἔλαβε Κλεομένης τὴν πόλιν καὶ πῶς ἀκέραιον διαφυλάξας ἐξαπέστειλε παραχρῆμα πρὸς τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας εἰς τὴν Μεσσήνην γραμματοφόρους, ἀξιῶν αὐτοὺς ἀβλαβῆ κομισαμένους τὴν ἑαυτῶν πατρίδα κοινωνῆσαι τῶν ἰδίων πραγμάτων, ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν ἐδήλωσε, βουλόμενος ὑποδεῖξαι τὴν Κλεομένους μεγαλοψυχίαν καὶ μετριότητα πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους.
But he showed us how Cleomenes took the city, and how, having preserved it intact, he immediately sent messengers to the Megalopolitans in Messene, demanding that they, having recovered their homeland unharmed, should share in his own fortunes; this indeed he made clear to us, wishing to demonstrate Cleomenes' magnanimity and moderation towards his enemies.
§2.61.5ἔτι δὲ πῶς οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἀναγινωσκομένης οὐκ ἐάσαιεν εἰς τέλος ἀναγνωσθῆναι, μικροῦ δὲ καταλεύσαιεν τοὺς γραμματοφόρους, ἕως τούτου διεσάφησε.
And further, how the Megalopolitans, while the letter was being read, did not allow it to be read to the end, and almost stoned the messengers—up to this point he made clear.
τὸ δʼ ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὸ τῆς ἱστορίας ἴδιον ἀφεῖλεν, §2.61.6τὸν ἔπαινον καὶ τὴν ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ μνήμην τῶν ἀξιολόγων προαιρέσεων.
But he omitted what follows and what is proper to history, namely, the praise and honorable memory of remarkable choices.
§2.61.7καίτοι γʼ ἐμποδὼν ἦν.
And yet it was obvious.
εἰ γὰρ τοὺς λόγῳ καὶ δόγματι μόνον ὑπομείναντας πόλεμον ὑπὲρ φίλων καὶ συμμάχων ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς νομίζομεν, τοῖς δὲ καὶ χώρας καταφθορὰν καὶ πολιορκίαν ἀναδεξαμένοις οὐ μόνον ἔπαινον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χάριτας καὶ δωρεὰς τὰς μεγίστας ἀπονέμομεν, §2.61.8τίνα γε χρὴ περὶ Μεγαλοπολιτῶν ἔχειν διάληψιν;
For if we consider those men to be good who endured war on behalf of friends and allies in word and decree only, and to those who also underwent the devastation of their land and siege we award not only praise, but also the greatest gratitude and rewards, what opinion must we have about the Megalopolitans?
ἆρʼ οὐχὶ τὴν σεμνοτάτην καὶ βελτίστην;
Is it not the most venerable and best?
§2.61.9οἳ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν χώραν Κλεομένει προεῖντο, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάλιν ὁλοσχερῶς ἔπταισαν τῇ πατρίδι διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς αἵρεσιν, §2.61.10τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον, δοθείσης ἀνελπίστως καὶ παραδόξως αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίας ἀβλαβῆ ταύτην ἀπολαβεῖν, προείλαντο στέρεσθαι χώρας, τάφων, ἱερῶν, πατρίδος, τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, ἁπάντων συλλήβδην τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀναγκαιοτάτων χάριν τοῦ μὴ προδοῦναι τὴν πρὸς τοὺς συμμάχους πίστιν.
who, in the first place, abandoned their territory to Cleomenes, and after this again completely lost their homeland because of their choice of alliance with the Achaeans, and finally, when an opportunity was given to them unexpectedly and contrary to expectation to recover it unharmed, they preferred to be deprived of territory, tombs, temples, homeland, property, in short, of all the most necessary things among men, for the sake of not betraying their faith to their allies.
§2.61.11οὗ τί κάλλιον ἔργον ἢ γέγονεν ἢ γένοιτʼ ἄν;
Than which what more beautiful deed has occurred or could occur?
ἐπὶ τί δʼ ἂν μᾶλλον συγγραφεὺς ἐπιστήσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας;
And on what would a historian more focus his audience's attention?
διὰ τίνος δʼ ἔργου μᾶλλον ἂν παρορμήσαι πρὸς φυλακὴν πίστεως καὶ πρὸς ἀληθινῶν πραγμάτων καὶ βεβαίων κοινωνίαν;
And by what deed would he more urge them to preserve faith and to share in true and secure affairs?
ὧν οὐδεμίαν ἐποιήσατο μνήμην Φύλαρχος, §2.61.12τυφλώττων, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, περὶ τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ μάλιστα συγγραφεῖ καθήκοντα τῶν ἔργων.
Of which things Phylarchus made no mention, being blind, as it seems to me at least, to the most beautiful deeds and those most proper to a historian.