§23.12.1Πολύβιος. ὁ δʼ ἐξαναστὰς προῆγε, τὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρρωστίας, τὰ δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας βαρυνόμενος· εἶχε γὰρ ἑβδομηκοστὸν ἔτος.
Polybius: But he, having risen up, went forward, burdened on the one hand by illness, and on the other by old age; for he was in his seventieth year.
§23.12.2Πολύβιος· διαβιασάμενος δὲ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῇ συνηθείᾳ τῇ πρὸ τοῦ παρῆν ἐξ Ἄργους εἰς Μεγάλην πόλιν αὐθημερόν. — §23.12.3ὅτι Φιλοποίμην ὁ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν στρατηγὸς συλληφθεὶς ὑπὸ Μεσσηνίων ἀνῃρέθη φαρμάκῳ, ἀνὴρ γενόμενος οὐδενὸς τῶν πρὸ τοῦ κατʼ ἀρετὴν δεύτερος, τῆς τύχης μέντοι γʼ ἥττων, καίτοι δόξας ἐν παντὶ τῷ πρὸ τοῦ βίῳ συνεργὸν ἐσχηκέναι ταύτην· §23.12.4ἀλλά μοι δοκεῖ κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν παροιμίαν εὐτυχῆσαι μὲν ἄνθρωπον ὄντα δυνατόν, διευτυχῆσαί γε μὴν ἀδύνατον· §23.12.5διὸ καὶ μακαριστέον τῶν προγεγονότων οὐχ ὡς διευτυχηκότας τινάς· τίς γὰρ ἀνάγκη ψευδεῖ λόγῳ χρωμένοις ματαίως προσκυνεῖν τὴν τύχην;
Polybius: But having forced himself against his illness through his former habit, he arrived from Argos at Megalopolis on the same day. — That Philopoemen, the general of the Achaeans, having been captured by the Messenians, was put to death by poison, a man who was second to none of those before him in virtue, yet inferior to fortune, although in all his previous life he seemed to have had her as his helper; but it seems to me, according to the common proverb, that while it is possible for a human being to meet with good fortune, to be completely fortunate throughout life is impossible; wherefore one must bless none of those of former times on the ground that they were completely fortunate throughout; for what necessity is there for those who use a false discourse to worship fortune in vain?
§23.12.6ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὡς πλεῖστον χρόνον ἐν τῷ ζῆν ἵλεων ἔχοντας ταύτην, κἄν ποτε μετανοῇ, μετρίαις περιπεσόντας συμφοραῖς. —
Μετ.
But rather those who had her propitious for the longest time in life, and who, even if she at some time changed her mind, fell into only moderate misfortunes. — Μετ.
§23.12.7Λυκόρταν, ὃς ἦν οὐδὲν ἥττων τούτου. — §23.12.8ὅτι Φιλοποίμην τετταράκοντʼ ἔτη συνεχῶς φιλοδοξήσας ἐν δημοκρατικῷ καὶ πολυειδεῖ πολιτεύματι, πάντῃ πάντως διέφυγε τὸν τῶν πολλῶν φθόνον, §23.12.9τὸ πλεῖον οὐ πρὸς χάριν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ παρρησίας πολιτευόμενος· ὃ σπανίως ἂν εὕροι τις γεγονός. —
Lycortas, who was in no way inferior to him. — That Philopoemen, having constantly sought glory for forty years in a democratic and multifaceted constitution, in every way completely escaped the envy of the multitude, governing for the most part not to win favor, but with frankness of speech; which is a thing that one would rarely find to have happened. —