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Polybius · The Histories §23.15.1-23.15.3

Criticism of the Wanton Destruction of Crops and Property

Passage 1046 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Polybius criticizes the destruction of enemies' crops and properties, arguing that such brutal measures only animalize the opponents and make their resentment unalterable.

§23.15.1ὅτι οὐ καλὸν τὸ φθείρειν τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν ὑπεναντίων· φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Πολύβιος οὐδέποτε δʼ ἐγὼ συντίθεμαι τὴν γνώμην τοῖς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον διατιθεμένοις τὴν ὀργὴν εἰς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους ὥστε μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἐπετείους καρποὺς παραιρεῖσθαι τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ δένδρα καὶ τὰ κατασκευάσματα διαφθείρειν, μηδὲ μεταμελείας καταλείποντας τόπον.
That it is not noble to destroy the crops of one's opponents; for Polybius says: "I never agree in opinion with those who display their anger toward their kinsmen to such an extent that they not only deprive their enemies of their annual crops, but also destroy their trees and buildings, leaving no room for repentance.
§23.15.2ἀλλά μοι δοκοῦσι μεγαλείως ἀγνοεῖν οἱ ταῦτα πράττοντες· §23.15.3καθʼ ὅσον γὰρ ὑπολαμβάνουσι καταπλήττεσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους λυμαινόμενοι τὴν χώραν καὶ παραιρούμενοι πάσας, οὐ μόνον τὰς κατὰ τὸ παρόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐλπίδας τῶν πρὸς τὸν βίον ἀναγκαίων, κατὰ τοσοῦτον ἀποθηριοῦντες τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀμετάθετον ποιοῦσι τὴν πρὸς αὑτοὺς ὀργὴν τῶν ἅπαξ ἐξαμαρτόντων. —
On the contrary, those who do these things seem to me to be greatly mistaken; for in proportion as they suppose that they strike terror into their enemies by ravaging the territory and depriving them of all hopes of the necessities of life, not only for the present but also for the future, in so far, by brutalizing the people, they render the anger of those who have once offended against them unalterable." —

Notes

  1. 23.15.1ὅτι — The introductory ὅτι at the beginning of the chapter is typical of Byzantine excerpts, serving to present a summary or the theme of the excerpt without a main verb.
  2. 23.15.1καταλείποντας — Although referring to the same people as the preceding dative participle τοῖς... διατιθεμένοις, this participle is attracted into the accusative case because it functions as the subject of the infinitives inside the ὥστε-clause.
  3. 23.15.3καθʼ ὅσον ... κατὰ τοσοῦτον ... — A correlative construction meaning 'in proportion as... in so far...'. It builds the logical paradox that the more they believe they can subdue the enemy through destruction, the more they actually brutalize them and eternalize their anger.
  4. 23.15.3τῶν ἅπαξ ἐξαμαρτόντων — A subject genitive modifying ὀργή (anger), meaning 'the anger [against them] of those who have once erred (= committed an act of hostility)'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §23.15.1-23.15.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:23.15.1-23.15.3

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