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Polybius · The Histories §24.3.1

Outbreak of Fresh Troubles in Crete and Incessant Civil War

Passage 1052 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Describing the beginning of major troubles in Crete, the text notes the paradoxical situation there where "beginning and end" are indistinguishable due to continuous civil wars and mutual cruelty.

§24.3.1κατὰ δὲ τὴν Κρήτην ἀρχὴ πραγμάτων ἐκινεῖτο μεγάλων, εἰ χρὴ λέγειν ἀρχὴν πραγμάτων ἐν Κρήτῃ·
On the other hand, in Crete the beginning of great troubles was set in motion—if indeed one should speak of a "beginning" of troubles in Crete.
διὰ γὰρ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν ἐμφυλίων πολέμων καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους ὠμότητος ταὐτὸν ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος ἐστὶν ἐν Κρήτῃ, καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν παραδόξως τισὶν εἰρῆσθαι τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖ θεωρεῖται συνεχῶς [τὸ] γινόμενον.
For owing to the continuity of their civil wars and the excess of their cruelty toward one another, beginning and end are the same in Crete, and what some might think to be a paradoxical statement is there constantly observed to be actually happening.

Notes

  1. §24.3.1ἀρχὴ πραγμάτων ... μεγάλων — A case of hyperbaton, where the verb ἐκινεῖτο is inserted between the subject ἀρχὴ and its modifying genitive phrase πραγμάτων μεγάλων.
  2. §24.3.1τὸ δοκοῦν παραδόξως τισὶν εἰρῆσθαι τοῦτʼ — The participle phrase τὸ δοκοῦν... ("what seems...") is presented as a subject nominative and then repeated appositively by the pronoun τοῦτο to reinforce its position as the subject of the main clause.
  3. §24.3.1θεωρεῖται ... γινόμενον — The participle γινόμενον is used as a supplementary participle with the passive verb θεωρεῖται ("is observed"), meaning "is observed to be actually happening."

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §24.3.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:24.3.1

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