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Polybius · The Histories §27.13.1-27.13.4

The Prudence and Loyalty of Governor Ptolemy of Cyprus

Passage 1085 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The wisdom and practical character of Ptolemy, governor of Cyprus, are described. He diligently accumulated funds during the king's minority without distributing any, and although slandered at the time, he was praised by the king and court after handing over the entire sum upon the king's majority.

§27.13.1ὅτι Πτολεμαῖος ὁ στρατηγὸς ὁ κατὰ Κύπρον οὐδαμῶς Αἰγυπτιακὸς γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ νουνεχὴς καὶ πρακτικός. §27.13.2παραλαβὼν γὰρ τὴν νῆσον ἔτι νηπίου τοῦ βασιλέως ὄντος ἐγίνετο μὲν ἐπιμελῶς περὶ συναγωγὴν χρημάτων, ἐδίδου δʼ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲν οὐδενί, καίπερ αἰτούμενος πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλικῶν διοικητῶν καὶ καταλαλούμενος πικρῶς ἐπὶ τῷ μηδὲν προΐεσθαι.
Ptolemy, the governor of Cyprus, was in no way Egyptian-like, but rather sensible and practical. For having taken charge of the island when the king was still an infant, on the one hand, he diligently applied himself to the collection of money, but on the other hand, he gave absolutely nothing to anyone, although he was often asked by the royal administrators and bitterly slandered for letting go of nothing.
τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως εἰς ἡλικίαν παραγεγονότος, §27.13.3συνθεὶς πλῆθος ἱκανὸν χρημάτων ἐξαπέστειλεν, §27.13.4ὥστε καὶ τὸν Πτολεμαῖον αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν εὐδοκῆσαι τῇ πρότερον αὐτοῦ συστολῇ καὶ τῷ μηδὲν προΐεσθαι.
But when the king arrived at manhood, having gathered a sufficient amount of money, he sent it off, with the result that both Ptolemy himself and those of the court approved of his former stinginess and his letting go of nothing.

Notes

  1. 27.13.2ἔτι νηπίου τοῦ βασιλέως ὄντος — A genitive absolute construction consisting of the noun `βασιλέως` and the participle `ὄντος`, expressing time ("when the king was still an infant").
  2. 27.13.2ἐπὶ τῷ μηδὲν προΐεσθαι — The articular infinitive `προΐεσθαι` is used with the preposition `ἐπί` in the neuter dative, expressing the ground for blame ("for letting go of nothing").
  3. 27.13.4τὸν Πτολεμαῖον αὐτὸν — `Πτολεμαῖον` here refers to King Ptolemy VI of Egypt, not to the governor Ptolemy who is the subject in §27.13.1.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §27.13.1-27.13.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:27.13.1-27.13.4

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