Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §27.20.1-27.20.3

The Importance of Opportunity and Difficulty of Success

Passage 1092 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The author discusses the decisive importance of seizing opportunities in all human actions, especially in military affairs, and the rarity of successfully completing noble undertakings.

§27.20.1ἴσως μὲν οὖν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀνθρωπείοις τῷ καιρῷ δεῖ μετρεῖν ἕκαστα τῶν ἐνεργουμένων· μεγίστην γὰρ οὗτος ἔχει δύναμιν· μάλιστα δʼ ἐν τοῖς πολεμικοῖς·
Perhaps, then, in all human affairs, one must measure each of the actions being performed by the opportunity; for this has the greatest power, and especially in military affairs.
§27.20.2ὀξύταται γὰρ περὶ τούτων εἰς ἑκάτερα τὰ μέρη γίνονται ῥοπαί· τὸ δʼ ἀστοχεῖν τούτων μέγιστόν ἐστι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. — §27.20.3ὅτι δοκοῦσι πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιθυμεῖν τῶν καλῶν, ὀλίγοι δὲ τολμᾶν ἐγχειρεῖν αὐτοῖς, σπάνιοι δὲ τῶν ἐγχειρησάντων ἐπὶ τέλος ἀγαγεῖν τὰ πρὸς τὸ καθῆκον ἐν ἑκάστοις ποιούμενα.
For in these matters, the swiftest turns of the scale occur toward either side; and to miss these is the greatest of errors. — That many men seem to desire noble things, but few dare to undertake them, and rare among those who have undertaken them are those who bring to completion the things done in accordance with duty in each case.

Notes

  1. §27.20.1τῷ καιρῷ — Dative singular of 'opportunity' or 'fitting time,' functioning as the dative of means or standard of measurement with the infinitive μετρεῖν.
  2. §27.20.2τούτων — Genitive plural object of the verb ἀστοχεῖν (to miss, fail to hit), which governs the genitive. Contextually, it refers back to the 'opportunities' (καιροί) implied by the singular καιρός in §27.20.1.
  3. §27.20.3τῶν ἐγχειρησάντων — Partitive genitive depending on the adjective σπάνιοι ('rare among those who have undertaken').

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §27.20.1-27.20.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:27.20.1-27.20.3

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