§27.9.1ὅτι τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἱππομαχίαν φήμης μετὰ τὴν νίκην τῶν Μακεδόνων εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα διαγγελθείσης ἐξέλαμψε καθαπερεὶ πῦρ ἡ τῶν πολλῶν πρὸς τὸν Περσέα διάθεσις, τὸν πρὸ τούτου χρόνον ἐπικρυπτομένων τῶν πλείστων.
That when the report of the cavalry battle was announced in Greece after the victory of the Macedonians, the disposition of the multitude toward Perseus blazed forth like a fire, though the majority had concealed it during the preceding time.
§27.9.2ἦν δὲ περὶ αὐτοὺς τοιαύτη τις, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, διάθεσις· παραπλήσιον ἦν τὸ γινόμενον τῷ συμβαίνοντι περὶ τοὺς γυμνικοὺς ἀγῶνας.
Such, it seems to me, was their disposition; what happened was very similar to what occurs in athletic contests.
§27.9.3καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνοις ὅταν πρὸς ἐπιφανῆ καὶ ἀήττητον ἀθλητὴν εἶναι δοκοῦντα συγκαταστῇ ταπεινὸς καὶ πολὺ καταδεέστερος ἀνταγωνιστής, εὐθέως ἀπομερίζει τὰ πλήθη τὴν εὔνοιαν τῷ καταδεεστέρῳ καὶ θαρρεῖν παρακαλεῖ καὶ συνεξανίσταται τούτῳ ταῖς ὁρμαῖς·
For in those contests too, when a humble and much inferior antagonist stands up against an athlete who is deemed illustrious and undefeated, the multitude immediately bestows its favor on the inferior competitor, encourages him to take heart, and shares in his excitement with their emotions.
§27.9.4ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ψαύσῃ τοῦ προσώπου καὶ ποιήσῃ τι σημεῖον τῆς πληγῆς, παραυτίκα πάλιν ἁπάντων ἀγὼν μικρὸς γίνεται· §27.9.5ποτὲ δὲ καὶ χλευάζειν ἐγχειροῦσι τὸν ἕτερον, οὐ μισοῦντες οὐδὲ καταγινώσκοντες, ἀλλὰ παραδόξως τε συμπαθεῖς γινόμενοι καὶ τῷ καταδεεστέρῳ φύσει προσμερίζοντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν εὔνοιαν·
And if he even touches the face and makes some mark of a blow, immediately a kind of suspense falls upon everyone again; and sometimes they even attempt to mock the other, not because they hate him or disapprove of him, but because they strangely feel sympathy and naturally allocate their own favor to the inferior.
§27.9.6οὓς ἐὰν ἐπιστήσῃ τις ἐν καιρῷ, ταχέως μετατίθενται καὶ παρὰ πόδας ἐπιλαμβάνονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀγνοίας. ὅ φασι ποιῆσαι Κλειτόμαχον·
But if someone brings them to their senses at the right moment, they quickly change their minds and immediately perceive their own ignorance. ὅ This is what they say Cleitomachus did.
§27.9.7ἐκείνου γὰρ ἀνυποστάτου δοκοῦντος εἶναι κατὰ τὴν ἄθλησιν, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ δόξης ἐπιπολαζούσης κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, Πτολεμαῖόν φασι τὸν βασιλέα φιλοδοξήσαντα πρὸς τὸ καταλῦσαι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, παρασκευάσαντα μετὰ πολλῆς φιλοτιμίας Ἀριστόνικον τὸν πύκτην ἐξαποστεῖλαι, δοκοῦντα φύσιν ἔχειν ὑπερέχουσαν ἐπὶ ταύτην τὴν χρείαν·
For since he was considered invincible in athletic contests, and his fame was spreading over the whole inhabited world, they say that King Ptolemy, desiring out of ambition to destroy his reputation, prepared with great competitive spirit and sent out the boxer Aristonicus, who was thought to have a superior nature for this service.
§27.9.8παραγενομένου δʼ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα τοῦ προειρημένου καὶ συγκαταστάντος Ὀλυμπίασι πρὸς τὸν Κλειτόμαχον, ἐξ αὐτῆς, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἀπένευσαν οἱ πολλοὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἀριστόνικον καὶ παρεκάλουν, χαίροντες ἐπὶ τῷ βραχύ τι τετολμηκέναι τινὰ συγκαταστῆναι πρὸς τὸν Κλειτόμαχον·
When the aforementioned arrived in Greece and stood up at Olympia against Cleitomachus, the multitude, as it seems, immediately turned toward Aristonicus and encouraged him, rejoicing that someone had dared even in a small way to stand up against Cleitomachus.
§27.9.9ὡς δέ γε προβαίνων ἐφάμιλλος ἐφαίνετο κατὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα καί που καὶ τραῦμα καίριον ἐποίησε, κρότος ἐγίνετο καὶ συνεξέπιπτον οἱ πολλοὶ ταῖς ὁρμαῖς, θαρρεῖν παρακαλοῦντες τὸν Ἀριστόνικον.
But as the contest proceeded and he appeared to be a match for him, and even delivered a timely blow, applause broke out and the majority of the crowd lost their heads in their excitement, calling on Aristonicus to take heart.
§27.9.10ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ φασι τὸν Κλειτόμαχον ἀποστάντα καὶ διαπνεύσαντα βραχὺν χρόνον, ἐπιστρέψαντα πρὸς τὰ πλήθη πυνθάνεσθαι τί βουλόμενοι παρακαλοῦσι τὸν Ἀριστόνικον καὶ συναγωνίζονται ʼκείνῳ καθʼ ὅσον εἰσὶ δυνατοί, §27.9.11πότερον οὐ συνοίδασιν αὐτῷ ποιοῦντι τὰ δίκαια κατὰ τὴν ἄθλησιν ἢ τοῦτʼ ἀγνοοῦσι διότι Κλειτόμαχος μὲν ἀγωνίζεται νῦν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων δόξης, Ἀριστόνικος δὲ περὶ τῆς Πτολεμαίου τοῦ βασιλέως. §27.9.12πότερον ἂν οὖν βουληθεῖεν τὸν Ὀλυμπίασι στέφανον Αἰγύπτιον ἀποφέρειν ἄνθρωπον νικήσαντα τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἢ Θηβαῖον καὶ Βοιώτιον κηρύττεσθαι νικῶντα τῇ πυγμῇ τοὺς ἄνδρας.
At this moment, they say that Cleitomachus, stepping back and taking breath for a short time, turned to the multitude and asked with what intention they were encouraging Aristonicus and supporting him to the best of their power, whether they were not conscious of his own fair play in his athletic career, or whether they were ignorant of the fact that Cleitomachus was now fighting for the glory of the Greeks, but Aristonicus for that of King Ptolemy; and whether they would prefer an Egyptian to carry off the crown at Olympia after defeating the Greeks, or a Theban and Boeotian to be proclaimed victor in boxing over his opponents.
§27.9.13ταῦτα δʼ εἰπόντος τοῦ Κλειτομάχου τηλικαύτην φασὶ γενέσθαι τὴν μετάπτωσιν τῶν πολλῶν ὥστε πάλιν ἐκ μεταβολῆς μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους ἢ τοῦ Κλειτομάχου καταγωνισθῆναι τὸν Ἀριστόνικον.
When Cleitomachus had said this, they say that so great a change of mind took place among the multitude that, by a reverse turn, Aristonicus was conquered rather by the crowd than by Cleitomachus.