§29.12.1πάλιν ἕτεροι περὶ τοῦ Συριακοῦ πολέμου· τούτου δʼ αἴτιόν ἐστιν ὅπερ ἡμῖν εἴρηται διὰ πλειόνων.
Again, others write about the Syrian war; and the reason for this is what has been stated by us at greater length.
§29.12.2ὅταν γὰρ ἁπλᾶς καὶ μονοειδεῖς λαβόντες ὑποθέσεις βούλωνται μὴ τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ πλήθει τῶν βύβλων ἱστοριογράφοι νομίζεσθαι καὶ τὴν τοιαύτην ἐφέλκεσθαι φαντασίαν, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τὰ μὲν μικρὰ μεγάλα ποιεῖν, §29.12.3τὰ δὲ βραχέως εἰρημένα διασκευάζειν καὶ λογοποιεῖν, ἔνια δὲ τῶν ἐν παρέργῳ πεπραγμένων ἔργα καὶ πράγματα κατασκευάζειν, ἀγῶνας διατιθεμένους καὶ παρατάξεις ἐξαγγέλλοντας, ἐν αἷς ἐνίοτε πεζοὶ μὲν ἔπεσον δέκα, ποτὲ δὲ μικρῷ πλείους, ἱππεῖς δʼ ἔτι τούτων ἐλάττους.
For when, having taken simple and uniform themes, they wish to be thought historians not by their deeds but by the quantity of their books, and to attract such a reputation, it is necessary to make small things great, and to elaborate and spin out what should be told briefly, and to manufacture grand actions and events out of some things done by the way, arranging combats and reporting battles in which sometimes ten infantry fell, or occasionally a few more, and even fewer cavalry than these.
§29.12.4πολιορκίας μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοπογραφίας καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τις ἀξίως ἐφʼ ὅσον ἐξεργάζονται διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν τῶν πραγμάτων.
For as to sieges, descriptions of places, and the like, one could not adequately express to what extent they elaborate them owing to their lack of actual facts.
§29.12.5περὶ δὲ τοὺς τὰ καθόλου γράφοντας ἐναντίος ἐστὶν ὁ τρόπος·
But for those who write general history, the method is the opposite.
§29.12.6διόπερ οὐ χρὴ καταγινώσκειν ὡς ἡμῶν ἐπισυρόντων τὰς πράξεις, ὅταν τὰ παρʼ ἐνίοις πολλοῦ τετευχότα λόγου καὶ διασκευῆς ἡ?μ?ε?ῖ?σ? ποτὲ μὲν παραλείπωμεν, ποτὲ δὲ βραχέως ἐξαγγέλλωμεν, ἀλλὰ πιστεύειν ὅτι τὸν καθήκοντα λόγον ἑκάστοις ἀποδίδομεν.
Therefore, one must not condemn us as treating actions carelessly when we sometimes omit, and sometimes report briefly, what has obtained much space and elaboration in the works of others, but rather believe that we assign to each its proper measure of discourse.
§29.12.7ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ὅταν ἐν τῇ συμπάσῃ πραγματείᾳ λόγου χάριν Φανοτείας καὶ Κορωνείας καὶ ε οῦ πολιορκίαν γράφωσιν, ἀναγκάζονται πάσας τὰς τῆς πολιορκίας ἐπινοίας καὶ τόλμας καὶ διαθέσεις ἐκτίθεσθαι, §29.12.8πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Τάραντος κατάληψιν, Κορίνθου [πολιορκίαν], Σάρδεων, Γάζης, Βάκτρων, ἐπὶ πᾶσι Καρχηδόνος πολιορκίαν διατρίβειν καὶ προστιθέναι παρʼ αὑτῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐ παντάπασιν εὐδοκεῖν ἐὰν ψιλῶς περὶ τῶν τοιούτων αὐτὸν τὸν ἀληθῆ καὶ κύριον ἀποδιδῶμεν λόγον.
For while they, when writing in their whole work, for instance, of the siege of Phanoteia, Coroneia, and...-us, are compelled to set forth all the devices, daring deeds, and circumstances of the siege, but besides these, (we ought) not to spend time on the capture of Tarentum, the siege of Corinth, Sardis, Gaza, Bactra, and above all Carthage, and to add inventions of our own, but to be entirely satisfied if we give the bare, true, and essential account of such events.
§29.12.9ἡ δʼ αὐτὴ καὶ περὶ παρατάξεων ἡμῖν ἔστω καὶ δημηγοριῶν ἀπόφασις, παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μερῶν τῆς ἱστορίας· §29.12.10ἐν οἷς ἅπασι πολλῆς ἂν δικαίως τυγχάνοιμεν συγγνώμης, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν λέγεσθαι μελλόντων,. οι?ον ει τ? φανείημεν ἢ λήμμασι χρώμενοι τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἢ χειρισμῷ πραγμάτων ἢ τοῖς τῆς λέξεως ῥήμασι· §29.12.11πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐάν που παραπίπτωμεν ἐν ὀνομασίαις ὀρῶν ἢ ποταμῶν ἢ τόπων ἰδιότησι· τὸ γὰρ μέγεθος τῆς πραγματείας ἱκανόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ἐν ἅπασι τούτοις παραιτεῖσθαι·
And let our decision be the same regarding battles and public speeches, and similarly for the other parts of history; in all of which we would justly meet with much indulgence, and likewise regarding what is to be said hereafter, if for instance we should appear to be using either the same themes, or the same treatment of affairs, or the same words of expression; and in addition to these, if we should happen to err in the names of mountains or rivers, or in the peculiarities of places; for the magnitude of our work is sufficient to plead for us in all these matters.
§29.12.12πλὴν ἐάν που κατὰ πρόθεσιν ἢ κέρδους τινὸς ἕνεκεν εὑρισκώμεθα ψευδογραφοῦντες· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ παραιτούμεθα, καθάπερ ἤδη καὶ πλεονάκις ἐν τῇ πραγματείᾳ περὶ τούτου τοῦ μέρους διεστάλμεθα. —
Except if we should be found to write falsehoods deliberately or for the sake of some gain; for this we do not ask to be excused, just as we have already made a distinction on this point many times in our work.