Humanitext Reader

Polybius · The Histories §39.7.1-39.7.7

Assessment of the Character of Ptolemy VI Philometor

Passage 1310 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Upon the death of Ptolemy VI Philometor, the author praises his extraordinary gentleness and benevolence, especially his remarkable tolerance toward his hostile brother, while also pointing out his vulnerability to luxury and indolence in times of success.

§39.7.1ὅτι Πτολεμαῖος ὁ τῆς Συρίας βασιλεὺς κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον πληγεὶς ἐτελεύτησε τὸν βίον, κατὰ μέν τινας μεγάλων ἐπαίνων καὶ μνήμης ὢν ἄξιος, §39.7.2κατὰ δέ τινας τοὐναντίον.
That Ptolemy, the king of Syria, having been wounded during the war, ended his life, being, according to some, worthy of great praise and remembrance, but according to others, the opposite.
§39.7.3πρᾷος μὲν γὰρ ἦν καὶ χρηστός, εἰ καί τις ἄλλος τῶν προγεγονότων βασιλέων.
For he was mild and benevolent, if ever any other of the kings before him was.
§39.7.4σημεῖον δὲ τούτου μέγιστον· ὃς πρῶτον μὲν οὐδένα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ φίλων ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἐπανείλετο· δοκῶ δὲ μηδὲ τῶν ἄλλων Ἀλεξανδρέων μηδένα διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἀποθανεῖν· §39.7.5ἔπειτα δόξας ἐκπεσεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὑπὸ τἀδελφοῦ, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ λαβὼν κατʼ αὐτοῦ καιρὸν ὁμολογούμενον ἀμνησικάκητον ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· §39.7.6μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάλιν ἐπιβουλεύσαντος τῇ Κύπρῳ, κύριος γενόμενος ἐν Λαπήθῳ τοῦ σώματος ἅμα καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τοῦ κολάζειν ὡς ἐχθρὸν ὥστε καὶ δωρεὰς προσέθηκε παρὰ τὰς πρότερον ὑπαρχούσας αὐτῷ κατὰ συνθήκας καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα δώσειν ὑπέσχετο.
And the greatest proof of this is: first, he put to death none of his own friends on any charge; and I think that not a single one of the other Alexandrians died because of him; secondly, after he seemed to have been expelled from his rule by his brother, when he first found an undisputed opportunity against him in Alexandria, he chose to forget the offense; and after this, when his brother again plotted against Cyprus, and Ptolemy became master of his person and life at Lapethus, he abstained so far from punishing him as an enemy that he even added gifts beyond those previously belonging to him under the treaty, and promised to give him his daughter.
§39.7.7κατὰ μέντοι γε τὰς ἐπιτυχίας καὶ κατορθώσεις ἐξελύετο τῇ ψυχῇ, καί τις οἷον ἀσωτία καὶ ῥᾳθυμία περὶ αὐτὸν Αἰγυπτιακὴ συνέβαινεν· καὶ κατὰ τὰς τοιαύτας διαθέσεις εἰς περιπετείας ἐνέπιπτεν.
However, in times of success and prosperity, he relaxed in his spirit, and a kind of Egyptian luxury and indolence came over him; and in such states of mind, he fell into reverses of fortune.

Notes

  1. §39.7.3εἰ καί τις ἄλλος — An idiomatic comparison using a conditional clause, meaning "if indeed any other of the former kings was," which practically translates to "as much as any other of the former kings" or "more than anyone else."
  2. §39.7.4ὃς πρῶτον μὲν — The relative pronoun ὃς stands at the beginning of the sentence, referring back to Ptolemaios, and functions like a demonstrative pronoun introducing a new main clause (a coordinating relative).
  3. §39.7.6ἐπιβουλεύσαντος — A genitive absolute participle whose logical subject (τἀδελφοῦ, "his brother") is omitted as it is obvious from the immediate context in §39.7.5.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §39.7.1-39.7.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:39.7.1-39.7.7

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