Polybius · The Histories §6.43.1-6.43.7

Exclusion of Athens and Thebes and Reasons for Theban Rise

Passage 520 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

The author notes that while many historians praise various constitutions, he excludes Athens and Thebes, arguing that the success of Thebes was due not to its political institutions but to the exceptional virtue of individual leaders like Epaminondas and Pelopidas.

§6.43.1σχεδὸν δὴ πάντες οἱ συγγραφεῖς περὶ τούτων ἡμῖν τῶν πολιτευμάτων παραδεδώκασι τὴν ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ φήμην, περί τε τοῦ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Κρητῶν καὶ Μαντινέων, ἔτι δὲ Καρχηδονίων· ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς Ἀθηναίων καὶ Θηβαίων πολιτείας πεποίηνται μνήμην.

Almost all historians indeed have handed down to us the reputation for excellence of these states, namely that of the Lacedaemonians, the Cretans, the Mantineans, and further the Carthaginians; and some have also made mention of the constitution of the Athenians and the Thebans.

§6.43.2ἐγὼ δὲ ταύτας μὲν ἐῶ, τὴν γὰρ Ἀθηναίων καὶ Θηβαίων οὐ πάνυ τι πολλοῦ προσδεῖσθαι πέπεισμαι λόγου διὰ τὸ μήτε τὰς αὐξήσεις ἐσχηκέναι κατὰ λόγον μήτε τὰς ἀκμὰς ἐπιμόνους, μήτε τὰς μεταβολὰς ἐνηλλαχέναι μετρίως, §6.43.3ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐκ προσπαίου τινὸς τύχης σὺν καιρῷ λάμψαντας, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, ἔτι δοκοῦντας ἀκμὴν καὶ μέλλοντας εὐτυχεῖν, τῆς ἐναντίας πεῖραν εἰληφέναι μεταβολῆς.

But I pass these latter by; for I am persuaded that the state of the Athenians and Thebans does not require any very long discussion, because they neither had orderly growths, nor lasting flowerings, nor did their changes happen in a moderate way, but rather, after having shone forth at an opportune moment by some sudden stroke of fortune, as the saying goes, while they still seemed to be at their height and about to prosper, they experienced the opposite change.

§6.43.4Θηβαῖοι μὲν γὰρ τῇ Λακεδαιμονίων ἀγνοίᾳ καὶ τῷ τῶν συμμάχων πρὸς αὐτοὺς μίσει συνεπιθέμενοι, διὰ τὴν ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἀρετὴν ἢ καὶ δευτέρου, τῶν τὰ προειρημένα συνιδόντων, περιεποιήσαντο παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησι τὴν ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ φήμην.

For the Thebans, taking advantage of the ignorance of the Lacedaemonians and the hatred of their allies towards them, through the virtue of one man or even a second, who discerned the aforementioned things, acquired their reputation for excellence among the Greeks.

§6.43.5ὅτι γὰρ οὐχ ἡ τῆς πολιτείας σύστασις αἰτία τότʼ ἐγένετο Θηβαίοις τῶν εὐτυχημάτων, ἀλλʼ ἡ τῶν προεστώτων ἀνδρῶν ἀρετή, παρὰ πόδας ἡ τύχη τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἐποίησε δῆλον· §6.43.6καὶ γὰρ συνηυξήθη καὶ συνήκμασε καὶ συγκατελύθη τὰ Θηβαίων ἔργα τῷ τʼ Ἐπαμινώνδου καὶ τῷ Πελοπίδου βίῳ προφανῶς.

For fortune made it immediately clear to all that it was not the constitution of their state that was then the cause of the Thebans' successes, but the virtue of their leading men; for the achievements of the Thebans clearly grew, flourished, and were dissolved together with the lives of Epaminondas and Pelopidas.

§6.43.7ἐξ ὧν οὐ τὴν πολιτείαν αἰτίαν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἡγητέον τῆς τότε

From which we must consider not the constitution, but the men to be the cause of their then [greatness].

Notes

6.43.2διὰ τὸ μήτε τὰς αὐξήσεις ἐσχηκέναι — An accusative with infinitive construction where the unexpressed subject is "the Athenians and Thebans". The preposition `διά` with the articular neuter accusative singular `τό` governs the coordinated infinitives (`ἐσχηκέναι`, `ἐνηλλαχέναι`, and `εἰληφέναι` in the next section) to form a causal clause. `τὰς αὐξήσεις` is the direct object of `ἐσχηκέναι` (perfect active infinitive of `ἔχω`).
6.43.3λάμψαντας — The accusative plural masculine participles `λάμψαντας` (aorist of `λάμπω`), `δοκοῦντας`, and `μέλλοντας` agree in gender, number, and case with the unexpressed accusative subject of the infinitive `εἰληφέναι` (referring to the Athenians and Thebans).
6.43.4τῶν τὰ προειρημένα συνιδόντων — The genitive plural participle `συνιδόντων` (aorist of `συνοράω`) functions as a partitive genitive modifying the preceding singular genitives `ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ... ἢ καὶ δευτέρου` ("one man or even a second"), meaning "(one or a second) of those who had discerned the aforementioned things."
6.43.7τῆς τότε — The text breaks off here in the excerpt. A feminine genitive singular noun such as `ἀκμῆς` (height/bloom) or `εὐτυχίας` (prosperity) must be supplied after `τῆς τότε` to complete the sense of "the cause of their then [greatness/success]," which is reflected in the translations.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §6.43.1-6.43.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.43.1-6.43.7

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