§6.51.1τὸ δὲ Καρχηδονίων πολίτευμα τὸ μὲν ἀνέκαθέν μοι δοκεῖ καλῶς κατά γε τὰς ὁλοσχερεῖς διαφορὰς συνεστάσθαι.
The Carthaginian constitution, on the one hand, seems to me to have been originally well constituted, at least in its general outlines.
§6.51.2καὶ γὰρ βασιλεῖς ἦσαν παρʼ αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ γερόντιον εἶχε τὴν ἀριστοκρατικὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἦν κύριον τῶν καθηκόντων αὐτῷ· καθόλου δὲ τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἁρμογὴν εἶχε παραπλησίαν τῇ Ῥωμαίων καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων.
For they had kings, and the council of elders held aristocratic power, and the multitude was master of the matters appropriate to it; and on the whole, it had a harmonization of the entire system very similar to that of the Romans and Lacedaemonians.
§6.51.3κατά γε μὴν τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους, καθʼ οὓς εἰς τὸν Ἀννιβιακὸν ἐνέβαινε πόλεμον, χεῖρον ἦν τὸ Καρχηδονίων, ἄμεινον δὲ τὸ Ῥωμαίων.
But at the time when they were entering upon the Hannibalian war, the Carthaginian constitution was worse, and the Roman was better.
§6.51.4ἐπειδὴ γὰρ παντὸς καὶ σώματος καὶ πολιτείας καὶ πράξεώς ἐστί τις αὔξησις κατὰ φύσιν, μετὰ δὲ ταύτην ἀκμή, κἄπειτα φθίσις, κράτιστα δʼ αὑτῶν ἐστι πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀκμήν, παρὰ τοῦτο καὶ τότε διέφερεν ἀλλήλων τὰ πολιτεύματα.
For since every body, constitution, and action has a certain natural growth, and after this its prime, and then its decay, and all things are at their best when they are in their prime, for this reason also at that time the two constitutions differed from one another.
§6.51.5καθʼ ὅσον γὰρ ἡ Καρχηδονίων πρότερον ἴσχυε καὶ πρότερον εὐτύχει τῆς Ῥωμαίων, κατὰ τοσοῦτον ἡ μὲν Καρχηδὼν ἤδη τότε παρήκμαζεν, ἡ δὲ Ῥώμη μάλιστα τότʼ εἶχε τὴν ἀκμὴν κατά γε τὴν τῆς πολιτείας σύστασιν.
For in proportion as the Carthaginian state had become powerful and prosperous earlier than the Roman, by so much Carthage was already at that time past its prime, while Rome at that very time was in its highest prime, at least as regards the constitution of its government.
§6.51.6διὸ καὶ τὴν πλείστην δύναμιν ἐν τοῖς διαβουλίοις παρὰ μὲν Καρχηδονίοις ὁ δῆμος ἤδη μετειλήφει, παρὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίοις ἀκμὴν εἶχεν ἡ σύγκλητος.
Therefore, also, the chief power in deliberations had already been assumed by the people among the Carthaginians, while among the Romans the senate was in its prime.
§6.51.7ὅθεν παρʼ οἷς μὲν τῶν πολλῶν βουλευομένων, παρʼ οἷς δὲ τῶν ἀρίστων, κατίσχυε τὰ Ῥωμαίων διαβούλια περὶ τὰς κοινὰς πράξεις.
Consequently, since with the one the multitude deliberated, and with the other the best men, the deliberations of the Romans prevailed in public affairs.
§6.51.8ᾗ καὶ πταίσαντες τοῖς ὅλοις τῷ βουλεύεσθαι καλῶς τέλος ἐπεκράτησαν τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν Καρχηδονίων.
Wherefore, even though they suffered complete disasters, by virtue of their excellent deliberation they finally prevailed over the Carthaginians in the war.