§27#4Πολύβιον δὲ τὸν τὴν θυγατέρα ἔχοντα, ἐμὴν δὲ ἀδελφεὴν, καὶ ἄλλους τῶν μαθητέων διέπεμπεν ἐς ἑτέρας ἑτέρων καὶ ἀγορὰς καὶ ὁδοὺς πορευσομένους, ὅπως ὅτι πλείστοις ἐπαρῆξαι.
And Polybus, who was married to his daughter, my sister, and others of his disciples, my father sent out to travel to different public squares and roads of various cities, so that they might assist as many people as possible.
Ὡς δὲ δὴ τὰ κατὰ Θεσσαλίην ἠνύσατο, ἐπορεύετο τοῖς ἐχομένοις ἔθνεσι βοηθέων· ἐπὶ Πύλας δὲ ἐλθὼν, Δωριεῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁμοῦ Φωκέων ἐπήρκεσε·
When he indeed had finished his affairs in Thessaly, he proceeded to help the neighboring nations; and coming to Pylae, he assisted the Dorians and the Phocians who were there together with them.
καὶ ὁκότε δὴ ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀφίκετο, ὑπὲρ Ἑλλήνων ἱκεσίην ἔθετο τῷ θεῷ, καὶ θύσας ἤνυε τὴν ἐπὶ Βοιωτῶν, τοῖς δ’ ἐκεῖ ἐπαμύνας ἀναλόγως, ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρῃ ᾔει, καὶ ἱκανὰ ἃ νῦν ἐγὼ ἐπαγορεύω τὰ ὑμῖν σωτήρια ἐκ θυμοῦ πάντως εἶπε.
And when indeed he arrived at Delphi, he made supplication to the god on behalf of the Greeks, and having offered sacrifices, he hastened his journey to Boeotia, and after aiding those there in like manner, he came to your city, and with all his heart spoke things fully sufficient for your salvation, which I am now recounting.
Δοκέω δ’ ὑμῶν ὅτι ἀληθεύω πολλοὺς γινώσκειν· οὐ γὰρ πάλαι, ἀλλ’ ἔτος ἐστὶ τοῦτο ἔνατον, ἐξ οὗ διελήλυθα καὶ ἐπὶ Πελοπόννησον ἐστελλόμην, καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνην οἰκέουσι βοηθήσων.
And I think many of you know that I speak the truth; for it was not long ago, but this is the ninth year since I passed through here and was dispatched to the Peloponnese, in order to assist those who dwell there.
Πάντοθεν δ’ ἡμῖν καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ ἄξίη τιμὴ ἀπήντα, ὥστε μὴ μεταμελέεσθαι ὅτι οὐκ ἠλλαξάμεθα χρηματισμοῦ τοῦ ἐξ Ἰλλυριῶν καὶ Παιόνων.
And from all sides, fitting honor met us both in word and in deed, so that we did not regret that we did not exchange our services for the wealth from the Illyrians and Paeonians.
Παρὰ δὲ τὰς ἄλλας πόλιας τὰ παρ’ ὑμέων δοθέντα μεγάλα ἦν· ἥ τε γὰρ πολιτείη ἡ ὑμετέρη ὑπερῆγε τὰς ἑτέρων· αἱ γὰρ Ἀθῆναι ὑψηλότερόν τι τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων ἐς δόξαν, καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ὑμετέρῳ θεάτρῳ χρύσεος στέφανος ἐπιτεθεὶς ζήλου πρὸς τὸ ἄκρον ἦγεν.
And compared to other cities, the things given by you were great; for your citizenship surpassed those of others; for Athens is higher in reputation than other cities, and the golden crown awarded in your theater brought emulation to its peak.
Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ καλὸν ὑπερεβάλεσθε, μυήσαντες τὰ Δήμητρος καὶ κόρης μυστήρια καὶ ὄργια καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐμὲ δημοσίᾳ.
But you even surpassed this noble favor by initiating both my father and me into the mysteries and rites of Demeter and Kore at public expense.
Τρεῖς μὲν αὗταί μοι οἷον ἀνύοντι ἐξέλκειν τε τοὺς λόγους καὶ σχοινίων προέχεσθαι [αἱ] πόλιός τε καὶ προγόνων καὶ πατρὸς τοῦ ἐμέο χάριτες ξὺν πολλοῖς Ἑλλήνων·
These three favors—those of the city, of our ancestors, and of my father—along with those of many Greeks, are what I can draw upon as if pulling ropes to extend my speech as I finish.
τετάρτην δ’ ἀναλήψομαι λέγειν· ὑπουργίην, ἣν, ὡς ὑπεθέμην, εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς κατεθέμεθα.
And I will take up the task of speaking of a fourth service, which, as I promised, my father and I performed for you.
Ὅτε γὰρ Ἀλκιβιάδην [ἡ πόλις] ἐξέπεμπεν ἐπὶ Σικελίης πολλῇ μὲν δυνάμει, οὐχ οὕτω δὲ πολλῇ ὡς θαυμαστῇ (ἦν γὰρ ὅσ’ ἔργα), λόγου ἐν ἐκκλησίῃ ὑπὲρ ἰητροῦ προσπεσόντος ὃν δέοι ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ στρατεύματι, προελθὼν ὁ πατὴρ ὑπέσχετο ἐμὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα σώματα δώσειν, τοῖς ἰδίοις δαπανήμασι κατεσκευασμένον καὶ ἄτερ μισθῶν αἰτήσιος ἕως ἂν ὁ στόλος ἀποδημῇ, ἐν ἐλάσσονι τιθέμενος τὸ λυσιτελὲς ἀξιόχρεων ἐὸν τῆς ὑμῖν χρείης ἐσομένης.
For when the city sent out Alcibiades to Sicily with a large force, yet not so much large as marvelous (for it was a great undertaking), and when a discussion arose in the assembly concerning a physician who ought to accompany the army, my father stepped forward and promised to give me for the sake of your bodies, equipped at his own expense and without asking for wages as long as the expedition should be away, estimating his own profit as of less importance than your upcoming need, which was of great weight.
Ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐχ ὅπως ἂν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα κατεδαπάνων, ὃ ἐποίεον ὑμῖν ὑπουργέων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοισι μεγάλοισιν ἔργοισιν ἐτετάγμην. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐλάχιστον τῶν μελλόντων ῥηθήσεσθαι·
For I was not only spending my own existing resources, which indeed I was doing in serving you, but I was also stationed in other great duties.
προείλετο γὰρ μᾶλλον ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ τῷ ὑιεῖ καὶ ἐν γῇ ὀθνείᾳ σαλεύειν καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν καὶ κατὰ κινδύνους πολεμικοὺς, καὶ κατὰ ἀῤῥωστίας, αἳ τοῖς ἐν πλανώδεσι βίοις εἰθισμέναι εἰσὶ μᾶλλον προσκαθίζειν ἢ τοῖς ἐν τεταγμένῃ ζωῇ ἠπίστατο γὰρ χάριτα χάριτι μετρεῖσθαι, καὶ μὴ οἷόν πέρ τι ὠνεύμενος ἐκ χειρὸς εἰς χεῖρας συναλλάξας·
And this is the least of what is about to be said; for my father preferred that I, his son, should toss about in a foreign land, on the sea, in the dangers of war, and amid sicknesses which are more accustomed to settle upon those who lead a wandering life than those in an orderly existence.
ἅπαξ ἀπιέναι.
For he knew that favor should be measured by favor, and not like someone buying something, exchanging from hand to hand, and then departing once and for all.
Ὁ μὲν δὴ τοιούτων ὑπῆρξεν· ἐγὼ δὲ, ἅτε παῖς ἐὼν ἐκείνου, οὐδὲν ἐλλείπω φιλοτιμίης καὶ τέχνης, βοηθέων καὶ κινδυνεύων σὺν ὑμῖν ὁκότε που καιρὸς εἴη·
He indeed was a man of such character; and I, being his son, did not fall short in any way in zeal and skill, assisting and facing danger with you whenever there was an opportunity.
καὶ ἐς ταῦτά με ἀμφότερα οὔτε νοῦσος οὔτε κακοπαθείη οὔτε φόβος ὁ ἐν θαλάσσῃ καὶ ὁ ἐν χερσὶ πολεμίων εἴργει β μαρτυρίη δὲ οὐκ ἐν ἄλλοις τισὶν, ἐν δ’ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς κεῖται·
And from both of these things, neither disease, nor hardship, nor fear on the sea, nor fear in the hands of enemies kept me back.
ὥστε, εἴ τῳ ἀντιλεκτέον, ἀναστήτω μηδὲν ὀκνήσας, ἀλλ’ οὐ δοκέω ψεύδεσθαι.
The testimony for this lies not in any others, but in yourselves; therefore, if anyone must gainsay, let him rise up without any hesitation, but I do not think I speak falsely.
Ταῦτα δὲ πρήξας ἐπὶ τρία ἔτεα, στεφανωθείς τε χρυσέῳ στεφάνῳ, καὶ ἔτι κάλλιον εὐφημεύμενος, ἐς τὴν ἰδίην ἀπῆλθον ἐπὶ γάμον, ὡς διαδόχους καταστήσαιμι καὶ τέχνης καὶ γενεῆς ἡμετέρης.
Having done these things for three years, and having been crowned with a golden crown, and being even more beautifully praised, I returned to my own land for marriage, so that I might establish successors both for our art and for our family.
Ἃ μὲν δὴ παρὰ πόλιος, προγόνων, πατρός τε καὶ ἐμέο ὑμῖν ὑπάρχει, ταῦτ’ ἐστίν· εἴρηται δὲ καὶ ὧν ἡμεῖς παρ’ ὑμέων ἐπαυράμεθα·
These indeed are the things that exist for you from the city, from my ancestors, my father, and myself; and the things we have received from you have also been spoken of.
δοκέω δὲ πολλοὺς ὑμέων θαυμάζειν, ὅτεων χάριν ταῦτα ἀναμεμέτρηται· ὡς οὖν καὶ ὑμέες εἰδῆτε καὶ ἐμοὶ γίνηται ἃ ἐγὼ ἐπιθυμέω, καιρὸς λέγειν.
And I think many of you are wondering for the sake of what things these have been enumerated; so that you too may know and that what I desire may come to pass for me, it is time to speak.