Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 12 - Chapter 6a

1
<w lemma="%2A%29ek">Ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="sullogizo%2Fmenos">συλλογιζόμενος</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aristote%2Flei">Ἀριστοτέλει</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fssxoi">πρόσσχοι</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="%2Atimai%2Fw%7C:">Τιμαίῳ·</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%5Cs">συνεχὲς</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="tele%2Fws">τελέως</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Ftopon:">ἄτοπον·</w>
2
<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnein">ὑπολαμβάνειν</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnos">ἐκεῖνος</w> <w lemma="u%28podei%2Fknusin">ὑποδείκνυσιν</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%5Cs">εἰκὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="oi%29ke%2Ftas">οἰκέτας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Alakedaimoni%2Fois">Λακεδαιμονίοις</w> <w lemma="summaxhsa%2Fntwn">συμμαχησάντων</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kuri%2Fwn">κυρίων</w> <w lemma="eu%29%2Fnoian">εὔνοιαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nafe%2Frein">ἀναφέρειν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnwn">ἐκείνων</w> <w lemma="fi%2Flous">φίλους</w> <w lemma="eu%29%2Fhqes:">εὔηθες·</w>
3
<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="eu%29noi%2Fas">εὐνοίας</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ceni%2Fas">ξενίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="suggenei%2Fas">συγγενείας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="despotw%3Dn">δεσποτῶν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="douleu%2Fsantes">δουλεύσαντες</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="eu%29tuxh%2Fswsi">εὐτυχήσωσι</w> <w lemma="parado%2Fcws">παραδόξως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnos">χρόνος</w> <w lemma="e%29pige%2Fnhtai">ἐπιγένηται</w>, <w lemma="peirw%3Dntai">πειρῶνται</w> <w lemma="prospoiei%3Dsqai">προσποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunananeou%3Dsqai">συνανανεοῦσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagkai%2Fwn">ἀναγκαίων</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w>,
4
<w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="spouda%2Fzontes">σπουδάζοντες</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="progegenhme%2Fnhn">προγεγενημένην</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fttwsin">ἐλάττωσιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29doci%2Fan">ἀδοξίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29calei%2Ffein">ἐξαλείφειν</w>, <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="bou%2Flesqai">βούλεσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="despotw%3Dn">δεσποτῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%2Fgonoi">ἀπόγονοι</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="e%29pifai%2F">ἐπιφαί</w>
The inference from all this is that we should rely on Aristotle rather than on Timaeus.
And what follows in the latter is quite peculiar. For it is foolish to suppose, as he hints, that it was improbable that the slaves of those who had been the allies of the Lacedaemonians should adopt the friendly feelings of their masters for the friends of those masters.
Men, indeed, who have once been slaves when they meet with unexpected good fortune attempt to affect and reproduce not only the likings but the friendships and relationships of their masters, taking more pains to do so than those actually connected by blood, and hope to wipe out their former inferiority and disrepute by this very effort to appear rather as descendants than as freedmen of their late masters.