Polybius, Histories
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Book 31 - Chapter 31

1
<head lang="la">II. Res Graeciae</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w> <w lemma="ta%29%2Flla">τἄλλα</w> <w lemma="sw%2F%7Czontes">σῴζοντες</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="politeu%2Fmatos">πολιτεύματος</w> <w lemma="prostasi%2Fan">προστασίαν</w> <w lemma="braxu%5C">βραχὺ</w> <w lemma="parw%2Flisqon">παρώλισθον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kairoi%3Ds">καιροῖς</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29mh%5C">ἐμὴ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fca:">δόξα·</w> <w lemma="e%29pede%2Fcanto">ἐπεδέξαντο</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="si%2Ftou">σίτου</w> <w lemma="muria%2Fdas">μυριάδας</w> <w lemma="o%29ktw%5C">ὀκτὼ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkosi">εἴκοσι</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29me%2Fnous">Εὐμένους</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="logeuqe%5Cn">λογευθὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="danei%2Fzesqai">δανείζεσθαι</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fkon">τόκον</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="misqou%5Cs">μισθοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="paideutai%3Ds">παιδευταῖς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="didaska%2Flois">διδασκάλοις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ui%28w%3Dn">υἱῶν</w>.
2
<w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w>, <w lemma="stenoxwri%2Fas">στενοχωρίας</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="u%28parxou%2Fshs">ὑπαρχούσης</w> <w lemma="kaqa%2Fpac">καθάπαξ</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fan">ἰδίαν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fwn">βίων</w>, <w lemma="i%29%2Fsws">ἴσως</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29pide%2Fcaito%2F">ἐπιδέξαιτό</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="fi%2Flwn">φίλων</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fneka">ἕνεκα</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="periidei%3Dn">περιιδεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%29pai%2Fdeuta">ἀπαίδευτα</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmena">γενόμενα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fkna">τέκνα</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29pori%2Fan:">ἀπορίαν·</w> <w lemma="eu%29kairw%3Dn">εὐκαιρῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fw%7C">βίῳ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="u%28pomei%2Fnai">ὑπομείναι</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="dido%2Fmenon">διδόμενον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="didaska%2Flois">διδασκάλοις</w> <w lemma="misqo%5Cn">μισθὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29rani%2Fzesqai">ἐρανίζεσθαι</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="fi%2Flwn:">φίλων·</w>
3
<w lemma="o%28%2Fsw%7C">ὅσῳ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mei%3Dzon">μεῖζον</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fan">πολιτείαν</w> <w lemma="i%29diw%2Ftou">ἰδιώτου</w> <w lemma="fronei%3Dn">φρονεῖν</w>, <w lemma="tosw%3D%7Cde">τοσῷδε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pre%2Fpon">πρέπον</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="politikw%3Dn">πολιτικῶν</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fwn">ἰδίων</w> <w lemma="thrhte%2Fon">τηρητέον</w>, <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fois">Ῥοδίοις</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tele%2Fws">τελέως</w> <w lemma="dia%2F">διά</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="eu%29kairi%2Fan">εὐκαιρίαν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="koinoi%3Ds">κοινοῖς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Ffasin">ἐπίφασιν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="semno%2Fthtos">σεμνότητος</w>.
<head>X. Affairs of Greece</head><head>The Rhodians and Eumenes</head>The Rhodians, while in other respects maintaining the dignity of their state, slightly deviated from it at this time, in my opinion, by accepting from Eumenes 280,000 medimni of corn for the purpose of lending out the proceeds and applying the interest to the payment of the salaries of the tutors and teachers their sons.
Such a gift might perhaps be accepted from his friends by a private person who found himself in temporary straits in order not to allow his children to remain untaught through poverty, but the last thing that anyone in affluent circumstances would submit to would be to go a-begging among his friends for money to pay teachers.
And, as a state should have more pride than a private person, more strict propriety of conduct should be observed in public transactions than in private, and especially by the Rhodians owing to the wealth of the community and their noted sense of dignity.

Walbank Commentary

Overview
31.31.1 - 31.31.3
<p rend="Plain Text">The Rhodians and Eumenes</p> <p rend="Plain Text">This excerpt from de sent. forms part of res Graeciae of Ol. 154, 4 = 161/0; unless, indeed, it should be classified under res Asiae. On the ambiguity of Rhodian affairs in this respect see 4. 1–5. 5 n. P. draws a distinction between the subsidy now accepted from Eumenes and the gifts received (with due dignity) after the earthquake of c. 227 (v. 88–90 n.).</p>
Specifics
31.31.1 - 31.31.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σῴζοντες τὴν . . . προστασίαν</w>:</emph> cf. v. 88. 4, <w lang="el-GR">σεμνῶς καὶ προστατικῶς</w>; 90. 5, <w lang="el-GR">τῆς Ῥοδίων περὶ κοινὰ προστασί?ας</w>. <milestone unit="page" n="514">[514]</milestone> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σίτου μυριάδας ὀκτὼ καὶ εἴκοσι</w>:</emph> 280,000 medimni. This corn was to be sold, the proceeds invested, and the interest used for the purposes mentioned. Grain prices fluctuated according to place and conditions of sale, and it is impossible to determine how much this amount would have raised (cf. Rostovtzeff, SEHHW, i. 259). For a similar offer to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Achaea&groupId=272&placeId=533">Achaea</a> (which was rejected) see xxii. 7. 3, 8. 1–13; this contrasting Achaean decision may have influenced P. in his condemnation of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a>. On Eumenes' benefactions see xxxii. 8. 5 n.; and on Rhodian skill in attracting royal benefactions see Diod. xxxi. 36, which mentions that on his death (in 159/8; cf. xxxii. 8) Eumenes still owed 30,000 medimni; Diodorus also records the gift of 200,000 medimni of wheat and 100,000 medimni of barley from Demetrius I of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syria&groupId=995&placeId=502">Syria</a>. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">παιδευταῖς καὶ διδασκάλοις</w>:</emph> such provision through benefactions is characteristic of city life in the Hellenistic period. At Teos in the early second century Polythrus gave 34,000 drachmae, which at 11% provided nearly 4,000 drachmae annually to pay the salaries of teachers of freeborn boys and girls, organized in three classes (Syll. 578). In 200/199 Eudemus of Miletus left 60,000 drachmae, yielding 6,000 drachmae annually at 10%; of this, 3,360 drachmae was to be for teachers' salaries (Syll. 577). In 160/59, in response to an appeal, the future Attalus II gave <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delphi&groupId=534&placeId=363">Delphi</a> 18,000 drachmae i.e. 3 talents, <w lang="el-GR">ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν παίδων διδασκαλίας</w> (Syll. 672 1. 4), to pay the masters <w lang="el-GR">(παιδευταί)</w>. This last example is almost contemporaneous with the benefaction to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a> mentioned here, and it is not clear why P. should single out <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a> for condemnation concerning what was so regular a practice (but see the previous note). In the Hellenistic world primary and secondary education remained on a private and voluntary basis; only at the ephebic stage did the state (in varying degrees in different cities) provide public facilities and make training compulsory. At <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> no public provision of any kind yet existed; cf. Cic. de re pub. iv. 3. 3, 'principio disciplinam puerilem ingenuis, de qua Graeci multum frustra laborarunt, et in qua una Polybius noster hospes nostrorum institutorum neglegentiam accusat, nullam certam aut destinatam legibus aut publice expositam aut unam omnium esse uoluerunt.' See further Ziebarth, RE, 'Schulen', col. 761–2; H. I. Marrou, A History of Education in Antiquity (London, 1956), 103 n. 4, 112–13. </p>
31.31.2 - 31.31.2
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὸν διδόμενον τοῖς διδασκάλοις μισθὸν ἐρανίζεσθαι</w>:</emph> 'to go abegging for money to pay teachers' (Paton). The literal meaning is 'to raise an <w lang="el-GR">ἔρανος</w>-loan to pay teachers'; on this kind of loan see xxxviii. 11. 10 n. </p>
31.31.3 - 31.31.3
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τὴν ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς</w>:</emph> 'the flourishing condition of their finances' (cf. v. 90. 5 n.). <milestone unit="page" n="515">[515]</milestone> </p>

Commentary