Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 6 - Chapter 50

1
<w lemma="%2Ati%2Fnos">Τίνος</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="parece%2Fbhn">παρεξέβην</w>; <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnhtai">γένηται</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="sumfane%5Cs">συμφανὲς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="sfe%2Ftera">σφέτερα</w> <w lemma="bebai%2Fws">βεβαίως</w> <w lemma="diafula%2Fttein">διαφυλάττειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqeri%2Fan">ἐλευθερίαν</w> <w lemma="threi%3Dn">τηρεῖν</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%2Frkhs">αὐτάρκης</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5Cn">ἐστὶν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="%2Alukou%2Frgou">Λυκούργου</w> <w lemma="nomoqesi%2Fa">νομοθεσία</w>,
2
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="a%29podexome%2Fnois">ἀποδεχομένοις</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="sugxwrhte%2Fon">συγχωρητέον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Ft%27">οὔτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstin">ἔστιν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fte">οὔτε</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgonen">γέγονεν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="ai%28retw%2Fteron">αἱρετώτερον</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakwnikou%3D">Λακωνικοῦ</w> <w lemma="katasth%2Fmatos">καταστήματος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunta%2Fgmatos">συντάγματος</w>.
3
<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="meizo%2Fnwn">μειζόνων</w> <w lemma="e%29fi%2Fetai">ἐφίεται</w>, <w lemma="ka%29kei%2Fnou">κἀκείνου</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fllion">κάλλιον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="semno%2Fteron">σεμνότερον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="nomi%2Fzei">νομίζει</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%28gei%3Dsqai">ἡγεῖσθαι</w>, <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pikratei%3Dn">ἐπικρατεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="despo%2Fzein">δεσπόζειν</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Fntas">πάντας</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29poble%2Fpein">ἀποβλέπειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="neu%2Fein">νεύειν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fn">αὐτόν</w>,
4
<w lemma="th%3D%7Cde%2F">τῇδέ</w> <w lemma="ph%7C">πῃ</w> <w lemma="sugxwrhte%2Fon">συγχωρητέον</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Alakwniko%5Cn">Λακωνικὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29ndee%5Cs">ἐνδεὲς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="poli%2Fteuma">πολίτευμα</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Frein">διαφέρειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dunamikwte%2Fran">δυναμικωτέραν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="su%2Fstasin">σύστασιν</w>.
5
<w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dt%27">τοῦτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgone">γέγονε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>. <w lemma="%2Alakedaimo%2Fnioi">Λακεδαιμόνιοι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%2Fsantes">ὁρμήσαντες</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="katakta%3Dsqai">κατακτᾶσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fnwn">Ἑλλήνων</w> <w lemma="h%28gemoni%2Fan">ἡγεμονίαν</w>, <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="e%29kindu%2Fneusan">ἐκινδύνευσαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="sfete%2Fras">σφετέρας</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqeri%2Fas:">ἐλευθερίας·</w>
6
<w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29italiwtw%3Dn">Ἰταλιωτῶν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pilabo%2Fmenoi">ἐπιλαβόμενοι</w> <w lemma="dunastei%2Fas">δυναστείας</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgw%7C">ὀλίγῳ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnw%7C">χρόνῳ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="u%28f%27">ὑφ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28autou%5Cs">ἑαυτοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29poih%2Fsanto">ἐποιήσαντο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="oi%29koume%2Fnhn">οἰκουμένην</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mikra%5C">μικρὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kaqike%2Fsqai">καθικέσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcews">πράξεως</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w> <w lemma="sumballome%2Fnhs">συμβαλλομένης</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="eu%29pori%2Fas">εὐπορίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%28toimo%2Fthtos">ἑτοιμότητος</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xorhgi%2Fas">χορηγίας</w>.
But what is the purpose of this digression? It is to show from the actual evidence of facts, that for the purpose of remaining in secure possession of their own territory and maintaining their freedom the legislation of Lycurgus is amply sufficient,
and to those who maintain this to be the object of political constitutions we must admit that there is not and never was any system or constitution superior to that of Lycurgus.
But if anyone is ambitious of greater things, and esteems it finer and more glorious than that to be the leader of many men and to rule and lord it over many and have the eyes of all the world turned to him,
it must be admitted that from this point of view the Laconian constitution is defective, while that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> is superior and better framed for the attainment of power,
as is indeed evident from the actual course of events. For when the Lacedaemonians endeavoured to obtain supremacy in Greece, they very soon ran the risk of losing their own liberty;
whereas the Romans, who had aimed merely at the subjection of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a>, in a short time brought the whole world under their sway, the abundant of supplies they had at their command conducing in no small measure to this result.