Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 6 - Chapter 51

1
<w lemma="%2Ato%5C">Τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="poli%2Fteuma">πολίτευμα</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29ne%2Fkaqe%2Fn">ἀνέκαθέν</w> <w lemma="moi">μοι</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="kata%2F">κατά</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerei%3Ds">ὁλοσχερεῖς</w> <w lemma="diafora%5Cs">διαφορὰς</w> <w lemma="sunesta%2Fsqai">συνεστάσθαι</w>.
2
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="basilei%3Ds">βασιλεῖς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dsan">ἦσαν</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="gero%2Fntion">γερόντιον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29ristokratikh%5Cn">ἀριστοκρατικὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fan">ἐξουσίαν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="ku%2Frion">κύριον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kaqhko%2Fntwn">καθηκόντων</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C:">αὐτῷ·</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flwn">ὅλων</w> <w lemma="a%28rmogh%5Cn">ἁρμογὴν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fan">παραπλησίαν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakedaimoni%2Fwn">Λακεδαιμονίων</w>.
3
<w lemma="kata%2F">κατά</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="kairou%5Cs">καιροὺς</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w>, <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%28%5Cs">οὓς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29annibiako%5Cn">Ἀννιβιακὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fbaine">ἐνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w>, <w lemma="xei%3Dron">χεῖρον</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Fmeinon">ἄμεινον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>.
4
<w lemma="e%29peidh%5C">ἐπειδὴ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="panto%5Cs">παντὸς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sw%2Fmatos">σώματος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcew%2Fs">πράξεώς</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%2F">ἐστί</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="au%29%2Fchsis">αὔξησις</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w>, <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fthn">ταύτην</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%2F">ἀκμή</w>, <w lemma="ka%29%2Fpeita">κἄπειτα</w> <w lemma="fqi%2Fsis">φθίσις</w>, <w lemma="kra%2Ftista">κράτιστα</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%2Fn">ἀκμήν</w>, <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="die%2Fferen">διέφερεν</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flwn">ἀλλήλων</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="politeu%2Fmata">πολιτεύματα</w>.
5
<w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fson">ὅσον</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fsxue">ἴσχυε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="eu%29tu%2Fxei">εὐτύχει</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>, <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdw%5Cn">Καρχηδὼν</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="parh%2Fkmazen">παρήκμαζεν</w>, <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rw%2Fmh">Ῥώμη</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="to%2Ft%27">τότ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%5Cn">ἀκμὴν</w> <w lemma="kata%2F">κατά</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="su%2Fstasin">σύστασιν</w>.
6
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fsthn">πλείστην</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="diabouli%2Fois">διαβουλίοις</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dmos">δῆμος</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="meteilh%2Ffei">μετειλήφει</w>, <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%5Cn">ἀκμὴν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxen">εἶχεν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="su%2Fgklhtos">σύγκλητος</w>.
7
<w lemma="o%28%2Fqen">ὅθεν</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="bouleuome%2Fnwn">βουλευομένων</w>, <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29ri%2Fstwn">ἀρίστων</w>, <w lemma="kati%2Fsxue">κατίσχυε</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="diabou%2Flia">διαβούλια</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="koina%5Cs">κοινὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w>.
8
<w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ptai%2Fsantes">πταίσαντες</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flois">ὅλοις</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="bouleu%2Fesqai">βουλεύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29pekra%2Fthsan">ἐπεκράτησαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmw%7C">πολέμῳ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fwn">Καρχηδονίων</w>.
constitution of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> seems to me to have been originally well contrived as regards its most distinctive points.
For there were kings, and the house of Elders was an aristocratical force, and the people were supreme in matters proper to them, the entire frame of the state much resembling that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a>.
But at the time when they entered on the Hannibalic War, the Carthaginian constitution had degenerated, and that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> was better.
For as every body or state or action has its natural periods first of growth, then of prime, and finally of decay, and as everything in them is at its best when they are in their prime, it was for this reason that the difference between the two states manifested itself at this time.
For by as much as the power and prosperity of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> had been earlier than that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, by so much had <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> already begun to decline; while <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> was exactly at her prime, as far as at least as her system of government was concerned.
Consequently the multitude at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Carthage&groupId=441&placeId=820">Carthage</a> had already acquired the chief voice in deliberations; while at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> the senate still retained this;
and hence, as in one case the masses deliberated and in the other the most eminent men, the Roman decisions on public affairs were superior,
so that although they met with complete disaster, they were finally by the wisdom of their counsels victorious over the Carthaginians in the war.