<w lemma="%2Akai%5C">Καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fous">Ἀγαθοκλέους</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fgwge">ἔγωγε</w> <w lemma="loidori%2Fais">λοιδορίαις</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgonen">γέγονεν</w> <w lemma="a%29sebe%2Fstatos">ἀσεβέστατος</w>, <w lemma="eu%29dokw%3D">εὐδοκῶ</w>. <w lemma="le%2Fgw">λέγω</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>,
<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="katastrofh%3D%7C">καταστροφῇ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhs">ὅλης</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fas">ἱστορίας</w> <w lemma="fhsi%5C">φησὶ</w> <w lemma="gegone%2Fnai">γεγονέναι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fa">Ἀγαθοκλέα</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fthn">πρώτην</w> <w lemma="h%28liki%2Fan">ἡλικίαν</w> <w lemma="koino%5Cn">κοινὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Frnon">πόρνον</w>, <w lemma="e%28%2Ftoimon">ἕτοιμον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29kratesta%2Ftois">ἀκρατεστάτοις</w>, <w lemma="koloio%2Fn">κολοιόν</w>, <w lemma="trio%2Frxhn">τριόρχην</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="boulome%2Fnwn">βουλομένων</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fpisqen">ὄπισθεν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fmprosqen">ἔμπροσθεν</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Fta">γεγονότα</w>.
<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ft%27">ὅτ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fqane">ἀπέθανε</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="gunai%3Dka%2F">γυναῖκά</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="kataklaiome%2Fnhn">κατακλαιομένην</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="qrhnei%3Dn:">θρηνεῖν·</w> "<w lemma="%2Ati%2F">Τί</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29gw%5C">ἐγὼ</w> <w lemma="se%2F">σέ</w>; <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29me%5C">ἐμὲ</w> <w lemma="su%2F">σύ</w>;
" <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29pifqe%2Fgcaito">ἐπιφθέγξαιτο</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Adhmoxa%2Frous">Δημοχάρους</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolh%5Cn">ὑπερβολὴν</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fseie">θαυμάσειε</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pikri%2Fas">πικρίας</w>.
<w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsews">φύσεως</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkh">ἀνάγκη</w> <w lemma="mega%2Fla">μεγάλα</w> <w lemma="proterh%2Fmata">προτερήματα</w> <w lemma="gegone%2Fnai">γεγονέναι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fa">Ἀγαθοκλέα</w>, <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlo%2Fn">δῆλόν</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaios">Τίμαιος</w> <w lemma="a%29pofai%2Fnetai">ἀποφαίνεται</w>.
<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakou%2Fsas">Συρακούσας</w> <w lemma="paregenh%2Fqh">παρεγενήθη</w> <w lemma="feu%2Fgwn">φεύγων</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="troxo%2Fn">τροχόν</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="kapno%2Fn">καπνόν</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="phlo%2Fn">πηλόν</w>, <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fth">ἔτη</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28liki%2Fan">ἡλικίαν</w> <w lemma="o%29ktwkai%2Fdeka">ὀκτωκαίδεκα</w> <w lemma="gegonw%2Fs">γεγονώς</w>,
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="meta%2F">μετά</w> <w lemma="tina">τινα</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="o%28rmhqei%5Cs">ὁρμηθεὶς</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fths">τοιαύτης</w> <w lemma="u%28poqe%2Fsews">ὑποθέσεως</w> <w lemma="ku%2Frios">κύριος</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29genh%2Fqh">ἐγενήθη</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fshs">πάσης</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeli%2Fas">Σικελίας</w>, <w lemma="megi%2Fstous">μεγίστους</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kindu%2Fnous">κινδύνους</w> <w lemma="perie%2Fsthse">περιέστησε</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w>, <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29gghra%2Fsas">ἐγγηράσας</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="dunastei%2Fa%7C">δυναστείᾳ</w> <w lemma="kate%2Fstreye">κατέστρεψε</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fon">βίον</w> <w lemma="basileu%5Cs">βασιλεὺς</w> <w lemma="prosagoreuo%2Fmenos">προσαγορευόμενος</w>,
<w lemma="a%29%3Dr%27">ἆρ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkh">ἀνάγκη</w> <w lemma="me%2Fga">μέγα</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="gegone%2Fnai">γεγονέναι</w> <w lemma="xrh%3Dma">χρῆμα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fsion">θαυμάσιον</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29agaqokle%2Fa">Ἀγαθοκλέα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polla%5Cs">πολλὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29sxhke%2Fnai">ἐσχηκέναι</w> <w lemma="r%28opa%5Cs">ῥοπὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmeis">δυνάμεις</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="pragmatiko%5Cn">πραγματικὸν</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w>;
<w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="suggrafe%2Fa">συγγραφέα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="diabolh%5Cn">διαβολὴν</w> <w lemma="kurou%3Dnta">κυροῦντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kathgori%2Fan">κατηγορίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29chgei%3Dsqai">ἐξηγεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29piginome%2Fnois">ἐπιγινομένοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpainon">ἔπαινον</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Fkonta">ἥκοντα</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra:">ἄνδρα·</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fdio%2Fn">ἴδιόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fas">ἱστορίας</w>.
<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29peskothme%2Fnos">ἐπεσκοτημένος</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fas">ἰδίας</w> <w lemma="pikri%2Fas">πικρίας</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29lattw%2Fmata">ἐλαττώματα</w> <w lemma="dusmenikw%3Ds">δυσμενικῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29ch%2Fsews">αὐξήσεως</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29ch%2Fggelke">ἐξήγγελκε</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="katorqw%2Fmata">κατορθώματα</w> <w lemma="sullh%2Fbdhn">συλλήβδην</w> <w lemma="parale%2Floipen">παραλέλοιπεν</w>,
<w lemma="a%29gnow%3Dn">ἀγνοῶν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="yeu%3Ddos">ψεῦδος</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dtto%2Fn">ἧττόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Fta">γεγονότα</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="gra%2Ffontas">γράφοντας</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fais">ἱστορίαις</w>.
<w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29pimetrei%3Dn">ἐπιμετρεῖν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29pexqei%2Fas">ἀπεχθείας</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="a%29fh%2Fkamen">ἀφήκαμεν</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%3Da">οἰκεῖα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="proqe%2Fsews">προθέσεως</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="parelei%2Fyamen">παρελείψαμεν</w>. —
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<head>Timaeus Blinded by Personal Malignity</head>For my part I cannot feel satisfied with his abuse of<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note27">Agathocles defended against the aspersions of Timaeus.</note>Agathocles either, even admitting him to have been the worst of men. I refer to the passage at the end of his History in which he asserts that in his youth Agathocles was "a common stale, extravagantly addicted to every unnatural vice," and that "when he died, his wife in the course of her lamentations exclaimed Ah, what have I not done for you I what have you not done to me?" To such language one can only repeat what has been already said in the case of Demochares, and express one's astonishment at such extravagant virulence. For that Agathocles must have had fine natural qualities is evident from the narrative of Timaeus itself. That a man who came as a runaway slave to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a>, from the potter's wheel and smoke and clay, at the early age of eighteen, should have within a short time advanced from that humble beginning to be master of all <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a>, and after being a terror to the Carthaginians, should have grown old in office and died in enjoyment of<pb n="94" />the royal title,—does not this prove that Agathocles had some great and admirable qualities, and many endowments and talents for administration? In view of these the historian ought not to have recounted to posterity only what served to discredit and defame this man, but those facts also which were to his honour. For that is the proper function of history. Blinded, however, by personal malignity, he has recorded for us with bitterness and exaggeration all his defects; while his eminent achievements he has passed over in entire silence: seeming not to be aware that in history such silence is as mendacious as misstatement. The part of his history, therefore, which was added by him for the gratification of his personal spite I have passed over, but not what was really germane to his subject. . . .
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Walbank Commentary