Polybius, Histories
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Book 22 - Chapter 22

1
<head lang="la">III. Res Aegypti</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aristo%2Fnikos">Ἀριστόνικος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fou">Πτολεμαίου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fws">βασιλέως</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29gu%2Fptou">Αἰγύπτου</w> <w lemma="eu%29nou%3Dxos">εὐνοῦχος</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w>, <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="paidi%2Fou">παιδίου</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29gego%2Fnei">ἐγεγόνει</w> <w lemma="su%2Fntrofos">σύντροφος</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="basilei%3D">βασιλεῖ</w>.
2
<w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28liki%2Fas">ἡλικίας</w> <w lemma="probainou%2Fshs">προβαινούσης</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrwdeste%2Fran">ἀνδρωδεστέραν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxen">εἶχεν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29nou%3Dxon">εὐνοῦχον</w> <w lemma="to%2Flman">τόλμαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proai%2Fresin">προαίρεσιν</w>.
3
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="stratiwtiko%5Cs">στρατιωτικὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fsthn">πλείστην</w> <w lemma="e%29poiei%3Dto">ἐποιεῖτο</w> <w lemma="diatribh%5Cn">διατριβὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w>.
4
<w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fws">παραπλησίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29nteu%2Fceis">ἐντεύξεις</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cs">ἱκανὸς</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="koino%5Cn">κοινὸν</w> <w lemma="nou%3Dn">νοῦν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxen">εἶχεν</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="spa%2Fnio%2Fn">σπάνιόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w>.
5
<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="eu%29ergesi%2Fan">εὐεργεσίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpwn">ἀνθρώπων</w> <w lemma="pefu%2Fkei">πεφύκει</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w>.
<head>Aristonicus</head>Aristonicus was one of the eunuchs of Ptolemy, king<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note55">Character of Aristonicus. See above,<ref target="b22c7" targOrder="U">ch. 7</ref>.</note>of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>, and had been brought up from childhood with the king. As he grew up he displayed more manly courage and tastes than are generally found in an eunuch. For he had a natural predilection for a military life, and devoted himself almost exclusively to that and all that it involved. He was also skilful in dealing with men, and, what is very rare, took large and liberal views, and was naturally inclined to bestow favours and kindnesses. . . .<pb />

Walbank Commentary

Overview
22.22.1 - 22.22.5
<p rend="Plain Text">The eunuch Aristonicus</p> <p rend="Plain Text">Like 20 and 21, this passage, from the exc. de uirt. et uit. and from Suidas, forms part of the events of Ol. 148, 4 = 185/4; it is from res Aegypti (cf. p. 13).</p>
Specifics
22.22.1 - 22.22.1
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἀριστόνικος ὁ . . . εὐνοῦ?χος</w>:</emph> cf. 17. 6 n.; but it is not clear why this character-sketch should appear now rather than when he was mentioned earlier. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σύντροφος τῷ βασιλεῖ</w>:</emph> for the title see v. 9. 4 n. and the passages there mentioned. </p>
22.22.4 - 22.22.4
<p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὸν κοινὸν νοῦν εἶχεν</w>:</emph> 'he possessed a civilized mind.' Schweighaeuser (Lex. Polyb. s.v. <w lang="el-GR">κοινός)</w> has some interesting remarks on the link between <w lang="el-GR">κοινὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος</w> and <w lang="el-GR">λόγος δίκαιος καὶ κοινός</w> in Demosthenes, 'ubi <w lang="el-GR">κοινός</w> eandem fere uim habet ac <w lang="el-GR">κοινωνικός</w> (i.e. 'sociable'); the concept of humanitas seems very close. </p> <p rend="Plain Text"> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὃ σπάνιόν ἐστι</w>:</emph> sc. 'in a eunuch' (so Schweighaeuser), or just possibly 'in a man <w lang="el-GR">φύσει στρατιωτικός</w>; P. will hardly be saying that humanitas is rarely found anywhere. <milestone unit="page" n="213">[213]</milestone> </p>

Commentary