Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 6 - Chapter 8

1
<w lemma="du%2Fnasqai">δύνασθαι</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frein">φέρειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29festw%2Ftwn">ἐφεστώτων</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fbreis">ὕβρεις</w>. <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqous">πλήθους</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="la%2Fboi">λάβοι</w> <w lemma="prosta%2Ftas">προστάτας</w>, <w lemma="sunepisxu%2Fontos">συνεπισχύοντος</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%28goume%2Fnwn">ἡγουμένων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnas">προειρημένας</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fas">βασιλείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="monarxi%2Fas">μοναρχίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Ddos">εἶδος</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frdhn">ἄρδην</w> <w lemma="a%29nh%7Crei%3Dto">ἀνῃρεῖτο</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29ristokrati%2Fas">ἀριστοκρατίας</w> <w lemma="au%29%3Dqis">αὖθις</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fmbane">ἐλάμβανε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnesin">γένεσιν</w>.
2
<w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="katalu%2Fsasi">καταλύσασι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="mona%2Frxous">μονάρχους</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Don">οἷον</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="xeiro%5Cs">χειρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29podido%2Fntes">ἀποδιδόντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="polloi%5C">πολλοὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="e%29xrw%3Dnto">ἐχρῶντο</w> <w lemma="prosta%2Ftais">προστάταις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Ftrepon">ἐπέτρεπον</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="sfw%3Dn">σφῶν</w>.
3
<w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="a%29smeni%2Fzontes">ἀσμενίζοντες</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pitroph%5Cn">ἐπιτροπὴν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="prourgiai%2Fteron">προυργιαίτερον</w> <w lemma="e%29poiou%3Dnto">ἐποιοῦντο</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="koinh%3D%7C">κοινῇ</w> <w lemma="sumfe%2Frontos">συμφέροντος</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="khdemonikw%3Ds">κηδεμονικῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fulaktikw%3Ds">φυλακτικῶς</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fkasta">ἕκαστα</w> <w lemma="xeiri%2Fzontes">χειρίζοντες</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fan">ἰδίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="koina%5C">κοινὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqous">πλήθους</w>.
4
<w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="diade%2Fcainto">διαδέξαιντο</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="pai%3Ddes">παῖδες</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="pate%2Frwn">πατέρων</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fan">ἐξουσίαν</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Fpeiroi">ἄπειροι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntes">ὄντες</w> <w lemma="kakw%3Dn">κακῶν</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Fpeiroi">ἄπειροι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="politikh%3Ds">πολιτικῆς</w> <w lemma="i%29so%2Fthtos">ἰσότητος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parrhsi%2Fas">παρρησίας</w>, <w lemma="teqramme%2Fnoi">τεθραμμένοι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pate%2Frwn">πατέρων</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fais">ἐξουσίαις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proagwgai%3Ds">προαγωγαῖς</w>,
5
<w lemma="o%28rmh%2Fsantes">ὁρμήσαντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="pleoneci%2Fan">πλεονεξίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="filarguri%2Fan">φιλαργυρίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fdikon">ἄδικον</w>, <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fqas">μέθας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftais">ταύταις</w> <w lemma="a%29plh%2Fstous">ἀπλήστους</w> <w lemma="eu%29wxi%2Fas">εὐωχίας</w>, <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="gunaikw%3Dn">γυναικῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fbreis">ὕβρεις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pai%2Fdwn">παίδων</w> <w lemma="a%28rpaga%2Fs">ἁρπαγάς</w>, <w lemma="mete%2Fsthsan">μετέστησαν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29ristokrati%2Fan">ἀριστοκρατίαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="o%29ligarxi%2Fan">ὀλιγαρχίαν</w>,
6
<w lemma="taxu%5C">ταχὺ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kateskeu%2Fasan">κατεσκεύασαν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqesi">πλήθεσι</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsia">παραπλήσια</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frti">ἄρτι</w> <w lemma="r%28hqei%3Dsi:">ῥηθεῖσι·</w> <w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="katastrofh%3Ds">καταστροφῆς</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tura%2Fnnous">τυράννους</w> <w lemma="a%29tuxh%2F">ἀτυχή</w>
<head>Degeneration of Constitutions</head>But as soon as the people got leaders, they cooperated with them against the dynasty for<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note9">Tyranny is then displaced by aristocracy</note>the reasons I have mentioned; and then<term>kingship</term>and<term>despotism</term>were alike entirely abolished, and<term>aristocracy</term>once more began to revive and start afresh. For in their immediate gratitude to those who had deposed the despots, the people employed them as leaders, and entrusted their interests to them; who, looking upon this charge at first as a great privilege, made the public advantage their chief concern, and conducted all kinds of business, public or private, with diligence and caution. But when the sons of these men received the same position of authority from their fathers,—having had no experience of misfortunes, and none at all of civil equality and freedom of speech, but having been bred up from the first under the shadow of their fathers' authority and lofty position,—some of them gave themselves up with passion to avarice and<pb n="465" />unscrupulous love of money, others to drinking and the boundless debaucheries which accompanies it, and others to the violation of women or the forcible appropriation of boys; and so they turned an<term>aristocracy</term>into an<term>oligarchy.</term><note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note10">Aristocracy degenerates into oligarchy</note>But it was not long before they roused in the minds of the people the same feelings as before; and their fall therefore was very like the disaster which befell the tyrants.