Μεθοδικῶς
methodically
Translated by Ronald Allen15 Mar 2009Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
That is in accordance with a method.1
Polybius [writes]: "but the way of bringing ladders up to [sc. scale] walls [is] easy and infallible, if it is undertaken methodically."2 [Meaning] in accordance with a method.3 And elsewhere: "he having methodically looked over all the things said about formations, as much as anyone in our time."4
Polybius [writes]: "but the way of bringing ladders up to [sc. scale] walls [is] easy and infallible, if it is undertaken methodically."2 [Meaning] in accordance with a method.3 And elsewhere: "he having methodically looked over all the things said about formations, as much as anyone in our time."4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Μεθοδικῶς· τουτέστι κατὰ μέθοδον. Πολύβιος· ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῶν κλιμάκων τῶν ἐν τοῖς τείχεσι προσαγομένων εὐχερὴς καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος, ἐὰν λαμβάνηται μεθοδικῶς. κατὰ μέθοδον. καὶ αὖθις· πάντα δὲ τὰ λεγόμενα μεθοδικῶς περὶ τῶν τάξεων ἐπωπτευκώς, εἰ καί τις ἕτερος τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς.
Betacode
*meqodikw=s: toute/sti kata\ me/qodon. *polu/bios: o( de\ tro/pos tw=n klima/kwn tw=n e)n toi=s tei/xesi prosagome/nwn eu)xerh\s kai\ a)dia/ptwtos, e)a\n lamba/nhtai meqodikw=s. kata\ me/qodon. kai\ au)=qis: pa/nta de\ ta\ lego/mena meqodikw=s peri\ tw=n ta/cewn e)pwpteukw/s, ei) kai/ tis e(/teros tw=n kaq' h(ma=s.
Notes (4)
- The headword, illustrated by both of the quotations given, is an adverb derived from the adjective
meqodiko/s, -h/, -o/n , working by rule, methodical, systematic; see generally LSJ s.v. - 1The gloss uses the accusative singular of the cognate substantive
me/qodos, h( , a following after, pursuit, method; see generally LSJ s.v. ↩ - 2An approximation of Polybius 5.98.10 (web address 1). It concludes a scathing review of Macedonian king Philip V's (238-179 BCE; OCD(4) s.v. Philip(3)) failed attempt in 217 to capture the town of Melitaea (Melitea, Meliteia; in Achaea Phthiotis, southeast of present-day Domokos, Greece; Barrington Atlas, map 55 grid C2); see Cuomo (66). However egregious his miscalculation may appear at first glance, there is evidence that Philip's ladders failed to reach the battlements because Melitaea had unusually thick, and thus perhaps extraordinarily high, defensive walls (Walbank (626); Hammond, et al. (386)). ↩
- 3Simply repeating the prepositional phrase of the gloss. As Adler notes, this was omitted by ms V. ↩
- 4Polybius fr. 182 (Büttner-Wobst). Büttner-Wobst notes (538) that Ursinus (Fulvio Orsini, 1529-1600) attributed this fragment to Polybius. Juxtaposed with the previous quotation,
ta/cewn (in ms A) seems to pertain to military formations; however, Adler notes that mss GVM havepra/cewn , transactions. The perfect active participle, masculine nominative (and vocative) singular,e)pwpteukw/s , from the verbe)popteu/w (I look over, cf. LSJ s.v.), is attested only here; cf. the genitive plural (with a figurative and religious sense) at epsilon 2845. Schweighäuser was doubtful about attributing the fragment to Polybius (Büttner-Wobst, 538). ↩
References
S. Cuomo, Technology and Culture in Greek and Roman Antiquity, (Cambridge 2007)
F.W. Walbank, A Historical Commentary on Polybius, vol. I, (Oxford 1957)
N.G.L. Hammond, F.W. Walbank, G.T. Griffith, A History of Macedonia: 336-167 B.C., (Oxford 1988)
T. Büttner-Wobst, ed., Polybii Historiae, vol. IV, (Leipzig 1904)
F.W. Walbank, A Historical Commentary on Polybius, vol. I, (Oxford 1957)
N.G.L. Hammond, F.W. Walbank, G.T. Griffith, A History of Macedonia: 336-167 B.C., (Oxford 1988)
T. Büttner-Wobst, ed., Polybii Historiae, vol. IV, (Leipzig 1904)
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
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Revision history4 revisions · last 15 Nov 2018
- expanded n.4, corrected page and bibliography formats, punctuation typo in n.4 — Ronald Allen
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- tweaked tr; other tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Ronald Allen