Τληπόλεμος

Tlepolemos, Tlepolemus

Translated by David Whitehead8 Nov 2001Vetting: high4 revisions

251 words
He was in charge of affairs in the kingdom of Egypt; he was a young man and his life as a soldier had been one of constant ostentation. He was also naturally shallow and reputation-seeking, and altogether the qualities which he brought to bear on his work were in many instances good but in many bad. For when commanding troops in the field and in military matters he was capable and instinctively courageous, and when mixing with soldiers he was affable; but as regards handling complex matters -- something which needs application and sobriety -- and controlling money and general good housekeeping he was as poorly-equipped as could be; so much so that in no time at all he not only got into trouble but diminished the kingdom itself. For despite having taken over financial power he spent most of the day sparring and duelling with the young men, which would be immediately followed by drinking-sessions with them, the greater part of his life being spent on these things and in this company. In the portion of the day that he set aside for audiences he used to distribute -- or rather, if truth must be told, scatter -- the royal funds amongst those who had come on embassies from Greece and amongst the companies of actors. All in all, he did not know how to say no; instead, to anyone who pleased him in any way he gave whatever he had. For what follows look in the history of Polybius.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Τληπόλεμος, ὁ τὰ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πράγματα μεταχειριζόμενος, ἦν μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν νέος καὶ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐν στρατιωτικῷ βίῳ διεγεγόνει μετὰ φαντασίας. ἦν δὲ καὶ τῇ φύσει μετέωρος καὶ φιλόδοξος καὶ καθόλου πολλὰ μὲν εἰς πραγμάτων λόγον ἀγαθὰ προεφέρετο, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ κακά. στρατηγεῖν μὲν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ὑπαίθροις καὶ χειρίζειν πολεμικὰς πράξεις δυνατὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνδρώδης ὑπῆρχε τῇ φύσει καὶ πρὸς τὰς στρατιωτικὰς ὁμιλίας εὐφυῶς διέκειτο· πρὸς δὲ ποικίλων πραγμάτων χειρισμὸν δεόμενον ἐπιστάσεως καὶ νήψεως καὶ πρὸς φυλακὴν χρημάτων καὶ καθόλου τὴν περὶ τὸ λυσιτελὲς οἰκονομίαν ἀφυέστατος ὑπῆρχε πάντων· ᾗ καὶ ταχέως οὐ μόνον ἔσφηλεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἠλάττωσε· παραλαβὼν γὰρ τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἐξουσίαν τὸ μὲν πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς ἡμέρας κατέτριβε σφαιρομαχῶν καὶ πρὸς τὰ μειράκια διαμιλλώμενος ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων γινόμενος εὐθέως πότους συνῆγε καὶ τὸ πλεῖον μέρος τοῦ βίου περὶ ταῦτα καὶ σὺν τούτοις εἶχε τὴν διατριβήν. ὃν δέ ποτε χρόνον τῆς ἡμέρας ἀπεμέριζε πρὸς ἐντεύξεις, ἐν τούτῳ διεδίδου, μᾶλλον δ' εἰ δεῖ τὸ φαινόμενον εἰπεῖν διερρίπτει τὰ βασιλικὰ χρήματα τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος προσγεγονόσι πρεσβευταῖς καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνίταις. καθόλου γὰρ ἀνανεύειν οὐκ ᾔδει, τῷ δὲ πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλήσαντι πᾶν ἐξ ἑτοίμου τὸ φανὲν ἐδίδου. καὶ τὰ λείποντα ζήτει ἐν τῇ Πολυβίου ἱστορίᾳ.

Betacode
*tlhpo/lemos, o( ta\ th=s basilei/as tw=n *ai)gupti/wn pra/gmata metaxeirizo/menos, h)=n me\n kata\ th\n h(liki/an ne/os kai\ kata\ to\ sunexe\s e)n stratiwtikw=| bi/w| diegego/nei meta\ fantasi/as. h)=n de\ kai\ th=| fu/sei mete/wros kai\ filo/docos kai\ kaqo/lou polla\ me\n ei)s pragma/twn lo/gon a)gaqa\ proefe/reto, polla\ de\ kai\ kaka/. strathgei=n me\n ga\r e)n toi=s u(pai/qrois kai\ xeiri/zein polemika\s pra/ceis dunato\s h)=n kai\ a)ndrw/dhs u(ph=rxe th=| fu/sei kai\ pro\s ta\s stratiwtika\s o(mili/as eu)fuw=s die/keito: pro\s de\ poiki/lwn pragma/twn xeirismo\n deo/menon e)pista/sews kai\ nh/yews kai\ pro\s fulakh\n xrhma/twn kai\ kaqo/lou th\n peri\ to\ lusitele\s oi)konomi/an a)fue/statos u(ph=rxe pa/ntwn: h(=| kai\ taxe/ws ou) mo/non e)/sfhlen, a)lla\ kai\ th\n basilei/an h)la/ttwse: paralabw\n ga\r th\n tw=n xrhma/twn e)cousi/an to\ me\n plei=ston me/ros th=s h(me/ras kate/tribe sfairomaxw=n kai\ pro\s ta\ meira/kia diamillw/menos e)n toi=s o(/plois, a)po\ de\ tou/twn gino/menos eu)qe/ws po/tous sunh=ge kai\ to\ plei=on me/ros tou= bi/ou  peri\ tau=ta kai\ su\n tou/tois ei)=xe th\n diatribh/n. o(\n de/ pote xro/non th=s h(me/ras a)peme/rize pro\s e)nteu/ceis, e)n tou/tw| diedi/dou, ma=llon d' ei) dei= to\ faino/menon ei)pei=n dierri/ptei ta\ basilika\ xrh/mata toi=s a)po\ th=s *(ella/dos prosgegono/si presbeutai=s kai\ toi=s peri\ to\n *dio/nuson texni/tais. kaqo/lou ga\r a)naneu/ein ou)k h)/|dei, tw=| de\ pro\s xa/rin o(milh/santi pa=n e)c e(toi/mou to\ fane\n e)di/dou. kai\ ta\ lei/ponta zh/tei e)n th=| *polubi/ou i(stori/a|.

Notes

  1. Polybius 16.21.1-9 on a prominent figure -- probably of Persian/Lycian origin -- of the late C3 BCE (web address 1), first introduced in 15.25.25-36.

External resources

Neighbouring entries

τ707Τλῆναιto dare, to sufferτ708Τληπαθήςmisery-enduring, wretchedτ709ΤληπόλεμοςTlepolemos, Tlepolemusτ710ΤλήσομαιI will suffer, I will dareτ711Τλητικῶςpatiently
Revision history4 revisions · last 2 Sep 2022
  1. tweaked link — Catharine Roth
  2. more keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
  3. augmented note — David Whitehead
  4. added link, set status — Catharine Roth
  5. Translated — David Whitehead

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