Nothing prevents us even now, for the sake of emphasis, from reminding the listeners. For since many matters have been enumerated in many ways, both concerning genealogies and myths, and concerning colonies, and further, relationships and possessions, it remains for the one now dealing with these things either to speak of what belongs to others as his own, which is the most shameful thing of all, or, not wishing to do this, to labor in vain manifestly, admitting to be composing and caring for such things which have been sufficiently shown and handed down to posterity by his predecessors. These things, therefore, were omitted for these reasons and for many others. But the pragmatic method was approved, first, because it is continually being renewed and requires new explanation, it not being consistent for ancient accounts to report to us the actions that follow them; and second, because it is the most useful of all, both formerly, and especially now, since experience and the arts have made such progress in our time that those who are eager to learn can handle every chance event methodically, as it were. 136 Wherefore, we, not aiming so much at the pleasure of the readers as at the benefit of those who pay attention, have put aside other things and have been brought to this part. Therefore, concerning these things, those who carefully attend to our commentaries will most surely bear witness to what is now being said. 52. That it was decided by the Romans, after the capture, to transfer all the most lavish works of the Syracusans to their own fatherland; but whether they did this rightly and advantageously for themselves or the contrary, would be a long discussion, leaning more to the view that this deed was not done properly by them, nor is it done so even now. For if they had advanced their fatherland by starting from such things, it is clear that they reasonably transferred these to their own country, by which they had been aggrandized; but if, living the simplest lives, and standing furthest from the extravagance and luxury in these things, they nevertheless always conquered those among whom such things existed in the greatest number and of the finest quality, how can we not consider what was done by them to be a mistake? For to abandon the customs of the victors and to adopt the zeal of the vanquished, grasping at the same time the envy that follows such things, which is the most fearful thing of all for pre-eminence, one might say is an admitted transgression of those who do it. For one who is so motivated never deems happy those who have possessed what belongs to others, whom he envies, and at the same time some pity for those who lost them from the beginning steals over him. But when the opportunities advance and he gathers to himself all the things of others, and these in a way summon the deprived to the spectacle, the evil becomes twofold. For it is no longer the case that the onlookers pity their neighbors, but themselves, remembering their own misfortunes. From which not only envy, but as it were 137 a kind of anger is kindled against the fortunate; for the recollection of one's own reversals is, as it were, a sort of incitement to hatred against those who did them. Therefore, to gather gold and silver to themselves perhaps has some reason; for it is not possible to lay claim to universal dominion without working weakness in others, while preparing such power for themselves. But things that are outside the aforementioned power, it was possible to leave in their original places along with the envy and to make their own fatherland more glorious, adorning it not with paintings and statues but with dignity and magnanimity. However, let these things have been said by me for the sake of those who are always taking over dominions, so that they may not, by plundering cities, suppose that the misfortunes of others are an adornment for their own fatherlands; but the Romans, by transferring the aforementioned things, adorned their own lives with private furnishings, and the common property of the city with public ones. 53. That those who do not embark with goodwill and eagerness are not likely to be true allies in the deeds themselves. 54. That with such a disposition existing concerning both the Romans and the Carthaginians, and with reverses for each from the

οὐδὲν ἐπέχει καὶ νῦν ἐμφάσεως χάριν ὑπομνῆσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας. Πολλῶν γὰρ καὶ πολλαχῶς ἐξηριθμημένων τά τε περὶ τὰς γενεαλογίας καὶ μύθους καὶ περὶ τὰς ἀποικίας, ἔτι δὲ συγγενείας καὶ κτήσεις, λοιπὸν ἢ τὰ ἀλλότρια δεῖ λέγειν ὡς ἴδια τὸν νῦν περὶ τούτων πραγματευόμενον, ὃ πάντων ἐστὶν αἴσχιστον, ἢ τοῦτο μὴ βουλόμενον προδήλως ματαιοπονεῖν, ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ὁμολογοῦντα συντάττεσθαι καὶ φροντίζειν ἃ διὰ τῶν προγενεστέρων ἱκανῶς δεδήλωται καὶ παραδέδοται τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν παρελείφθη τούτων ἕνεκα καὶ πλειόνων ἑτέρων. ὁ δὲ πραγματικὸς τρόπος ἐνεκρίθη πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τὸ καινοποιεῖσθαι συνεχῶς καὶ καινῆς ἐξηγήσεως δεῖσθαι τὸ μὴ συμβατὸν εἶναι ταῖς ἀρχαῖς εἰς τὸ τὰς ἐπιγινομένας πράξεις ἡμῖν ἐξαγγεῖλαι, δεύτερον δὲ καὶ διὰ τὸ πάντων ὠφελιμώτατον αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸ τοῦ μέν, μάλιστα δὲ νῦν ὑπάρχειν, τῷ τὰς ἐμπειρίας καὶ τέχνας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο προκοπὴν εἰληφέναι καθ' ἡμᾶς ὥστε πᾶν τὸ παραπίπτον ἐκ τῶν καιρῶν ὡσανεὶ μεθοδικῶς δύνασθαι χειρίζειν τοὺς φιλομαθοῦντας. 136 διόπερ ἡμεῖς οὐχ οὕτω τῆς τέρψεως στοχαζόμενοι τῶν ἀναγνωσομένων ὡς τῆς ὠφελείας τῶν προσχόντων, τἄλλα παρέντες ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος κατηνέχθημεν. περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων οἱ συνεφιστάνοντες ἐπιμελῶς ἡμῶν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασι βεβαιότατα μαρτυρήσουσι τοῖς νῦν λεγομένοις. 52. Ὅτι ἐκρίθη τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις τὰ τῶν Συρακουσσῶν πολυτελέστατα κατασκευάσματα πάντα μετὰ τὴν ἅλωσιν μετακομίζειν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν πατρίδα· πότερα δ' ὀρθῶς τοῦτο καὶ συμφερόντως αὑτοῖς ἔπραξαν ἢ τἀναντία, πολὺς ἂν εἴη λόγος, πλεῖόν γε μὴν εἰς τὸ μὴ δεόντως σφίσι πεπρᾶχθαι μηδ' ἀκμὴν νῦν πράττεσθαι τοῦτο τοὖργον. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τοιούτων ὁρμηθέντες προεβίβασαν τὴν πατρίδα, δῆλον ὡς εἰκότως ταῦτα μετέφερον εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, δι' ὧν ηὐξήθησαν· εἰ δ' ἁπλουστάτοις χρώμενοι βίοις, καὶ πορρωτάτω τῆς ἐν τούτοις περιττότητος καὶ πολυτελείας ἀφεστῶτες, ὅμως ἐπεκράτουν τούτων ἀεὶ παρ' οἷς ὑπῆρχε πλεῖστα καὶ κάλλιστα τὰ τοιαῦτα, πῶς οὐ νομιστέον εἶναι τὸ γινόμενον ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἡμάρτημα; τὸ γὰρ ἀπολιπόντας τὰ τῶν νικώντων ἔθη τὸν τῶν ἡττωμένων ζῆλον ἀναλαμβάνειν, προσεπιδραττομένους ἅμα καὶ τὸν ἐξακολουθοῦντα τοῖς τοιούτοις φθόνον, ὃ πάντων ἐστὶ φοβερώτατον ταῖς ὑπεροχαῖς, ὁμολογούμενον ἂν εἴποι τις εἶναι τῶν πραττόντων παράπτωμα. ὁ γὰρ οὕτως ὁρμώμενος οὐδέποτε μακαρίζει τοὺς τἀλλότρια κεκτημένους, οἷς φθονεῖ ἅμα καί τις ἔλεος αὐτὸν ὑποτρέχει τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀποβαλόντων. ἐπὰν δὲ καὶ προβαίνῃ τὰ τῆς εὐκαιρίας καὶ πάντα συνάγῃ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ ταῦτα συγκαλῇ τρόπον τινὰ τοὺς ἐστερημένους ἐπὶ θέαν, διπλάσιον γίνεται τὸ κακόν. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τοὺς πέλας ἐλεεῖν συμβαίνει τοὺς θεωμένους, ἀλλὰ σφᾶς αὐτούς, ἀναμιμνησκομένους τῶν οἰκείων συμπτωμάτων. ἐξ ὧν οὐ μόνον φθόνος, ἀλλ' οἷον 137 ὀργή τις ἐκκαίεται πρὸς τοὺς εὐτυχοῦντας· ἡ γὰρ τῶν ἰδίων περιπετειῶν ἀνάμνησις ὡσανεὶ προτροπή τίς ἐστι πρὸς τὸ κατὰ τῶν πραξάντων μῖσος. τὸ μὲν οὖν τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον ἀθροίζειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἴσως ἔχει τινὰ λόγον· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε τῶν καθόλου πραγμάτων ἀντιποιήσασθαι μὴ οὐ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἀδυναμίαν ἐνεργασαμένους, σφίσι δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην δύναμιν ἑτοιμάσαντας. τὰ δ' ἐκτὸς ὑπάρχοντα τῆς προειρημένης δυνάμεως ἦν ἐν τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς τόποις ἅμα τῷ φθόνῳ καταλιπόντας ἐνδοξοτέραν ποιεῖν τὴν σφετέραν πατρίδα, μὴ γραφαῖς καὶ τύποις ἀλλὰ σεμνότητι καὶ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ κοσμοῦντας αὐτήν. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἰρήσθω μοι χάριν τῶν μεταλαμβανόντων ἀεὶ τὰς δυναστείας, ἵνα μὴ σκυλεύοντες τὰς πόλεις κόσμον ὑπολαμβάνωσιν εἶναι ταῖς ἑαυτῶν πατρίσι τὰς ἀλλοτρίας συμφοράς· Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ μετακομίσαντες τὰ προειρημένα ταῖς μὲν ἰδιωτικαῖς κατασκευαῖς τοὺς αὑτῶν ἐκόσμησαν βίους, ταῖς δὲ δημοσίαις τὰ κοινὰ τῆς πόλεως. 53. Ὅτι τοὺς μὴ μετ' εὐνοίας καὶ προθυμίας ἐμβαίνοντας οὔτ' ἐπ' αὐτῶν εἰκός ἐστι τῶν ἔργων ἀληθεῖς εἶναι συμμάχους. 54. Ὅτι τοιαύτης διαθέσεως ὑπαρχούσης περί τε τοὺς Ῥωμαίους καὶ Καρχηδονίους, καὶ παλιντρόπων ἑκατέροις ἐκ τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς