Polybius, Histories

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Book 1 - Chapter 5

1
<w lemma="%2A%28upoqhso%2Fmeqa">Ὑποθησόμεθα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="bu%2Fblou">βύβλου</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fthn">πρώτην</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fbasin">διάβασιν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fas">Ἰταλίας</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>. <w lemma="au%28%2Fth">αὕτη</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstin">ἔστιν</w> <w lemma="sunexh%5Cs">συνεχὴς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29f%27">ἀφ᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaios">Τίμαιος</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Flipen">ἀπέλιπεν</w>, <w lemma="pi%2Fptei">πίπτει</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29na%2Fthn">ἐνάτην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ei%29kosth%5Cn">εἰκοστὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%28kato%5Cn">ἑκατὸν</w> <w lemma="o%29lumpia%2Fda">ὀλυμπιάδα</w>.
2
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="r%28hte%2Fon">ῥητέον</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fh">εἴη</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fte">πότε</w> <w lemma="susthsa%2Fmenoi">συστησάμενοι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fan">Ἰταλίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fsin">τίσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29formai%3Ds">ἀφορμαῖς</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="xrhsa%2Fmenoi">χρησάμενοι</w> <w lemma="diabai%2Fnein">διαβαίνειν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhsan">ὥρμησαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeli%2Fan:">Σικελίαν·</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fth%7C">ταύτῃ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="gh%3D%7C">γῇ</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fbhsan">ἐπέβησαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fas">Ἰταλίας</w>.
3
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="r%28hte%2Fon">ῥητέον</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="diaba%2Fsews">διαβάσεως</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="yilw%3Ds">ψιλῶς</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pizhtou%2Fshs">ἐπιζητούσης</w> <w lemma="a%29nupo%2Fstatos">ἀνυπόστατος</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhs">ὅλης</w> <w lemma="u%28poqe%2Fsews">ὑποθέσεως</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5C">ἀρχὴ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnhtai">γένηται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qewri%2Fa">θεωρία</w>.
4
<w lemma="lhpte%2Fon">ληπτέον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kairoi%3Ds">καιροῖς</w> <w lemma="o%28mologoume%2Fnhn">ὁμολογουμένην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gnwrizome%2Fnhn">γνωριζομένην</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpasi">ἅπασι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmasi">πράγμασι</w> <w lemma="duname%2Fnhn">δυναμένην</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%28th%3Ds">αὑτῆς</w> <w lemma="qewrei%3Dsqai">θεωρεῖσθαι</w>, <w lemma="ka%29%5Cn">κἂν</w> <w lemma="de%2Fh%7C">δέῃ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnois">χρόνοις</w> <w lemma="braxu%5C">βραχὺ</w> <w lemma="prosanadramo%2Fntas">προσαναδραμόντας</w> <w lemma="kefalaiw%2Fdh">κεφαλαιώδη</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fmnhsin">ἀνάμνησιν</w>.
5
<w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29gnooume%2Fnhs">ἀγνοουμένης</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nh%5C">νὴ</w> <w lemma="%2Adi%2F%27">Δί᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29mfisbhtoume%2Fnhs">ἀμφισβητουμένης</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%3Ds">ἑξῆς</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="paradoxh%3Ds">παραδοχῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29ciwqh%3Dnai">ἀξιωθῆναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstews:">πίστεως·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w> <w lemma="o%28mologoume%2Fnh">ὁμολογουμένη</w> <w lemma="paraskeuasqh%3D%7C">παρασκευασθῇ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fca">δόξα</w>, <w lemma="to%2Ft%27">τότ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Ds">πᾶς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="sunexh%5Cs">συνεχὴς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgos">λόγος</w> <w lemma="a%29podoxh%3Ds">ἀποδοχῆς</w> <w lemma="tugxa%2Fnei">τυγχάνει</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fousin">ἀκούουσιν</w>.
I shall adopt as the starting-point of this Book the first occasion on which the Romans crossed the sea from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a>. This follows immediately on the close of Timaeus\' History and took place in the 129th Olympiad [264-261 B.C.].
Thus we must first state how and when the Romans established their position in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a>, and what prompted them afterwards to cross to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a>, the first country outside <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> where they set foot.
The actual cause of their crossing must be stated without comment; for if I were to seek the cause of the cause and so on, my whole work would have no clear starting-point and principle.
The starting-point must be an era generally agreed upon and recognized, and one self-apparent from the events, even if this involves my going back a little in point of date and giving a summary of intervening occurrences.
For if there is any ignorance or indeed any dispute as to what are the facts from which the work opens, it is impossible that what follows should meet with acceptance or credence; but once we produce in our readers a general agreement on this point they will give ear to all the subsequent narrative.