Polybius, Histories

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Book 1 - Chapter 65

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<w lemma="%2Ameta%5C">Μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="dialu%2Fseis">διαλύσεις</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftas">ταύτας</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fdio%2Fn">ἴδιόν</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="a%29mfote%2Frois">ἀμφοτέροις</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbh">συνέβη</w> <w lemma="paqei%3Dn">παθεῖν</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29cede%2Fcato">ἐξεδέξατο</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemos">πόλεμος</w> <w lemma="e%29mfu%2Flios">ἐμφύλιος</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Afali%2Fskous">Φαλίσκους</w> <w lemma="kaloume%2Fnous">καλουμένους</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sumfero%2Fntws">συμφερόντως</w> <w lemma="e%29pete%2Flesan">ἐπετέλεσαν</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgais">ὀλίγαις</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Frais">ἡμέραις</w> <w lemma="e%29gkratei%3Ds">ἐγκρατεῖς</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenoi">γενόμενοι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w>,
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<w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fous">Καρχηδονίους</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mikro%5Cs">μικρὸς</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29katafro%2Fnhtos">εὐκαταφρόνητος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ce%2Fnous">ξένους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Anoma%2Fdas">Νομάδας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="a%29posta%2Fntas">ἀποστάντας</w> <w lemma="%2Ali%2Fbuas">Λίβυας</w>,
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<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="w%28%3D%7C">ᾧ</w> <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mega%2Flous">μεγάλους</w> <w lemma="u%28pomei%2Fnantes">ὑπομείναντες</w> <w lemma="fo%2Fbous">φόβους</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fras">χώρας</w> <w lemma="e%29kindu%2Fneusan">ἐκινδύνευσαν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="sfw%3Dn">σφῶν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="patri%2Fdos">πατρίδος</w> <w lemma="e%29da%2Ffous">ἐδάφους</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%3Dsai">ἐπιστῆσαι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fcion">ἄξιον</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w>, <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="kefalai%2Fou">κεφαλαίου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="braxe%2Fwn">βραχέων</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29ch%2Fghsin">ἐξήγησιν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fqesin">πρόθεσιν</w>.
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<w lemma="to%2Fn">τόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polloi%3Ds">πολλοῖς</w> <w lemma="lego%2Fmenon">λεγόμενον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fspondon">ἄσπονδον</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w>, <w lemma="ti%2Fna">τίνα</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w>, <w lemma="ma%2Flist%27">μάλιστ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Ftwn">γεγονότων</w> <w lemma="e%29pignoi%2Fh">ἐπιγνοίη</w>,
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<w lemma="tou%2Fs">τούς</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="xrwme%2Fnous">χρωμένους</w> <w lemma="misqoforikai%3Ds">μισθοφορικαῖς</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmesi">δυνάμεσι</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fna">τίνα</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="proora%3Dsqai">προορᾶσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fula%2Fttesqai">φυλάττεσθαι</w> <w lemma="makro%2Fqen">μακρόθεν</w>, <w lemma="e%29narge%2Fstat%27">ἐναργέστατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="perista%2Fsews">περιστάσεως</w> <w lemma="sunqewrh%2Fseien">συνθεωρήσειεν</w>, <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Frei">διαφέρει</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fson">πόσον</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fqh">ἤθη</w> <w lemma="su%2Fmmikta">σύμμικτα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Frbara">βάρβαρα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="paidei%2Fais">παιδείαις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmois">νόμοις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="politikoi%3Ds">πολιτικοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqesin">ἔθεσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29kteqramme%2Fnwn:">ἐκτεθραμμένων·</w>
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston">μέγιστον</w>, <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnois">ἐκείνοις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kairoi%3Ds">καιροῖς</w> <w lemma="pepragme%2Fnwn">πεπραγμένων</w> <w lemma="katanoh%2Fseien">κατανοήσειεν</w>, <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="a%28%5Cs">ἃς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fban">Ἀννίβαν</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fsth">συνέστη</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fois">Καρχηδονίοις</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemos">πόλεμος</w>.
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<w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="suggrafeu%3Dsin">συγγραφεῦσιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pepolemhko%2Fsin">πεπολεμηκόσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="a%29mfisbhtei%3Dsqai">ἀμφισβητεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w>, <w lemma="xrh%2Fsimo%2Fn">χρήσιμόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqinwta%2Fthn">ἀληθινωτάτην</w> <w lemma="parasth%3Dsai">παραστῆσαι</w> <w lemma="dia%2Flhyin">διάληψιν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="filomaqou%3Dsin">φιλομαθοῦσιν</w>.
Shortly after this treaty it so happened that both states found themselves placed in circumstances peculiarly similar.
For at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> there followed civil war against the Falisci, but this they brought to a speedy and favourable conclusion, taking in a few days.
But the war the Carthaginians had to face was no little or contemptible one, being against their mercenaries, the Numidians and those Libyans who joined in the revolt.
In this war they encountered many great perils and finally were in danger of losing not only their territory, but their own liberty and the soil of their native town.
For several reasons I think it worth my while to dwell on this war, and, according to the plan I stated at the outset, to give a summary and brief narrative of it.
In the first place one could not indicate a better illustration of the nature and character of what is vulgarly known as a truceless war than the circumstances of this one,
and secondly one can see very clearly from all that took place what kind of dangers those who employ mercenary forces should foresee and take early precautions to avert, as well as in what lies the great difference of character between a confused herd of barbarians
and men who have been brought up in an educated, law-abiding, and civilized community. But the most important thing is that from the events of that period one can get an idea of the causes of the Hannibalic war between the Romans and the Carthaginians.
As it is still a matter of dispute, not only among historians, but among the combatants, what were the actual causes of this latter war, it will be useful to students of history if I lay before them the explanation that is nearest to the truth.