Polybius, Histories

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Book 11 - Chapter 15

1
<w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaiw%3Dn">Ἀχαιῶν</w> <w lemma="strathgo%5Cs">στρατηγὸς</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="dunatou%3D">δυνατοῦ</w> <w lemma="diakatei%3Dxe">διακατεῖχε</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Frous">μισθοφόρους</w>, <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29no%2Fmatos">ὀνόματος</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Dn">καλῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parocu%2Fnwn">παροξύνων</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%28gemo%2Fnas:">ἡγεμόνας·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29pei%5C">ἐπεὶ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28w%2Fra">ἑώρα</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="e%29kbiazome%2Fnous">ἐκβιαζομένους</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="ptohqei%5Cs">πτοηθεὶς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffeugen">ἔφευγεν</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29qumh%2Fsas">ἀθυμήσας</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fsth">ἀπέστη</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>*, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28postei%2Flas">ὑποστείλας</w> <w lemma="au%28to%5Cn">αὑτὸν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flaggos">φάλαγγος</w> <w lemma="ke%2Fras">κέρας</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="parapesei%3Dn">παραπεσεῖν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="diw%2Fkontas">διώκοντας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frhmon">ἔρημον</w>, <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunos">κίνδυνος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w>, <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="prw%2Ftois">πρώτοις</w> <w lemma="te%2Flesi">τέλεσι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="falaggitw%3Dn">φαλαγγιτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29spi%2Fda">ἀσπίδα</w> <w lemma="kli%2Fnwn">κλίνων</w>, <w lemma="proh%3Dge">προῆγε</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="dro%2Fmou">δρόμου</w>, <w lemma="thrw%3Dn">τηρῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fceis">τάξεις</w>.
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<w lemma="katalabo%2Fmenos">καταλαβόμενος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29kleifqe%2Fnta">ἐκλειφθέντα</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="o%29ce%2Fws">ὀξέως</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29pete%2Ftmhto">ἀπετέτμητο</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="diw%2Fkontas">διώκοντας</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28perde%2Fcios">ὑπερδέξιος</w> <w lemma="e%29gego%2Fnei">ἐγεγόνει</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fwn">πολεμίων</w> <w lemma="ke%2Fratos">κέρατος</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="falaggi%2Ftas">φαλαγγίτας</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="pareka%2Flei">παρεκάλει</w> <w lemma="qarrei%3Dn">θαρρεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fnein">μένειν</w>, <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="paraggei%2Flh%7C">παραγγείλῃ</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pagwgh%5Cn">ἐπαγωγὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29nami%2Fc:">ἀναμίξ·</w>
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<w lemma="%2Apoluai%2Fnw%7C">Πολυαίνῳ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Ftace">ἐπέταξε</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Amegalopoli%2Fth%7C">Μεγαλοπολίτῃ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="perileipome%2Fnous">περιλειπομένους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="diakekliko%2Ftas">διακεκλικότας</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="fugh%5Cn">φυγὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29illuriou%5Cs">Ἰλλυριοὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qwraki%2Ftas">θωρακίτας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Frous">μισθοφόρους</w> <w lemma="sunaqroi%2Fsanti">συναθροίσαντι</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="spoudh%3Ds">σπουδῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29fedreu%2Fein">ἐφεδρεύειν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="ke%2Frati">κέρατι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flaggos">φάλαγγος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="threi%3Dn">τηρεῖν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pa%2Fnodon">ἐπάνοδον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="diw%2Fgmatos">διώγματος</w> <w lemma="a%29naxwrou%2Fntwn">ἀναχωρούντων</w>.
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<w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakedaimo%2Fnioi">Λακεδαιμόνιοι</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="paragge%2Flmatos">παραγγέλματος</w>, <w lemma="e%29parqe%2Fntes">ἐπαρθέντες</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="dianoi%2Fais">διανοίαις</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="eu%29zw%2Fnwn">εὐζώνων</w> <w lemma="proterh%2Fmati">προτερήματι</w>, <w lemma="katabalo%2Fntes">καταβαλόντες</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="sari%2Fsas">σαρίσας</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhsan">ὥρμησαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fous">ὑπεναντίους</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pagwgh%5Cn">ἐπαγωγὴν</w> <w lemma="proa%2Fgontes">προάγοντες</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dkon">ἧκον</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ta%2Ffrou">τάφρου</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dlos">χεῖλος</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29ke%2Fti">οὐκέτι</w> <w lemma="dido%2Fntos">διδόντος</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kairou%3D">καιροῦ</w> <w lemma="metame%2Fleian">μεταμέλειαν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fst%27">ὥστ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="xersi%5Cn">χερσὶν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntas">ὄντας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fwn">πολεμίων</w> <w lemma="a%29nastre%2Ffein">ἀναστρέφειν</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ta%2Ffrou">τάφρου</w> <w lemma="katafronh%2Fsantes">καταφρονήσαντες</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="kata%2Fbasin">κατάβασιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pollou%3D">πολλοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fq%27">μήθ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fdwr">ὕδωρ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="au%29th%3D%7C">αὐτῇ</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="tin%27">τιν᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29gri%2Fan">ἀγρίαν</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Flhn">ὕλην</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhsan">ὥρμησαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nepista%2Ftws">ἀνεπιστάτως</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w>.
The Achaean commander did his best to rally the mercenaries, calling on their leaders by name and encouraging them,
but when he saw that they were forced back he neither fled in dismay, nor lost heart and gave up hope, but posting himself on the wing of his phalanx, and waiting till the pursuers had passed by and left the ground on which the action had taken place clear, he at once wheeled the first section of the phalanx to the left and advanced at the double but without breaking his ranks, and rapidly occupying the ground which the enemy had abandoned, both cut off the pursuers and at the same time outflanked the Spartan wing.
He exhorted the men of his phalanx to be of good heart and wait until he gave the order for a general charge.
He commanded Polyaenus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Megalopolis&groupId=745&placeId=1360">Megalopolis</a> to collect rapidly all those of the Illyrians, cuirassed infantry, and mercenaries who were left behind or had evaded the pursue, and to support the wing of the phalanx and wait for the return of the pursuers.
The Lacedaemonian phalanx now, without orders but elated by the success of the light-armed troops, levelled their spears and charged the enemy.
When increasing they reached the edge of the ditch, partly because they had no longer time to change their minds and retrace their steps as they were at close quarters with the enemy, and partly since they made light of the ditch as its descent was gentle and it had neither water nor bushes at the bottom, they dashed through it without hesitating.