Polybius, Histories

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Book 11 - Chapter 19

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<w lemma="%2Ati%2Fs">Τίς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29pishmh%2Fnaito">ἐπισημήναιτο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28gemoni%2Fan">ἡγεμονίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29reth%5Cn">ἀρετὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28pai%2Fqrois">ὑπαίθροις</w> <w lemma="ta%29ndro%2Fs">τἀνδρός</w>, <w lemma="ble%2Fyas">βλέψας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%3Dkos">μῆκος</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnou">χρόνου</w>,
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunepisth%2Fsas">συνεπιστήσας</w> <w lemma="au%28to%5Cn">αὑτὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2F">ἐπί</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxas">μάχας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="poliorki%2Fas">πολιορκίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flewn">πόλεων</w> <w lemma="metabola%5Cs">μεταβολὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="perista%2Fseis">περιστάσεις</w> <w lemma="kairw%3Dn">καιρῶν</w>, <w lemma="e%29pi%2F">ἐπί</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="perioxh%5Cn">περιοχὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhs">ὅλης</w> <w lemma="e%29pibolh%3Ds">ἐπιβολῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcews">πράξεως</w>,
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<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anni%2Fbas">Ἀννίβας</w> <w lemma="e%28kkai%2Fdeka">ἑκκαίδεκα</w> <w lemma="polemh%2Fsas">πολεμήσας</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fth">ἔτη</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fan">Ἰταλίαν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fpote">οὐδέποτε</w> <w lemma="die%2Fluse">διέλυσε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmeis">δυνάμεις</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28pai%2Fqrwn">ὑπαίθρων</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fxwn">συνέχων</w> <w lemma="u%28f%27">ὑφ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28to%2Fn">αὑτόν</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fsper">ὥσπερ</w> <w lemma="a%29gaqo%5Cs">ἀγαθὸς</w> <w lemma="kubernh%2Fths">κυβερνήτης</w>, <w lemma="a%29stasi%2Fasta">ἀστασίαστα</w> <w lemma="dieth%2Frhse">διετήρησε</w> <w lemma="tosau%3Dta">τοσαῦτα</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqh">πλήθη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%28to%5Cn">αὑτὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllhla">ἄλληλα</w>, <w lemma="kai%2Fper">καίπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Don">οἷον</w> <w lemma="o%28moeqne%2Fsin">ὁμοεθνέσιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28mofu%2Flois">ὁμοφύλοις</w> <w lemma="xrhsa%2Fmenos">χρησάμενος</w> <w lemma="stratope%2Fdois">στρατοπέδοις</w>. <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="%2Ali%2Fbuas">Λίβυας</w>,
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<w lemma="%2A%29%2Fibhras">Ἴβηρας</w>, <w lemma="%2Aligusti%2Fnous">Λιγυστίνους</w>, <w lemma="%2Akeltou%2Fs">Κελτούς</w>, <w lemma="%2Afoi%2Fnikas">Φοίνικας</w>, <w lemma="%2A%29italou%2Fs">Ἰταλούς</w>, <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhnas">Ἕλληνας</w>, <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmos">νόμος</w>, <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqos">ἔθος</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgos">λόγος</w>, <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fteron">ἕτερον</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="koino%5Cn">κοινὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsews">φύσεως</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flous">ἀλλήλους</w>.
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<w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="proestw%3Dtos">προεστῶτος</w> <w lemma="a%29gxi%2Fnoia">ἀγχίνοια</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="thlikau%2Ftas">τηλικαύτας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Ftas">τοιαύτας</w> <w lemma="diafora%5Cs">διαφορὰς</w> <w lemma="e%28no%5Cs">ἑνὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fei">ἐποίει</w> <w lemma="prosta%2Fgmatos">προστάγματος</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fein">ἀκούειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mia%3D%7C">μιᾷ</w> <w lemma="pei%2Fqesqai">πείθεσθαι</w> <w lemma="gnw%2Fmh%7C">γνώμῃ</w>, <w lemma="kai%2Fper">καίπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="a%28plh%3Ds">ἁπλῆς</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fshs">οὔσης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="perista%2Fsews">περιστάσεως</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="poiki%2Flhs">ποικίλης</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="lampra%3Ds">λαμπρᾶς</w> <w lemma="e%29pipneou%2Fshs">ἐπιπνεούσης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxhs">τύχης</w>, <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon">τοὐναντίον</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws">εἰκότως</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fseie">θαυμάσειε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="proestw%3Dtos">προεστῶτος</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="me%2Frei">μέρει</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qarrw%3Dn">θαρρῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fpeien">εἴπειεν</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fper">εἴπερ</w> <w lemma="poihsa%2Fmenos">ποιησάμενος</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Flla">ἄλλα</w> <w lemma="me%2Frh">μέρη</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="oi%29koume%2Fnhs">οἰκουμένης</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="teleutai%2Fous">τελευταίους</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dlqe">ἦλθε</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w>, <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proteqe%2Fntwn">προτεθέντων</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="die%2Ffuge">διέφυγε</w>.
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<w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w>, <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%28%5Cs">οὓς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="teleutai%2Fous">τελευταίους</w> <w lemma="e%29lqei%3Dn">ἐλθεῖν</w>, <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="a%29rca%2Fmenos">ἀρξάμενος</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="e%29poih%2Fsato">ἐποιήσατο</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w>.
<head>Hannibal</head>No one can withhold admiration for Hannibal's generalship, courage, and power in the field,
who considers the length of this period, and carefully reflects on the major and minor battles, on the sieges he undertook, on his movements from city to city, on the difficulties that at times faced him, and in a word on the whole scope of his design and its execution,
a design in the pursuit of which, having constantly fought the Romans for sixteen years, he never broke up his forces and dismissed them from the field, but holding them together under his personal command, like a good ship's captain, kept such a large army free from sedition towards him or among themselves, and this although his regiments were not only of different nationalities but of different races.
For he had with him Africans, Spaniards, Ligurians, Celts, Phoenicians, Italians, and Greeks, peoples who neither in their laws, customs, or language, nor in any other respect had anything naturally in common.
But, nevertheless, the ability of their commander forced men so radically different to give ear to a single word of command and yield obedience to a single will. And this he did not under simple conditions but under very complicated ones, the gale of fortune blowing often strongly in their favour and at other times against them.
Therefore we cannot but justly admire Hannibal in these respects and pronounce with confidence that had he begun with the other parts of the world and finished with the Romans none of his plans would have failed to succeed.
But as it was, commencing with those whom he should have left to the last, his career began and finished in this field.