Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 21

1
<w lemma="%2Ato%5C">Τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston:">μέγιστον·</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="su%2Fneggus">σύνεγγυς</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnta">ὄντα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fois">πολεμίοις</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="o%29ktw%5C">ὀκτὼ</w> <w lemma="poih%3Dsai%2F">ποιῆσαί</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Fqos">βάθος</w>.
2
<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkhn">ἀνάγκην</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tettara%2Fkonta">τετταράκοντα</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fous">σταδίους</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%3Dkos">μῆκος</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flaggos">φάλαγγος</w>.
3
<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flws">ὅλως</w> <w lemma="sunh%2Fspisan">συνήσπισαν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="poihth%5Cn">ποιητὴν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="sunerei%3Dsai">συνερεῖσαι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flous">ἀλλήλους</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkosi">εἴκοσι</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fwn">σταδίων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w>.
4
<w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="lei%2Fpein">λείπειν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="dekatetta%2Frwn">δεκατεττάρων</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fwn">σταδίων</w> *
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? <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="me%2Fn">μέν</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="qala%2Ftth%7C">θαλάττῃ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%2Fseas">ἡμίσεας</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="deciou%3D:">δεξιοῦ·</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhn">ὅλην</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcin">τάξιν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%29rw%3Dn">ὀρῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cn">ἱκανὸν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="a%29festa%2Fnai">ἀφεστάναι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fois">πολεμίοις</w> <w lemma="u%28popeptwke%2Fnai">ὑποπεπτωκέναι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kate%2Fxousi">κατέχουσι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="parwrei%2Fas">παρωρείας</w>.
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<w lemma="i%29%2Fsmen">ἴσμεν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="poiei%3D">ποιεῖ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="e%29pika%2Fmpion">ἐπικάμπιον</w>. <w lemma="%2A%28upoleipo%2Fmeqa">Ὑπολειπόμεθα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="muri%2Fous">μυρίους</w> <w lemma="pezou%2Fs">πεζούς</w>, <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntas">ὄντας</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnou">ἐκείνου</w> <w lemma="proqe%2Fsews">προθέσεως</w>.
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<w lemma="w%28%2Fst%27">ὥστ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fndeka">ἕνδεκα</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fous">σταδίους</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="a%29polei%2Fpesqai">ἀπολείπεσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flaggos">φάλαγγος</w> <w lemma="mh%3Dkos">μῆκος</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Akallisqe%2Fnhn">Καλλισθένην</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkh">ἀνάγκη</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="trismuri%2Fous">τρισμυρίους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="disxili%2Fous">δισχιλίους</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tria%2Fkonta">τριάκοντα</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Fqos">βάθος</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w> <w lemma="sunhspiko%2Ftas">συνησπικότας</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="fhsin">φησιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="o%29ktw%5C">ὀκτὼ</w> <w lemma="tetagme%2Fnwn">τεταγμένων</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhn">μάχην</w>.
9
<w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="toiau%3Dta">τοιαῦτα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%28marthma%2Ftwn">ἁμαρτημάτων</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29pologi%2Fan">ἀπολογίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pide%2Fxetai:">ἐπιδέχεται·</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29du%2Fnaton">ἀδύνατον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmasin">πράγμασιν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fqen">αὐτόθεν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstin">πίστιν</w>.
10
<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w> <w lemma="diasth%2Fmata">διαστήματα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpou">τόπου</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="w%28risme%2Fnon">ὡρισμένον</w> <w lemma="u%28poqw%3Dsi">ὑποθῶσι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29riqmo%5Cn">ἀριθμὸν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w>, <w lemma="a%29napolo%2Fghton">ἀναπολόγητον</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnetai">γίνεται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="yeu%3Ddos">ψεῦδος</w>.
But here is the greatest of all his mistakes. He tells us that Alexander, on approaching the enemy, made his line eight deep.
It is evident then that now the total length of the line must have been forty stades.
And even if they closed up so that, as described by Homer, they actually jostled each other, still the front must have extended over twenty stades.
But he tells us that there was only a space of less than fourteen stades, and as half of the cavalry were on the left near the sea and half on the right, the room available for the infantry is still further reduced. Add to this that the whole line must have kept at a considerable distance from the mountains so as not to be exposed to attack by those of the enemy who held the foot-hills.
We know that he did as a fact draw up part of his force in a crescent formation to oppose this latter. I omit to reckon here also the ten thousand infantry more than his purpose required.
So the consequence is that the length of the line must have been, according to Callisthenes himself, eleven stades at the most, and in this space thirty-two thousand men must have stood closely packed and thirty deep, whereas he tells us that in the battle they were eight deep.
Now for such mistakes we can admit no excuse.
For when the actual facts show a thing to be impossible we are instantly convinced that it is so.
Thus when a writer gives definitely, as in this case, the distance from man to man, the total area of the ground, and the number of men, he is perfectly inexcusable in making false statements.