Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 22

1
<w lemma="%2Ata%5C">Τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="a%29logh%2Fmata">ἀλογήματα</w> <w lemma="makro%5Cn">μακρὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fh">εἴη</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="plh%5Cn">πλὴν</w> <w lemma="tele%2Fws">τελέως</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgwn">ὀλίγων</w>.
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<w lemma="fhsi%5C">φησὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29ale%2Fcandron">Ἀλέξανδρον</w> <w lemma="spouda%2Fzein">σπουδάζειν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcin">τάξιν</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Adarei%3Don">Δαρεῖον</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fshtai">ποιήσηται</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhn:">μάχην·</w> <w lemma="o%28moi%2Fws">ὁμοίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxa%5Cs">ἀρχὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Adarei%3Don">Δαρεῖον</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="bou%2Flesqai">βούλεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29ale%2Fcandron">Ἀλέξανδρον</w>, <w lemma="u%28%2Fsteron">ὕστερον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="metanoh%3Dsai">μετανοῆσαι</w>.
3
<w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fgnwsan">ἐπέγνωσαν</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flous">ἀλλήλους</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3Dtoi">οὗτοι</w> <w lemma="pou%3D">ποῦ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fas">ἰδίας</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmews">δυνάμεως</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxousi">ἔχουσι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcin">τάξιν</w>, <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="pou%3D">ποῦ</w> <w lemma="mete%2Fbh">μετέβη</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Adarei%3Dos">Δαρεῖος</w>, <w lemma="a%28plw%3Ds">ἁπλῶς</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgetai">λέγεται</w>.
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<w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="prosane%2Fbh">προσανέβη</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%29fru%5Cn">ὀφρὺν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="potamou%3D">ποταμοῦ</w> <w lemma="falaggitw%3Dn">φαλαγγιτῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcis">τάξις</w>, <w lemma="a%29po%2Ftomon">ἀπότομον</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dsan">οὖσαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="batw%2Fdh">βατώδη</w>; <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>.
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<w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndrw%7C">Ἀλεξάνδρῳ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29poiste%2Fon">ἐποιστέον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="a%29topi%2Fan">ἀτοπίαν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsin">πᾶσιν</w> <w lemma="o%28mologoume%2Fnhn">ὁμολογουμένην</w> <w lemma="paralamba%2Fnesqai">παραλαμβάνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemikoi%3Ds">πολεμικοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeiri%2Fan">ἐμπειρίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tribh%5Cn">τριβὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="paido%2Fs">παιδός</w>,
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<w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="suggrafei%3D">συγγραφεῖ</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29peiri%2Fan">ἀπειρίαν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="dunato%5Cn">δυνατὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="dunato%5Cn">δυνατὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftois">τοιούτοις</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnatai">δύναται</w> <w lemma="dieukrinei%3Dn">διευκρινεῖν</w>.
7
<w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29efo%2Frou">Ἐφόρου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Akallisqe%2Fnous">Καλλισθένους</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dq%27">ταῦθ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29rh%2Fsqw">εἰρήσθω</w>.
It would be too long a story to mention all the other absurdities of his narrative, and it will suffice to point out a few.
He tells us that Alexander in drawing up his army was most anxious to be opposed to Darius in person, and that Darius also at first entertained the same wish, but afterwards changed his mind.
But he tells us absolutely nothing as to how they intimated to each other at what point in their own line they were stationed, or where Darius finally went on changing his position.
And how, we ask, did a phalanx of heavy-armed men manage to mount the bank of the river which was steep and overgrown with brambles?
This, too, is inexplicable. Such an absurdity cannot be attributed to Alexander, as it is universally acknowledged that from his childhood he was well versed and trained in the art of war.
We should rather attribute it to the writer, who is so ignorant as to be unable to distinguish the possible from the impossible in such matters.
Let this suffice for Ephorus and Callisthenes.