Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 12 - Chapter 24

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="diaporei%3Dn">διαπορεῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsti">ἔστι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ai%28re%2Fsews">αἱρέσεως</w> <w lemma="%2Atimai%2Fou">Τιμαίου</w>. <w lemma="fhsi%5C">φησὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="poihta%5Cs">ποιητὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="suggrafe%2Fas">συγγραφέας</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28pera%2Fnw">ὑπεράνω</w> <w lemma="pleonasmw%3Dn">πλεονασμῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28pomnh%2Fmasi">ὑπομνήμασι</w> <w lemma="diafai%2Fnein">διαφαίνειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%28autw%3Dn">ἑαυτῶν</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fseis">φύσεις</w>.
2
<w lemma="le%2Fgwn">λέγων</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="poihth%5Cn">ποιητὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="daitreu%2Fein">δαιτρεύειν</w> <w lemma="pollaxou%3D">πολλαχοῦ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsews">ποιήσεως</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="gastri%2Fmargon">γαστρίμαργον</w> <w lemma="paremfai%2Fnein">παρεμφαίνειν</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aristote%2Flhn">Ἀριστοτέλην</w>, <w lemma="o%29yartu%2Fonta">ὀψαρτύοντα</w> <w lemma="pleona%2Fkis">πλεονάκις</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="suggra%2Fmmasin">συγγράμμασιν</w>, <w lemma="o%29yofa%2Fgon">ὀψοφάγον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="li%2Fxnon">λίχνον</w>.
3
<w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Adionusi%2Fou">Διονυσίου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="tura%2Fnnou">τυράννου</w>, <w lemma="klinokosmou%3Dntos">κλινοκοσμοῦντος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28fasma%2Ftwn">ὑφασμάτων</w> <w lemma="i%29dio%2Fthtas">ἰδιότητας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="poikili%2Fas">ποικιλίας</w> <w lemma="e%29cergazome%2Fnou">ἐξεργαζομένου</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w>.
4
?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkh">ἀνάγκη</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29ko%2Flouqon">ἀκόλουθον</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="dia%2Flhyin">διάληψιν</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dusarestei%3Dsqai">δυσαρεστεῖσθαι</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="proai%2Fresin">προαίρεσιν</w>.
5
<w lemma="ou%28%3Dtos">οὗτος</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flas">πέλας</w> <w lemma="kathgori%2Fais">κατηγορίαις</w> <w lemma="pollh%5Cn">πολλὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pifai%2Fnei">ἐπιφαίνει</w> <w lemma="deino%2Fthta">δεινότητα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Flman">τόλμαν</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fais">ἰδίαις</w> <w lemma="a%29pofa%2Fsesin">ἀποφάσεσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29nupni%2Fwn">ἐνυπνίων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tera%2Ftwn">τεράτων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mu%2Fqwn">μύθων</w> <w lemma="a%29piqa%2Fnwn">ἀπιθάνων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sullh%2Fbdhn">συλλήβδην</w> <w lemma="deisidaimoni%2Fas">δεισιδαιμονίας</w> <w lemma="a%29gennou%3Ds">ἀγεννοῦς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="teratei%2Fas">τερατείας</w> <w lemma="gunaikw%2Fdous">γυναικώδους</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5C">ἐστὶ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Frhs">πλήρης</w>.
6
<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29peiri%2Fan">ἀπειρίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kakokrisi%2Fan">κακοκρισίαν</w> <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29ni%2Fote">ἐνίοτε</w> <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="paro%2Fntas">παρόντας</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="parei%3Dnai">παρεῖναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ble%2Fpontas">βλέποντας</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="ble%2Fpein">βλέπειν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29rhme%2Fnwn">εἰρημένων</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Atimai%2Fw%7C">Τιμαίῳ</w> <w lemma="sumbebhko%2Ftwn">συμβεβηκότων</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgone">γέγονε</w> <w lemma="fanero%2Fn">φανερόν</w>. —
We must entertain considerable doubt about the proclivities of Timaeus. For he tells us that poets and authors reveal their real natures in their works by dwelling excessively on certain matters.
Homer, he says, is constantly feasting his heroes, and this indicates that he was more or less of a glutton. Aristotle frequently gives recipes for cookery in his works, so he must have been an epicure and a lover of dainties.
In the same way Dionysius the tyrant revealed his effeminate tastes by his interest in bed-hangings and the constant study he devoted to varieties and peculiarities of different woven work.
We are driven then to form our opinion of Timaeus on the same principle and to take and unfavourable view of his own tendencies.
For while he exhibits great severity and audacity in accusing others, his own pronouncements are full of dreams, prodigies, incredible tales, and to put it shortly, craven superstition and womanish love of the marvellous.
Be that as it may, it is made evident from what I have just said and from this case of Timaeus that owing to ignorance and a defect of judgement many men are at times as it were absent when present and blind with their eyes open.