Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 25c

1
<w lemma="%2A%29%2Fisws">Ἴσως</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29naporh%2Fseie">ἐναπορήσειε</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="toiou%3Dtos">τοιοῦτος</w> <w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Don">οἷον</w> <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28podei%2Fknumen">ὑποδείκνυμεν</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fths">τοιαύτης</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29ni%2Fois">ἐνίοις</w> <w lemma="a%29podoxh%3Ds">ἀποδοχῆς</w> <w lemma="te%2Fteuxe">τέτευχε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstews">πίστεως</w>.
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<w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5Cn">ἐστὶν</w> <w lemma="ai%29%2Ftion">αἴτιον</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="pleonazou%2Fshs">πλεοναζούσης</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pragmatei%2Fan">πραγματείαν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="e%29pitimh%2Fsews">ἐπιτιμήσεως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="loidori%2Fas">λοιδορίας</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="qewrei%3Dtai">θεωρεῖται</w> <w lemma="pragmatei%2Fas">πραγματείας</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fwn">ἰδίων</w> <w lemma="a%29pofa%2Fsewn">ἀποφάσεων</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flas">πέλας</w> <w lemma="kathgori%2Fas">κατηγορίας</w>, <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnos">γένος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polupragmosu%2Fnhn">πολυπραγμοσύνην</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="moi">μοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="prosene%2Fgkasqai">προσενέγκασθαι</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Frousan:">διαφέρουσαν·</w>
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<w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="dh%2F">δή</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="toiou%3Dto">τοιοῦτο</w> <w lemma="sumbe%2Fbhke">συμβέβηκε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Astra%2Ftwni">Στράτωνι</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="fusikw%3D%7C:">φυσικῷ·</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnos">ἐκεῖνος</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="e%29gxeirh%2Fsh%7C">ἐγχειρήσῃ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcas">δόξας</w> <w lemma="diaste%2Fllesqai">διαστέλλεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="yeudopoiei%3Dn">ψευδοποιεῖν</w>, <w lemma="qauma%2Fsio%2Fs">θαυμάσιός</w> <w lemma="e%29stin:">ἐστιν·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="profe%2Frhtai">προφέρηται</w> <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fwn">ἰδίων</w> <w lemma="e%29pinohma%2Ftwn">ἐπινοημάτων</w> <w lemma="e%29chgh%3Dtai">ἐξηγῆται</w>, <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="fai%2Fnetai">φαίνεται</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%2Fmosin">ἐπιστήμοσιν</w> <w lemma="eu%29hqe%2Fsteros">εὐηθέστερος</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nwqro%2Fteros">νωθρότερος</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="moi">μοι</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="panta%2Fpasin">παντάπασιν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmoio%2Fn">ὅμοιόν</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="gra%2Ffontas">γράφοντας</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flon">ὅλον</w> <w lemma="h%28mw%3Dn">ἡμῶν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fon">βίον</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnonti:">συμβαίνοντι·</w>
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29pitimh%3Dsai">ἐπιτιμῆσαι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flas">πέλας</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5C">ἐστὶ</w> <w lemma="r%28a%2F%7Cdion">ῥᾴδιον</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28to%5Cn">αὑτὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29nama%2Frthton">ἀναμάρτητον</w> <w lemma="pare%2Fxesqai">παρέχεσθαι</w> <w lemma="xalepo%2Fn">χαλεπόν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpos">ἔπος</w> <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fdoi">ἴδοι</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="proxeiro%2Ftata">προχειρότατα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flas">πέλας</w> <w lemma="e%29pitimw%3Dntas">ἐπιτιμῶντας</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dsta">πλεῖστα</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fdion">ἴδιον</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fon">βίον</w> <w lemma="a%28marta%2Fnontas">ἁμαρτάνοντας</w>.
Perhaps, therefore, some might wonder how, being such as I have proved him to be, he meets with such acceptance and credit from certain people .
The reason of this is that, as throughout his whole work he is so lavish of fault-finding and abuse, they do not form their estimate of him from his own treatment of history and his own statements, but from the accusations he brings against others, for which kind of thing he seems to me to have possessed remarkable industry and a peculiar talent.
It was much the same with Strato, the writer on physical science. He also, when he undertakes to set forth and refute the views of the others, is admirable, but when he produces anything original and explains his own notions, he seems to men of science much more simple-minded and dull than they took him to be.
I think that the same is the case with literature as with our life in general; for here too it is very easy to find fault with others, and one notices as a rule that those who are readiest to blame others err most in the conduct of their own life.