Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 26a

1
<w lemma="%2Ati%2F">Τί</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Atimole%2Fwn">Τιμολέων</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="au%29th%3D%7C">αὐτῇ</w> <w lemma="bu%2Fblw%7C">βύβλῳ</w> <w lemma="parakalw%3Dn">παρακαλῶν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhnas">Ἕλληνας</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Akarxhdoni%2Fous">Καρχηδονίους</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="mello%2Fntwn">μελλόντων</w> <w lemma="suna%2Fgein">συνάγειν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dras">χεῖρας</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29xqroi%3Ds">ἐχθροῖς</w> <w lemma="pollaplasi%2Fois">πολλαπλασίοις</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dsi">οὖσι</w>, <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29cioi%3D">ἀξιοῖ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="ble%2Fpein">βλέπειν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fwn">ὑπεναντίων</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29nandri%2Fan">ἀνανδρίαν</w>;
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fhs">Λιβύης</w> <w lemma="a%28pa%2Fshs">ἁπάσης</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w> <w lemma="oi%29koume%2Fnhs">οἰκουμένης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="plhquou%2Fshs">πληθυούσης</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpwn">ἀνθρώπων</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="paroimi%2Fais">παροιμίαις</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29rhmi%2Fas">ἐρημίας</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fmfasin">ἔμφασιν</w> <w lemma="boulw%2Fmeqa">βουλώμεθα</w> <w lemma="poih%3Dsai">ποιῆσαι</w>, <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="h%28ma%3Ds">ἡμᾶς</w> <w lemma="“e%29rhmo%2Ftera">“ἐρημότερα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fhs”">Λιβύης”</w>, <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29rhmi%2Fan">ἐρημίαν</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frontas">φέροντας</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29nandri%2Fan">ἀνανδρίαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="katoikou%2Fntwn">κατοικούντων</w>.
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<w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w>, <w lemma="fhsi%2F">φησί</w>, <w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="fobhqei%2Fh">φοβηθείη</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndras">ἄνδρας</w>, <w lemma="oi%28%2Ftines">οἵτινες</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsews">φύσεως</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpois">ἀνθρώποις</w> <w lemma="dedwkui%2Fas">δεδωκυίας</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fdion">ἴδιον</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="loipa%5C">λοιπὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="zw%2F%7Cwn">ζῴων</w>, <w lemma="le%2Fgw">λέγω</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dras">χεῖρας</w>, <w lemma="tau%2Ftas">ταύτας</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flon">ὅλον</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fon">βίον</w> <w lemma="e%29nto%5Cs">ἐντὸς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="xitw%2Fnwn">χιτώνων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontes">ἔχοντες</w> <w lemma="a%29pra%2Fktous">ἀπράκτους</w> <w lemma="perife%2Frousi">περιφέρουσι</w>;
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston">μέγιστον</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="xitwni%2Fskois">χιτωνίσκοις</w>, <w lemma="fhsi%2F">φησί</w>, <w lemma="perizw%2Fmata">περιζώματα</w> <w lemma="forou%3Dsin">φοροῦσιν</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mhd%27">μηδ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="a%29poqa%2Fnwsin">ἀποθάνωσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxais">μάχαις</w> <w lemma="faneroi%5C">φανεροὶ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnwntai">γένωνται</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fois">ὑπεναντίοις</w> <gap /><w lemma=""></w>
And what shall we say again when Timoleon in the same book exhorting the Greeks to do battle with the Carthaginians, almost at the moment that they are about to encounter an enemy largely outnumbering them, first bids them not to consider the numbers of their foes but their cowardice.
For, he says, although the whole of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Libya&groupId=686&placeId=427">Libya</a> is thickly populated and full of men, yet when we wish to convey an impression of solitude we use the proverbial phrase "more desert than <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Libya&groupId=686&placeId=427">Libya</a>," not referring to its solitude but to the cowardice of the inhabitants.
"In general," he says, "how can we be afraid of men who having received from nature in distinction from other animals the gift of hands, hold them for the whole of their life idle inside their tunics,
and above all wear drawers under their tunics that they may not even when killed in battle be exposed to the view of their enemies?. . . .