Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 26c

1
<w lemma="%2Aloipo%5Cn">Λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolh%5Cn">ὑπερβολὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="paradocologi%2Fas">παραδοξολογίας</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="su%2Fgkrisin">σύγκρισιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="katamw%2Fkhsin">καταμώκησιν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgei">ἄγει</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndras">ἄνδρας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="bou%2Fletai">βούλεται</w> <w lemma="proi+%2Fstasqai">προΐστασθαι</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="e%29mpi%2Fptei">ἐμπίπτει</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29akadhmei%2Fa%7C">Ἀκαδημείᾳ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgous">λόγους</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="proxeiro%2Ftaton">προχειρότατον</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="h%29skhko%2Fsi">ἠσκηκόσι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnwn">ἐκείνων</w> <w lemma="tine%5Cs">τινὲς</w> <w lemma="boulo%2Fmenoi">βουλόμενοι</w> <w lemma="peri%2F">περί</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="profanw%3Ds">προφανῶς</w> <w lemma="katalhptw%3Dn">καταληπτῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="dokou%2Fntwn">δοκούντων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29katalh%2Fptwn">ἀκαταλήπτων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="a%29pori%2Fan">ἀπορίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgein">ἄγειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="prosdialegome%2Fnous">προσδιαλεγομένους</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Ftais">τοιαύταις</w> <w lemma="xrw%3Dntai">χρῶνται</w> <w lemma="paradocologi%2Fais">παραδοξολογίαις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Ftas">τοιαύτας</w> <w lemma="eu%29porou%3Dsi">εὐποροῦσι</w> <w lemma="piqano%2Fthtas">πιθανότητας</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="diaporei%3Dn">διαπορεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="dunato%2Fn">δυνατόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aqh%2Fnais">Ἀθήναις</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntas">ὄντας</w> <w lemma="o%29sfrai%2Fnesqai">ὀσφραίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28yome%2Fnwn">ἑψομένων</w> <w lemma="w%29%7Cw%3Dn">ᾠῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29efe%2Fsw%7C">Ἐφέσῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dista%2Fzein">διστάζειν</w> <w lemma="mh%2F">μή</w> <w lemma="pws">πως</w>, <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29akadhmei%2Fa%7C">Ἀκαδημείᾳ</w> <w lemma="diale%2Fgontai">διαλέγονται</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w>, <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fpar">ὕπαρ</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnar">ὄναρ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="oi%29%2Fkw%7C">οἴκῳ</w> <w lemma="katakei%2Fmenoi">κατακείμενοι</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="diati%2Fqentai">διατίθενται</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgous">λόγους</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolh%5Cn">ὑπερβολὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="paradocologi%2Fas">παραδοξολογίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="diabolh%5Cn">διαβολὴν</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fxasi">ἤχασι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhn">ὅλην</w> <w lemma="ai%28%2Fresin">αἵρεσιν</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="a%29porou%2Fmena">ἀπορούμενα</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpois">ἀνθρώποις</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="a%29pisti%2Fan">ἀπιστίαν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dxqai">ἦχθαι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fas">ἰδίας</w> <w lemma="a%29stoxi%2Fas">ἀστοχίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ne%2Fois">νέοις</w> <w lemma="toiou%3Dton">τοιοῦτον</w> <w lemma="e%29nteto%2Fkasi">ἐντετόκασι</w> <w lemma="zh%3Dlon">ζῆλον</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%29qikw%3Dn">ἠθικῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pragmatikw%3Dn">πραγματικῶν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgwn">λόγων</w> <w lemma="mhde%5C">μηδὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tuxou%3Dsan">τυχοῦσαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fnoian">ἐπίνοιαν</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w>, <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnhsis">ὄνησις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="filosofou%3Dsi">φιλοσοφοῦσι</w>, <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29nwfelei%3Ds">ἀνωφελεῖς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parado%2Fcous">παραδόξους</w> <w lemma="eu%28resilogi%2Fas">εὑρεσιλογίας</w> <w lemma="kenodocou%3Dntes">κενοδοξοῦντες</w> <w lemma="katatri%2Fbousi">κατατρίβουσι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fous">βίους</w>.
The consequence of this is that, owing to this excessive addiction to paradox, he does not induce us to consider and compare, but exposes to ridicule the men and the actions he is championing, and comes very near falling into the same vicious habit as those who in the discussions of the Academy have trained themselves in extreme readiness of speech.
For some of these philosophers, too, in their effort to puzzle the minds of those with whom they are arguing about the comprehensible and incomprehensible, resort to such paradoxes and are so fertile in inventing plausibilities that they wonder whether or not it is possible for those in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a> to smell eggs being roasted in Ephesus, and are in doubt as to whether all the time they are discussing the matter in the Academy they are not lying in their beds at home and composing this discourse in a dream and not in reality.
Consequently from this excessive love of paradox they have brought the whole sect into disrepute, so that people have come to disbelieve in the existence of legitimate subjects of doubt.
And apart from their own purposelessness they have implanted such a passion in the minds of our young men, that they never give even a thought to ethical and political questions which really benefit students of philosophy, but spend their lives in the vain effort to invent useless paradoxes.