Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 4a

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<head lang="la">III. De Aliis Timaei Erroribus</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="diasu%2Fras">διασύρας</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaion">Τίμαιον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="polloi%3Ds">πολλοῖς</w> <w lemma="au%29%3Dqi%2Fs">αὖθίς</w> <w lemma="fhsi:">φησι·</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fs">Τίς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="doi%2Fh">δοίη</w> <w lemma="suggnw%2Fmhn">συγγνώμην</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftois">τοιούτοις</w> <w lemma="a%28marth%2Fmasin">ἁμαρτήμασιν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllws">ἄλλως</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Atimai%2Fw%7C">Τιμαίῳ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="prosfuome%2Fnw%7C">προσφυομένῳ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllois">ἄλλοις</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Ftas">τοιαύτας</w> <w lemma="parwnuxi%2Fas">παρωνυχίας</w>;
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<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="ai%28%3Ds">αἷς</w> <w lemma="%2Aqeopo%2Fmpou">Θεοπόμπου</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="kathgorei%3D">κατηγορεῖ</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="%2Adionusi%2Fou">Διονυσίου</w> <w lemma="poihsame%2Fnou">ποιησαμένου</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29nakomidh%5Cn">ἀνακομιδὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeli%2Fas">Σικελίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Ako%2Frinqon">Κόρινθον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="makra%3D%7C">μακρᾷ</w> <w lemma="nhi%2F">νηί</w>, <w lemma="%2Aqeo%2Fpompo%2Fs">Θεόπομπός</w> <w lemma="fhsin">φησιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="stroggu%2Flh%7C">στρογγύλῃ</w> <w lemma="paragene%2Fsqai">παραγενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Adionu%2Fsion">Διονύσιον</w>,
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<w lemma="%2A%29efo%2Frou">Ἐφόρου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgnoian">ἄγνοιαν</w> <w lemma="katayeu%2Fdetai">καταψεύδεται</w>, <w lemma="fa%2Fskwn">φάσκων</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2Adionu%2Fsios">Διονύσιος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="presbu%2Fteros">πρεσβύτερος</w> <w lemma="parela%2Fmbane">παρελάμβανε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29tw%3Dn">ἐτῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkosi">εἴκοσι</w> <w lemma="triw%3Dn">τριῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxwn">ὑπάρχων</w>, <w lemma="dunasteu%2Fsai">δυναστεύσαι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tettara%2Fkonta">τετταράκοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w>, <w lemma="metalla%2Fcai">μεταλλάξαι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fon">βίον</w> <w lemma="proslabw%5Cn">προσλαβὼν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%2Fkonta">ἑξήκοντα</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fa:">τρία·</w>
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<w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ou%29dei%5Cs">οὐδεὶς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fpeie">εἴπειε</w> <w lemma="dh%2Fpou">δήπου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="suggrafe%2Fws">συγγραφέως</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fptwma">διάπτωμα</w>, <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="grafe%2Fws">γραφέως</w> <w lemma="o%28mologoume%2Fnws:">ὁμολογουμένως·</w>
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<w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Feforon">Ἔφορον</w> <w lemma="u%28perbebhke%2Fnai">ὑπερβεβηκέναι</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="mwri%2Fa%7C">μωρίᾳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Ako%2Froibon">Κόροιβον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Amargi%2Fthn">Μαργίτην</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="dunato%5Cs">δυνατὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="sullogi%2Fzesqai">συλλογίζεσθαι</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="tettara%2Fkonta">τετταράκοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="prosteqe%2Fnta">προστεθέντα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkosi">εἴκοσι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="trisi%5Cn">τρισὶν</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%2Fkonta">ἑξήκοντα</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnetai">γίνεται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fnte:">πέντε·</w>
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<w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="mhdamw%3Ds">μηδαμῶς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="pisteuqe%2Fntos">πιστευθέντος</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29efo%2Frou">Ἐφόρου</w> <w lemma="fanero%5Cn">φανερὸν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%28ma%2Frthma">ἁμάρτημα</w> ?<w lemma=""></w>* <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="grafe%2Fws">γραφέως</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Atimai%2Fou">Τιμαίου</w> <w lemma="filepi%2Ftimon">φιλεπίτιμον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="file%2Fgklhmon">φιλέγκλημον</w> <w lemma="ou%29dei%5Cs">οὐδεὶς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="a%29pode%2Fcaito">ἀποδέξαιτο</w>.
<head>III. Other Errors made by Timaeus</head>Who could continue to pardon such faults, especially when committed by Timaeus who is so fond of cavilling at similar blemishes in others?
For instance, he accuses Theopompus of stating that Dionysius was conveyed from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a> to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Corinth&groupId=493&placeId=928">Corinth</a> in a merchant ship, whereas he really travelled in a warship,
and again he falsely accuses Ephorus of making a blunder because he tells us that the elder Dionysius began to reign at the age of twenty-three, reigned for forty-two years, and died at the age of sixty-three.
For surely no one could say that the mistake here was the author's, but it is obviously the scribe's.
Either Ephorus must have surpassed Coroebus and Margites in stupidity if he could not reckon that forty-two added to twenty-three make sixty-five,
or as nobody would believe this of Ephorus, the mistake is evidently due to the scribe. No one, however, could approve of Timaeus' love of cavilling and fault-finding.