Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 4b

1
<w lemma="%2Akai%5C">Καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apu%2Frrou">Πύρρου</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="fhsi%5C">φησὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%2Fmnhma">ὑπόμνημα</w> <w lemma="poioume%2Fnous">ποιουμένους</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Filion">Ἴλιον</w> <w lemma="a%29pwlei%2Fas">ἀπωλείας</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fra%7C">ἡμέρᾳ</w> <w lemma="tini%5C">τινὶ</w> <w lemma="katakonti%2Fzein">κατακοντίζειν</w> <w lemma="i%28%2Fppon">ἵππον</w> <w lemma="polemisth%5Cn">πολεμιστὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Aka%2Fmpw%7C">Κάμπῳ</w> <w lemma="kaloume%2Fnw%7C">καλουμένῳ</w>, <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Atroi%2Fas">Τροίας</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Flwsin">ἅλωσιν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="i%28%2Fppon">ἵππον</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="dou%2Frion">δούριον</w> <w lemma="prosagoreuo%2Fmenon">προσαγορευόμενον</w>, <w lemma="pra%3Dgma">πρᾶγμα</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="paidariwde%2Fstaton:">παιδαριωδέστατον·</w>
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<w lemma="ou%28%2Ftw">οὕτω</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="deh%2Fsei">δεήσει</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntas">πάντας</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="barba%2Frous">βαρβάρους</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="%2Atrw%2Fwn">Τρώων</w> <w lemma="a%29pogo%2Fnous">ἀπογόνους</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein:">ὑπάρχειν·</w>
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<w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mh%2F">μή</w> <w lemma="g%27">γ᾽</w>, <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="polemei%3Dn">πολεμεῖν</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllwsin">μέλλωσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="diakinduneu%2Fein">διακινδυνεύειν</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="tinas">τινας</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerw%3Ds">ὁλοσχερῶς</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fppon">ἵππον</w> <w lemma="proqu%2Fontai">προθύονται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sfagia%2Fzontai">σφαγιάζονται</w>, <w lemma="shmeiou%2Fmenoi">σημειούμενοι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllon">μέλλον</w>
Again in his account of Pyrrhus he tells us that the Romans still commemorate the disaster at Troy by shooting on a certain day a war-horse before the city in the Campus Martius, because the capture of Troy was due to the wooden horse — a most childish statement.
For at that rate we should have to say that all barbarian tribes were descendants of the Trojans,
since nearly all of them, or at least the majority, when they are entering on a war or on the eve of a decisive battle sacrifice a horse, divining the issue from the manner in which it falls.