Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 4d

1
<w lemma="%2A%29en">Ἐν</w> <w lemma="w%28%3D%7C">ᾧ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnei">γένει</w> <w lemma="megi%2Fsthn">μεγίστην</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Ffasin">ἐπίφασιν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Flkwn">ἕλκων</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaios">Τίμαιος</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dston">πλεῖστον</w> <w lemma="a%29polei%2Fpesqai%2F">ἀπολείπεσθαί</w> <w lemma="moi">μοι</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqei%2Fas:">ἀληθείας·</w>
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<w lemma="tosou%3Dto">τοσοῦτο</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fxei">ἀπέχει</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28te%2Frwn">ἑτέρων</w> <w lemma="a%29kribw%3Ds">ἀκριβῶς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lh%2Fqeian">ἀλήθειαν</w> <w lemma="e%29ceta%2Fzein">ἐξετάζειν</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fpths">αὐτόπτης</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgone">γέγονε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%28%5Cs">οὓς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Fkei">ἥκει</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>, <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="u%28gie%5Cs">ὑγιὲς</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29chgei%3Dtai">ἐξηγεῖται</w>.
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<w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstai">ἔσται</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeli%2Fan">Σικελίαν</w> <w lemma="dei%2Fcwmen">δείξωμεν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29gnoou%3Dnta">ἀγνοοῦντα</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="a%29pofai%2Fnetai:">ἀποφαίνεται·</w>
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<w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="prosdeh%2Fsei">προσδεήσει</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgwn">λόγων</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fr">ὑπέρ</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="yeudologi%2Fas">ψευδολογίας</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffu">ἔφυ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29tra%2Ffh">ἐτράφη</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpois">τόποις</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifanesta%2Ftois">ἐπιφανεστάτοις</w> [<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>] <w lemma="a%29gnow%3Dn">ἀγνοῶν</w> <w lemma="eu%28reqh%3D%7C">εὑρεθῇ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parapai%2Fwn">παραπαίων</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqei%2Fas">ἀληθείας</w>.
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<w lemma="fhsi%5C">φησὶ</w> <w lemma="toigarou%3Dn">τοιγαροῦν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29are%2Fqousan">Ἀρέθουσαν</w> <w lemma="krh%2Fnhn">κρήνην</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakou%2Fsais">Συρακούσαις</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="phga%5Cs">πηγὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Apelopo%2Fnnhson">Πελοπόννησον</w> <w lemma="dia%2F">διά</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29arkadi%2Fas">Ἀρκαδίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29olumpi%2Fas">Ὀλυμπίας</w> <w lemma="r%28e%2Fontos">ῥέοντος</w> [<w lemma="potamou%3D">ποταμοῦ</w>] <w lemma="%2A%29alfeiou%3D:">Ἀλφειοῦ·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnon">ἐκεῖνον</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnta">δύντα</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="gh%3Ds">γῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tetrakisxili%2Fous">τετρακισχιλίους</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fous">σταδίους</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeliko%5Cn">Σικελικὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29nexqe%2Fnta">ἐνεχθέντα</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flagos">πέλαγος</w> <w lemma="a%29nadu%2Fnein">ἀναδύνειν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Asurakou%2Fsais">Συρακούσαις</w>,
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<w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kata%2F">κατά</w> <w lemma="tina">τινα</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="ou%29rani%2Fwn">οὐρανίων</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fmbrwn">ὄμβρων</w> <w lemma="r%28age%2Fntwn">ῥαγέντων</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29olumpi%2Fwn">Ὀλυμπίων</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="potamou%3D">ποταμοῦ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fmenos">τέμενος</w> <w lemma="e%29piklu%2Fsantos">ἐπικλύσαντος</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>,
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<w lemma="o%29%2Fnqou">ὄνθου</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="a%29nablu%2Fzein">ἀναβλύζειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29are%2Fqousan">Ἀρέθουσαν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="panh%2Fgurin">πανήγυριν</w> <w lemma="quome%2Fnwn">θυομένων</w> <w lemma="bow%3Dn">βοῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fia%2Flhn">φιάλην</w> <w lemma="xrush%3Dn">χρυσῆν</w> <w lemma="a%29nabalei%3Dn">ἀναβαλεῖν</w>, <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="e%29pigno%2Fntes">ἐπιγνόντες</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%28orth%3Ds">ἑορτῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29nei%2Flonto">ἀνείλοντο</w>.
In this respect Timaeus, while making a great parade of accuracy, is, in my opinion, wont to be very short of the truth.
So far is he from accurate investigation of the truth by questioning others that not even about matters he has even with his own eyes and places he has actually visited does he tell us anything trustworthy.
This will become evident if we can show that in talking of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a> he makes mistaken statements.
For we may almost say that no further evidence of his inaccuracy is required, if as regards the country where he was born and bred and the most celebrated spots in it we find him mistaken and widely diverging from the truth.
He tells us, then, that the fountain of Arethusa in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a> derives its source from the river Alpheius in the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Peloponnese&groupId=861&placeId=1552">Peloponnese</a> which runs through Arcadia and past <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a>.
This river, he says, diving into the earth and travelling four thousand stades under the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicilian Sea&groupId=972&placeId=1723">Sicilian Sea</a> reappears in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syracuse&groupId=994&placeId=1753">Syracuse</a>.
This, he adds, is proved by the fact that once upon a time after heavy rains at the season of the Olympian festival, when the river had flooded the sanctuary,
Arethusa threw up a quantity of dung from the beasts sacrificed at the festival and even a gold bowl which they recognized as coming from the festival and made away with.