Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 7

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="i%28storei%3D">ἱστορεῖ</w> <w lemma="yeudh%3D">ψευδῆ</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaios">Τίμαιος</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fpan">παράπαν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fpeiros">ἄπειρος</w> <w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="ou%29deno%5Cs">οὐδενὸς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w>, <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="filoneiki%2Fas">φιλονεικίας</w> <w lemma="e%29piskotou%2Fmenos">ἐπισκοτούμενος</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpac">ἅπαξ</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="ye%2Fgein">ψέγειν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon">τοὐναντίον</w> <w lemma="e%29gkwmia%2Fzein">ἐγκωμιάζειν</w> <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fqhtai">πρόθηται</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="e%29pilanqa%2Fnetai">ἐπιλανθάνεται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polu%2F">πολύ</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kaqh%2Fkontos">καθήκοντος</w> <w lemma="parekbai%2Fnei">παρεκβαίνει</w>.
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<w lemma="plh%5Cn">πλὴν</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aristote%2Flous">Ἀριστοτέλους</w> <w lemma="ei%29rh%2Fsqw">εἰρήσθω</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fsi">τίσι</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fxwn">προσέχων</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="e%29poih%2Fsato">ἐποιήσατο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Alokrw%3Dn">Λοκρῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29ch%2Fghsin:">ἐξήγησιν·</w>
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<w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgesqai">λέγεσθαι</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllonta">μέλλοντα</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Atimai%2Fou">Τιμαίου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhs">ὅλης</w> <w lemma="sunta%2Fcews">συντάξεως</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kaqh%2Fkontos">καθήκοντος</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pragmateuome%2Fnois">πραγματευομένοις</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fan">ἱστορίαν</w> <w lemma="toia%2Fnde">τοιάνδε</w> <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="lh%2Fyetai">λήψεται</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29pa%2Fnthsin">ἀπάντησιν</w>.
4
<w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="a%29mfo%2Fteroi">ἀμφότεροι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Fta">εἰκότα</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="pepoi%2Fhntai">πεποίηνται</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pixei%2Frhsin">ἐπιχείρησιν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="ei%29si%5C">εἰσὶ</w> <w lemma="piqano%2Fthtes">πιθανότητες</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aristote%2Flhn">Ἀριστοτέλην</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fa%7C">ἱστορίᾳ</w>, <w lemma="dokw%3D">δοκῶ</w>, <w lemma="pa%3Ds">πᾶς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29rhme%2Fnwn">εἰρημένων</w> <w lemma="o%28mologh%2Fseien:">ὁμολογήσειεν·</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqe%5Cs">ἀληθὲς</w> <w lemma="me%2Fntoi">μέντοι</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqa%2Fpac">καθάπαξ</w> <w lemma="diastei%3Dlai">διαστεῖλαι</w> <w lemma="peri%2F">περί</w> <w lemma="tinos">τινος</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstin">ἔστιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstw">ἔστω</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaion">Τίμαιον</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Fta">εἰκότα</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w>. <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fthn">ταύτην</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="deh%2Fsei">δεήσει</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="r%28h%3Dma">ῥῆμα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="fwnh%5Cn">φωνὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fein">ἀκούειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="qana%2Ftou">θανάτου</w> <w lemma="kri%2Fsin">κρίσιν</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fxein">ὑπέχειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fais">ἱστορίαις</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dtton">ἧττον</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Fta">εἰκότα</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgontas">λέγοντας</w>; <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="dh%2Fpou">δήπου</w>.
6
<w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgnoian">ἄγνοιαν</w> <w lemma="yeudografou%3Dsin">ψευδογραφοῦσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffamen">ἔφαμεν</w> <w lemma="dei%3Dn">δεῖν</w> <w lemma="dio%2Frqwsin">διόρθωσιν</w> <w lemma="eu%29menikh%5Cn">εὐμενικὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="suggnw%2Fmhn">συγγνώμην</w> <w lemma="e%29cakolouqei%3Dn">ἐξακολουθεῖν</w>, <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="proai%2Fresin">προαίρεσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29parai%2Fthton">ἀπαραίτητον</w> <w lemma="kathgori%2Fan">κατηγορίαν</w>.
Timaeus frequently makes false statements. He appears to me not to be in general uninformed about such matters, but his judgement to be darkened by prejudice; and when he once sets himself to blame or praise anyone he forgets everything and departs very widely from his duty as a historian.
Let it suffice, however, on behalf of Aristotle that I have shown how and relying on what authority he composed his account of Locri.
But what I am now about to say concerning Timaeus and his work as a whole, and in general about the duty incumbent on those who occupy themselves with history, will meet objections more or less as follows.
That both authors have aimed at reaching probability, but that there is more probability in Aristotle's account, I think everyone will avow after what I have said. It is not however, I shall be told, possible to pronounce absolutely about the truth of anything in this matter.
Well! I am even ready to concede that Timaeus's account is more probable. But is this a reason why a historical writer whose statements seem lacking in probability must submit to listen to every term of contumely and almost to be put on trial for his life?
Surely not. For those, as I said, who make false statements owing to error should meet with kind correction and forgiveness, but those who lie deliberately deserve an implacable accuser.