Polybius, Histories

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Book 13 - Chapter 2

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2Asko%2Fpas">Σκόπας</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29twlw%3Dn">Αἰτωλῶν</w> <w lemma="strathgo%5Cs">στρατηγὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29potuxw%5Cn">ἀποτυχὼν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w>, <w lemma="h%28%3Ds">ἧς</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="e%29to%2Flma">ἐτόλμα</w> <w lemma="gra%2Ffein">γράφειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmous">νόμους</w>, <w lemma="mete%2Fwros">μετέωρος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w>, <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dqen">ἐκεῖθεν</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fsi">ἐλπίσι</w> <w lemma="pepeisme%2Fnos">πεπεισμένος</w> <w lemma="a%29naplhrw%2Fsein">ἀναπληρώσειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="lei%2Fponta">λείποντα</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fou">βίου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3Ds">ψυχῆς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="e%29piqumi%2Fan">ἐπιθυμίαν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29dw%5Cs">εἰδὼς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w>,
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<w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28drwpikw%3Dn">ὑδρωπικῶν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fpote">οὐδέποτε</w> <w lemma="poiei%3D">ποιεῖ</w> <w lemma="pau%3Dlan">παῦλαν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="ko%2Fron">κόρον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29piqumi%2Fas">ἐπιθυμίας</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fcwqen">ἔξωθεν</w> <w lemma="u%28grw%3Dn">ὑγρῶν</w> <w lemma="para%2Fqesis">παράθεσις</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="sw%2Fmati">σώματι</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w> <w lemma="u%28gia%2Fsh%7C">ὑγιάσῃ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="e%29piqumi%2Fan">ἐπιθυμίαν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kore%2Fsai">κορέσαι</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3D%7C">ψυχῇ</w> <w lemma="kaki%2Fan">κακίαν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgw%7C">λόγῳ</w> <w lemma="tini%5C">τινὶ</w> <w lemma="diorqwsa%2Fmenon">διορθωσάμενον</w>. <w lemma="e%29mfane%2Fstaton">ἐμφανέστατον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbh">συνέβη</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w>, <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgos">λόγος</w>.
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<w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="a%29fikome%2Fnw%7C">ἀφικομένῳ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28pai%2Fqrwn">ὑπαίθρων</w> <w lemma="w%29felei%2Fais">ὠφελείαις</w>, <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="ku%2Frios">κύριος</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pisteu%2Fesqai">πιστεύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flwn">ὅλων</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fras">ἡμέρας</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fsths">ἑκάστης</w> <w lemma="o%29yw%2Fnion">ὀψώνιον</w> <w lemma="e%29ce%2Fqhken">ἐξέθηκεν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="basileu%5Cs">βασιλεὺς</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="dekamnaiai%3Don">δεκαμναιαῖον</w>, <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2F">ἐπί</w> <w lemma="tinos">τινος</w> <w lemma="h%28gemoni%2Fas">ἡγεμονίας</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="tetagme%2Fnois">τεταγμένοις</w> <w lemma="mnaiai%3Don">μναιαῖον</w>.
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<w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="h%29rkei%3Dto">ἠρκεῖτο</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="proskarterw%3Dn">προσκαρτερῶν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Foni">πλείονι</w> <w lemma="diete%2Flese">διετέλεσε</w>,
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<w lemma="me%2Fxri">μέχρι</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29plhsti%2Fan">ἀπληστίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="didou%3Dsi">διδοῦσι</w> <w lemma="fqonhqei%5Cs">φθονηθεὶς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pneu%3Dma">πνεῦμα</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fqhke">προσέθηκε</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="xrusi%2Fw%7C">χρυσίῳ</w>. —
Scopas, the strategus of the Aetolians, when he fell from the office by power of which he ventured to draft these laws, turned eagerly towards <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> for help, convinced that if his expectations in that quarter were realized he would repair his damaged fortunes and satisfy his soul\'s longing for gain.
He was unaware that as in the case of a dropsy the thirst of the sufferer never ceases and is never allayed by the administration of liquids from without, unless we cure the morbid condition of the body itself, so it is impossible to satiate the greed for gain, unless we correct by reasoning the vice inherent in the soul. The most conspicuous case of this was that of the very man of whom we are now speaking.
For when he reached <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>, in addition to the profit he drew from the force in the field which had been placed absolutely at his disposal, the king assigned him personally a daily pay of ten minae, while those serving under him in any command received one mina each.
Still he was not satisfied with this, but from the very first was so devoted to gain that at the end, arousing by his insatiate greed the aversion
of those even who ministered to it, he delivered his soul over to money.