Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 14 - Chapter 1a

1
<head lang="la">I. Ex Prooemio</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="fhsi%5Cn">φησὶν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="e%28autou%3D">ἑαυτοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fblwn">βίβλων</w> <w lemma="u%28poqetikh%3Ds">ὑποθετικῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29chgh%2Fsews:">ἐξηγήσεως·</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Fisws">Ἴσως</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fsais">πάσαις</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="o%29lumpia%2Fsin">ὀλυμπιάσιν</w> <w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="proekqe%2Fseis">προεκθέσεις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2Fstasin">ἐπίστασιν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgousi">ἄγουσι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29ntugxa%2Fnontas">ἐντυγχάνοντας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Ftwn">γεγονότων</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fan">μίαν</w> <w lemma="su%2Fnoyin">σύνοψιν</w> <w lemma="a%29gome%2Fnwn">ἀγομένων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhs">ὅλης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="oi%29koume%2Fnhs">οἰκουμένης</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frgwn:">ἔργων·</w>
2
<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fthn">ταύτην</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%29lumpia%2Fda">ὀλυμπιάδα</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="nomi%2Fzw">νομίζω</w> <w lemma="sunepisth%2Fsein">συνεπιστήσειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29naginw%2Fskontas">ἀναγινώσκοντας</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fan">Ἰταλίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fhn">Λιβύην</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmous">πολέμους</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnois">χρόνοις</w> <w lemma="ei%29lhfe%2Fnai">εἰληφέναι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="sunte%2Fleian:">συντέλειαν·</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="i%28storh%3Dsai">ἱστορῆσαι</w> <w lemma="boulhqei%2Fh">βουληθείη</w> <w lemma="poi%2Fa">ποία</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="katastrofh%5C">καταστροφὴ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29ge%2Fneto">ἐγένετο</w>;
3
<w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fnqrwpoi">ἄνθρωποι</w>, <w lemma="ka%29%5Cn">κἂν</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerw%3Ds">ὁλοσχερῶς</w> <w lemma="parade%2Fxwntai">παραδέχωνται</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frga">ἔργα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgous">λόγους</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstwn">ἑκάστων</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="i%28mei%2Frousi">ἱμείρουσι</w> <w lemma="maqei%3Dn:">μαθεῖν·</w>
4
<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="proaire%2Fseis">προαιρέσεις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fwn">βασιλέων</w> <w lemma="e%29kfanesta%2Ftas">ἐκφανεστάτας</w> <w lemma="gegone%2Fnai">γεγονέναι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnous:">χρόνους·</w> <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="e%29le%2Fgeto">ἐλέγετο</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w>, <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="safw%3Ds">σαφῶς</w> <w lemma="e%29pegnw%2Fsqh">ἐπεγνώσθη</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsi">πᾶσι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="mhd%27">μηδ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flws">ὅλως</w> <w lemma="e%29qe%2Flousi">ἐθέλουσι</w> <w lemma="polupragmonei%3Dn">πολυπραγμονεῖν</w>.
5
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="boulo%2Fmenoi">βουλόμενοι</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29ci%2Fan">ἀξίαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frgwn">ἔργων</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29ch%2Fghsin">ἐξήγησιν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="duei%3Dn">δυεῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29tw%3Dn">ἐτῶν</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="katateta%2Fxamen">κατατετάχαμεν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fan">μίαν</w> <w lemma="bu%2Fblon">βύβλον</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="a%29podedw%2Fkamen">ἀποδεδώκαμεν</w>.
<head>I. Affairs of Greece</head>Perhaps it is true that in all Olympiads the syllabus of events arrests the attention of the reader, owing to their number and importance, the actions of the whole world being brought under one point of view.
But I think the events of this Olympiad (CXLIV) will have a peculiar power of doing this. For in the first place it was during this Olympiad that the wars in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> were brought to an end, wars the final outcome of which who will not be curious to learn?
For everyone naturally, although he may completely accept our account of particular action and speeches, still always longs to know the end.
Besides this, the political tendencies of the kings were clearly revealed during these years. For all that had been hitherto a matter of gossip about them now became clearly known to everyone, even to those who were not at all disposed to be curious.
For this reason, as I wish to give such an account of the facts as their importance deserves, I have not comprised the events of two years in one Book as was my practice in previous cases.