Polybius, Histories

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Book 16 - Chapter 10

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="suntelesqh%3Dnai">συντελεσθῆναι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Ala%2Fdhn">Λάδην</w> <w lemma="naumaxi%2Fan">ναυμαχίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fous">Ῥοδίους</w> <w lemma="e%29kpodw%5Cn">ἐκποδὼν</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Fattalon">Ἄτταλον</w> <w lemma="mhde%2Fpw">μηδέπω</w> <w lemma="summemixe%2Fnai">συμμεμιχέναι</w>, <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29ch%3Dn">ἐξῆν</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="telei%3Dn">τελεῖν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Afili%2Fppw%7C">Φιλίππῳ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="plou%3Dn">πλοῦν</w>. <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flist%27">μάλιστ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="katama%2Fqoi">καταμάθοι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="maniw%2Fdh">μανιώδη</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenon">γενόμενον</w> <w lemma="%2Afi%2Flippon">Φίλιππον</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="pra%3Dcai">πρᾶξαι</w>. — <w lemma="%2Ati%2F">Τί</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%3Ds">ὁρμῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pilabo%2Fmenon">ἐπιλαβόμενον</w>;
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<w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fteron">ἕτερον</w> <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsis">φύσις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pollou%3D">πολλοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29ni%2Fote">ἐνίοτε</w> <w lemma="polloi%5C">πολλοὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29duna%2Ftwn">ἀδυνάτων</w> <w lemma="e%29fi%2Fentai">ἐφίενται</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="profainome%2Fnwn">προφαινομένων</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdwn">ἐλπίδων</w>, <w lemma="kratou%2Fshs">κρατούσης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29piqumi%2Fas">ἐπιθυμίας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstou">ἑκάστου</w> <w lemma="logismw%3Dn:">λογισμῶν·</w>
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<w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29ggi%2Fswsi">ἐγγίσωσι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frgois">ἔργοις</w>, <w lemma="ou%29deni%5C">οὐδενὶ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgw%7C">λόγῳ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29fi%2Fstantai">ἀφίστανται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proqe%2Fsewn">προθέσεων</w>, <w lemma="e%29piskotou%2Fmenoi">ἐπισκοτούμενοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paralogizo%2Fmenoi">παραλογιζόμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="logismoi%3Ds">λογισμοῖς</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29mhxani%2Fan">ἀμηχανίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="dusxrhsti%2Fan">δυσχρηστίαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29pantwme%2Fnwn">ἀπαντωμένων</w>. —
After the sea-fight at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lade&groupId=663&placeId=1213">Lade</a> was over, the Rhodians being out of the way and Attalus not yet having joined, it was evidently quite possible for Philip to sail to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>. This is the best proof that Philip had become like a madman when he acted thus.
What was it then that arrested his impulse? Simply the nature of things.
For at a distance many men at times strive after impossibilities owing to the magnitude of the hopes before their eyes, their desires getting the better of their reason:
but when the hour of action approaches they abandon their projects again without any exercise of reason, their faculty of thought being confused and upset by the insuperable difficulties they encounter.