Polybius, Histories

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Book 2 - Chapter 42

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<w lemma="%2Ati%2Fnos">Τίνος</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnous">χρόνους</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="a%29ne%2Fdramon">ἀνέδραμον</w>; <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnhtai">γένηται</w> <w lemma="sumfane%5Cs">συμφανὲς</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="poi%2Fous">ποίους</w> <w lemma="kairou%5Cs">καιροὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fnes">τίνες</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dtoi">πρῶτοι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaiw%3Dn">Ἀχαιῶν</w> <w lemma="au%29%3Dqis">αὖθις</w> <w lemma="e%29poih%2Fsanto">ἐποιήσαντο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pibolh%5Cn">ἐπιβολὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="susta%2Fsews">συστάσεως</w>,
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<w lemma="deu%2Fteron">δεύτερον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="proaire%2Fsews">προαιρέσεως</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="h%28mete%2Fras">ἡμετέρας</w> <w lemma="a%29pofa%2Fsews">ἀποφάσεως</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstews">πίστεως</w> <w lemma="tugxa%2Fnh%7C">τυγχάνῃ</w>, <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fa">μία</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaiw%3Dn">Ἀχαιῶν</w> <w lemma="ai%28%2Fresis">αἵρεσις</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w>,
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<w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="protei%2Fnontes">προτείνοντες</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28toi%3Ds">αὑτοῖς</w> <w lemma="i%29shgori%2Fan">ἰσηγορίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parrhsi%2Fan">παρρησίαν</w>, <w lemma="polemou%3Dntes">πολεμοῦντες</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="katagwnizo%2Fmenoi">καταγωνιζόμενοι</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fwn">βασιλέων</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="sfete%2Fras">σφετέρας</w> <w lemma="patri%2Fdas">πατρίδας</w> <w lemma="katadouloume%2Fnous">καταδουλουμένους</w>, <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpw%7C">τρόπῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fth%7C">ταύτῃ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="proqe%2Fsei">προθέσει</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="tou%29%2Frgon">τοὔργον</w> <w lemma="e%29pete%2Flesan">ἐπετέλεσαν</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="summa%2Fxwn">συμμάχων</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnwn">ἐκείνων</w> <w lemma="sunergh%2Fmata">συνεργήματα</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Fta">γεγονότα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%3Ds">ἑξῆς</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnois">χρόνοις</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaiw%3Dn">Ἀχαιῶν</w> <w lemma="proai%2Fresin">προαίρεσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29noiste%2Fon">ἀνοιστέον</w>.
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<w lemma="polloi%3Ds">πολλοῖς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="koinwnh%2Fsantes">κοινωνήσαντες</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>, <w lemma="plei%2Fstwn">πλείστων</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kalli%2Fstwn">καλλίστων</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fpote">οὐδέποτε</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fpan">παράπαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pequ%2Fmhsan">ἐπεθύμησαν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="katorqwma%2Ftwn">κατορθωμάτων</w> <w lemma="ou%29deno%5Cs">οὐδενὸς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fa%7C">ἰδίᾳ</w> <w lemma="lusitelou%3Ds">λυσιτελοῦς</w>,
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<w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29nti%5C">ἀντὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fshs">πάσης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%28autw%3Dn">ἑαυτῶν</w> <w lemma="filotimi%2Fas">φιλοτιμίας</w>, <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="parei%2Fxonto">παρείχοντο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="summa%2Fxois">συμμάχοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29ntikathlla%2Fttonto">ἀντικατηλλάττοντο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstwn">ἑκάστων</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqeri%2Fan">ἐλευθερίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="koinh%5Cn">κοινὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28mo%2Fnoian">ὁμόνοιαν</w> <w lemma="%2Apeloponnhsi%2Fwn">Πελοποννησίων</w>.
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<w lemma="safe%2Fsteron">σαφέστερον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstai">ἔσται</w> <w lemma="dialamba%2Fnein">διαλαμβάνειν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="e%29nerghma%2Ftwn">ἐνεργημάτων</w>.
Why, the reader will ask, do I go back to these times? It is, firstly, to show which of the original Achaean cities took the first steps to re-form the League and at what dates,
and, secondly, that my assertion regarding their political principle may be confirmed by the actual evidence of facts.
What I asserted was that the Achaeans always followed one single policy, ever attracting others by the offer of their own equality and liberty and ever making war on and crushing those who either themselves or through the kings attempted to enslave their native cities, and that, in this manner and pursuing this purpose, they accomplished their task in part unaided and in part with the help of allies.
For the Achaean political principle must be credited also with the results furthering their end, to which their allies in subsequent years contributed.
Though they took so much part in the enterprises of others, and especially in many of those of the Romans which resulted brilliantly, they never showed the least desire to gain any private profit from their success,
but demanded, in exchange for the zealous aid they rendered their allies, nothing beyond the liberty of all states and the union of the Peloponnesians.
This will be more clearly evident when we come to see the League in active operation.