Polybius, Histories

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Book 2 - Chapter 63

1
<w lemma="%2Ato%5C">Τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%5Cs">συνεχὲς</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fseie">θαυμάσειε</w>; <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29pofaino%2Fmenos">ἀποφαινόμενος</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgei">λέγει</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="parata%2Fcews">παρατάξεως</w> <w lemma="de%2Fx%27">δέχ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Frais">ἡμέραις</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fou">Πτολεμαίου</w> <w lemma="presbeuth%5Cn">πρεσβευτὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29lqei%3Dn">ἐλθεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%29gge%2Fllonta">ἀγγέλλοντα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Akleome%2Fnh">Κλεομένη</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Dos">Πτολεμαῖος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="xorhgei%3Dn">χορηγεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%29pole%2Fgei">ἀπολέγει</w>, <w lemma="dialu%2Fesqai">διαλύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="parakalei%3D">παρακαλεῖ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anti%2Fgonon">Ἀντίγονον</w>.
2
<w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fsanta%2F">ἀκούσαντά</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="kri%3Dnai">κρῖναι</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="taxi%2Fsthn">ταχίστην</w> <w lemma="e%29kkubeu%2Fein">ἐκκυβεύειν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flois">ὅλοις</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="sunei%3Dnai">συνεῖναι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="prospeptwko%2Fta">προσπεπτωκότα</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmeis">δυνάμεις</w>, <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mhdemi%2Fan">μηδεμίαν</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fois">ἰδίοις</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmasin">πράγμασιν</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fda">ἐλπίδα</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnasqai">δύνασθαι</w> <w lemma="misqodotei%3Dn">μισθοδοτεῖν</w>.
3
<w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fper">εἴπερ</w> <w lemma="e%28cakisxili%2Fwn">ἑξακισχιλίων</w> <w lemma="e%29gkrath%5Cs">ἐγκρατὴς</w> <w lemma="e%29gego%2Fnei">ἐγεγόνει</w> <w lemma="tala%2Fntwn">ταλάντων</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="kairou%2Fs">καιρούς</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="h%29du%2Fnato">ἠδύνατο</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="xorhgi%2Fais">χορηγίαις</w> <w lemma="u%28perqe%2Fsqai">ὑπερθέσθαι</w>.
4
<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anti%2Fgonon">Ἀντίγονον</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="triakosi%2Fwn">τριακοσίων</w> <w lemma="u%28ph%3Drxe">ὑπῆρχε</w> <w lemma="ku%2Frios">κύριος</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="li%2Fan">λίαν</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cs">ἱκανὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="a%29sfalw%3Ds">ἀσφαλῶς</w> <w lemma="u%28pome%2Fnwn">ὑπομένων</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fbein">τρίβειν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w>.
5
<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fsas">πάσας</w> <w lemma="a%29pofai%2Fnein">ἀποφαίνειν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Akleome%2Fnei">Κλεομένει</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdas">ἐλπίδας</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%2Fw%7C">Πτολεμαίῳ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xorhgi%2Fas">χορηγίας</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tosou%2Ftwn">τοσούτων</w> <w lemma="xrhma%2Ftwn">χρημάτων</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="fa%2Fnai">φάναι</w> <w lemma="ku%2Frion">κύριον</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="kairou%2Fs">καιρούς</w>, <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="megi%2Fsths">μεγίστης</w> <w lemma="a%29logi%2Fas">ἀλογίας</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29skeyi%2Fas">ἀσκεψίας</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5C">ἐστὶ</w> <w lemma="shmei%3Don">σημεῖον</w>;
6
<w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Ftera">ἕτερα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="suggrafei%3D">συγγραφεῖ</w> <w lemma="toiau%3Dta">τοιαῦτα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28pokeime%2Fnous">ὑποκειμένους</w> <w lemma="kairou%5Cs">καιροὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhn">ὅλην</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pragmatei%2Fan">πραγματείαν</w> <w lemma="katate%2Ftaktai">κατατέτακται</w>, <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="a%29rkei%3Dn">ἀρκεῖν</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnw">ὑπολαμβάνω</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fqesin">πρόθεσιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="ei%29rhme%2Fna">εἰρημένα</w>.
What he tells us next is still more astounding; after this assertion about the booty, he states that just ten days before the battle an envoy from Ptolemy reached Cleomenes informing him that that king withdrew his subvention and requested him to come to terms with Antigonus.
He says that Cleomenes on hearing this resolved to stake his all on a battle before it reached the ears of his troops, as he had no hope of being able to meet their pay from his own resources.
But if at this very time he had six thousand talents at his command, he could have been more generous than Ptolemy himself in the matter of subventions;
and if he could only dispose of three hundred talents it was enough to enable him to continue the war against Antigonus with absolute financial security.
But to state in one breath that Cleomenes depended entirely on Ptolemy for money and that at the very same time he was in possession of such a large sum, is a sign of the greatest levity and want of reflection.
Phylarchus has made many similar statements not only about this period but all through his work. I think, however, that what I have said at such length as the plan of this history allows should suffice.