Polybius, Histories

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Book 2 - Chapter 67

1
<w lemma="%2A%29epeidh%5C">Ἐπειδὴ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cs">καιρὸς</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dke">ἧκε</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fas">χρείας</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="su%2Fnqhma">σύνθημα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29illurioi%3Ds">Ἰλλυριοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29pedo%2Fqh">ἀπεδόθη</w>, <w lemma="parh%2Fggeilan">παρήγγειλαν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%2Fon">δέον</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="e%29pimele%2Fs">ἐπιμελές</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="a%29nadei%2Fcantes">ἀναδείξαντες</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%5Cs">αὑτοὺς</w> <w lemma="kath%2Frxonto">κατήρχοντο</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="bouno%5Cn">βουνὸν</w> <w lemma="prosbolh%3Ds">προσβολῆς</w>.
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<w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akleome%2Fnous">Κλεομένους</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="taxqe%2Fntes">ταχθέντες</w> <w lemma="eu%29%2Fzwnoi">εὔζωνοι</w>, <w lemma="qewrou%3Dntes">θεωροῦντες</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="spei%2Fras">σπείρας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29axaiw%3Dn">Ἀχαιῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29rh%2Fmous">ἐρήμους</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kato%2Fpin">κατόπιν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fsas">οὔσας</w>, <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29ra%5Cn">οὐρὰν</w> <w lemma="prospi%2Fptontes">προσπίπτοντες</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerh%3D">ὁλοσχερῆ</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dgon">ἦγον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Ffon">λόφον</w> <w lemma="biazome%2Fnous">βιαζομένους</w>,
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<w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29klei%2Fdan">Εὐκλείδαν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="u%28perdeci%2Fou">ὑπερδεξίου</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fswpon">πρόσωπον</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29festw%2Ftwn">ἐφεστώτων</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Frwn">μισθοφόρων</w> <w lemma="kato%2Fpin">κατόπιν</w> <w lemma="e%29pikeime%2Fnwn">ἐπικειμένων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prosfero%2Fntwn">προσφερόντων</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xei%3Dras">χεῖρας</w> <w lemma="e%29rrwme%2Fnws">ἐρρωμένως</w>. <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="w%28%3D%7C">ᾧ</w> <w lemma="kairw%3D%7C">καιρῷ</w> <w lemma="sunnoh%2Fsas">συννοήσας</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="gino%2Fmenon">γινόμενον</w>,
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<w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="proorw%2Fmenos">προορώμενος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllon">μέλλον</w> <w lemma="%2Afilopoi%2Fmhn">Φιλοποίμην</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Amegalopoli%2Fths">Μεγαλοπολίτης</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="u%28podeiknu%2Fein">ὑποδεικνύειν</w> <w lemma="e%29peba%2Flleto">ἐπεβάλλετο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="proestw%3Dsi">προεστῶσι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sumbhso%2Fmenon:">συμβησόμενον·</w>
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<w lemma="ou%29deno%5Cs">οὐδενὸς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fxontos">προσέχοντος</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%2Ft%27">μήτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28gemoni%2Fas">ἡγεμονίας</w> <w lemma="teta%2Fxqai">τετάχθαι</w> <w lemma="mhdepw%2Fpote">μηδεπώποτε</w> <w lemma="komidh%3D%7C">κομιδῇ</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="ne%2Fon">νέον</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fn">αὐτόν</w>, <w lemma="parakale%2Fsas">παρακαλέσας</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%28autou%3D">ἑαυτοῦ</w> <w lemma="poli%2Ftas">πολίτας</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fbale">ἐνέβαλε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fois">πολεμίοις</w> <w lemma="tolmhrw%3Ds">τολμηρῶς</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnou">γενομένου</w> <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="proskei%2Fmenoi">προσκείμενοι</w> <w lemma="misqofo%2Froi">μισθοφόροι</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29ra%5Cn">οὐρὰν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="prosbai%2Fnousin">προσβαίνουσιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fsantes">ἀκούσαντες</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kraugh%3Ds">κραυγῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunido%2Fntes">συνιδόντες</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w> <w lemma="sumplokh%2Fn">συμπλοκήν</w>, <w lemma="a%29fe%2Fmenoi">ἀφέμενοι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prokeime%2Fnwn">προκειμένων</w> <w lemma="a%29ne%2Ftrexon">ἀνέτρεχον</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fceis">τάξεις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proseboh%2Fqoun">προσεβοήθουν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28ppeu%3Dsi">ἱππεῦσι</w>.
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<w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="sumba%2Fntos">συμβάντος</w> <w lemma="a%29peri%2Fspaston">ἀπερίσπαστον</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenon">γενόμενον</w> <w lemma="to%2F">τό</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29illuriw%3Dn">Ἰλλυριῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedo%2Fnwn">Μακεδόνων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="prosbaino%2Fntwn">προσβαινόντων</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="e%29kqu%2Fmws">ἐκθύμως</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhse">ὥρμησε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="teqarrhko%2Ftws">τεθαρρηκότως</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fous">ὑπεναντίους</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="fanero%5Cn">φανερὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29genh%2Fqh">ἐγενήθη</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29klei%2Fdan">Εὐκλείδαν</w> <w lemma="proterh%2Fmatos">προτερήματος</w> <w lemma="ai%29%2Ftios">αἴτιος</w> <w lemma="e%29gi%2Fneto">ἐγίνετο</w> <w lemma="%2Afilopoi%2Fmhn">Φιλοποίμην</w>.
When the time to begin the action came, the signal was given to the Illyrians, and, the officers calling on their men to do their duty, they all instantly showed themselves and began the attack on the hill.
The light-armed mercenaries, who had been posted near Cleomenes' cavalry, upon seeing that the rear of the Achaean line was exposed, attacked them from behind,
and the whole force that was pressing on to the hill was thus threatened with a serious disaster, as Eucleidas' troops were facing them from above while the mercenaries were vigorously attacking their rear.
At this critical moment Philopoemen of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Megalopolis&groupId=745&placeId=1360">Megalopolis</a>, who saw what was happening and foresaw what was likely to happen, first attempted to call the attention of the commanding officers to it,
but as no one paid any attention to him, since he had never held any command and was quite a young man, he called on his own fellow-citizens to follow him and boldly fell upon the enemy.
Upon this the mercenaries who were attacking the assailants of the hill in the rear, hearing the clamour and seeing the cavalry engaged, abandoned what they had in hand and running back to their original position came to the aid of their cavalry.
The Illyrians and Macedonians and the rest of this attacking force were now disengaged, and threw themselves with great dash and courage on the enemy.
Thus, as became evident afterwards, the success of the attack on Eucleidas was due to Philopoemen.