Polybius, Histories

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Book 27 - Chapter 10

1
<w lemma="%2Atou%2Ftw%7C">Τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aperse%2Fa">Περσέα</w> <w lemma="sumbai%3Dnon">συμβαῖνον</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fxlous:">ὄχλους·</w>
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<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="ga%2Fr">γάρ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%2Fsas">ἐπιστήσας</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Freto">ἤρετο</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="parrhsi%2Fas">παρρησίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="bou%2Floint%27">βούλοιντ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fna">ἕνα</w> <w lemma="pesei%3Dn">πεσεῖν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="thlikau%2Fthn">τηλικαύτην</w> <w lemma="u%28peroxh%5Cn">ὑπεροχὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="labei%3Dn">λαβεῖν</w> <w lemma="monarxikh%3Ds">μοναρχικῆς</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fas">ἐξουσίας</w>, <w lemma="a%29nupeuqu%2Fnou">ἀνυπευθύνου</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w>, <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnw">ὑπολαμβάνω</w> <w lemma="sunnoh%2Fsantas">συννοήσαντας</w> <w lemma="palinw%7Cdi%2Fan">παλινῳδίαν</w> <w lemma="poih%3Dsai">ποιῆσαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="metapesei%3Dn">μεταπεσεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon:">τοὐναντίον·</w>
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<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="braxe%2Fa">βραχέα</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fmnhse">ὑπέμνησε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Ftwn">γεγονότων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedo%2Fnwn">Μακεδόνων</w> <w lemma="oi%29ki%2Fas">οἰκίας</w> <w lemma="dusko%2Flwn">δυσκόλων</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhsin">Ἕλλησιν</w>, <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="sumfero%2Fntwn">συμφερόντων</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="li%2Fan">λίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fdas">πόδας</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnw">ὑπολαμβάνω</w> <w lemma="metamelhqh%3Dnai">μεταμεληθῆναι</w>.
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<w lemma="plh%5Cn">πλὴν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29nepi%2Fstaton">ἀνεπίστατον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fthn">πρώτην</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%5Cn">ὁρμὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29kfanh%5Cs">ἐκφανὴς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="eu%29do%2Fkhsis">εὐδόκησις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="prosaggellome%2Fnois">προσαγγελλομένοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29smenizo%2Fntwn">ἀσμενιζόντων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fdocon">παράδοξον</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="pe%2Ffhne%2F">πέφηνέ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cs">ἱκανὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29ntagwnisth%5Cs">ἀνταγωνιστὴς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w>.
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<w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="proh%2Fxqhn">προήχθην</w> <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%2F">μή</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29kri%2Ftws">ἀκρίτως</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="a%29xaristi%2Fan">ἀχαριστίαν</w> <w lemma="o%29neidi%2Fzh%7C">ὀνειδίζῃ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhsi">Ἕλλησι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29gnow%3Dn">ἀγνοῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="parepo%2Fmena">παρεπόμενα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpois">ἀνθρώποις</w>. —
Very similar to this was the present feeling of the multitude towards Perseus.
For if anyone had secured their attention, and asked them frankly if they really would wish to see the supreme power in so absolute a form fall into the hands of a single man and to experience the rule of an absolutely irresponsible monarch, I fancy they would very soon have come to their senses and, changing their tune, have undergone a complete revulsion of feeling.
And if one had reminded them even briefly of all the hardships that the house of Macedon had inflicted on Greece, and of all the benefits she had derived from Roman rule, I fancy the reaction would have been most sudden and complete.
But now, when they gave way to their first unreflecting impulse, the delight of the people at the news was conspicuous, hailing, as they did, owing to the very strangeness of the fact, the appearance of some one at least who had proved himself a capable adversary of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>.
I have been led to speak of this matter at such length lest anyone, in ignorance of what is inherent in human nature, may unjustly reproach the Greeks with ingratitude for being in this state of mind at the time.