Polybius, Histories

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Book 28 - Chapter 21

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29lai%3Dos">Εὐλαῖος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="eu%29nou%3Dxos">εὐνοῦχος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpeise">ἔπεισε</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="a%29nalabo%2Fnta">ἀναλαβόντα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="xrh%2Fmata">χρήματα</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fan">βασιλείαν</w> <w lemma="proie%2Fmenon">προιέμενον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29xqroi%3Ds">ἐχθροῖς</w>, <w lemma="u%28poxwrei%3Dn">ὑποχωρεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asamoqra%2F%7Ckhn:">Σαμοθρᾴκην·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%2Fsas">ἐπιστήσας</w> <w lemma="o%28mologh%2Fseien">ὁμολογήσειεν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgista">μέγιστα</w> <w lemma="kaka%5C">κακὰ</w> <w lemma="poiou%3Dsin">ποιοῦσιν</w> <w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="kakai%5C">κακαὶ</w> <w lemma="suntrofi%2Fai">συντροφίαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpous">ἀνθρώπους</w>;
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="mhd%27">μηδ᾽</w>, <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenon">γενόμενον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="deinw%3Dn">δεινῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="a%29posta%2Fnta">ἀποστάντα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29xqrw%3Dn">ἐχθρῶν</w>, <w lemma="o%28rmh%3Dsai">ὁρμῆσαι</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kaqhko%2Fntwn">καθηκόντων</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Fllws">ἄλλως</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="thlikau%2Ftas">τηλικαύτας</w> <w lemma="a%29forma%5Cs">ἀφορμὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxonta">ἔχοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="kurieu%2Fonta">κυριεύοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%2Ftwn">τοσούτων</w> <w lemma="plhqw%3Dn">πληθῶν</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fqen">αὐτόθεν</w> <w lemma="a%29koniti%5C">ἀκονιτὶ</w> <w lemma="paraxwrh%3Dsai">παραχωρῆσαι</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fas">βασιλείας</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifanesta%2Fths">ἐπιφανεστάτης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="makariwta%2Fths">μακαριωτάτης</w>, <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="fh%2Fseie">φήσειε</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3Ds">ψυχῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29kteqhlumme%2Fnhs">ἐκτεθηλυμμένης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diefqarme%2Fnhs">διεφθαρμένης</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerw%3Ds">ὁλοσχερῶς</w>; <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w>,
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<w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="katame%2Fmyasqai">καταμέμψασθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mhdeni%5C">μηδενὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pife%2Frein:">ἐπιφέρειν·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29peidh%5C">ἐπειδὴ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsis">φύσις</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="au%28th%3Ds">αὑτῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29pelogh%2Fqh">ἀπελογήθη</w>, <w lemma="dei%2Fcasa">δείξασα</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sta%2Fsimon">στάσιμον</w> <w lemma="i%28kanw%3Ds">ἱκανῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gennai%3Don">γενναῖον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kindu%2Fnois">κινδύνοις</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxonta">ὑπάρχοντα</w>, <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws">εἰκότως</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="a%29genni%2Fas">ἀγεννίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%3Ds">ὁρμῆς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Asamoqra%2F%7Ckhn">Σαμοθρᾴκην</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="spa%2Fdwna">σπάδωνα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="suntrofi%2Fan">συντροφίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nafe%2Froi">ἀναφέροι</w>. —
Eulaeus the eunuch persuaded Ptolemy to take all his money with him, abandon his kingdom to the enemy, and retire to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samothrace&groupId=945&placeId=1681">Samothrace</a>.
Who, reflecting on this, would not acknowledge that evil company does the greatest possible harm to men?
For a prince, standing in no immediate danger and so far removed from his enemies, not to take any steps to fulfil his duty, especially as he commanded such great resources, and ruled over so great a country and so vast a population, but to yield up at once without a single effort such a splendid and prosperous kingdom, can only be described as the act of one whose mind is effeminate and utterly corrupted.
Had Ptolemy been such a man by nature, we should have put the blame on nature and not accused anyone but himself.
But since by his subsequent actions, nature defended herself by showing Ptolemy to have been a man who was fairly steadfast and brave when in danger, it is evident that with should attribute to the eunuch and association with him his cowardice on this occasion and his haste to retire to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samothrace&groupId=945&placeId=1681">Samothrace</a>.