Polybius, Histories

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Book 29 - Chapter 18

1
<w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedo%2Fnwn">Μακεδόνων</w> <w lemma="basileu%2Fs">βασιλεύς</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fs">ὥς</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w>, <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhs">μάχης</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="lambanou%2Fshs">λαμβανούσης</w> <w lemma="a%29podeilia%2Fsas">ἀποδειλιάσας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="po%2Flin">πόλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29fippa%2Fsato">ἀφιππάσατο</w>, <w lemma="skhya%2Fmenos">σκηψάμενος</w> <w lemma="%2A%28hraklei%3D">Ἡρακλεῖ</w> <w lemma="qu%2Fein">θύειν</w>, <w lemma="deila%5C">δειλὰ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="deilw%3Dn">δειλῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28era%5C">ἱερὰ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="dexome%2Fnw%7C">δεχομένῳ</w> <w lemma="mhd%27">μηδ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29xa%5Cs">εὐχὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29qemi%2Ftous">ἀθεμίτους</w> <w lemma="e%29pitelou%3Dnti">ἐπιτελοῦντι</w>. —
The Macedonian king, as Polybius tells us, at the very beginning of the battle turned rein and rode off to the town, pretending that he was going to sacrifice to Heracles, a god who neither accepts the craven offerings of cowards, nor fulfils unlawful prayers.