Polybius, Histories

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Book 3 - Chapter 38

1
<w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="a%29podw%2Fsomen">ἀποδώσομεν</w>. <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29asi%2Fas">Ἀσίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fhs">Λιβύης</w>, <w lemma="kaqo%5C">καθὸ</w> <w lemma="suna%2Fptousin">συνάπτουσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29llh%2Flais">ἀλλήλαις</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29qiopi%2Fan">Αἰθιοπίαν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29dei%5Cs">οὐδεὶς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="a%29trekw%3Ds">ἀτρεκῶς</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28ma%3Ds">ἡμᾶς</w> <w lemma="kairw%3Dn">καιρῶν</w> <w lemma="po%2Fteron">πότερον</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fpeiro%2Fs">ἤπειρός</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%5Cs">συνεχὲς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="meshmbri%2Fan">μεσημβρίαν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="qala%2Ftth%7C">θαλάττῃ</w> <w lemma="perie%2Fxetai">περιέχεται</w>,
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<w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="%2Atana%2Fidos">Τανάιδος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Ana%2Frbwnos">Νάρβωνος</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frktous">ἄρκτους</w> <w lemma="a%29nh%3Dkon">ἀνῆκον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgnwston">ἄγνωστον</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="mh%2F">μή</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="polupragmonou%3Dntes">πολυπραγμονοῦντες</w> <w lemma="i%28storh%2Fswmen">ἱστορήσωμεν</w>.
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<w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgonta%2Fs">λέγοντάς</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllws">ἄλλως</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="gra%2Ffontas">γράφοντας</w> <w lemma="a%29gnoei%3Dn">ἀγνοεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mu%2Fqous">μύθους</w> <w lemma="diatiqe%2Fnai">διατιθέναι</w> <w lemma="nomiste%2Fon">νομιστέον</w>.
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Atau%3Dta">Ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29rh%2Fsqw">εἰρήσθω</w> <w lemma="moi">μοι</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="tele%2Fws">τελέως</w> <w lemma="a%29nupo%2Ftakton">ἀνυπότακτον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29pei%2Frois">ἀπείροις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="dih%2Fghsin">διήγησιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%2F">κατά</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerei%3Ds">ὁλοσχερεῖς</w> <w lemma="diafora%5Cs">διαφορὰς</w> <w lemma="sunepiba%2Fllein">συνεπιβάλλειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frein">φέρειν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%2F">ἐπί</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="dianoi%2Fa%7C">διανοίᾳ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="lego%2Fmenon">λεγόμενον</w>, <w lemma="tekmairome%2Fnous">τεκμαιρομένους</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="perie%2Fxontos">περιέχοντος</w>.
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<w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28ra%2Fsews">ὁράσεως</w> <w lemma="ei%29qi%2Fsmeqa">εἰθίσμεθα</w> <w lemma="sunepistre%2Ffein">συνεπιστρέφειν</w> <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fswpa">πρόσωπα</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fndeicin">ἔνδειξιν</w> <w lemma="u%28podeiknu%2Fmenon">ὑποδεικνύμενον</w>, <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="dianoi%2Fa%7C">διανοίᾳ</w> <w lemma="xrh%5C">χρὴ</w> <w lemma="sundianeu%2Fein">συνδιανεύειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="surre%2Fpein">συρρέπειν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w> <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w>
Just as with regard to Asia and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a> where they meet in Aethiopia no one up to the present has been able to say with certainty whether the southern extension of them is continuous land or is bounded by a sea, so that part of Europe which extends to the north between the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Don&groupId=127&placeId=365">Don</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Narbo&groupId=786&placeId=1423">Narbo</a> is up to now unknown to us, and will remain so unless the curiosity of explorers lead to some discoveries in the future. We must pronounce that those who either by word of mouth or in writing make rash statements about these regions have no knowledge of them, and invent mere fables. I have said so much in order that my narrative should not be without something to range itself under in the minds of those who are ignorant of the localities, but that they should have some notion at least of the main geographical distinctions, with which they can connect in thought and to which they can refer my statements, calculating the position of places from the quarter of the heaven under which they lie. For as in the case of physical sight we are in the habit of turning our faces in the direction of any object pointed out to us, so should we mentally ever turn and shift our glance to each place to which the story calls our attention.