Polybius, Histories

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Book 3 - Chapter 7

1
<w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndrou">Ἀλεξάνδρου</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fbasin">διάβασιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29asi%2Fan">Ἀσίαν</w>. <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anti%2Foxon">Ἀντίοχον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29twlw%3Dn">Αἰτωλῶν</w> <w lemma="o%29rgh%5Cn">ὀργὴν</w> <w lemma="qete%2Fon">θετέον</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnoi">ἐκεῖνοι</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcantes">δόξαντες</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="w%29ligwrh%3Dsqai">ὠλιγωρῆσθαι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fkbasin">ἔκβασιν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Afili%2Fppou">Φιλίππου</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmou">πολέμου</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29pa%2Fnw">ἐπάνω</w> <w lemma="proei%3Dpon">προεῖπον</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="%2A%29anti%2Foxon">Ἀντίοχον</w> <w lemma="e%29pespa%2Fsanto">ἐπεσπάσαντο</w>, <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pra%3Dcai">πρᾶξαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paqei%3Dn">παθεῖν</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fsthsan">ὑπέστησαν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pigenome%2Fnhn">ἐπιγενομένην</w> <w lemma="o%29rgh%5Cn">ὀργὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="kairw%3Dn">καιρῶν</w>.
3
<w lemma="pro%2Ffasin">πρόφασιν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28ghte%2Fon">ἡγητέον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fnwn">Ἑλλήνων</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqe%2Frwsin">ἐλευθέρωσιν</w>, <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnoi">ἐκεῖνοι</w> <w lemma="periporeuo%2Fmenoi">περιπορευόμενοι</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29antio%2Fxou">Ἀντιόχου</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="po%2Fleis">πόλεις</w> <w lemma="a%29lo%2Fgws">ἀλόγως</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="yeudw%3Ds">ψευδῶς</w> <w lemma="kath%2Fggellon">κατήγγελλον</w>, <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmou">πολέμου</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29antio%2Fxou">Ἀντιόχου</w> <w lemma="kata%2Fploun">κατάπλουν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Adhmhtria%2Fda">Δημητριάδα</w>.
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%29egw%5C">Ἐγὼ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="diastolh%5Cn">διαστολὴν</w> <w lemma="pepoi%2Fhmai">πεποίημαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fneka">ἕνεκα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="suggrafe%2Fwn">συγγραφέων</w> <w lemma="e%29pitimh%2Fsews">ἐπιτιμήσεως</w>, <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="filomaqou%2Fntwn">φιλομαθούντων</w> <w lemma="e%29panorqw%2Fsews">ἐπανορθώσεως</w>.
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<w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Ffelos">ὄφελος</w> <w lemma="i%29atrou%3D">ἰατροῦ</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fmnousin">κάμνουσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29gnoou%3Dntos">ἀγνοοῦντος</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="sw%2Fmata">σώματα</w> <w lemma="diaqe%2Fsewn">διαθέσεων</w>; <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29ndro%5Cs">ἀνδρὸς</w> <w lemma="pragmatikou%3D">πραγματικοῦ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="duname%2Fnou">δυναμένου</w> <w lemma="sullogi%2Fzesqai">συλλογίζεσθαι</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fqen">πόθεν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fkasta">ἕκαστα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29forma%5Cs">ἀφορμὰς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Flhfen">εἴληφεν</w>;
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<w lemma="ou%29%2Fte">οὔτε</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnon">ἐκεῖνον</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%5Cs">εἰκὸς</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fpote">οὐδέποτε</w> <w lemma="deo%2Fntws">δεόντως</w> <w lemma="susth%2Fsasqai">συστήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="swma%2Ftwn">σωμάτων</w> <w lemma="qerapei%2Fas">θεραπείας</w>, <w lemma="ou%29%2Fte">οὔτε</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="pragmatiko%5Cn">πραγματικὸν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="xeiri%2Fsai">χειρίσαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prospipto%2Fntwn">προσπιπτόντων</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fneu">ἄνευ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="e%29pignw%2Fsews">ἐπιγνώσεως</w>.
7
<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftw">οὕτω</w> <w lemma="fulakte%2Fon">φυλακτέον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="zhthte%2Fon">ζητητέον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstou">ἑκάστου</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="sumbaino%2Fntwn">συμβαινόντων</w>, <w lemma="e%29peidh%5C">ἐπειδὴ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fetai">φύεται</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="tuxo%2Fntwn">τυχόντων</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgista">μέγιστα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>, <w lemma="i%29a%3Dsqai">ἰᾶσθαι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="r%28a%3D%7Csto%2Fn">ῥᾷστόν</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w> <w lemma="panto%5Cs">παντὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="prw%2Ftas">πρώτας</w> <w lemma="e%29pibola%5Cs">ἐπιβολὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dialh%2Fyeis">διαλήψεις</w>.
Similarly it is evident that the cause of the war between Antiochus and the Romans was the anger of the Aetolians,
who (as I above stated) looking upon themselves as having been slighted in many ways by the Romans as regards their share in bringing the war with Philip to an end, not only invited Antiochus over, but were ready to do and suffer anything owing to the anger they conceived under the above circumstances.
But the liberation of Greece, which they announced in defiance of reason and truth going round with Antiochus from city to city, we must consider to be a pretext of this war, and its beginning the landing of Antiochus at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Demetrias&groupId=536&placeId=1006">Demetrias</a>.
In speaking at such length on this matter, my object has not been to censure previous writers, but to rectify the ideas of students.
For of what use to the sick is a physician who is ignorant of the causes of certain conditions of the body? And of what use is a statesman who cannot reckon how, why, and whence each event has originated?
The former will scarcely be likely to recommend proper treatment for the body and it will be impossible for the latter without such knowledge to deal properly with circumstances.
Nothing, therefore, should be more carefully guarded against and more diligently sought out than the first causes of each event, since matters of the greatest moment often originate from trifles, and it is the initial impulses and conceptions in every matter which are most easily remedied.